Sister Rose's blog is now available among the list of MJM blogs at Prepare to Serve! Check out
http://preparetoserve.com/mississippi-jackson-mission
"See" you next week!
- Sister Maddy Rose's Momma
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Monday, August 29, 2016
WHOA! WE'RE AT A YEAR!
Do I live on a prayer for that, too?
Gooooooooooood (mythical?) morning, y'all! It's a bright, sunshiney day here on the gulf coast. We received quite the storm yesterday! It was certainly awesome to drive in.
Yes. Driving.
WE HAVE A CAR NOW.
The D'iberville elders were kind enough to give us the brand new car they'd retrieved from Brandon. Hilariously, the day we got the car, we were asked to drive to Brandon, Mississippi the next day so that it could get a Tiwi.
Don't know what a Tiwi is? It's basically Satan, but it helps prevent accidents, ticket-receiving, and speeding. It's a really nifty idea, but for some people it's probably the biggest challenge of their missions. (I mentioned and explained Tiwi's in a previous blog post. Y'all might have to do some digging to find it.)
Anyway! After running into a guy who's translating the Bible from Hebrew, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes (WE WEAR MOSQUITO REPELLENT. PROMISE.), and loading up on snacks, Sister Jones and I roadtripped all the way to Brandon on Thursday. What an adventure! After three hours in a car, I finally got to meet the infamous Elder Edwards in the flesh, and see the church building where my mission began a year ago.
That's right! I've officially been a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for twelve whole months. TWELVE! It's been an entire year! WHAT! This time last year, I was being educated on the ins-and-outs of missionary work in Provo, Utah at the Missionary Training Center. I remember sitting in a room with the elders who would be accompanying us to Mississippi -- Elders Webster and Clark. I remember sitting beside my two companions, Sisters Maughan and Elliott. I remember those classrooms like I stepped out of them this morning. It still feels like I did -- except now instead of chuckling when I tell people how long I've been out, they look at me with wide eyes and say, "Oh. You're almost done!"
What.
Weird.
It's been a fast year. It's been a year of ups and downs, growth and climbs. This has been the most challenging, terrifying, most awkward year of my life -- but it has also been the happiest, and the most rewarding.
It's too soon to speak of the end; my work has only just begun. It's not even mine, either; this is the Lord's work. This work is true, brothers and sisters. This gospel is true. I cannot think of a greater task than to be engaged in preaching the gospel side-by-side with the Lord. There is no greater job, no greater work, no greater feeling than to tell those of the happiness Jesus Christ can give them through His gospel, and watching them change because of it.
I feel like only Alma can truly explain my feelings on this subject: "I know the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy" (Alma 29:9).
The Lord has commanded me to preach His gospel to the people of Mississippi. Weird sentence, I know. But, I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.
I am not a perfect missionary. I think a lot of people feel like once you put on the nametag, most of your natural man is washed away, and you are carried away in the work of the Lord.
While that latter part is true, your natural man is still loud and growling. Infirmities still bear you down; sometimes you're unsure, sometimes you don't know what to do, sometimes you feel like the most inadequate, under-qualified missionary ever.
But, the Lord does not call the perfect, nor does He call the qualified.
We are all called to preach and teach. You do not have to have a nametag to do this. "Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor" (D&C 88:81).
As a member of the Church, you have been warned. And if you had a message of danger, of warning, how quickly would you run to be sure everyone knew of what was coming?
What is coming is not scary for those who have a testimony of the restored gospel. I know my Savior. I know my Heavenly Father. I know my place as a daughter. And although I may get confused, I may stumble (and I will), I may cry, I may hesitate, I may not know everything, but if there is one thing I know it is that this gospel is true.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's true Church once again on the earth. There is no stronger conviction in my body than that. I know with a surety that Joseph Smith knelt in a grove of trees and saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Peter, James, and John as resurrected beings did in fact confer the keys of the priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. The Book of Mormon is another testament of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and it contains the fulness of the gospel. It is the key to eternal happiness. It is the stick of Ephraim, and combined with the stick of Judah -- the Bible -- it creates a unified, completed testimony of Jesus Christ.
I know this Church is true. We hear this a lot, but my goodness, it just is. I cannot deny what the Spirit has confirmed to me, or else that would be utter blasphemy. I cannot deny that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father. I am destined for greatness, and guess what? So are you.
Stand firm in your testimony. Make it unshakable. Find one. Build one. If you think I sound crazy and completely out of my mind, then goodness gracious, read the Book of Mormon and take Moroni's promise into your heart!
Because this is true. The work in which I am engaged is completely, one hundred and ten percent true. And I cannot deny that.
Thank you for sticking with me for an entire year. My mom has made aware to me those who read this odd blog, and I don't know where y'all came from, but I'm glad you're here! All I do is talk about Jesus and complain about the heat, but I guess if that's what you're into then you're at the right place.
Thank you for your support, for your love and dedication. Thank you for everything y'all have done for me, my family, for the Lord, and for your fellow brothers and sisters.
I hope y'all have a good week.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
Gooooooooooood (mythical?) morning, y'all! It's a bright, sunshiney day here on the gulf coast. We received quite the storm yesterday! It was certainly awesome to drive in.
Yes. Driving.
WE HAVE A CAR NOW.
The D'iberville elders were kind enough to give us the brand new car they'd retrieved from Brandon. Hilariously, the day we got the car, we were asked to drive to Brandon, Mississippi the next day so that it could get a Tiwi.
Don't know what a Tiwi is? It's basically Satan, but it helps prevent accidents, ticket-receiving, and speeding. It's a really nifty idea, but for some people it's probably the biggest challenge of their missions. (I mentioned and explained Tiwi's in a previous blog post. Y'all might have to do some digging to find it.)
