It has been such a wonderful, eventful week here in Russellville, so I might as well take you inside the life of a sister missionary serving in Russellville Arkansas
Last Monday after emails we played soccer with the elders and then had a lesson with a young girl preparing to be baptized. We taught the plan of salvation. I love teaching children. Then we taught Misty. The only thing holding her back is the "other book" (The book of Mormon) We challenged her to read the Book of Mormon at least 5 verses for the next 7 days and see if her perception of the book was changed. We checked up with her later in the week and she had downloaded the app and had been having the scriptures read to her! #thankyoutechnology
Tuesday: We had district meeting, cleaned a members kitchen for 2 hours because she has been sick and hasn't been able to do much. We also had a meeting with the ward mission leader, the other spanish missionaries and the branch president. There we exchanged investigators. For example we received one girl the elders had been working with who is 16 years old and is struggling with depression. We gave them a lady that stopped opening the door to us but was super interested...(we later learned in the week that the reason she stopped opening the door was because she couldn't understand what we said... haha Yes, she told the elders that.) #spanglishdoesntworkforall
Wednesday: We went and visited a lady named Melinda. She is so sweet. She is an older lady, who has more faith in Christ than anyone else I know. She told us some stories about her life and then we brought up the gospel. She said she would be interested in learning more and that she is thirsty to know. She has told us a few times that she knows she is still on this earth for a reason!! She calls us her angles and loves us! She is prepared for the gospel. Then we taught Maria and Jazeminde. We started teaching Maria and then her kids got home, and were hungry. (Jazeminde is 9.) So Hermana Peterson made them food and I taught Maria. I taught the plan of salvation. Something just clicked when I was teaching her. She loved it. She then asked my Why I would leave my family and come here, and if i missed them and if i cried every day. It was a very random question but I was able to share that I wanted her family to be able to receive the same blessings and happiness I share with my family. After that lesson we went and played pool with another investigator. Then we went and picked up a member and went and visited one of her friends and then went back to the members home for dinner and FHE.
Thursday: We went to the rest home. We had a tea party with cake! (For everyone's information we didn't have the tea, don't want any misconceptions) We were able to teach them a lesson too. The entire time I was sharing a scripture out of the Book of Mormon one lady was staring at it. We gave it to her after I was done, and she was so happy. She set up a time with another lady to read it together! I love the rest home! One of the old ladies said to us, "You two girls are the prettiest and best girls I've ever come across, and I'm being sincere." I actually had to help some lady go to the bathroom because the nurses were not fast enough. haha. #sistermissionariesdoall.
After the rest home we taught the little girl again about making good choices and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then we were able to teach English Class! I love that too.
Friday: We went to lunch with 2 sweet ladies in our ward. (one is the Relief Society President and a less active) I love them both! Then we went to a elementary school and helped a member, and then we picked up a member and went to a lesson, visited a few other people, went to dinner at a members home and had a yummy dinner and then were warned when we were leaving that their next door neighbors rodeo bull they had in their yard had escaped and they couldn't find it. #onlyinarkansas Then we went to another members home and helped them move.
Saturday: Visited different people, contacted our referrals and then we helped one member finish moving in. Then we had a GAME NIGHT for the Spanish branch. Our investigators came and the branch and we played soccer and basketball. It was so fun! We are hoping to make it more of a regular event. We played for like 3 hours. Man! It was crazy!
Sunday: We were asked to teach the young women lesson! It was on Becoming all you can become! Then we sang in church (Spanish branch). We sang to the tune of Come thou fount but in the words of Joseph Smiths first prayer. I love it. After church we had lunch with a Spanish member, dinner with an English member (she made stuff similar to CAFE RIO! AH! so good) and then visited some more investigators and went to a b-day party for a member in the Spanish branch!
Well that was my week. I love being a missionary! I was able to study about Lott's Wife and how Faith always points toward the future!!
Love ya'll
Hermana Warner
Pictures:
This is Millie. She lives at the rest home. I love her!
This is the 2 ladies we went to lunch with!
