Southern Thanksgiving

For everyone who wished that I would have a Southern Thanksgiving...well, your wish came true! I don't think it could have gotten any more Southern! 

But first, the rest of the week! 

Tuesday we had exchanges and I went with Sister Bennett to Orange Grove. I had a great time learning from her! She is a really good, personable teacher. She really is just a good missionary, and pretty awesome at sharing messages, and applying lessons to the investigators and their situations. It was great to be there with her!

Exchanges

We also took a Young Woman out with us, so we went to pick her up, and when she opened the door she looked rather familiar to me! Her name is Cheyanne, and we totally went to high school together!! She got baptized earlier this year, and is doing awesome! It was crazy seeing her again, but it was fun to see how her life has changed since then!

We spent Thanksgiving with a less-active family in the ward, the Thomas'. And oh boy, it sure was an adventure! We helped cook,hung out a little with Scooby and Bree, and then we ate! We had sweet potato casserole, collard greens, dressing (stuffing), smoked turkey, smoked ham, potato salad, and macaroni and cheese. For dessert we had peach cobbler, pecan pie, and sweet potato pie.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving with the Thomas Family

Oh. And chitterlings. We ate chitterlings. They're pronounced like "chitlins" though. And well....they were.....nasty. Real nasty. I will never, ever understand why Southerners like to eat them. I'll just clear up all confusion now, and tell you. Chitterlings are pig intestines. And stomach. And that's exactly what they taste like. Oh man, it sure was funny though! They taste fine for about 5 seconds and then BAM. They just smack you right in the face, and you can't get that taste out of your mouth. We started shoving down macaroni, but nope! The chitterlings taste will always prevail. And that's the story of how I ate the digestive system of a pig. And how Sister Thompson and I smelled like the digestive system of a pig for the rest of the day. 

A Southern Thanksgiving

Gotta love the South!! :) 

But it really was a super fun Thanksgiving, and we love the Thomas family! It was pretty different than what I'm used to, and I'm still craving pumpkin pie, but it was a day I will never forget and I'm grateful that we had somewhere to go. 

We also put up our Christmas decorations, and have been listening to Christmas music non-stop! It's been basically awesome. I love this time of year!!!

I got my new bike too, which has been a major blessing! Biking is a whole lot better now!

My New Bike

We've been baking a lot, and last night we went to take cookies to our investigator, Jelani, but we weren't thinking quite straight and went to the second floor of the apartment instead of the third. So Jelani did not answer the door, and we were blessed to meet Marlin! We got a good laugh out of it, and just started talking. Marlin has never met missionaries before, and doesn't know much about the church. So we set up a return appointment and are teaching him the Restoration tonight! 

Baking Cookies

We were laughing pretty hard at ourselves and our mistake, but we think it's pretty awesome! So hopefully that goes well! 

Oh, and this morning we celebrated P-Day by making ourselves a yummy breakfast.

Yummy P-Day Breakfast

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! 

And Happy Birthday to Eric this week!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sister Thompson and I went to email President Olson today and we realized that we don't even remember like anything from this past week. Thank goodness for pictures! 

So Tuesdays and Thursdays are kind of boring for us, so we decided to spice them up by dressing up! This week we did mis-match day on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday we wore pink just because. And then Thursday we did hipster day.

Mismatch Day

On Wednesday We Wore Pink

Hipster Day - Missionary Style

This week we also finally got to see the ocean! We went to a member's house for a fancy Thanksgiving dinner and she lives right off of the beach. So I got a really crappy picture of the ocean as we drove past it. But dinner was great! Sister Maysch has a really nice home, and Sister Thompson and I were glad we decided to get fancy and wear lipstick. We also wanted to remember that night, so we commemorated it with bathroom mirror pics. It was just a really fun evening and I'm glad we had the chance to be there with some of the ladies of the ward. We went around the table and talked about things we're grateful for and the spirit was very strong. We truly are very blessed. 