Anyway! After running into a guy who's translating the Bible from Hebrew, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes (WE WEAR MOSQUITO REPELLENT. PROMISE.), and loading up on snacks, Sister Jones and I roadtripped all the way to Brandon on Thursday. What an adventure! After three hours in a car, I finally got to meet the infamous Elder Edwards in the flesh, and see the church building where my mission began a year ago.
That's right! I've officially been a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for twelve whole months. TWELVE! It's been an entire year! WHAT! This time last year, I was being educated on the ins-and-outs of missionary work in Provo, Utah at the Missionary Training Center. I remember sitting in a room with the elders who would be accompanying us to Mississippi -- Elders Webster and Clark. I remember sitting beside my two companions, Sisters Maughan and Elliott. I remember those classrooms like I stepped out of them this morning. It still feels like I did -- except now instead of chuckling when I tell people how long I've been out, they look at me with wide eyes and say, "Oh. You're almost done!"
What.
Weird.
It's been a fast year. It's been a year of ups and downs, growth and climbs. This has been the most challenging, terrifying, most awkward year of my life -- but it has also been the happiest, and the most rewarding.
It's too soon to speak of the end; my work has only just begun. It's not even mine, either; this is the Lord's work. This work is true, brothers and sisters. This gospel is true. I cannot think of a greater task than to be engaged in preaching the gospel side-by-side with the Lord. There is no greater job, no greater work, no greater feeling than to tell those of the happiness Jesus Christ can give them through His gospel, and watching them change because of it.
I feel like only Alma can truly explain my feelings on this subject: "I know the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy" (Alma 29:9).
The Lord has commanded me to preach His gospel to the people of Mississippi. Weird sentence, I know. But, I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.
I am not a perfect missionary. I think a lot of people feel like once you put on the nametag, most of your natural man is washed away, and you are carried away in the work of the Lord.
While that latter part is true, your natural man is still loud and growling. Infirmities still bear you down; sometimes you're unsure, sometimes you don't know what to do, sometimes you feel like the most inadequate, under-qualified missionary ever.
But, the Lord does not call the perfect, nor does He call the qualified.
We are all called to preach and teach. You do not have to have a nametag to do this. "Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor" (D&C 88:81).
As a member of the Church, you have been warned. And if you had a message of danger, of warning, how quickly would you run to be sure everyone knew of what was coming?
What is coming is not scary for those who have a testimony of the restored gospel. I know my Savior. I know my Heavenly Father. I know my place as a daughter. And although I may get confused, I may stumble (and I will), I may cry, I may hesitate, I may not know everything, but if there is one thing I know it is that this gospel is true.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's true Church once again on the earth. There is no stronger conviction in my body than that. I know with a surety that Joseph Smith knelt in a grove of trees and saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Peter, James, and John as resurrected beings did in fact confer the keys of the priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. The Book of Mormon is another testament of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and it contains the fulness of the gospel. It is the key to eternal happiness. It is the stick of Ephraim, and combined with the stick of Judah -- the Bible -- it creates a unified, completed testimony of Jesus Christ.
I know this Church is true. We hear this a lot, but my goodness, it just is. I cannot deny what the Spirit has confirmed to me, or else that would be utter blasphemy. I cannot deny that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father. I am destined for greatness, and guess what? So are you.
Stand firm in your testimony. Make it unshakable. Find one. Build one. If you think I sound crazy and completely out of my mind, then goodness gracious, read the Book of Mormon and take Moroni's promise into your heart!
Because this is true. The work in which I am engaged is completely, one hundred and ten percent true. And I cannot deny that.
Thank you for sticking with me for an entire year. My mom has made aware to me those who read this odd blog, and I don't know where y'all came from, but I'm glad you're here! All I do is talk about Jesus and complain about the heat, but I guess if that's what you're into then you're at the right place.
Thank you for your support, for your love and dedication. Thank you for everything y'all have done for me, my family, for the Lord, and for your fellow brothers and sisters.
I hope y'all have a good week.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
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| I decided to take some hipster name tag photos #CouldntPickOne |
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| This is what a doctor's office looks like while you're companion is getting x-rays #Awkward |
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| My family was SUPER NICE AND SENT ME SHOES -- so I thought I'd contrast Toms when they first arrive against Toms after you've used them in missionary work for five months (THANK YOU, FAMILIA) |
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| Road tripping to Brandon and it was weird, zombie apocalypse foggy. Also, some of the scenery somewhere in Mississippi. |
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| AN ABANDONED GAS STATION. YES. |
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| I took a selfie with this sign a year ago; I thought it would be fitting to do it again, a year later :) |
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Glitter and Farewells
What is up, my friends?! It's been quite the week!
We did service on Tuesday with Feeding the Gulf Coast. We packed up a bunch of produce and canned foods from a food convention thing (that's the technical term, yes) and sent it to the food bank! It was so much fun, and so rewarding!
We have two new missionaries in the Biloxi District. Elder Ahanonu has been blessed with a son from Boise, Idaho, named Elder Scoresby -- fresh out of the Mexico MTC! And Elder Hughes has been given Elder Hunt, who I served with in the Hattiesburg Zone!
The Gulfport Zone is also happy to welcome our new Zone Leader -- Elder Bledsoe! Do y'all remember him? I served with him in the Jackson Zone! That was literally forever ago. He is now blessing the lives of those in Gulfport, and Elder Smith has been swept away to the land of Shreveport, Louisiana!
Speaking of Louisiana, flooding has hit Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I've been told that the damage from that flood has been worse than the damage from Hurricane Katrina. (Although, not comparable to the damage done to New Orleans in Katrina, before y'all panic!) Please keep the folks in Baton Rouge in your prayers. Members of our congregations in Mississippi have been sent down to the people in Louisiana, which caused our meetings on Sunday to get cut down to only sacrament meeting. There's a lot of work to be done there -- do all you can to help, even if it's just prayers!
