"Utah Has Enough Temples! We Need One in Mississippi!"-Ricky Hall

You know why I love today? Because today, Sister Porter and I get to slow down a little! We've hardly had time to eat this past week! Except for the crawfish boil we went to. We obviously had to eat there! We ate with our new pal, Brewunta (bree-on-tay) and his family. So how did we meet him?? Well, he was working at Wal-Mart and we started talking to him when we went to buy Coke for Ricky's baptism. Sister Porter asked him if he bleaches his mustache (he doesn't) and then we tried to figure out his name, and the rest is basically history! He agreed to come to church, and he actually kept his word! He seemed kind of confused, but it was a good time and he said he'd come back! 

Chilling on Main Street a minute

Yes. We are turned up for Jesus.

That night, we went over to his house and met his whole family at their crawfish boil! Why is eating crawfish so fun?? I don't even know, but it is. And you better believe I made Sister Porter suck the head of one. She didn't really like it much...I thought it was great! After all that hoopla, we went inside and shared the Restoration with Bre and his sort-of-aunt, Paula. As we started, his grandma stopped doing dishes in the kitchen and then came and stood in the doorway. Then she had someone go outside and get Bre's dad to come in to listen to us. 

Y'all, the spirit was palpable. At some points, I could hardly speak. I haven't taught a Restoration like that since Josh back in Ocean Springs. I don't know how anyone in that room could have denied that spirit. We gave out 4 Book of Mormons and apparently started a big religious discussion after we left. Bre's grandma wanted a Book so badly that she was in the other room looking up how to get one off of Amazon! Lucky for her, we give them out freely to those who read them! 

It was a good night, and I just hope and pray that they find the answers they seek as they pray about what we shared. 

Sister Porter....

Crawfish Boil!!!

I held a live crawfish. I may have been slightly terrified. 

Ricky was baptized on Saturday!!! And it sure was great! He was nervous, and Sister Porter and I actually were stressing, too. But it ended up being beautifully simple and spiritual. Ricky is glad to be a Mormon, and has been praying that we can build the church here and that one day we can have a temple here in Mississippi. Man, I love that guy!

If Ricky was going to be washed clean, we figured his ride should be as well.

Ricky got baptized!! 

Cake and Coke because that fits Ricky best

Ricky's clean car, and clean self

We taught Ricky how to dab

Yesterday, Sister Porter and I went to a cemetery for a little bit and cleaned off some graves. I said a couple prayers, and mostly stood in thought about how truly blessed I am to know that this life is neither the end nor the beginning. 

I add my prayers to Ricky's that someday we can have a temple here, and that the church will grow in Mississippi so that more people can have that same peace and hope that I feel, and so that more families can be sealed together. But we're not just praying for it, we're working for it. And Heavenly Father sure is blessing us with many people to share this joyous message with. I'm just blessed to be a small part of it.

Brewunta didn't know what floss was. So we fixed that REAL quick. Good thing I carry some with me always​.

Rain Rain, Go Away! We've Got Lots of Souls to Save!

Some time ago, Sister Olson (our Mission President's wife) challenged us to contact 20 new people every day- no matter what. Even if we had church all day, or lived out in the middle of nowhere, we were to contact those 20 people. Sister Lamb and I sort of tried to do it, but in all honesty I sort of let that one slip away from me. This week our district leader (my pal, Elder Houston, from Ocean Springs) re-committed us to that challenge and offered a prize for the companionship who could reach 20 first. Well, Sister Porter and I are competitive souls and we like to win. So naturally we set out to do just that, and Saturday was our day. 

We started in the morning by going to a festival on Main Street, and it was SO hot. I had sweat dripping down my back and it was disgusting. But we met some cool people and got 2 new investigators last night because of it! (We also saw Dan the banjo man, which was awkward because he dropped us....)

Then we went to visit Austin and his brother Noah. We are teaching Noah, and Austin is a recent convert. But as we got there, it POURED rain on us. And we literally just stood under a tree for like 20 minutes before Noah asked if we wanted to go inside. At which point, it didn't really matter anymore, because we were literally soaked. 

Later in the day, we tracted a lot. We prayed to find people who would be home, and we did! We met Gloria who I have high hopes for, and some others who were much less kind, but we still gave it our best efforts. 

By 6:00, we had our 20! And by the end of the day, we had contacted 22! We were wet, tired, and looked like hobos, BUT we did it!!! And it sure felt good to talk to and teach so many people. 

