Week 34: Ceiling Fans and Announcements in Prayers

Okay! I am still in Newberry! Hurray! But... I lost my other half🤧 Sister Bradshaw was transferred to Charleston. This girl not only showed all our FRIENDS unconditional love, but she showed ME unconditional love. There were a few days this past transfer where the adjustment seemed too much and I was in a low place. I was crying, and Sister Bradshaw looked at me and just hugged me and we stayed that way for a while. From then on I KNEW I could lean on her for any support I needed. We skyrocketed together and landed on the moon. Now she is headed on to another galaxy, in Charleston. I miss her and am so grateful for the amazing friend she was to me. Only 6 weeks, but a lifetime of core memories. ✨️

MEET MY NEW COMPANION

Sister Gracie Carter! First thing I noticed about her (well the first is that she's gosh dang BEAUTIFUL) but the second thing I noticed... she's TALL! I've never had a companion really near my height. But we are both 5'9"! Don't ask me which is taller, I don't know hahaha! She is from Middleton Idaho and she's been on her mission for 3 1/2 months! She just got out of her training. She presses flowers, she plays the guitar, and she loves to eat smarties! She is definitely a keeper 😄

Odds and Ends

○Made a duplicate of Sister Bradshaws amazing cupstoration cups before transfers

○Dixie gave us her kids school pictures and they are now both on my desk ♡

○ We definitely pulled up the wrong directions to a friends house...we were 30 minutes away. So we drove back over, and then went back to that same area an hour later. RIP our miles.

○I FOUND A PALMER STREET SIGN

○Transfer week its always pretty slim for our apartment food... we may or may not have had popcorn and toast and hot chocolate for lunch on Sunday just trying to make it to pday haha!

○Henning made the best grilled cheese of my life!

○I FINALLY saw Elder Schlerf!! For you heritage people 😉

○I saw all my previous companions at transfers! EEEEE!

Miracles

☆This is the biggest. Miracle. EVER!

Our friend Audrey went to the temple grounds with her husband, as we invited, seeking an answer if God wants her to be baptized! We had dinner a few days later and followed up about the temple. They were just more excited than normal it seemed. Turns out they were able to have an hour conversation with the stake patriarch! We always do a nose goes to see who says the opening prayer for our discussion. Audrey was last! She started to pray and was praying for really odd things, it was confusing. And THEN, she prayed, "Please help the sisters help me pick a date to be baptized." I almost grabbed Sister Bradshaws arm mid prayer! We said amen and i asked "So how was the temple?" Audrey turned towards her husband and said "Did they not hear what I just said?!" We told her "Just say it so there is no confusion!" And then we heard the beautiful and long waited words, "I want to be baptized." Audrey felt and recognized the true happiness the gospel brought her and decided she wants to be baptized this coming Saturday, October 22nd! God is so good! Audrey is the most dedicated and ready disciple. Her husband is helping support her and they are excited to be one step closer to being sealed! Miracles are real!

☆Kimberly went to the ER. It was scary. She called us in hysteria and we wanted to get to her asap. We found out she was at an office only 6 minutes away from our house, rather than 30 minutes away as her house would be! That's miracle #1. We get there and we see signs everywhere "Only one visitor permitted at a time." As missionaries, this doesn't work in our favor, where we always need to be within sight and sound. We got to her room with no mention of it from any staff. We hugged her and helped do the best we could. Then the staff comes by and says "only one visitor." We explained the situation, and she says "you have 5 minutes" and closes the door. MIRACLE! We had prayed hearts would be softened to let us stay. I sang Where Can I Turn for Peace to her and we left with her in higher spirits.

☆We've been having a hard time connecting with our friend Henning. But we cracked him! And it all came down to height. He asked how tall Sister Carter and I were, and we said 5'9". He insisted we were taller than that because he claimed to be 5'9". His wife whipped out the measuring tape. Turns out we ALL lied. Henning is 5'8" and Sister Carter and I are 5'9½". And his little wife Dana 5'3".

☆Mary Bussey is our amazing friend we are teaching. She wanted us to meet her husband! She invited us in and said he would be outside the entire time and would not want to meet us. We were a little bummed. We are about to start the lesson, and Mary was about to get up and remind her husband about something right before we prayed. Then CRASH. SHATTER. DARKNESS. The ceiling fan fell to the floor. It shattered, both the bulbs and the glass. One of the blades BARELY scratched my shoe and ankle. But we were all unscathed! Mary's husband had to come in and help clean the glass. We then had the opportunity to introduce ourselves and invite him to join. He declined and went back outside. Then Mary turns to us and says "Praise the LORD!" She explains the ceiling fan falling was a miracle and that was how we were going to meet her husband. She was overjoyed! It was a miracle it didn't hit her baby grandbaby, who she had planned on setting underneath the ceiling fan. It was a miracle no one was under it. And it was a miracle we met Clarence! God works in mysterious ways!

☆I almost forgot I was speaking in church. But then I was reminded by the Spirit the night before. Miracle!

Spiritual Thought

One of my favorite scriptures is Alma 22:13-14.

"And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name. And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king."

The plan God has for us is ONLY made possible through Jesus Christ. I love the song "In Christ Alone" by Owl City. I hear beautiful music with beautiful truth, and it reminds me of this beautiful scripture. Because it IS though CHRIST ALONE that my hope is found. Go give that song a listen ❤️

Love you all, reach out if there's anyone I can pray for or anything I can do for you! I'd love to help in any way I can. Hurrah for Israel!

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to little SAMUEL! Little lego loving and sweet cousin... I miss you Sam!

Also...happy birthday to my uncle Taylor who always fulfilled my dreams of riding horses!

And...happy birthday to my cute cousin Taylyn! She's drop dead gorgeous and the cutest math teacher eva!

Pictures