Short & Sweet

Good morning!

Jonesboro is great! My companion is great! We are finding new investigators, visiting formers, less-actives and still trying to find our way around!! 

Wednesday we had no set appointments from 1-5. It was 104 degrees plus humidity! It was definitely going to be a harder day as a missionary.. BUT we decided to COUNT OUR MANY BLESSINGS. I don't remember how long we did this for, but we were able to go back and forth and it made us really realize how blessed we are!!!

This week I have been focusing a lot on understanding the atonement even deeper. One key phase I loved is that the atonement "removes the effects of sin from repentant sinners." Jesus Christ was the only one capable of performing such an act. He was the only perfect person to ever walk this earth. I know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ all will be made right. As I studied this in my morning studies I really focused on the aspect of how the atonement cleanses us and allows us to be freed from that guilt and shame that comes from sinning. Later that day, I felt the power of the atonement in a different way. I got news from the missionaries still serving in Russellville that one of the members had passed away. He was in his 30's and had 3 young kids. I was strengthen through the enabling power of the atonement. Not only does the atonement alleviate the pain, sorrow and shame we feel after we repent, but the Savior also heals our broken hearts, comforts us, dries our tears ,and strengthens us. I can feel Him with me, daily! I love my Savior and I'm so grateful for Heavenly Father's perfect plan!

I love you all. Ya'll are the best!

Hermana Warner

JONESBORO!!

What a week. I said my goodbyes to everyone in Russellville Monday and Tuesday. Surprisingly it wasn't hard to say bye to them. I know I will see them very soon. Wednesday I was transferred to JONESBORO. It is like two times the size as Russellville. About 70,000 people. It's a small adjustment going back to the big city, but so far I love it! 

My companion is HERMANA MITCHELL!! We are opening this area up for Spanish sisters. There was a set of English sisters here but they took them out and put us in. I love Sister Mitchell. She is from St. George, Utah, loves to run and tells me everyday how much she loved working at Hokulia and how she loves Curtis. 

The past few days have been going through the area book, and trying to find people to teach. Friday night we were planning and decided to look through the area book. As we were praying Sister Mitchell thought of the name Susan. After the prayer we opened the area book to a random page and the name was Susan Bishop. We immediately knew we needed to visit her. There was no phone number or address. They last visited her in 2011. Somehow we needed to find her. We tried finding a phone book, or calling the previous missionaries to see if they knew her, but they had never heard of her. We decided to look through the phone and her number was in there. We immediately called her... it was 9:45 at night, and she answered. We set up an appointment the next day. We went there Saturday night.. she lives about 25 miles out of Jonesboro. It was amazing. She lives by herself, and has health problems. She was bit by a brown recluse spider 4 years ago and is still having problems from it. We don't know exactly what will come out of this experience, she does have a baptism date for September, but we do know that God knows each one of his children individually. He loves us all. It was such a neat experience to feel that love he has for her as we sat and talked with her. 

Other than that neat experience, we have been relying on the Lord every single minute and we know this is exactly where we both need to be! 

We went to the ward yesterday. It is in English and then they translate for the few Hispanics that come. I already love it here. It helps that I have a great companion that is obedient and loves to work. We are seeing lots of miracles and are learning and growing! 

I love you all! 

Love,

Hermana Warner

saying bye to the Smiths!!

My baby Sister Peterson and my new companion Sister Mitchell

Sister Sorto  gave me  this dress! She is so nice! 

We'll the time has come. Transfer week

Well the time has come. I got a transfer call this morning and will be leaving Russellville Wednesday morning! I couldn't have had a better week to finish off my stay here! 

Arissandra was baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday! We had a great lesson with her last week right before her baptism. She passed her interview but brought up the doubt that she wanted to be baptized after she got home from Mexico at the end of August because her grandmother is super catholic and she wanted to enjoy her time with her. We were able to go to her house, kneel down, and she gave the sweetest prayer asking if she should still be baptized before she went. We waited for a few minutes after she said the prayer. She then said, she still wanted to be baptized!!! She has no support from her family but she now has the whole church family!! 

We are also teaching 3 boys ages 17, 15, 13. Their mom is a recent convert. They have never been to a church before and last week we went over there and the 15 year old boy prayed for the first time! It was such a sweet moment. The mom just sat there and cried, with tears of happiness. 

Wednesday there was a crazy storm. We were in the rest home and right as we were about to leave, the sky outside was completely black. It looked like it was midnight. We quickly ran to our car and it was pouring rain and windy. We went inside the apartment and waited out the storm. :) It was just a crazy thunderstorm! 

Saturday after the baptism we had a branch activity. We acted out the trek to Utah. We walked around to about 13 different stations that all represented a different place along the trek. My companion and I acted out Brigham Young proclaiming, "This is the right place".  After the activity we had hot dogs, played volleyball and danced! Sister Goudie also played the piano a little bit and some of the members sang songs. They then told me to come over and pull up a chair. They sang "God be with you till we meet again." Priceless. They had no idea I was going to get transferred. OH and I can't forget the moment when we were told that we couldn't wear make-up or do our hair for the trek activity and one elder goes, "Well that won't be much different."  Then we went to dinner at the Eastman's. Brother Eastman had a feeling I would be getting transferred and he has been promising me for a while that he would make us ribs- so he did it on Saturday! They were the best ribs I've ever had. They fell right off the bone. He smoked them in his smoker and it took 7 hours!! 

Sunday everyone was telling me they had feelings I was leaving. Literally some didn't even know transfers was this week. Someone told me, "You just feel like our daughter, you're part of our family." Then Sister Goudie and Samantha Smith sang a duet in the English sacrament!! They wanted to do it before I left! AHH.... With all of these people telling me they felt I was leaving-it made the transfer call this morning so much easier. I will cherish all the moments I have had here in Russellville! I have had the best 8 months of my life!

Well, that's about it, GOOD LUCK to RYAN leaving Wednesday for his mission!!

Have a blessed week!

Hermana Warner