Finally Got to See the Ocean

At Sister Maysch's Home

That night we had a sleepover with Sister Williams and Sister Scott! They are office sisters right now, and came to help with our Zone Training Meeting on Friday. So they stayed the night, and I got to know Sister Scott pretty well. She's from Syracuse, Utah and goes home at the end of this transfer. But the coolest part is that Wayne used to be her Bishop! I just keep meeting all these missionaries who know my family! Haha, we thought that was cool and took a picture together. 

ZTM was great! It was like a mini zone conference to get ready for zone conference next month when Elder Mervyn B. Arnold is coming. One of my favorite parts was practicing teaching the Restoration. We seem to share that lesson a lot, and yet it never gets old and there's always more I want to change to make it better. It was cool being able to see how other missionaries teach. I also love the spirit that always comes when we share the first vision.

Zone Training Meeting

On Saturday we did a little family history event at the library and found out that Sister Thompson and I are indeed eighth cousins!! I knew there had to be some sort of special bond between us that was more than just being companions. 

Sunday President Olson and Sister Olson spoke in our ward. President had Sister Thompson and I sing with two ward members. First we sang two hymns at the same time, and it sounded bad (no worries, it was supposed to. I promise.) And then we came together and sang the same hymn. The point was missionaries and members working together. It was really a cool analogy and hopefully it helps as we try to work with the members better. Because that's really the best way to share the gospel. 

Oh, and I finally went to get my flu shot today. Not even gonna lie, I really do feel safer now. 

Finally Got My Flu Shot

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for each and every one of you in my life. I invite you to say a prayer of gratitude this week :)

I'll be sure to include you in mine ;) 

Love, Sister C!​

Palm Trees and Pine Trees

​And there goes week one in Ocean Springs, Mississippi!!

Palm trees and Pine trees. Say what?!

What a week. I rode for a few hours in the van down to the Gulfport zone, but the ride wasn't so bad due to talking to new and old friends. Elder Eells was transferred to this same zone, so we talked a lot. It was great fun and time passed quickly. Plus, I got to talk to Elder Suapaia who is now Elder Eells' companion. But he is of some relation to Poli and knows the Kagie's! He said that Annette is one of the nicest ladies he's ever known and that he loved going over to their house and hanging out with Josh and Spencer. So it was really fun talking to him about home! Small world it is, my friends!

Elder Eells and I in the Back of the Transfer Van

Elder Suapaia and I representing the West Side, down here in the South

My new companion is Sister Thompson!! She's from Oregon, and we've already been having a blast together. We have an investigator, Desirae, who is going to be baptized here in a few weeks and we're super excited about her! The work here is going all right, and this next week should be a good one. It's been chilly here, and so it actually feels like November! (Well, today is warm. But whatever, we still know it's November, right?) 

Now let me tell you the story of a girl and her bike. I was doing great in Clinton at avoiding riding that hunk of metal and I thought that I could do the same thing here in my new area. But that simply will not work, and so on the bike I got! And I hate it. Absolutely hate it. I haven't ridden a bike since I fell off of my bike last year and luckily I haven't been close to falling yet, but I just really hate that bike. I have never, ever been so darn excited to get the car back. And I'm even driving! (Which if you know me, you know I hate driving too. But it's a million, bajillion times better than biking). And that's the story of my first bike week. And how Sister Thompson is a nice, nice soul who has let us walk a lot.

Bikes. Don't let the Smile Fool You.

Yesterday, church was awesome! I got the chance to share my testimony with the ward and introduce myself a little. Then we had a return missionary speak, and then a member of the high council. They both talked about repentance and having a desire to change and build up from our past. The high councilor (Brother Blackhurst) talked about how Jesus Christ knows all of the facts of our lives. The nitty, gritty details. The sins, the mistakes, and the short-comings. But He also sees who we are and who we've become because of our past. He knows how we've changed and improved ourselves. And this is why He is our judge. Because justice demands to be served, but mercy can be extended. It was a super powerful talk and I honestly have just been overcome with gratitude for a Savior who knows me so well. I'm so grateful for Him and the Atonement. And also for His love and mercy towards us. Because boy am I far from a perfect missionary, but I sure have already changed a lot. 

Missions are the best! And I'm excited to be in Ocean Springs! I already love it here :) 

Love y'all! And I testify that the Savior loves and knows each of you. Please never forget it. 

