Greetings from the wonderful Russellville!

We received a referral this week for a older couple that has a grandson on a mission. We were able to contact and teach them. They are the cutest couple and so proud of this grandson on a mission. They have met with missionaries before in Nevada but lost contact with them when they came out here!  

We are now teaching a 10 year old girl. Her mom is a member and only has her ever other weekend. However, her dad is okay with her getting baptized!! She is the cutest little girl! 

We had a ward potluck on Friday with the Spanish and English wards. We had lots of investigators come and it was awesome for them to meet tons of the members and just feel the spirit and get familiar with the church! 

We are still teaching Alisha. She is still soaking everything up and reading from the Book of Mormon. We taught her the plan of salvation on Saturday with a member, and it was perfect. She loved the idea of having families sealed for time and all eternity! 

Melinda unfortunately was very sick yesterday morning and was unable to come to church. Right after church the elders went over and gave her a priesthood blessing. Immediately after, she started to feel better, and within minutes she was perfectly fine. It was a great testimony builder that the power of the priesthood is real. It is the power of God! 

Diana and her parents are still planning on  getting baptized this weekend!!!! I'm so excited for them! More importantly, they are so excited. Diana is telling all her friends at school. Many members in the ward have come up to us and said they have seen the change in her since the beginning of the school year! This gospel really does change lives!!

We had specialized training this week down in Little Rock. The meeting was focused on prayer. I loved it. I love that prayer really is so powerful. I can remember from a very young age receiving answers to prayer, no matter how small. It was such a good reminder to pray always, and let the Lord know of our desires, but then ultimately it is up to the Lord and His will what will happen! 

The Lord lives. He suffered for each one of us, so we don't have to walk this road alone.

Felicidades a RYAN!!!! on his mission call! Chile, Orsono Mission! And going to the MEXICO MTC!! 

Lastly, in case any of you wanted to know... funny story.... we were about to go knock on this door the other night about 7:30, so it was kinda dark, but not really... and we walk around the garage and we see these 2 people making out on the front door step. AH! Indeed, we both just turned around and didn't disturb. haha The Life of A Missionary. 

Love you all! 

Hermana Warner

photos:

My companion, taking the trash out for our investigator! 

Apparently people don't like pickles and they assumed I could eat 500 and so they all gave me theirs.  

and... a elder really can't take pictures... he cut out my companion... but Happy St. Patrick's Day!

MIRACLE CITY! (Last weeks email!)

Where do I start? 

Melinda: We had a lesson with her on Tuesday and asked her to pray about being baptized on the 22 of March. She said she would ask her doctor the next day at one of her appointments if she would be able to do that. Then we contacted her briefly on Saturday to make sure she was coming to church. She then told us she was going back to the Journey church but would come to ours as well. 

Diana: We met with her on Tuesday and she told us that she started praying and has been receiving answers to her prayers!! (Diana is 15 years old, who wasn't sure she believed in God 1 month ago) 

Wednesday I went on exchanges with the sister training leaders, so I went down to Conway with Sister Sturdevant. She is from Utah and played basketball at SLCC for 1 year! We found this one lady, Barbra. We gave her a Book of Mormon and talked with her about it. We then said, "If the Book of Mormon were true, what would that mean for you and your family?" She responded, "Well then, I'm in the wrong church, and I don't want that."

While we were also on exchanges my companion met this one lady and gave her a Book of Mormon. We went back on Friday (2 days later) and she was on page 141 of the book. SAY WHAT?? I almost fell on my face with excitement, and shock at the same time. She loves it and we were able to teach her and her husband! 

We talked with Dalton again this week. As we were walking up to his home he was texting out his kitchen window (he doesn't get service inside) and as soon as he saw us he threw his phone down and walked to come open the door. Sister Durfee and I looked at each other and not going to lie... A little worried. He gets to the door leads up against the door and just stares at us.  When we asked him how he was he said, "not good, you can't fix it and either can Jesus." Well...I just start talking with him and start sharing the first lesson...I didn't know what else to do... He then started commenting on things I was saying, and I was pleasantly surprised. He had gone onto Mormon.org and researched on there!!! Then he goes, "Alright, I have a question: (right then I'm thinking ok.... whats he going to say) How can you be so positive?" PERFECTO! We were able to share with him scriptures out of the Book of Mormon and shared our testimonies that this gospel will bring that happiness. Then he went on to ask different questions like, "Does prayer even matter?" He is awesome. At the end of our conversation at his doorstep he said, "My day just got better because of you." MY DAILY GOAL!! YAY!! He took a Book of Mormon and we gave him specific chapters to read!! We are going back this week! 

