Refiner's Fire

I've been debating all week what I want to write on here today. 

We've taught some people this week, made some good progress, and had a lot of investigators show up to church yesterday. Trevor missed another appointment, Joe is still golden, Judy had back surgery that hopefully helped, and Radiance accepted a baptismal date!

But honestly, there has has been a lot more going on here in little Philadelphia than just that. 

It's been a hard week for me. 

Having three of us here has proven to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. But it is refining me in ways I likewise did not anticipate. 

I don't want to get into too many details, because a lot of that is personal. But I will say that I have learned a lot about myself, the scriptures, the power of prayer, and my Savior Jesus Christ. And I am so grateful for the Atonement. 

Being a missionary kind of means that sometimes your weaknesses are going to be handed to you on a silver platter...with an audience watching as you work your way through them. It's tough stuff, folks. But then again, being refined never is easy. 

There is a talk by Jeffery R. Holland where he is addressing mission presidents and he says that sometimes missionaries may ask them why life in the field is so tough. And he goes on to explain that it was NEVER easy for Jesus Christ. He quite literally walked alone, and because of that great sacrifice, neither you or I have to EVER be alone. 

So this week, as I've been on my knees praying, and on my feet working, and maybe asking myself how or when things will get better, I've turned my thoughts to the Savior. 

And he's lifted me up. He's wrapped me in His arms, and given me strength beyond my own.

He's filled me up when I felt empty, and given me peace when I needed it most. 

I am not a perfect person. None of us are. And that's why Heavenly Father sent His son to this earth. So that we can move on and move up and be refined into the kind of Celestial People that we have the potential to be. 

I am so grateful for that. 

And I'm grateful for these moments that bring me closer to the Savior. 

I love being a missionary and bearing His name over my heart. 

But more importantly, I love being able to bear His name with me all the time in my heart. 

May your week be as blessed as mine. 

You're loved more than you know. 

-Sister Crosby

Our Fair City

Well, we survived our first week as three!!

Our new companion is Sister Frandsen, from Springville, Utah. She came out one transfer after I did. And I already love her to bits! She's so easy to talk to and fun to be with and she laughs at my dumb stories! So things are great!

This week we had the privilege of going to the Neshoba County Fair to spend the evening with Sister Oliver at her friend Rebecca's cabin. And y'all, that place is even cuter when it's all lit up and full of people! There is something to be said about the cabins too. We got to share about the Book of Mormon with Rebecca to end our night and it was fun to answer her questions. I always love it when people are the ones asking us if they can have a copy of the Book of Mormon. 

We had a Branch Activity on Saturday at Turkey Creek. It was for pioneer day, and so naturally about all we did was eat hamburgers and hot dogs. It was a great opportunity for Sister Frandsen to get to know some more members and we shot off rockets, so I can't complain. 

We have been teaching a lady named Judy this week. She has some health problems that give her a pretty short attention span before she has to lie down....and she may have fallen asleep during some of our lessons. Haha, but we've figured out how to keep things simple and short for her, and it really has been a blessing to be able to share the Gospel with her. Everyone can use that light the Gospel brings, but Judy might need it just a little bit extra. 

Trevor cancelled all but one appointment again this week, but he does still want to be baptized and he studies and prays about what we teach. He comes to church every week, and has decided not to move away to Oklahoma in a few weeks, so things are still good. He just won't be getting baptized as soon as we had planned. 

BUT JOE!! Joe has decided he wants to be baptized in October!! He doesn't have a definite date yet, because he needs to arrange some things when he goes to Utah here in a little bit, but this is a MAJOR step forward for him, so we just keep praying hard with him! I love Joe. 

Having three of us here has been quite the adjustment, but one thing I do know about rough patches in life is that I always learn something great from them. Lots of prayer going into this week, but I know Heavenly Father hears and answers each of us. 

Y'all be blessed!​

A Couple Three

Sister Gunther and I just asked each other what has even happened this week, and turns out it's been a whole lot of stuff, and whole lot of nothing all at the same time! 

The Choctaw Indian Fair was this week, which meant we couldn't see Trevor or a lot of the Choctaw people we visit on the reservations. So that was a bummer, but Trevor did come to church. He is still just the most kindhearted 16 year old. He does a lot to take care of his family and he just wants to do the right thing. We pushed his baptismal date back a little bit, but he's still working well towards it. 

We tried to set Joe with a baptismal date. He wants to be baptized so badly but is afraid of how things could turn out if he decides to go for it. It's understandable, but I know that the Lord will make up for all that could happen, if Joe exercises faith. Which he has been, and he recognizes the blessings that have already come. He's praying about a day, and we are praying as well. It's all the Lord's timing, and we don't want to push him too far, but I really feel he could be baptized any day if he chooses. 

The Benamon's left early Friday morning to go on a vacation. They really needed that break after all that has happened to them the past few months. So Sister Gunther and I decided it was worth our miles to drive out to see them before they leave. Well, we only got John (the dad) at home, and that was disappointing because he was on his way out to visit his mom in the hospital. So I asked if we could come, and he said he would love that and was sure his mom would love to meet us. So we went, and it ended up being the perfect end to our evening. We got to talk to him about the Plan of Salvation, and the quiet hospital room with few distractions ended up being the perfect setting. I really felt the spirit, and can't wait for their family to come back so we can meet again!

Aside from that, we also celebrated Rita's birthday! She's a lady in the Branch and she threw herself a big 90th birthday bash! Sister Gunther and I sang karaoke and I ate more cake than I should have...

