MAY
6, 2013
FAMILIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA,
Oh.
My. Good. Ness.
What
a CRAZY week this has been, I can't even describe. I am having anxiety just
trying to make sure I include everything.
Picture
this. We arrive in the Jacksonville Florida airport. There is jazz music
blasting and an area of about a hundred rocking chairs, with people just
sitting and waiting for their friends and family to arrive. We met President
Barry and Sister Barry, who are both so kind and had a meeting at their house
with all 25 of the new missionaries. Florida is GORGEOUS! So green, there is
water everywhere, little ponds in every neighborhood. Sister Nunes and I stayed
the night at a member's home and then we all met together again in the morning.
My interview with President Barry was good, just got to know me and my
testimony. Our trainers all arrived in the afternoon and President Barry named
off who would be paired with who, which was a little nerve-wracking! My knees
started shaking like they do when I get nervous ;) BUT, all the sisters and
elders at the front of the room were paired off with their trainee's and
there were still 4 of us new sisters sitting in the crowd with no trainers.
President
Barry called us up and asked us all if we would accept the calling to be a
trainer for our companions that were also fresh out of the MTC. So, I am a
trainer and a trainee!
Yes,
I know, you are thinking to yourself, that sounds like a nightmare come to
fruition. And that's about along the lines of what I was thinking! I was SO
scared, like I have never been scared in my entire life. I don't know how to be
a missionary!Every missionary that we talk to starts to chuckle to themselves
when we tell them that we're both new and training each other, which doesn't
instill tons of confidence haha! The whole way home I just prayed and prayed
and prayed. I have felt Heavenly Father's presence so strongly, leading us
along. He is aware of EVERY SINGLE one of His children. He knows their thoughts
and their desires. He knows me.. Because the Savior died for me, I can be like
God someday. I can do this! I just have to keep telling myself that. We are
also white-washing the area, which means that there's only been sisters here
for 1 transfer before us. Sister Divis is my trainer. Oh I mean my Trainee. Oh,
she's both :) She is from Spokane Washington, we were in the same zone in the
MTC.
I have
been called to serve in Brunswich, Georgia! We were driving the other day and
saw some road kill up ahead, which turned out to be an armadillo. We are in the
DEEP south. There are all sorts of fun people here, and although I didn't learn
a language in the MTC, I am learning one now! Georgian!
Where
to start about our experiences thus far.. We have been doing all we can to
study the 12 week training program each morning. Sometimes we laugh
because in the booklet for trainers, it says "during week two, let your
companion lead the discussion for the first lesson of the restoration, and help
them to evaluate." Every discussion we give, we are both leading
and sometimes it feels like the blind leading the blind, but Heavenly
Father sent us here for a purpose!
On
thursday night, we went out to find someone. We went down this random road in a
trailer park, saw some people that were outside and thought maybe we'd go talk
to them. We were both kind of nervous and didn't know if that's what we should
do. We pulled over in a parking lot and said a prayer, expressing to Heavenly
Father that we had no idea what we were doing and asked if we should walk down
this road. After we prayed, we paused and I felt a VERY distinct thought
in my head to walk down the road, like I've never experienced
before. We walked down this road and met Tre (pronounced Tray). He is
probably about 30 years old, black guy from Georgia, and asked us all about who
we were and what we were doing. We gave him a book of mormon and I just connected
with him when he asked us questions. The spirit was guiding our
conversation, for sure. We invited him to church and we scheduled a return
appointment. It was definitely a miracle that we found him and that Heavenly
Father helped me to answer his questions the way Tre needed them answered.
We
prepared for his lesson and were so excited to meet with him again! I was
scared however, because I have never taught a REAL investigator, just people
role-playing in the MTC. Oh and my trainer has never taught a real person
either. hahahaha. Every day when I wake up I have to conciously say to myself
that without having faith that God is helping me to grow, I will get nowhere.
Our lesson was interesting.. We taught him on his front porch. Tre had all
sorts of tangents he wanted to talk about, and has some very passionate
religious beliefs. At the end, it felt like he had tried to teach US, which was
frustrating, because we weren't able to fulfill our purpose as missionaries.
We told him we had to leave, and he asked when he could learn more. I
said, "Tre, our purpose to help you build faith in Christ in order to
repent of your sins and be baptized by the true priesthood authority so that
you can have the holy ghost and be happy and return to God! I don't feel like
we were able to do that today, and if you don't want us to teach you then we
can't come back!" We challenged him to pray and to come to church and if
he did that we could set up another appointment. And what do you know.. He was
in church on Sunday with a purple dress shirt and tie. He said he had all sorts
of questions about testimony meeting and wanted to know about Joseph
Smith.. So we will be teaching him tomorrow with Brother Richardson, who is in
the ward bishopric. I am excited and hope can humble himself in order to
be taught by the spirit.
Sister
Divis is really good piano player, so we asked the bishop if we could sing on
Sunday before testimonies and he said it would be fine. I think that Tre and
the ward felt the spirit as I sang I know that my redeemer lives. I didn't even
cry at all. That's a first! We were given 5 referrals by members after the
meeting!
I
need to tell you about one more miracle with Jeraldine and Kembrough. Jeraldine
is a recent convert and is the FUNNIEST HUMAN I HAVE EVER MET. She is a 50 year
old black lady and I can't even understand half the things she says. Her
testimony is SO strong, she loves the church with all her heart. We came over
to read the book of mormon with her the other day and every time she reads
something she likes, she mutters things like, "read it",
"praise Jesus", or "SAY it". When she talks about the
church she calls it "my church of the Lattah day". We were reading
with her and another member of the ward (who is an angel) named Juanita
Green, when one of her neighbors popped his head in. He is probably about the
same age as Jeraldine and she said "Get in here and read!" So he said
he would listen and sat down with a book of mormon we gave him. He had all
sorts of questions during the reading and wouldn't accept the answers we gave
him without a scripture reference. It was awesome because when we talked about
being baptized under the correct authority, you could feel the spirit so
strong, that our church has the only true authority to perform priesthood
ordinances on earth. My companion was leading the discussion, it was
awesome! I felt the spirit prompt me so I said, "Kembrough, will
you be baptized under correct priesthood authority?" The room went DEAD
silent and my heart was beating 10,000,000,000 miles an hour. He said, "If
I pray and I figure out its true, then ya I will." Works for me! He didn't
come to church though, but I think he's just stubborn and scared. We have an
appointment with him next week.
I am
defintely having days where I am struggling with why I am here and if I am
making any progress. I don't know how to evaluate how we are doing, so it
frustrates me sometimes.. But I know that the key to EVERYTHING is obedience.
If we exercise faith in being obedient to God, He will bless us every single
time. He is making me into someone so much better than I have been. Sometimes
those kind of growing pains are a little uncomfortable, but I know that
whatever the reason I am here without a trainer is that Heavenly Father needs
me to learn something so that is really internalizes.
I
love you family. I miss you so bad! Please send me letters!! Send them to
273
Winding Trail, Brunswick, GA 31523
If
you send them to the mission address, I won' tget it til zone conference. LOVE
YOU FAMILY! So grateful we are sealed together in the temple!! Kiss tonya for
me. I'll send pictures soon.
love,
Sister Dodd
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