Week 7: Tornados and Nacho Hippo

I feel like I was just sending out a pday email yesterday! The days really do blend together out here in the mission field. I had some really cool experiences with revelation this week!

Lead by the Spirit

1---At our weekly meeting, we were told to make sacrifices, and because we make sacrifices, we could expect miracles! Fast forward a few hours-We had plans to meet some members for lunch and then take them to a lesson with us. This was a little sit down cafe and we asked the hostess if she had seen an older couple walk in. She said "Oh, no I haven't seen anyone with your tags." We quickly explained that they don't have tags and that they were members from our congregation, and that we were missionaries! She surprised us by saying that she wants to be a missionary too! We asked her if she was very religious and she said she wishes her bond with God was stronger. We got her name and number, and this cute girls name is Yaritza! (like eureka but with an s instead of a k). Then our member couple walked up, and turns out the brother actually taught her at her high school for a short time! What are the odds? This was definitely God's doing! He knew we needed to meet Yaritza. We met with her for lunch 2 days later at Nacho Hippo, and I don't know why its called that considering they serve Mexican food haha! But we had such a great discussion about agency and faith and the importance of baptism. All she wants is to add a little more light in the world by one day serving a mission. We can't wait to continue meeting with her and having more discussions! I know now that sacrifices really do bring blessings, and as we sacrifice anything for the Lord, we will be blessed 💞

2--- We had a plate of chocolate covered strawberries, not sure who to take it to! SO we drove to visit some families and told ourselves the first to answer will be blessed with them! We pull up to a house, and SECONDS later another mini van pulls into the driveway! We have been trying to catch this family in person for a while now. We hand Tannie the strawberries and she tells us she is OBSESSED with strawberries! So much so that her sister has a massive tattoo of one on her backside. So we were led by God these past few days unknowingly, being led to the strawberry patch, making the chocolate covered strawberries, and visiting Tannies house that SPECIFIC moment in time! If that's not being led by the Spirit, I don't know what is!

Revelation

When we have meetings with our sweet Russian family, most often WE read the scriptures because it allows them to comprehend and ponder the words together, instead of them going word by word. Their English is AMAZING, but they are still learning. And while meeting with a recent convert Angela, she started talking about the audio Book of Mormon. I instantly got chills. I knew this is what this awesome family needed! We are hoping this will help them have more meaningful scripture study! I know that this wasn't a random thought, but that I was told this by the Holy Ghost. I'm so grateful for the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life!

Tornados

We were making chocolate covered strawberries to go deliver to people, and all of a sudden, we receive a text from a sister. There was a tornado warning in the area! 🌪 A tornado WATCH means that conditions are right for a tornado to form. A tornado WARNING means that one has touched down! Now me coming from Arizona, I only had to worry about dust storms and maybe a bad monsoon season storm. And Sister McGhee is from Wyoming, so we literally had NO IDEA what to do. We scoured our apartment and found some safety precautions that are now on the front of our fridge :) Needless to say we called a member living in the same complex and she explained all the details for safety. So we will be more prepared next time we get a tornado warning. As one member put it "we are protected by God!" We are still mortal though! He is definitely watching out for us missionaries! We spent the rest of the night watching 2nd coming videos...

Sicky

Saturday right before we left for the day, Sister McGhee felt off. While out and about, I noticed she was really quiet. I asked her if she was okay, and she said it was worse. I immediately got directions back home, poor thing would've just suffered in silence if I hadn't! For missionaries first transfers, we aren't allowed to drive. So poor Sister McGhee had to drive the whole hour back! We got back to the apartment and she was OUT from 3 to the rest of the night, and only got up once to go to the bathroom. There's not much you can do without your companion, so I did some housekeeping, wrote letters, and a little bit of messaging to our progressing friends. The next morning we stayed home from both wards sacrament meetings. Thankfully after waking up around dinner time Sister McGhee felt much improved! Some sweet members brought us by food and others sent "get well soon" texts. The people here make sure to take care of us! Our prayers were answered and Sister McGhee is good as new!

Random Odds and Ends

-We had DELICIOUS crab soup and crab cakes!

-A man asked us for a cigarette

-Sister McGhee giggles when I say "See you tomorrow beautiful!" or lovely lady, or gorgeous or love. She hasn't heard someone say that before!

-I wore pants!

-Angela reminds me of the frog from Rio 2

-I had a Facebook poke war with Elder Hendrix

Scripture Thought

As we head into Easter, these verses have been on my mind! Mosiah 16:6-9 "And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption. And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there IS a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

These verses speak comfort. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, DEATH IS NOT THE END. We can have peace and joy in knowing we too will be resurrected! I'm do grateful for my Savior, and this Easter season to celebrate him. The tomb is empty, HE IS RISEN!!! I invite you all to take an hour of your time to study about His resurrection, and the promises and hope it brings!

Birthdays!!!

KELSEY TIETJEN is seven years old! She's growing up too fast! If y'all don't know this sweet girl, you're missing out! We all need a little Kelsey in our lives. Love you Kelsey!!!

My emails are super long, so thank you to everyone who has read this far ❤ I'm so thankful for the revelation and spiritual promptings I've had this week. Don't forget to go out and seek your own!

Love, y'alls favorite Sister missionary,

Sister Palmer

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