So, some crazy stuff has happened this week! You ready to hear about it? HA. Last Monday we ate dinner with Sister M. who loves all the missionaries to pieces- sometimes she thinks she is a missionary herself. Well after dinner she told us she was making a package for the Elder who just went back home from our District. There were cute mementos, southern knick knacks, some random inside jokes, and then a hair board. YES. A board that she had glued a 'lock of hair' onto that belonged to each of her family members. Now she was requesting US to give a lock of hair. She said it was for a great cause! She really loved this elder. Well we don't really know him because Elder/Sister relationships are super strict in this mission. But she worked her magic, ended up persuading me, and *BAM* cut a lock of hair right off my head!
Oh it was a nasty looking board, haha. I wouldn't know what to do if I opened up a package and saw that inside. HA! But I guess it makes memories right? She got all 4 companionships of missionaries to contribute and also got our hand prints on the back. Very unique gift if I do say so myself.
The next day we started looking through our area book and wrote down a bunch of names of people who had been investigators in the past, but discontinued for different reasons. Later that day we went out and visited some of our less actives, and had a great lesson on the Restoration with a friend of one of our members. Our new mission President has asked us to be able to teach the message of the Restoration in under 4 minutes, with two scriptures and a memorized portion and will be checking on that this Thursday at Zone Conference! He is going to make us role-play it. Man am I nervous! But we have been practicing and I feel super good about it. If I don't succeed with those requirements, at least I know that when I teach real investigators I will know exactly what I am doing.
Later that day we did our volunteer work at the Assisted Living Home and sadly Paula (the manager we work closely with) had her last day working there:(
We were so sad! But we took some pictures and gave her a small little gift we had gotten together the day before. She loved it.
Wednesday was Great! We went out with Sister D. and had a BLAST! She is a true “Southern Bell” - born and raised in North Carolina. We were laughing so hard the whole time with her because she is witty, and tons of fun. She was also an amazing help during our lessons. We contacted those people we had found in our area book the day before, and had good contacts with all of them. The first lady we went to go see let us right in and said she remembered the Elders who had taught her a few years prior. We got to know each other pretty quick and had a good time. She is such a spiritual lady and has a very southern spin on all of her beliefs. But that's okay! It's cultural. She asked us to come back and visit her again because she really liked us. Haha. I like it when people actually enjoy our company...everyone else just doesn't know what they are missing out on.
For dinner that night we went out with this cute little old lady in our ward, Sister P. She is a family history missionary here and is loving it- she always shares stories with us when we go out to eat once a month. This night we went to a place called Dickey's. It was SUPER yummy BBQ, or maybe I was just really hungry.
We had Zone Training today (Yes...we have had to drive to Fayetteville NC for three weeks in a ROW!) and a sweet member drove us there and back to help with our miles. She said she needed to go to Sam's Club for a food run anyways..but I know that her offering a ride was a DEFINITE answer to our prayers. We had been praying that someone would be able to take us. I want to respect the allotted amount of miles we are given each month since this mission is providing the car for us. So I don't want to ever go over on our miles! Haha.
Thursday morning we went over to a members home where her husband is currently deployed. She has been feeling a little down and not on top of things, so we told her to expect us that morning from 9-12 and we helped her deep clean. She was so appreciative and invited us over for dinner this upcoming week. I love seeing how giving service orients trust towards us missionaries. She even said that if we need to invite anyone, whether an investigator, less active, or recent convert as well, she would be totally okay with that. So this is evidence that when you love someone without any ulterior motives, they will open up and trust you. I love that!
The next day we had another lesson with our investigator Linda whom we found in the area book. We brought a young lady who is getting her mission papers in the mail soon so she could get some idea as to what to look forward to. We taught the Restoration of the Church to her, and Sister Burdette and I totally rocked it! After practicing and studying and more practicing we finally nailed down a great teaching pattern for this! Thank you President James.
Later on that night we had dinner with Sister W. who has fed us every Friday for the last 3 weeks. We are so grateful for her! She has really touched my heart! We have offered to do yard work with her and have found that each time we come over and do service for her, the more she opens up. Now when we come over she totally chats with us about all her work stuff, family drama, exciting experiences, and asks us for our opinions on things. Members who put their hearts into helping the missionaries will never TRULY understand how much they touch our lives. Blessings will come to those who help the missionaries.
But I did get 23 mosquito bites on my legs from the yard work. And I was really sweaty. And my hair got pretty big. But that's okay! I love serving and helping people. I think my mission has taught me the definition of hard work. I didn't know how to really work, like the nitty-gritty stuff, before. I am grateful for that.
Although we had one investigator come to church (who really didn't pay attention at all) we DID have an inactive single sister come to church! We are always leaving sticky notes on her door letting her know we love her and miss her. And then at church I scan the chapel and my eyes lock on her and I was like, "NO WAY!" Reverently ran/walked over to her and hugged her. It was a great feeling.
But after church we had a scare because the keys weren't in my purse. So we spent half an hour frantically running around the church looking for the stupid things. We even had some members helping us. Know where they were? In My BAG. DUMB. Haha.
I know that as you pray and strive to minister to the ONE, Heavenly Father will help them find a way back.
Lots of Love!
Sister Golden :)