Week 16: Snapping Turtles, Chicken Duck Repellent, and Unconditional Love

Okay this might be a quick one... but here. we. GO!!!

TrAnSfEr NeWs

I am privileged to be staying in the beautiful Surfside area in the Conway Zone! But a part of my heart just left... Sister McGhee has been transferred to the Augusta Georgia Zone, pink washing! (that means there are 2 sisters starting fresh in an old elder zone). PLEASE SEND PRAYERS FOR HER!!!! She is one, if not, the STRONGEST and HAPPIEST and KINDEST person I know. She is what Augusta needs, though I hate to see her go. The Lord knew we needed each other. He couldn't put us as sisters, so he put us as companions. <3 I'm so thankful for our time together, and I know we have more memories ahead.

MY NEW COMP is..... SISTER HORMAN!!!!! Apparently the Lord couldn't keep us away from each other! We were MTC companions, and after 3 months of training separately, we are back together! I just love her to pieces and we are going to change Georgetown and Surfside for the better!

Odds and Ends

-I picked up a baby snapping turtle! Ft the pic with his mouth open ready to snap a finger off like a carrot

-The Muscovy duck is found all over in SC. To me, they look like chicken duck things with a terrible skin condition on their face. Our friend Brian hates them because they eat his plants. So he tells us "I have to go get some Muscovy repellent." He comes out with two Roman candle fireworks and literally starts shooting at the chicken duck! Not sure if he ever hit it... but it was in fact a repellent!

-At the Lee's house, we went over for dinner and they just about had a puzzle done on every surface! I told them how much I loved doing them with my mom at home (let's be real she's the only trooper who stayed with me for a whole puzzle, sorry to the rest of the fam). But on Sunday, they surprised me with 3 puzzles of my own to carry for my whole mission. I'm so excited to dive into them!

-This cute lil girl named Eliza and I have become absolute BESTIES. She gives me and Sister Horman SO many hugs. She made us a cute craft, and she tells me "Love you later!" when she says goodbye. DARLING. I told her she could get a sticker from me whenever she says hi. My sticker supply is about to plummet.

-The Tompkins gave us Fiji water as we left their house because they said we deserve the best! SO sweet.

-Did ya'll know there's such thing as a speed minimum?

-I got to see Elder Ruff, Elder McConkie and Sister Horman all at transfers! MTC district UNITE!!!!

-We tried to contact an older member and found out she passed away 13 years ago....

-I may have mutilated a Peter Rabbit stuffed animal for the sake of me and Sister McGhee having matching rabbit feet for good luck...

-I gotta meet 2 CUTE golden retrievers!

Miracles

-This week I noticed our friend Tabitha with MS had a quite messy closet. SO we made plans to go over and organize it for her. She cried with joy as she told me she hadn't been able to walk into her closet for YEARS. Sister McGhee and I got to be the miracle for Tabitha that day!

-We were teaching our friend Velma for the 2nd time and she absolutely LOVED the restoration. She just kept saying ''wow." Then after our prayer, she was prompted to set her own goal of finishing her last 2 packs of cigarettes and quitting cold turkey! The Spirit prompted her to change herself for the better, and I know as she comes closer to Christ she will have the strength to resist her temptations!

-Last week we prayed and prayed and PRAYED that some soul would be able to bring Delores to church. We weren't able to find that for her last week. And it was getting close, she needed to come to church one more time before her baptism. But I knew I needed to be patient in the Lord's timing. And because I was, the Lord provided and a member stepped up to bring her, and now she is ready to be baptized!

-Susan Grant, and sweet old lady in the congregation, grabbed my arm one Sunday and told me the Lord told her to give us some money in her Bible. As missionaries we aren't supposed to accept money, but the strong grip of this woman's hand told me otherwise. So we had our Susan money sitting in our car, not sure what it was for. At the gas station, a man named Trayson approached us and said he needs just a few dollars to make it a few towns over. We whipped out the Susan money! Not sure if that's what it was for, but he was really grateful, and it felt good to help a family in need. He has our contact information, and maybe one day he'll realize the miracle and reach out.

Spiritual Thought

This week has been hard. I've watched some heartbreaking things happen as some choose to judge others unrighteously. The experiences I've had remind me of the story of the woman caught in adultery. Men were ready to stone her, and when they ask the Savior about her sin, this is what he did:

John 8:7"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

We are ALL sinners. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT TEMPTATIONS. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT SIN. And most importantly, we are all God's children who need his gospel. Nothing else should matter! Thank goodness we don't have to be the judge of others, that job is left for the Savior. But sinful or not, repentant or not, member or not... we are to love. So this week, love above all else. That's what the Savior would do. Yes there is righteous judgement when people are actively making decisions we don't condone or support. BUT. We should never judge for past sin. When one repents, the Lord "remember them no more."(D&C 58:42). So if the Lord Almighty doesn't judge for past repented sins, why would we have that right? We don't. So my challenge to everyone who has read it this far into my mini sermon is LOVE. Love as He would. Love because they are a Child of God. Love them while through their sinful times. Love them, and love them more when they are changing for the better. Love one another. Love unconditionally!

Birthdays

None for now, unless y'all are hiding it from me.

Love y'all, stay safe, pray always, choose the right. Be a light!

Pictures