Last Week Kickin' It in Clinton!

Well folks, tomorrow I set off on a new adventure! I'm leaving Clinton and heading to I-don't-know-where, and I'm excited! I have fallen in love with Clinton, and most especially the people here. I can't think of a better place to have started my mission. I've learned a lot here, and someday I'll be back for sure. 

For Halloween Sister Mellor and I dressed up as each other. We went to the Black's house to help them pass out candy. They fed us dinner, ice cream, and cookies! And then the Elders stopped by and we all played Apples to Apples. It was a fun, low-key Halloween night for us. 

Halloween

This weekend we volunteered at the Visitor's Center Native American event. It was super fun, and we met some cool people! Jason Smith was cutting wood and playing the banjo. He was a cool dude. We got to talking to a guy named Garrett and he seems super prepared! We got his information and he wants us to talk to his friend too! 

After that we walked home, and saw 5 deer on the trail behind the library! So that was cool too! 

Sister Mellor and I walked a lot this week. We tracted a lot and worked to start to build up our investigator pool again. And we were very blessed! We taught the Restoration last night to an awesome family who were very open to the message. 

Mamma Dudley isn't doing well. She's going to pass on soon. It's sad, but she'll be a lot more comfortable and she's ready to go. I sure am glad I got to meet her though. 

Well, it's been real fun here in Clinton!! Can't wait to see what my next area has in store!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Y'ALL!! :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Y'ALL!! :) 

What a week it's been. I am tired, y'all! But it's been a good one!

The highlight of last Monday was our dinner. We got a ton of pizza. We still have a lot of it left. Pizza for days! Seriously. This ward takes care of us!

Pizza for Days

Tonya is loving reading the Book of Mormon with us, and she even found some time to read on her own this week! We had to clarify some things, but once she realized we were talking about Jesus Christ coming to the earth in 3 Nephi 11, then things were good! I just love Tonya.

Brighton is golden. She asks questions, and studies on her own. And just absorbs the gospel so well! She was so prepared. Her baptism date is set back a week though, to December 3. Due to Thanksgiving. Kind of a bummer, on account of who likes to delay salvation. But patience is also a virtue. Anyway, love Brighton too!

Tuesday was interesting. We took the Black's to a Bible bash. Didn't really mean to, but we did. It was with Stefan. He brought some friends too. They were the White's. And he had printed out anti and brought it with him. Stefan said one thing the entire time. Brother Black was awesome though, and took a lot of the blows. But you know what? It ended up being an incredibly spiritual experience! I may have shed a tear or two. All we could really do was share our testimony about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. The spirit was super strong, and it's an experience I think I will always remember. And also, we are super grateful we had the Black's with us. 

Ashley is moving to South Carolina. So that's sad. But she's having a boy! His name is going to be James Leon. We love her, and will miss her! And hey, now we finally got a picture with her. 

On Friday night we went to Richland for exchanges with the STL's. I was with Sister Mozingo and we had a blast! Our appointments all fell through, and that was a bummer. But we got to do a lot of service! An old lady was out sweeping her porch, with her walker, and so we helped her. Then we were walking down the street to go tracting, and figured we'd talk to people that were already outside. We asked what they were doing, and they were building a roof! So we offered to help, and that's the story of how I helped build a roof in a dress! It was super fun!!

Exchanges

Helped Build a Roof

Then after that we all went to Bill's and helped get his yard ready for grass, and we raked up pine straw. Lots of hard work, but it was fun! And then Bill took us to Dickey's and that's the story of how I discovered that I pretty much love that place. Bill is an interesting guy. He was LDS, and sealed in the temple. Then he got a divorce and now he's Jewish! Crazy! 

Oh, and Wednesday night was the Trunk-or-Treat!! We had a lot of investigators there, and so that kind of got crazy but it was super fun! Tonya LOVED it, and it was fun watching her. We also found some other cute missionaries!! Best costumes, if you ask me. And there was a lot of leftover chili...but the missionaries took care of that.

Found Some Other Cute Missionaries at Trunk or Treat

Hope y'all have a happy and safe Halloween!!​