This week, we bid farewell to my mission mom, Sister Harrison. She's Hana Harrison now! Weird! Sister Barney has also gone home! WHAT! And Sister Nash! Sister Williams! Sister Kay! So many people I know and love have now finished their time as full-time missionaries. Their service was well-spent and will be well-rewarded.
This week, I've learned a lot about people, about the Lord, about our desires has children of God. We are all just where God needs us to be right now. He puts us in the right places just at the right times -- and I'm sure I say that every week, but my testimony of that grows stronger with every passing week.
Heavenly Father loves us and all of our infirmities. I won't waste any time beating around the bush today. God loves you. He loves me. I have things about me that I don't particularly enjoy about myself. We all do. Heavenly Father has blessed me with an anxiety disorder that likes to jumble my world around sometimes. Heavenly Father gave that to me for a reason. It's a trial, and that's okay. He loves me anyway.
Sometimes we get through a trial. Sometimes we repent. Sometimes we relapse; we fall back; we try to catch ourselves, and we don't. We're lying flat on our backs, surrounded by darkness, staring into the night sky of our spiritual depression wondering where we went wrong. We feel the adversary closing in on us, and we feel as though we deserved this. We messed up. We disappointed our Father in Heaven. We caused our Savior to suffer. We are stuck; we are ineligible for forgiveness.
That last part is incorrect. Most of that was incorrect. That is the adversary working hand-in-hand with the natural man. He is lying to you. He is the father of lies, after all; he knows what he's doing.
If you are in this darkness; if you feel in yourself that you are somehow exempt from mercy and love, I want to rebuke you and tell you to stop.
Heavenly Father is not disappointed in you. He does not agree with our decisions, but He does not hate us for them. He is the utmost example of a patient parent.
Heavenly Father wants you to come back to Him. That is literally the entire point of our being here. You are supposed to mess up so you can learn how to be better. You are supposed to stumble so that the Savior can reach out to catch you.
As Elder Bruce C. Hafen once said, "Because of the Atonement, we can learn from our mistakes without being condemned by them."
That is what I want you to realize. In that darkness where you fell, the Savior is behind you -- bearing you up. He will not desert you. He will not forsake you.
He will never leave you in darkness.
Do not believe you are nonredeemable. Do not believe you cannot be better than you are. Do not ever believe the lie that whispers that God has forsaken His love for you.
He loves you.
Have a good week.
Be good.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
We did service on Tuesday with Feeding the Gulf Coast. We packed up a bunch of produce and canned foods from a food convention thing (that's the technical term, yes) and sent it to the food bank! It was so much fun, and so rewarding!
We have two new missionaries in the Biloxi District. Elder Ahanonu has been blessed with a son from Boise, Idaho, named Elder Scoresby -- fresh out of the Mexico MTC! And Elder Hughes has been given Elder Hunt, who I served with in the Hattiesburg Zone!
The Gulfport Zone is also happy to welcome our new Zone Leader -- Elder Bledsoe! Do y'all remember him? I served with him in the Jackson Zone! That was literally forever ago. He is now blessing the lives of those in Gulfport, and Elder Smith has been swept away to the land of Shreveport, Louisiana!
Speaking of Louisiana, flooding has hit Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I've been told that the damage from that flood has been worse than the damage from Hurricane Katrina. (Although, not comparable to the damage done to New Orleans in Katrina, before y'all panic!) Please keep the folks in Baton Rouge in your prayers. Members of our congregations in Mississippi have been sent down to the people in Louisiana, which caused our meetings on Sunday to get cut down to only sacrament meeting. There's a lot of work to be done there -- do all you can to help, even if it's just prayers!
This week, we bid farewell to my mission mom, Sister Harrison. She's Hana Harrison now! Weird! Sister Barney has also gone home! WHAT! And Sister Nash! Sister Williams! Sister Kay! So many people I know and love have now finished their time as full-time missionaries. Their service was well-spent and will be well-rewarded.
This week, I've learned a lot about people, about the Lord, about our desires has children of God. We are all just where God needs us to be right now. He puts us in the right places just at the right times -- and I'm sure I say that every week, but my testimony of that grows stronger with every passing week.
Heavenly Father loves us and all of our infirmities. I won't waste any time beating around the bush today. God loves you. He loves me. I have things about me that I don't particularly enjoy about myself. We all do. Heavenly Father has blessed me with an anxiety disorder that likes to jumble my world around sometimes. Heavenly Father gave that to me for a reason. It's a trial, and that's okay. He loves me anyway.
Sometimes we get through a trial. Sometimes we repent. Sometimes we relapse; we fall back; we try to catch ourselves, and we don't. We're lying flat on our backs, surrounded by darkness, staring into the night sky of our spiritual depression wondering where we went wrong. We feel the adversary closing in on us, and we feel as though we deserved this. We messed up. We disappointed our Father in Heaven. We caused our Savior to suffer. We are stuck; we are ineligible for forgiveness.
That last part is incorrect. Most of that was incorrect. That is the adversary working hand-in-hand with the natural man. He is lying to you. He is the father of lies, after all; he knows what he's doing.
If you are in this darkness; if you feel in yourself that you are somehow exempt from mercy and love, I want to rebuke you and tell you to stop.
Heavenly Father is not disappointed in you. He does not agree with our decisions, but He does not hate us for them. He is the utmost example of a patient parent.
Heavenly Father wants you to come back to Him. That is literally the entire point of our being here. You are supposed to mess up so you can learn how to be better. You are supposed to stumble so that the Savior can reach out to catch you.