One of our investigators called us on Thursday asking for me and then went on to explain that she had a mild heart attack and just wanted to let me know and knew that I would pray for her. How cute!!

Saturday Sonia was baptized in the afternoon. She was an investigator for the elders. Elder Hernandez and I sang a duet...for it... my singing skills are definitely being put to use every week in this branch! 

Ashley was baptized that night!! She is the cutest little girl and we were able to teach her the lessons! 

SUNDAY, was miraculous all day long!! First Pahoua came to CHURCH!!!! She has been taught all the lessons. Her husband and cousins are all members and has just never come to church!! She finally did!!! Miracle #1! Miracle #2 MELINDA came to church. She didn't end up going to the Journey church. (shh.... YES!!) We were sitting in the sacrament meeting with pahoua and the spanish elders run over to the door and freak out saying Melinda is here. Melinda is here. (The elders in this area are so great and they are the ones that found Melinda!) They ended up going and getting her and then she came to Sunday school..... she loved it.. said it was her soul food and felt SO GOOD. Well Diana came with us to that class as well! Melinda and Diana bonded so fast! 

That night we took Diana to visit Melinda with us...after talking for a while Diana finally goes to Melinda... "So what do you think about baptism?" Sister Durfee and I just look at each other and sit there and Melinda and Diana bore testimonies to each other about why they both want to be baptized and that they want this light that we have. My companion and I just sat on the couch in silence witnessing this. It was nuts!!!! We then had Diana pray to know if being baptized on March 22 was right.... after the prayer Diana sat there and thought about it.. the spirit was SO strong... Melinda doesn't like silence and immediately started talking. She then said, "I feel at peace" They both accepted to be baptized on March 22and want to be baptized together. WAHOO! Melinda needs to come to church next Sunday again, but today we are going dress shopping with her for P-day so she can get a new dress for her baptism. AHHHH!!!!! 

side note: Diana's parents have been wanting to be baptized but wanted to wait for Diana. (The elders have mainly been teaching them.) So they are going to try and set a date with them this next Saturday when we go over there for dinner!! AH!! 

This work is great! I love you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Warner

pictures: 

birthday party at a members home for 2 missionaries and the 2 members! (mom and son)

Us with Melinda!

Baptism of Ashley!

Living life to the fullest; Family email!

Well, life is way to short to take for granted; and mission life is even shorter. Every moment matters. Time is going by way to fast. 

We have been meeting with this lady who wants to be baptized so bad, but is not a social person and would rather watch church on T.V. and drive 2 hours to be baptized instead of drive 5 minutes...some things I just don't understand...including...her having like 17 cats...

We knocked on a door the other day and the first thing he said was, "your not going to drag me to church are you?" we said "No, all we are here to do is INVITE you." He said, "You are talking to someone that hasn't been to church in 96 years and I'm only 53." he was a crack-up

met another man, whose house we pass almost EVERY single day. One day we felt like we needed to go talk with him. He knew exactly who we were and we started talking to him about the gospel. He didn't really believe God loved him, with everything that has happened in his life. We were able to testify to him that God does love him, and that everyone on this earth has challenges and concerns, but that this gospel and the Savior can help us! He was speechless. The spirit was so strong. He started to get watery-eyes so quickly said, well you can come back another time, i have to go! BAM! It was so cool! 

We are still teaching Melinda. She is now on day 8 of not smoking. People, she has been smoking for 50 years before this. she started when she was 13. If she can quit smoking, anyone can quit, or change a habit. She is amazing! I have seen her countenance change and she is such a strong lady. We even got over the fact that Lehi was not possessed of the Devil in 1 Nephi 8.(Lehi's dream) Things are going awesome with her!! She even said yes, she wants to be baptized. We just need to get her to church... Sunday morningsickness... it's killer...

Saturday we went to Dardenelle and went into a Mexican Store to store contact. We had a few guys flee to us and said "what church do you go to" Say what? that never happens... people coming up to us? We started talking with him and then he just pulled out his drivers license and gave us all his information on that and said he wasn't going to church right now and wants to come with us. MIRACLE. Then we had another guy when we were leaving ask us the same question. I was in the car and my companion was backing me.. well she doesn't quiet speak enough Spanish... love her... but she was like... ah..... so i jump out and get all giddy and start explaining to him our church directions, and that we play soccer every Saturday night and told him and his buddy to come. They didn't come this week, but hopefully we will chase them down, as missionaries do, and get them to come play some competitive soccer this Saturday!