And the news we've all been waiting for!!! 

(well, probably nobody but me was anxiously waiting for it, but nonetheless, here it is:)

Sister Gunther and I will both be staying here in Philadelphia this next transfer!! 

But wait. There's more. 

We're getting a third companion!!! So we're becoming a couple three!! 

And that's another term you can add to your Southern Dictionary!

Should be a fun, exciting week! We might step on each others toes, and bump into each other while we cook, but there's nowhere else I'd rather be, and no one else I'd rather be serving with! 

Y'all have a blessed week! 

(Sorry no pics. I forgot my camera. So expect a lot next week!)

"Just When I Thought It Couldn't Get No Hotter..."

Our AC went out again this week. 

It literally got to 104 degrees in our apartment. So needless to say, we weren't home much this week! The good news is that we got a brand new AC unit, so we shouldn't have that problem again. Sister Oliver was gracious enough to let us stay at her house for two nights. We showered in her cottage and so I totally got to use the shower in her wet room. Just a little bathroom under the stairs, and that was kinda cool!

But then we also totally got to stay at the Dancing Rabbit Inn!! Sooo....yeah, we were feeling pretty cool about ourselves. It was a party! 

This week was also the Fourth of July, so naturally we had to dress up and be as Patriotic as possible!! How lucky we are to live in a country where we have so much freedom. Freedoms that allow me to be able to decide what I believe and then to go out and share that with as many people as possible. We are blessed to live in a country like that. 

We tried multiple times to go see the Bennamon's this week, and it just never did work out. Such a bummer, but we're trying again this week! Brother and Sister Pilgrim had us over for dinner on one of the days we were supposed to have our Bennamon lesson. So afterwards they let us go out to their blueberry bushes and pick all we could! I love blueberries!!! 

We also helped Sister Wade pick figs this week! Soon we're going to help her make fig jam. I just keep gettin' more and  more Southern, y'all!! 

Joe came to church again!! And Trevor is still doing well! He just absorbs and retains everything we teach him. It kind of blows me away, because I would say that most 16-year old boys are not that way. We have fun teaching him :) 

We got a new investigator named Joe this week! We must be destined to teach people named Joe or something. But he's cool! He knew a little bit about the church, but has a pretty strong knowledge of the Bible. He goes to a Baptist church with like 5 people. But we shared the Restoration with him, and I bore my testimony about Heavenly Father's divine plan for us and not believing in coincidences. Because I really believe that he was prepared for us to meet, so I told him that. He accepted a baptismal date, and we're excited to teach him again. 

It's fun to see how things just fall together. Like we're in this big puzzle and Heavenly Father just knows exactly where to put everyone, and when to put them there, and what needs to happen in order for all the pieces to fit together. Like the fact that the Gospel was restored in a country founded on freedom? Coincidence?? I think not.

He sure is smart! 

And it sure does feel good to be back in our little home of Philadelphia.

"Adam Fell That Men Might Be, and Men Are That They Might Have Joy"- 2 Nephi 2:25

​One thing that is really neat about changes on a mission is when you gain a testimony that it's exactly what needed to happen. Like when you go to a new area and you come to know that it's exactly where Heavenly Father needed you to be. Or when you get a new companion, and you come to realize why you were put together and that is was definitely inspired. 

I want y'all to know that I have gained the biggest testimony that God really is aware of each of us, and he is very involved in the details of our lives. 

As we were driving last week, it just kind of randomly hit me that I love it here. And I do! 

Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, and we had a Branch-wide fast for the missionary efforts particularly here in Philadelphia. And then testimony after testimony was shared about the blessings of missionary work. It was incredible! We have a lot of support here. 

Then President and Sister Jarnagin took us to De Kalb to see a man named John Bennamon and his 7 daughters! Yes, 7!! And they are golden! we only got to sit down and talk with 3 of them, but they are the coolest, cutest family. Their mom passed away in March, and they have been looking for a new church home. The Jehovah's Witnesses came by on Saturday and and weren't terribly comforting. But we came and shared the Plan of Salvation, and they loved hearing as we affirmed what they already believed, but what others were disputing. They get it! And they want to learn more. I want to baptize all 8 of them!! Haha!

We taught Joe again, and I had this sort of epiphany in the morning to make a visual for our stepping stones for him. We filled a jar with stones for all that he's done to gain the testimony he has, and then wrote out a short list of what he needs to do to finish filling his jar. He loved it!! He's so close, y'all. And yesterday, HE CAME TO CHURCH!!! That's the first time in awhile that he's come, and Satan tried really hard to stop him. But he didn't listen. Because Joe is the best. 

Trevor is reading his scriptures, still coming to church, and he asked us to teach him about the Tree of Life. We gladly obliged, and he totally understood all of it!! He's brilliant. 

We also had exchanges this week, and I got to meet some cool new people in Purvis with Sister Larsen! Buuut...well, it wasn't Philadelphia ;) 

And we had our Zone Conference on Thursday, and I kid you not, literally everything that was said I felt was said just for me. It was perfect for myself personally, or our companionship, or our area. We talked a lot about working hard and finding joy in every day. 

I really do find so much joy in being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Right here in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Right now. 

Pics: 

The Neshoba County fair grounds. People build these cabins, and it's like a little city that they live in while the fair goes on. It's super cool! 

 

Stepping Stones

Shakes at Sonic!

My girl, Gunther :)