As Elder Bruce C. Hafen once said, "Because of the Atonement, we can learn from our mistakes without being condemned by them."
That is what I want you to realize. In that darkness where you fell, the Savior is behind you -- bearing you up. He will not desert you. He will not forsake you.
He will never leave you in darkness.
Do not believe you are nonredeemable. Do not believe you cannot be better than you are. Do not ever believe the lie that whispers that God has forsaken His love for you.
He loves you.
Have a good week.
Be good.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
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| Sister Jones being a creeper |
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| Sister Jones and I might have stolen the Zone Leaders' name tags. (Shhh. Tell no one.) |
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| I wear the same shoes everyday. Can you tell? |
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| Photo with the ZLs! I fit in because my shirt has flowers B) Left to Right: ME!, Elder Bledsoe, Elder Bennett, and Sister Jones |
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| I don't think I've ever gotten a clear photo of all of us. Sister Jones and I are super epic. |
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| Elder Bledsoe got really close to the camera, yo |
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| This was the clearest photo we had of a district + ZLs photo. Left to right: Elder Hunt, Elder Ahanonu, Elder Scoresby, Elder Houston, Elder Roberts, Elder Bledsoe, Elder Hughes, Elder Bennett. (NEXT ROW!) Sister Steadman, Sister Lindberg, Elder Bingham, Elder Tenifa, and then the invisible Sister Jones and Sister Rose |
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| The Jonesasaur in her natural habitat. |
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| Us at service! |
Monday, August 15, 2016
[Goats Bleating in the Distance]
Gooooooooooooood day to y'all! It's the afternoon right now. Not having a car makes our whole day go out of whack. But, that's okay!! We will wend our way with joy.
It's transfer week, though. Can you believe that? It feels like this transfer has just flown by! We're already halfway through August; soon it'll be fall! Crazy weird, man.
This transfer, we say good-bye to Elder Paxton. I served with him for a hearty five transfers, counting our time in Biloxi. You will be well-missed, Elder Paxton, but you will do well wherever you go! We will also say good-bye to Elder Smith, our dear Zone Leader. I have no idea where these two will be going, but wherever they go is exactly where the Lord needs them.
So, this transfer, the Biloxi and Ocean Springs districts will be combining, making this district this biggest one I've ever been in. In this district we now have the Woolmarket Elders, D'iberville Elders, Biloxi Spanish Elders, the Biloxi Sisters, Ocean Springs Elders, and Ocean Springs Sisters. Wow! That's twelve missionaries! Whew! I'll give you names next Monday!
In other news, we had a Zone Training Meeting this past Wednesday. The entire Gulfport Zone met together to receive spiritual enlightenment from our Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders. I know how much preparation goes into these meetings, so I deeply appreciate these missionaries' dedication to following the Spirit and doing what they feel is best for our zone.
You learn a lot about yourself when you're around others. You learn how others affect you, how you talk, how you react to certain people -- people are the way we learn. Humans are social creatures; we need that socialization to live. This is not a coincidence or a temporary hurdle; I know that this has been patterned after Heaven. We frequently forget that the things we feel, see, and experience here are very similar to things we will experience in the afterlife. Heavenly Father would not throw us into a life that would not apply hereafter. What you are going through now will have everything to do with who you will be in the eternities.
I think about that when we're tracting sometimes. It's hot, so I have to focus on something else, right? Sometimes we'll come across a rare agnostic man, who is kind and receives us with welcome arms and yet keeps us at arm's length because he has found his truth -- and it doesn't involve Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ. Things like that break my heart. How do you help those who are comfortable in what they know? How do you let them know that there's more? That there's someone always watching out for them? How do you help them?
I think of those who don't want us there. I think of those who have fallen away; those who are easily frustrated; those who try our patience and incite "the natural man" within us. Occasionally, we give in to those tendencies. We get angry. We shout. We become irritable. We forget, just for a moment, that we are not the center of the universe and that our inferno of feelings is completely justified in this one blip in eternity.
Now, that isn't to say that things like righteous anger aren't a thing. Captain Moroni certainly uses it in Alma 60. But, most often, we find ourselves simmering in our negativity; we give in to the easy thing because, well, it's easy! It is far easier for me to be angry and contentious with a situation. It is way easier to complain and whine. Because that feels better, right?
There's this tight, enclosed feeling that fills my chest when I feel that sort of negativity. There is something inside me that does not like that, and does not approve. And I believe that we all have that; we all have the light of Christ, don't we? You are born knowing what is right and what is wrong -- so why is it so hard to do the better thing?
This week, the Lord has been trying to teach me to do the better thing despite my circumstances. Things have not necessarily been conducive to the best of missionary work lately. And that's okay. Things can always get better, and they will. I did not say that the first time I realized how heavy this trial was. I had to take a step back and evaluate the situation. That is when the Spirit came to me, and whispered, "What did the Savior do in a situation like this?"
How does the Savior problem solve? Did you know that there's an entire section about problem-solving in the Topical Guide? I didn't until a few days ago! Cool, right?!
Let's go to Matthew 11, where we read:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (27-30).
Learn of me. Those words stuck out to me as I read. I thought of my Savior and His ministry. The Savior was constantly given moments where He could have appealed to the natural man. He was given every opportunity to be dragged down, to wallow in His misery, to forsake His mortal mission. But He didn't. Why?
Because He is "meek" and "lowly in heart." Never on earth was there a more humble man than Jesus Christ.
To face adversity with humility and patience is a heavenly virtue rarely obtained in this mortal life. It's hard, to say the least. It goes against everything we want to do and feel. But, it is heavenly.
