"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​.