Mississippi Jackson: Have You Found The Dragon Egg Yet?

Good morning, all! Sister Barney and I are enjoying this glorious sunny Monday at USM, and we are preparing for a Zone P-Day today! Hurray!

This week has been pretty funny, honestly. Sister Barney and I had the privilege of trying Koolickles -- pickles that have been pickled in Kool-Aid.

For the record, they're delicious. I regret nothing.

While having dinner with a member, one of them said that one of her friends thought that when we leave on missions for the Church, we are on a hunt for our "dragon eggs."

Ah, yes. The dragon egg. I've waited my whole life for this quest.

I will find you.

We have added Elder Davis to our egg-seeking district, and he came out with me! He's a hoot. We've all been adjusting to the slight changes President Olson has made, and we're all enjoying the finicky weather Mississippi has to offer. One day, it could be completely wet and overcast, and the next it could be like today -- bright, sunny, and breezy.

On a particular wet and overcast day, Lamar County had a "Clean Up Lamar County Day." You had to go to a community center either in Purvis, Hattiesburg, or Oak Grove and sign up, receive a trash bag and a grabby-claw-thing, and pick a street to clean up. Elder Eells, Elder Davis, Sister Barney, and I all picked a road in Purvis and spent the morning cleaning it. We had so much fun! We found some cool stuff on the side of the road (Sister Barney found herself a nice spoon! That's the second one she's acquired), and we had a great time bonding with each other and Pappy, the Lamar County worker who watched over us and made sure we didn't get hit by cars.

Nothing brings more peace and joy than being in the service of others. God grants peace to those who seek to better the world around them. Whenever we are hurting spiritually, the best thing we can do is turn outward, and give what we can to relieve the anguish of another. In turn, the Lord will bless you with the love of the Spirit, and an increased capacity to withstand the hardships that come your way.

God gives us all kinds of reinforcements for hardships. He has given us the Holy Ghost, to guide us when we need him, and for those of us who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, we have that companionship all the time as long as we are worthy. He's given us the scriptures, which I have come to love with all my heart. You can learn so much from the scriptures: from the progression of Paul, to the miracles from the missionaries Nephi and Lehi. The scriptures contain the answers for everything.

Speaking of Paul, I've learned so much from him over the past couple of days. Paul was not a good man, much like Alma the Younger. Both were out to destroy the church, to arrest Christians and persecute them. Paul was Jewish, and a strong one at that. But he then had a vision from the Lord, and the Lord chose him to preach the gospel.

Why would the Lord pick these people to preach? Alma the Younger was a sinner. Paul held the coats of those who stoned Stephen. Both of them were not going about doing good; they were fighting against Christ and His followers -- until they were touched by the Spirit, and they both experienced miraculous changes of heart.

Both Alma and Paul threw themselves into the work. The moment they were called, they decided to be chosen. They thrust their whole souls into the work; they put both feet in line with Christ's and aligned their will with God's. Although both experienced extreme trial and tribulation, nothing stopped them from being bold and happy, and holding to the truth they knew.

Throw yourself into the gospel, brothers and sisters. Don't do something halfway; we didn't come here to only make it halfway! If you know that you can do anything through Christ, why not do anything for Him? Plant both feet firmly on gospel soil. Be not moved. Push forward with faith.

Do not be a lackluster servant. Be a Paul; be Alma; be the change God sent you here to be. He sent you here not only to be changed, but to change the world around you.

Have a good week, brothers and sisters. Do not be afraid of the good you can do.

Love y'all!

Godspeed!

Sincerely,

Sister Rose

Selfie with the STLs!

Our new district! From left to right: Sister Barney, Sister Nash, Sister Bartsch, ME!, Elder Pierre-Louis, Elder Paxton, Elder Davis, and Elder Eells!