Happy Halloween from Hermana Crosby

Well folks, what a week it has been here in the Purvis area. 

Sister Goold and I have been going to do service at Waterloo Farms the past couple of weeks, and we finally took pictures! They mostly do weddings and receptions there, so we go help clean afterwards. This week we got to iron tablecloths and clean the house. It's probably the greatest service ever. It's so cute there!! We love it! 

Service at Waterloo Farms

I also got to be a Spanish missionary for a day! The only Spanish I really said to anyone was "adios" but still. We did find some cool people though, and it was a fun day with Hermana Guadarama! 

On Sunday night we met with some people who investigated the church a little while ago. They have a lot of questions, but I'm pretty excited to answer them with the Bible and Book of Mormon! It's kind of funny to think that if I had met them a year ago, the thought of teaching them would terrify me. But now I'm excited for a little challenge and to kind of open their eyes up to things they've been reading in their Bible for  a long time. Being a missionary is really fun. 

We had Zone Conference yesterday, and Sister Goold and I taught on commitments. Honestly...it wasn't very good. But we did make the best handouts ever! Haha, we used the acronym (that isn't actually really an acronym) QTIPThursdayFriday. President Olson came up with it to help us remember the commitment steps. So we just embraced it and gave everyone QTIPS. But hey, we're all going to remember it! 

Other than that, we had MLC which was awesome as always. Sister Goold and I got llama cups because drinking water is more fun that way. And today we carved pumpkins with some of the other Sisters!

MLC

Happy Halloween from Hermana Crosby

Penny, Penny. Who has the Penny?

​We have a Penny, and she's amazing!! 

We saw Penny just about every day this past week, and she's so great. We have read the Book of Mormon with her, and gone over the Restoration again. She seems to be soaking it all in. She came to the ward's Fall Festival on Saturday and had a fun time. Her two little boys loved it! Sister Goold and I were walking to get some cotton candy and Abel was walking away with some cotton candy in hand, and I asked him if it was good. He said, "Yup. And I'm fixing to go get some more!" He's 3 ,and so darn cute! Penny also came to church! She's got some awesome members helping her out, and I'm honestly blown away at their kindness. Truly some of the most Christ-like, humble, charitable people I have met my whole mission. 

I also got to speak in church yesterday on Jeffrey R. Holland's talk, "Be Ye Therefore Perfect-Eventually". Such a good talk! One of my favorite parts is where he says that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ just want us to be "a little more godlike in little things". Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed about all that I think I'm supposed to be doing, or the areas where I feel I am failing. But it's nice to know that simply doing our best is all we're asked to give. 

So Sister Goold and I are trying our hardest, and things are really coming together here in Purvis. 

But we aren't perfect, and so I want to ask for a favor from y'all. We are trying as a mission to reach a goal of 300 baptisms by the end of the year. We are close, and I know that if we all put forth the effort, we will reach this goal. So I am simply asking for y'alls prayers and faith that we (as a mission) will be able to reach this goal as we work hard to do so. 

And that Sister Goold and I will be able to find the people in our area who will be ready to make that baptismal covenant by the end of the year.

Thanks y'all! Love each of you, and hope you have a blessed week!

Pictures: 

Exchanges with the Sumrall Sisters.

Sister Goold and I have been thoroughly enjoying the Christmas sections of Wal-Mart 

Mutant bug that was on my foot.  

Then there was a frog in our house

Cotton candy at the Fall Festival! Fun Fact: The humidity here shrinks your cotton candy SUPER fast. It's terrible. 

Baby, It's Cold Outside

​We did it folks. Mississippi was at 68 degrees when we walked into the library! I actually was cold when I opened the door this morning. And wore a jacket. What a pleasant surprise!

We had another fun surprise this morning, when our washer decided to flood just a little bit. So we scooped water out with cups, and threw it outside (this is when we discovered it's cold). And then we cleaned up the water, got it all drained, and all of this was 15 minutes before our interviews with President Olson! So it was definitely an eventful morning, but we just laughed about it all. Because there's really nothing else you can do! 

We also laughed a lot this week when I got stopped by some cops so they could check my license, and he asked me for it and I said, "Yes, ma'am!" to the most buff, manly cop ever. But it's whatever...I don't think I hurt his pride too much. 