I won't say I'm an expert on this. I am well-versed in the art of the natural man! But, I know that trying to emulate the Savior is what helps us feel at peace during those times when we're ready to give into the natural man. You must always remember the Savior. In our blessings over the sacrament, we are promised that as we "always remember Him" we will "have His Spirit to be with [us]". Emulate Him, and the Spirit will come to aid you.
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide int he vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me" (John 15:4).
Have a good week, y'all.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
It's transfer week, though. Can you believe that? It feels like this transfer has just flown by! We're already halfway through August; soon it'll be fall! Crazy weird, man.
This transfer, we say good-bye to Elder Paxton. I served with him for a hearty five transfers, counting our time in Biloxi. You will be well-missed, Elder Paxton, but you will do well wherever you go! We will also say good-bye to Elder Smith, our dear Zone Leader. I have no idea where these two will be going, but wherever they go is exactly where the Lord needs them.
So, this transfer, the Biloxi and Ocean Springs districts will be combining, making this district this biggest one I've ever been in. In this district we now have the Woolmarket Elders, D'iberville Elders, Biloxi Spanish Elders, the Biloxi Sisters, Ocean Springs Elders, and Ocean Springs Sisters. Wow! That's twelve missionaries! Whew! I'll give you names next Monday!
In other news, we had a Zone Training Meeting this past Wednesday. The entire Gulfport Zone met together to receive spiritual enlightenment from our Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders. I know how much preparation goes into these meetings, so I deeply appreciate these missionaries' dedication to following the Spirit and doing what they feel is best for our zone.
You learn a lot about yourself when you're around others. You learn how others affect you, how you talk, how you react to certain people -- people are the way we learn. Humans are social creatures; we need that socialization to live. This is not a coincidence or a temporary hurdle; I know that this has been patterned after Heaven. We frequently forget that the things we feel, see, and experience here are very similar to things we will experience in the afterlife. Heavenly Father would not throw us into a life that would not apply hereafter. What you are going through now will have everything to do with who you will be in the eternities.
I think about that when we're tracting sometimes. It's hot, so I have to focus on something else, right? Sometimes we'll come across a rare agnostic man, who is kind and receives us with welcome arms and yet keeps us at arm's length because he has found his truth -- and it doesn't involve Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ. Things like that break my heart. How do you help those who are comfortable in what they know? How do you let them know that there's more? That there's someone always watching out for them? How do you help them?
I think of those who don't want us there. I think of those who have fallen away; those who are easily frustrated; those who try our patience and incite "the natural man" within us. Occasionally, we give in to those tendencies. We get angry. We shout. We become irritable. We forget, just for a moment, that we are not the center of the universe and that our inferno of feelings is completely justified in this one blip in eternity.
Now, that isn't to say that things like righteous anger aren't a thing. Captain Moroni certainly uses it in Alma 60. But, most often, we find ourselves simmering in our negativity; we give in to the easy thing because, well, it's easy! It is far easier for me to be angry and contentious with a situation. It is way easier to complain and whine. Because that feels better, right?
There's this tight, enclosed feeling that fills my chest when I feel that sort of negativity. There is something inside me that does not like that, and does not approve. And I believe that we all have that; we all have the light of Christ, don't we? You are born knowing what is right and what is wrong -- so why is it so hard to do the better thing?
This week, the Lord has been trying to teach me to do the better thing despite my circumstances. Things have not necessarily been conducive to the best of missionary work lately. And that's okay. Things can always get better, and they will. I did not say that the first time I realized how heavy this trial was. I had to take a step back and evaluate the situation. That is when the Spirit came to me, and whispered, "What did the Savior do in a situation like this?"
How does the Savior problem solve? Did you know that there's an entire section about problem-solving in the Topical Guide? I didn't until a few days ago! Cool, right?!
Let's go to Matthew 11, where we read:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (27-30).
Learn of me. Those words stuck out to me as I read. I thought of my Savior and His ministry. The Savior was constantly given moments where He could have appealed to the natural man. He was given every opportunity to be dragged down, to wallow in His misery, to forsake His mortal mission. But He didn't. Why?
Because He is "meek" and "lowly in heart." Never on earth was there a more humble man than Jesus Christ.
To face adversity with humility and patience is a heavenly virtue rarely obtained in this mortal life. It's hard, to say the least. It goes against everything we want to do and feel. But, it is heavenly.
I won't say I'm an expert on this. I am well-versed in the art of the natural man! But, I know that trying to emulate the Savior is what helps us feel at peace during those times when we're ready to give into the natural man. You must always remember the Savior. In our blessings over the sacrament, we are promised that as we "always remember Him" we will "have His Spirit to be with [us]". Emulate Him, and the Spirit will come to aid you.
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide int he vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me" (John 15:4).
Have a good week, y'all.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
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| Photo with the STLs!! |
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| A Sister Photo plus some other missionaries who decided to join?? From left to right we have: Sister Larsen, Sister Golder, Sister Bennett, Sister Latimer, Sister Maynes, Sister Lindberg, Sister Steadman (NEXT ROW!) Sister Jones, Sister Conder, Sister Thorpe, Sister Anderson, ME!, Elder Jones, and Elder Smith!! HUZZAH!! So many names! |
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| A slightly blurry photo with our resident Canadian, Elder Smith. |
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| One great photo that perfectly describes me, Sister Jones, Elder Smith, and Elder Bennett. |
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| Walking, walking, walking! |
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Holy Duct Tape and the Burning South
Good morning! (Afternoon?) It's a lovely, hot, humid day on the coast! (I seriously say that every week, don't I?) It's supposed to rain all this week, which you'd think would cool things off, right?
No.
Southern rain only makes things even more humid! I better have awesome skin when I come home, with all the sweating I'm doing. Sister Jones and I have decided that it's character building. Thanks, Heavenly Father.