Ricky had his baptismal interview on Saturday, and he is good to go for this upcoming Saturday! He's nervous, but knows it's a good thing. He has a lot of faith, and I love that guy. It's going to be a good baptism!! We're so excited for him, and I'm grateful that Sister Fonua and Sister Porter were diligent missionaries and started talking to him. 

We had Stake Conference yesterday in Clinton. So it's about an hour drive for us and it was kind of crazy because almost no one here drives and we have a very limited number of members. So Sister Porter and I sure had our faith tested as we tried all Saturday night and Sunday morning to arrange a way to get Ricky and Noah to church. I think we prayed about a gazillion times in the process, but after a thousand phone calls, and 3 different drivers, we finally all made it to church. It was a sigh of relief to finally sit down, and you better believe I said many prayers of gratitude for how things worked out. All of that stress was worth it though, because things were shared that helped both Ricky and Noah. But you know something? The whole time I really just felt like it would all work out, and it did. Just another testament to me that this is Heavenly Father's work.

Worried about getting people to church as we waited for ride #1 to show up 

Ride #2 

Ride #3

And I guess I just won't do my hair, because it just keeps raining on us!

Giving Service at a Food Pantry

People here really like to enjoy every little thing

Teaching out in the country

Dancin' Dan the Banjo Man

You know something that's pretty fun about a recently opened area?? The fact that almost no one has met a missionary from our church before! And it's even more fun, because Mendenhall is such a small town, so I kind of feel like a little celebrity when we go out walking the streets. Haha! So many people just stare at us, and it's been pretty easy to talk to everyone! 

Lunch with Ricky and his friends

With that being said, we've met a ton of people this week and have taught a lot of lessons. We set 8 people with a baptismal date this week. Here's to hoping that they all stay with it and progress this upcoming week. 

We made brownies for Austin...and then we found out he doesn't even know our names. Thanks Austin. Thanks.

One of the guys we met is Dancin' Dan the Banjo Man! He really is pretty famous and well-known in this tiny town. Everyone we've asked knows who he is. And boy is it fun to listen to him play the banjo!! But what I love even more about him is his desire to learn and know the truth. We had a really good Restoration lesson with him this week. He seems so sincere, and asked the most inspired questions. Sister Porter and I can't help but smile when he asks them, because he literally just hands us ways to share the Gospel with him. He called us this morning to tell us that he'd been out in Florence and found the church building! I think Dan should play the banjo at his baptism in that building.

Dancin' Dan the Banjo Man!!

Ricky, well he almost drank tea this Friday! But he didn't! And we didn't even say anything to him about it, he did it all on his own! We were so proud of him!! But then we had a lesson with him last night and found out he drank coffee on Saturday...that goof. So we're still working through the Word of Wisdom with Ricky, but I really think he's getting it. Slowly, but surely. And he knows the Book of Mormon is true (loves it actually), and that Joseph Smith is a prophet. So that's good! 

We went to Sonic a couple times this week

Besides that I don't really know what else to say about this week. Just that we've been really busy and teaching up a storm! I got the best ever chicken and dumplins recipe, and I flipping love Sister Porter! She's always cracking me up!! 

I have the coolest comp. We have fun!

The neatest thing about this week has been that no matter how many times I share the message of the Restoration of the Gospel, it's always different. And I always feel the spirit. I know that Joseph Smith really did see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. There is a special spirit that comes from sharing that message and how that knowledge has changed and blessed my life. I'm so grateful to be a missionary!

"Things Are Getting More Better, Because I'm Getting Righter"-Ricky

Ricky is great, ya'll. He really is getting so much better though. As he reads the Book of Mormon and keeps the commandments, he's been doing better. It's fun to see that as he does that, and as we teach him more, his understanding comes easier and easier. Ricky also baked us a cake. And he's baking another one tomorrow.  And he came to mow our forest of a lawn. Why are people here so nice?? 

First cake from Ricky

Ricky mowed our lawn

Ricky and Linda came to church yesterday! We walked with Linda and Mendenhall is a cute place! Both of them shared their testimonies about knowing God is real and there, and about coming to know that the Mormon church is true. Amidst all of the craziness of having 30 or so people in a living room for sacrament meeting, the spirit was strong as people shared their testimonies. Church is great! 

Saw the Black's again!!