So the most exciting thing of our week was that I got Sister Goold as a companion! She's great y'all! She just got here from Ocean Springs, so it's been really fun to talk to her about everyone there. 

We got another new investigator named Penny! Just praying that she sticks around awhile. We have really been struggling to get in more than one lesson with people. 

So we're just going to keep working hard, and letting God take care of things here in this little part of His vineyard. There really was a spark here, and the fire is starting to catch. We just need to keep the flame glowing! 

Pictures: 

This first picture is Sister Morales and Hermana Guadarma! They are the first ever Spanish Sisters of the MJM! And they happen to be my grandbaby and great-grand baby...so obviously we had to take a picture!

Magna better watch out because y'all just got a little piece of Mississippi back! Goodbye Sister Child!

New District

They send the artists to Purvis

Sister Goold is too fabulous.

A couple recipes in case you needed to make an incredibly large salad, and weren't quite sure how you were going to do it. And if you've been struggling to find a soup that men like, we found the recipe to solve your woes. 

We taught the Sunbeams and it was so fun! Love those little girls

It's cold enough for a jacket. It's an October miracle!

Hurricane Nate

​We survived Hurricane Nate!! 

So this week was kind of crazy. We had exchanges, and then all of the Gulfport missionaries were evacuated up to us in Hattiesburg. And then this morning we found out that Sister Alvey is leaving to head down to the Gulf. So it's been nuts! 

So here's my miracle of the week. 

Last week, we committed all of the Sisters in our Zone to find a new investigator and set them with a baptismal date. So we had about 2 proselyting hours left last night and still hadn't found anyone. Even after we had literally tracted ALL day. And...nothing. But we had been praying all week for this, and decided to go back and see Brad. Remember him? He was the guy we felt we needed to talk to a few weeks back when we were trying to visit Lauren. Well, he's searching for some genuine happiness, and we were able to share it with him. He's now the proud owner of a Book of Mormon and a baptismal date!! We're going back to read with him tonight. 

Prayers are answered folks! I love being a missionary. 

Pictures: 

I love rocking chairs

Not as much as I love Sister Higby

MTC companionships!!

Finally met my grand baby, Sister Weaver!

Tracting is exhausting

Some of the companionships from our zone

Zone Leader and STL pic

When You Are in the Service of Your Fellow Beings

​We have been doing a whole lot of service here lately, and it sure feels good! We went to visit some members on Tuesday night and ended up raking pine straw (in our dresses) for about two hours. Then we went to help our neighbor down the street another day, and we mostly ended up just talking with her (she's blind and needed help sorting things, but then she just wanted to get to know us). And then on Friday night we were out trying some potential investigators, and inviting everyone we could to watch General Conference, and we ended up cleaning and tearing greens with a man named Lee. 

(And for you folks who don't know, greens are the green leafy parts at the top of some plants that these Southern folk boil and eat. We did turnip greens and mustard greens! And as a side note...I don't find them to be particularly delicious). 

Anyway!

We've just been focusing a lot on finding even more people to teach. I know that the Lord has got people here for us, and I want to find them. In due time, I know we will. 

General Conference was much needed for me! I have been studying the Plan of Salvation pretty intently this week, and then it seemed like all of the talks kind of resonated with the things I had just been studying. And man, this plan was thought through! It's brilliant. And only possible because of Jesus Christ. 

As I've studied more and more out of the Book of Mormon, I can feel my testimony of Christ and the Father's Plan strengthen. I add my testimony to the ones spoken this weekend, that I know Heavenly Father lives, and has a grand design for us. And I know that there is power that comes from reading, studying, and pondering the words written in the Book of Mormon. There is no better way to draw nearer to Christ and Heavenly Father. I love being able to share such precious truths every day.

Pictures:

When you see a field of wild flowers, you have to stop and take pictures. It's a rule. 

Teaching Kishina and her kids about the Restoration

We were stuck in Firestone for like...ever. But it was fun!

Casual reminder for Kishina that her baptismal date is the 28th

Conference Sundaes

Cooking with Sister Able after Conference (I LOVE the Abel's!)

We played tennis this morning with the YSA Sisters,and it was literally one of the greatest things I've done my whole mission I'm pretty sure.