It's been another one of those weird weeks, y'know. This whole transfer has been quite odd, but I think that just comes with being Sister Jones and Sister Rose. We attract the weird.
This Tuesday, we dropped our car off at a collision repair place. As I've mentioned before, between three companionships, we share three cars. Our car was involved in an accident last transfer, and, well, y'all know about the other one getting into a wreck last week. Oops!
This has allowed us to be creative with our finding efforts, as well as be more reliant on members of the Biloxi ward. We've been doing our best to endure the heat and the impending storms that are predicted for the gulf coast, but in times of trouble (like when we can't get to district meeting), we are able to rely upon our faithful Zone Leaders, Elder Smith and Elder Bennett.
We had a blast with them on Wednesday as we hitched a ride with them in their van named Karen. These Zone Leaders are a good balance of love, hard work, fun, and using the Spirit. I always enjoy having them in our district meetings; they always have wonderful insights and suggestions for our investigators, which is exactly what we need sometimes.
When we aren't partying it up with the Zone Leaders, we are walking all over Biloxi. This gives Heavenly Father the opportunity to place us and others in our path at just the right place, at just the right time so that they can be exposed to the message of the restored gospel.
Now, we always come across the occasional archaeology buff who tells us the Book of Mormon's falsehoods, the person who merely sees the missionaries' appearance at their doorstep an inconvenience, and many others who simply put their walls up. When this happens, we bear testimony, hope and pray they one day feel the Spirit, and walk away.
People are prepared everywhere. The people that you least expect to be prepared are usually the ones who are just waiting for you to share the message.
I have one small story from tracting this week. It's small, but I know that this reaffirmed my testimony of Alma 37, which reads, "Now, ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (6).
Sweat was pouring down my face (and that isn't an exaggeration). We'd had very little success knocking on doors. We'd gained a rather impressive collection of bug bites and tan lines. The people we'd talked to were kind, and one old woman told us to talk to her next door neighbor whose husband was enduring stage four cancer.
Something clutched my heart. We smiled, thanked her, and went to knock.
A short woman stepped out, a smile on her face. Her eyes read stress and hurt, but as she talked, she did her best to hide it.
She'd been taking care of her husband for quite sometime. He'd apparently identified as agnostic for most of his life, but this trial was softening his heart to God. They hadn't gone to church since he'd gotten sick. She was stressed, unsure of the future, and clinging to her faith.
I felt a very strong impression to say a prayer with her. We offered to say one, her smile grew wider, and she allowed us to do just that.
We didn't teach a lesson. We didn't talk about the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith or anything. She asked where our church was, so we gave her our number and the address. Maybe she'll come one day. Maybe she won't. I don't know.
All I know is that Heavenly Father had us knock on her door right then for a reason. There were tears in her eyes as we walked away. I felt the Spirit's love and energy as we continued onto other doors, blessed with newfound motivation. The heat didn't matter. My profuse sweating didn't matter. We were able to bless a child of God, even if it was just with a simple prayer.
When Jesus Christ was ministering in Jerusalem, He accomplished many miracles. He ministered to the sick, the poor, the needy -- those who would listen and accept His teachings. He took every opportunity to teach the true doctrine; and most of all, He took every opportunity to make someone feel loved.
This is about spreading the love of Christ. I am blessed to be serving in a place full of people who know Jesus Christ. I'm here to show them more. I'm here to show them their greatest potential, through the Savior that they already know and love.
Emulate Him, brothers and sisters, and the light that shines from you will be far brighter than anything you've ever imagined. Engrave His image upon your countenance, and that light will show from the inside out; you will have greater peace, greater love, greater joy than you ever thought was possible.
Have a good week.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
No.
Southern rain only makes things even more humid! I better have awesome skin when I come home, with all the sweating I'm doing. Sister Jones and I have decided that it's character building. Thanks, Heavenly Father.
It's been another one of those weird weeks, y'know. This whole transfer has been quite odd, but I think that just comes with being Sister Jones and Sister Rose. We attract the weird.
This Tuesday, we dropped our car off at a collision repair place. As I've mentioned before, between three companionships, we share three cars. Our car was involved in an accident last transfer, and, well, y'all know about the other one getting into a wreck last week. Oops!
This has allowed us to be creative with our finding efforts, as well as be more reliant on members of the Biloxi ward. We've been doing our best to endure the heat and the impending storms that are predicted for the gulf coast, but in times of trouble (like when we can't get to district meeting), we are able to rely upon our faithful Zone Leaders, Elder Smith and Elder Bennett.
We had a blast with them on Wednesday as we hitched a ride with them in their van named Karen. These Zone Leaders are a good balance of love, hard work, fun, and using the Spirit. I always enjoy having them in our district meetings; they always have wonderful insights and suggestions for our investigators, which is exactly what we need sometimes.
When we aren't partying it up with the Zone Leaders, we are walking all over Biloxi. This gives Heavenly Father the opportunity to place us and others in our path at just the right place, at just the right time so that they can be exposed to the message of the restored gospel.
Now, we always come across the occasional archaeology buff who tells us the Book of Mormon's falsehoods, the person who merely sees the missionaries' appearance at their doorstep an inconvenience, and many others who simply put their walls up. When this happens, we bear testimony, hope and pray they one day feel the Spirit, and walk away.
People are prepared everywhere. The people that you least expect to be prepared are usually the ones who are just waiting for you to share the message.
I have one small story from tracting this week. It's small, but I know that this reaffirmed my testimony of Alma 37, which reads, "Now, ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (6).
Sweat was pouring down my face (and that isn't an exaggeration). We'd had very little success knocking on doors. We'd gained a rather impressive collection of bug bites and tan lines. The people we'd talked to were kind, and one old woman told us to talk to her next door neighbor whose husband was enduring stage four cancer.