We had interviews with President Olson this week, and exchanges in Richland. So we weren't here to work in our area as much as we would have liked, but it was still a good week. 

Exchanges were fun! We had a blast with Sister Anderson and Sister Coleman. Everyone keeps saying that I look like Sister Coleman. And I tried my first ever kool-aid pickle! And they are nasty, y'all. (And I love pickles.) 

Kool-Aid Pickle

On Cinco de Mayo we ate a ton of Mexican food, and it was delicious. And we wore slightly (but honestly not really at all) Mexcian looking skirts to celebrate the occasion. 

Cinco De Mayo skirts

We started teaching our neighbor, Natalie, this week as well! She's a funny girl, and I love her. She came and ate some nasty chile powder lollipops with us and we taught her the Restoration. She had so many great questions!! It's pretty neat to see how Gospel truths make sense to people. Even when they are first hearing our message. 

Chile powder nasty suckers

Oh, and Jakaris and Charles moved, and they gave us a phone number that doesn't work....so that was cool. 

But the work here is great!! I love little ol' Mendenhall, Mississippi! It's a small town, but I have big hopes for it!

Mendenhall Main Street

Greetings from Mendenhall, Mississippi

What a week. So basically I was a hot mess on Monday and Tuesday because of transfers. But they were both good days. 

First of all. I killed my finger killing a roach at the church. So that was awesome. It's been black and purple all week. Kinda gnarly. But it's better now.

My gnarly finger from killing a roach at church

I said "see ya later" to Josh and Sam at the church. That was hard. But honestly, they had me smiling and that was good. I miss them both. We had a mini photo shoot, because why not? 

Sam

Josh

 Monday night we ate with Sister Ladnier and Charlie. Charlie is still my bestie and he asked if I had brought him his very own Book of Mormon! Which obviously I did, and obviously we had to take a picture with it. Love that little boy!

My bestie Charlie

Sister Ladnier

Then the Beeston's took Sister Lamb and I to The Shed! It's a BBQ place out there, and it was so much fun!! We'd heard a lot about it and I wanted to go there before I left. So because the Beeston's are the literal best they took us. And it was flipping delicious y'all. Definitely going to have to go back there. When you eat at The Shed, you gotta sign a dollar bill with your name and where you're from to get the full experience. So we signed some $2 bills and stuck them to the roof with forks. And if I haven't convinced all of y'all by now that this place is awesome, then I don't know what to do. 

Dinner at The Shed

The Beeston's

After we were stuffed to the max, we went to say goodbye to the Pettet's. They're seriously my goals y'all. I wanna be just like the Pettet's someday. I loved going to their home. It felt like being home. But I'm glad I got to say goodbye before I left. 

The Pettet Family

Then it was packing, packing, packing! Then 3 hours of sleep, and then the hardest goodbye to my sweet baby girl, Sister Lamb. She's the best. And I was just sobbing. Man, I love her! But she's an awesome trainer and Sister Weaver is lucky to have her. 

Saying goodbye to Sister Lamb

Sister Thompson and me before she went home to Oregon

So now I live in a tiny place called Mendenhall! This area hasn't been open very long, and so Sister Porter and I have been doing a lot of cleaning up and organizing this week. Sister Porter is so cute, I love her to pieces already!! We're crazy similar and it's hilarious. She's from Preston Idaho, and came out on the mission with Sister Lamb. She's a good missionary and ready to work hard. And that's exactly what we're doing! 

My new companion, Sister Porter

We set a lot of people with baptismal dates this week. We have Charles, Jakaris, Linda, Noah, and Ricky. 

Ricky is hilarious, y'all. We taught him the Word of Wisdom, he goes inside and comes out with his tea and coffee and threw it away. So we asked why he was doing that and he said, "I don't know...cuz y'all told me I have to!" Mind you, we had just spent an hour teaching him what the word of wisdom was. Haha! He's a good guy though, he's super humble and has one of the best hearts. 

There's lots of work to do here. We are in a group. It's smaller than a branch, and we meet in the Cothern's home. So that's interesting! 

Attending church at the Cothern's home 

And this is super long, so that's all I'm gonna say for now. But things here are great! As Sister Porter was telling me about herself and the area, I just got an overwhelming feeling that this is exactly where I need to be. So I'm happy to be here, and glad I get to be friends with Sister Porter now! 

Mendenhall is gonna be a good adventure.