While we were there, (in dardenelle) we saw this guy ridding a horse in the middle of the highway. We tried taking some stalker photos and then little did we realize how small this town was and we would end up running into him on the other side of town. He was very nice, he offered to let me take a ride with him, too bad it specifically says in our white handbook (rule book) NO riding horses. We met another guy in that same area that is a History major and started telling us all about his theories of the Bible, told us he wasn't interested, but then said, we were very beautiful, and welcome to stay with him anytime we wanted. (he was in his late 50's i might add) That same day we meet another man in a Spanish bakery that said, "You are American, how come you speak Spanish".... perfect transition into the gospel! I love being a missionary. 

Another day this past week we had a first lesson appointment with this lady. We told her we were representatives of Jesus Christ and that we were missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her first question was about prophets... she doesn't understand why only men can be prophets and went on to say, that our answer was very similar to the 'Mormons.' She went on to say that 2 Elders came by her house 5 years ago, she didn't like their answer about prophets, they gave her a Book of Mormon and threw it away... YEAH you can just imagine us then telling her... Ah. We are Mormons... However, she was very open with us and said she would read  the Book of Mormon, promised she wouldn't throw it away, and said we could come back. She is actually looking for a church right now! 

Met a man that started asking us all these questions about Adolf Hitler.. I had no idea...I am awful at History.. (I did get A's in High School, but that doesn't say much.) He told us that if only Adolf Hitler would have made it to his 80th birthday, he would have gone to heaven and not hell... alright...o.k then... "have a great day sir"

Friday was Sister Durfee's birthday. We had members take us to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I could barely move that night. Also that day we knocked on another football players door. By the end of my time serving here, I'm going to know where every football player for TEC lives. They have all been super nice gentlemen.

Saturday we found out that one of our investigators who had been out of town for 2 weeks came back!!! She is doing a ton better than before I'm so happy she is back. She is 15. We are teaching that whole family. Funny story... I thought they were members. this family has been coming to church since before I got here. They are living all the commandments, now they just need to be baptized and start receiving all those blessings!   

Last night it snowed/iced over so today the town was literally dead, schools were cancelled and no one is out. Luckily we were finally able to find a member brave enough to drive in this slush to take us to email! (We are on bikes this week, and I guess I was a little lazy) 

Lets see what else:

-One of our investigators we thought was put in jail, is out... we saw him at walmart.. yeah, we have been advised not to go over to his home.

-2 weeks ago we had Zone conference and President Peterson shared a story saying that before his mission he met with President Holland and President Holland said before your mission is over, I will come to Arkansas. He went on to say that he has been waiting 32 months for him to come and then said, "Elder Holland come on in" We all were like... NO WAY. FREAKING OUT RIGHT. then... he said, "Just kidding." We ended up watching a talk that he gave to the MTC some while back. It was super inspiring and to say the least we are still the greatest/luckiest mission in the world!

-I don't know if you remember this but back in September, my companion got in a bike crash. we all laughed about it and thought it was funny.. i was about ready to call 911 when i saw it, but luckily it wasn't bad.. however.. her back has been hurting since then and she goes in tomorrow for back surgery. She has a herniated disk. It shouldn't be bad, but just keep her in your prayers! 

This week it really hit me how blessed I really am to have the gospel in my life. To have grown up in a family where love was there. To know that my Heavenly Father loves me. That I am a daughter of God. That I could turn to my dad, or mom, or great leaders and friends for advice, and comfort. I also knew I could always turn to the Lord, or the scriptures for answers to prayers. This knowledge I took for granted. There are many people in this world lost. That don't have this. That are in pain. They wonder why their life is so bad. They wonder why we have opposition in the world. They think God doesn't love them. However, in reality he does. He loves them just as much as anyone else. In fact, it is through these difficult times, we can grow the most. One saying I love is, "Learn to love your struggles, you simply can't grow without them" Also, God chooses his hardest battles for his strongest soldiers. This life is not easy, but we have the choice every day, every hour, and every moment, to choose, and its up to us how we will face adversity that day.

The Lord loves us! This work is a treasure. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be serving a mission and doing it along so many of my friends. I'm so grateful for the Atonement of Christ and for the opportunity to continue to change. To be better than I was the day before. To be more patient, humble, charitable, diligent and virtuous. It is only through living the commandments may we find complete happiness. 

I think that's about it. I've been thinking lately about my emails and not that I sugar-coat things, but I don't share like any details... that maybe because I have Elders challenging me to basketball games and I would rather do that... but I really do love my mission and I could talk about all my experiences and stories for hours. So my goal is to start writing more.... We will see how long it lasts. 

ALSO CONGRATS to HAYLEY for her mission call and good luck to RYAN at STATE!

I really do love you all, thanks for your prayers, support and love. I feel it daily!

Hermana Warner

pictures:

went to falling water last PDay. It was so worth it. Totally reminded me grammy warner and Havasui pie! (much smaller but the water was so blue) 

made a cake for Hermana Durfee's b-day