Something clutched my heart. We smiled, thanked her, and went to knock.
A short woman stepped out, a smile on her face. Her eyes read stress and hurt, but as she talked, she did her best to hide it.
She'd been taking care of her husband for quite sometime. He'd apparently identified as agnostic for most of his life, but this trial was softening his heart to God. They hadn't gone to church since he'd gotten sick. She was stressed, unsure of the future, and clinging to her faith.
I felt a very strong impression to say a prayer with her. We offered to say one, her smile grew wider, and she allowed us to do just that.
We didn't teach a lesson. We didn't talk about the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith or anything. She asked where our church was, so we gave her our number and the address. Maybe she'll come one day. Maybe she won't. I don't know.
All I know is that Heavenly Father had us knock on her door right then for a reason. There were tears in her eyes as we walked away. I felt the Spirit's love and energy as we continued onto other doors, blessed with newfound motivation. The heat didn't matter. My profuse sweating didn't matter. We were able to bless a child of God, even if it was just with a simple prayer.
When Jesus Christ was ministering in Jerusalem, He accomplished many miracles. He ministered to the sick, the poor, the needy -- those who would listen and accept His teachings. He took every opportunity to teach the true doctrine; and most of all, He took every opportunity to make someone feel loved.
This is about spreading the love of Christ. I am blessed to be serving in a place full of people who know Jesus Christ. I'm here to show them more. I'm here to show them their greatest potential, through the Savior that they already know and love.
Emulate Him, brothers and sisters, and the light that shines from you will be far brighter than anything you've ever imagined. Engrave His image upon your countenance, and that light will show from the inside out; you will have greater peace, greater love, greater joy than you ever thought was possible.
Have a good week.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
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| We went to the doctor this week! Yay! |
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| If you ever wanted to know what missionary work does to shoes... |
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| Rainy skies! |
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
The Weirdest Week Ever
Goooooooooood afternoon, y'all! I'm having to write this so late due to some scheduling things this morning. But, all is well, and Sister Jones and I are happily e-mailing.
Did you know it's August? Can you believe that?! It's nuts how fast time goes by! So much has happened over the past eleven months. It's all cataloged in my journal as well as this blog. It feels like I've only been a missionary for a few months, but it's almost been a year!
This week has been kind of hilarious. For instance, I am now licensed and registered to vote in the state of Mississippi. That's what happens when you can't renew your license before your mission, boys and girls. We also managed to get rear-ended whilst driving to district meeting with the elders. (Before the moms begin to panic, we were not driving. The car is not drive-able right now, but it will be. Sister Jones has a small case of the whiplash, but is otherwise pressing on like the powerful pioneer woman she is.) We also went on exchanges with the Orange Grove Sisters, Sister Conder and Sister Bennett. Exchanges are always fun, and always bring about all kinds of miracles.
Between stressing about miles, teaching lessons, and fixing cars, we were blessed with the load of preparing a baptism.
Let me tell you about Beth.
Beth was referred to Sister Golder and Sister Abril from the Bishop in the Biloxi ward. She'd told them she'd been baptized when she was eight years old, but the Bishop couldn't find a record of it anywhere. He'd been searching for it even when I arrived in Biloxi. Even so, Beth had fallen away from the Church when she was a teenager, and now that she's in her sixties, she'd felt the promptings to return -- but what about her records?
I don't know what happened to them. And frankly, at this point, it doesn't matter. Beth had a unique opportunity, and I had the blessing of being able to watch her grow as she invited the gospel back into her life.
Beth has been through hell and back. She's recited to us the trials she's endured with drugs, alcohol, abuse, and just about everything you can think of. She's been in dozens of churches, searching for God and following the Savior the way she could. For a while, she hated the Church, not wanting to have anything to do with it although a good portion of her family were members. She moved through life, living one day to the next. She eventually made her way to addiction recovery, and from then on, started a new life.
I met Beth my first day in Biloxi. The sisters had been teaching her for about three weeks or so. She was excited about the Book of Mormon, and was ready to dive headfirst into the gospel. She had forgotten much; everything was new to her, much like it would be new to someone who was just investigating the Church. But, she felt in her heart that these things were true.
We watched Beth denounce cigarettes for good. We watched her put aside coffee and tea. We saw her heart open up, and I cannot explain to you the change I've seen her undergo. She changed, everyone. She truly, deeply changed. I saw her spread her wings and fly. I saw her literally become brighter. The Spirit was touching her everyday, and she began to see the fruits of her efforts as we set her with a date to be baptized.
On July 30, 2016, Beth was baptized. She was then confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on July 31, 2016, during sacrament meeting.
There is something so special about seeing someone change, brothers and sisters. I cannot describe the happiness that I have physically seen in Beth. She is an entirely new person, and she knows it. She loves it. She has such a sweet, sincere, thrilling testimony about the gospel. She knows the Church is true. She knows the Book of Mormon is indeed everything it claims to be.
Do not believe you cannot change. Miracles can always happen. Expect them to. Do not believe that God doesn't answer your prayers or doesn't have you in mind. This week has been an answer to a dozen different prayers I and my companions have said. I have seen miracles happen with other investigators. The Spirit works with all of God's children who are trying to find the truth.
The truth is here, brothers and sisters.
I would like to bear my testimony to you that God and Jesus Christ truly did appear to Joseph Smith. I know that Joseph Smith had a question, and that question led to the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is the proof of that restoration. If you want to know what I'm teaching, read that book. If you want to know if this whole thing I'm even talking about is true, read it. Read it with a sincere wanting to know; with "real intent" as Moroni would say. Be ready to act. God is waiting for those who are willing to change, and He will help them.
The church that Jesus Christ set upon the earth is back! How exciting is that?! We have all of the blessings that those back then did, and maybe even a few more. I know, without a shadow of a doubt that this gospel is true. I know that what I am doing is a sacred, honest work and that it is what my Heavenly Father wants for me. I know that there are those who are ready to receive this. They are ready for the gospel, and by golly, I will find them. By the power of God, I will find them.
We can only thank Heavenly Father for the miracles that happen week to week. He is amazing. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Don't doubt Him or His power. Remember His love, His confidence in you, and that as long as you are doing your best, you will have Heaven cheering you on. I know that. I've felt that.
I love y'all. I hope you've had a good week.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
Did you know it's August? Can you believe that?! It's nuts how fast time goes by! So much has happened over the past eleven months. It's all cataloged in my journal as well as this blog. It feels like I've only been a missionary for a few months, but it's almost been a year!
This week has been kind of hilarious. For instance, I am now licensed and registered to vote in the state of Mississippi. That's what happens when you can't renew your license before your mission, boys and girls. We also managed to get rear-ended whilst driving to district meeting with the elders. (Before the moms begin to panic, we were not driving. The car is not drive-able right now, but it will be. Sister Jones has a small case of the whiplash, but is otherwise pressing on like the powerful pioneer woman she is.) We also went on exchanges with the Orange Grove Sisters, Sister Conder and Sister Bennett. Exchanges are always fun, and always bring about all kinds of miracles.
Between stressing about miles, teaching lessons, and fixing cars, we were blessed with the load of preparing a baptism.
Let me tell you about Beth.
Beth was referred to Sister Golder and Sister Abril from the Bishop in the Biloxi ward. She'd told them she'd been baptized when she was eight years old, but the Bishop couldn't find a record of it anywhere. He'd been searching for it even when I arrived in Biloxi. Even so, Beth had fallen away from the Church when she was a teenager, and now that she's in her sixties, she'd felt the promptings to return -- but what about her records?
I don't know what happened to them. And frankly, at this point, it doesn't matter. Beth had a unique opportunity, and I had the blessing of being able to watch her grow as she invited the gospel back into her life.
Beth has been through hell and back. She's recited to us the trials she's endured with drugs, alcohol, abuse, and just about everything you can think of. She's been in dozens of churches, searching for God and following the Savior the way she could. For a while, she hated the Church, not wanting to have anything to do with it although a good portion of her family were members. She moved through life, living one day to the next. She eventually made her way to addiction recovery, and from then on, started a new life.
I met Beth my first day in Biloxi. The sisters had been teaching her for about three weeks or so. She was excited about the Book of Mormon, and was ready to dive headfirst into the gospel. She had forgotten much; everything was new to her, much like it would be new to someone who was just investigating the Church. But, she felt in her heart that these things were true.
We watched Beth denounce cigarettes for good. We watched her put aside coffee and tea. We saw her heart open up, and I cannot explain to you the change I've seen her undergo. She changed, everyone. She truly, deeply changed. I saw her spread her wings and fly. I saw her literally become brighter. The Spirit was touching her everyday, and she began to see the fruits of her efforts as we set her with a date to be baptized.
On July 30, 2016, Beth was baptized. She was then confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on July 31, 2016, during sacrament meeting.
There is something so special about seeing someone change, brothers and sisters. I cannot describe the happiness that I have physically seen in Beth. She is an entirely new person, and she knows it. She loves it. She has such a sweet, sincere, thrilling testimony about the gospel. She knows the Church is true. She knows the Book of Mormon is indeed everything it claims to be.
Do not believe you cannot change. Miracles can always happen. Expect them to. Do not believe that God doesn't answer your prayers or doesn't have you in mind. This week has been an answer to a dozen different prayers I and my companions have said. I have seen miracles happen with other investigators. The Spirit works with all of God's children who are trying to find the truth.
The truth is here, brothers and sisters.
I would like to bear my testimony to you that God and Jesus Christ truly did appear to Joseph Smith. I know that Joseph Smith had a question, and that question led to the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is the proof of that restoration. If you want to know what I'm teaching, read that book. If you want to know if this whole thing I'm even talking about is true, read it. Read it with a sincere wanting to know; with "real intent" as Moroni would say. Be ready to act. God is waiting for those who are willing to change, and He will help them.
The church that Jesus Christ set upon the earth is back! How exciting is that?! We have all of the blessings that those back then did, and maybe even a few more. I know, without a shadow of a doubt that this gospel is true. I know that what I am doing is a sacred, honest work and that it is what my Heavenly Father wants for me. I know that there are those who are ready to receive this. They are ready for the gospel, and by golly, I will find them. By the power of God, I will find them.
We can only thank Heavenly Father for the miracles that happen week to week. He is amazing. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Don't doubt Him or His power. Remember His love, His confidence in you, and that as long as you are doing your best, you will have Heaven cheering you on. I know that. I've felt that.
I love y'all. I hope you've had a good week.
Godspeed!
Sincerely,
Sister Rose
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| Got into a crash. Awkward. But we're all okay! :D Left to right: Elder Ahanonu, Sister Jones, Elder Roberts, ME! |
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| We went to see the Friendship Oak with some members from the Petal ward!! |
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| "The Three Degrees of Glory" by Beth. She did this with nail polish! |
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| The one, the only -- Sister Bennett. |
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| We had a hard time getting everyone to look at the camera... From left to right: Elder Robinson, Sister Golder, BETH!, Sister Jones, ME!, and Bishop Perkes |
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| Books-a-Million did some legit stuff for the Harry Potter release party thing. We had no idea this was a thing. #MissionaryBubble |
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