Week #27

Yo.

It is transfer week and so PDay was not until today!!!! Sad news, Sister Flora is getting transferred. :( I love her so much, and I'm going to miss her like CRAZY!!! I will be leading this area and getting a new companion on Thursday.  We will see how this goes.

Sister Flora hit her nine month mark this week.  She is half way through this crazy thing called a mission.  I also turned six a few weeks ago, I can't believe how fast time is passing by. 

This last week and a half was ridiculously draining. Wow. Still an amazing week full of miracles, but draining nonetheless.
We started off last last week with 4 people on date for baptism, and now we have 0.  Ashley was supposed to be baptized on Saturday, however, she had a couple of  bad days and she went back to smoking.  She is so upset and said she feels so weak.  We have postponed her baptism to a later date when she has completely quit smoking.  Ashley is like Captian Moroni because she's so quick to anger, she yelled at us for a second and told us it was all our fault.  But then she broke down and cried and said "I'm sorry, you two are wonderful. I love you. It's not your fault. I'm just mad at myself." We had a really awesome LESSON about repentance and she said she wants to be completely smoke free for a few weeks before she is baptized, so we are continuing to work with her and read with her. Ashley struggles with mental illness and sometimes she gets really down, this week ended up being a really rough week for her, for obvious reasons. She called us and told us she needed us to come over because she wasn't doing well, and she was worried she might do something to herself. We dropped everything and ran over to her house and talked with her and prayed with her. She was crying because she was sad about not being able to be baptized on Saturday and also because she has no money, no car, and no way to obtain those things.  She felt hopeless and alone.  Also, the night before, her 14 year old son got drunk at a party and on his way home from the party he got jumped by 5 men at gunpoint  (Mount Vernon probs). I honestly just felt so discouraged for her. I didn't know how to help. I've never been in such rough situations.  She truly has so many trials.  I know that the gospel offers hope and light but it is hard for Ashley to understand when she feels like she is drowning. I kept having this strong feeling that I needed to show her my video from the Mormon Channel, but then I kept telling myself, "no I am not going to make this a thing. I am not going to show this to all of my freaking investigators." But the prompting would not go away, so I showed it to her and we cried together.  Ashley cried so hard. Afterwards, Ashley looked at me, hugged me, and then she slapped me on the head and yells, "YOU DUMBASS! WHY DO ALWAYS KNOW HOW TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" Sister Flora and I told her that we understand how she feels so burdened and that life kind of sucks for her right now, but we plead with her to hold on because God has so many blessings in-store for her.  I testified of the love that God has for her and the He cares for her. She is doing so much better now.  She is now 3 days of being smoke free! Please keep her and her family in your prayers!  I know Ashley has the potential to lead so many to the gospel of Jesus Christ and that is why Satan is working hard on her. 

Our investigator Kat sometimes goes to that creepy Satan church that like possessed Ashley's house a while back, but she had been going less and less because she had been meeting with us so much and she was coming to church with us! She was working on being baptized and she was so excited.  However, she went to some event at the Satan church and then next time we came over she was like, "I think I want to stick with this church (referring to the Satan church). I don't want to meet anymore. Don't come over anymore." Thanks Satan.  But she asked if she could keep the Book of Mormon.  YES KAT!  Please keep it and keep reading it!

Anyway, it has been a crazy and rough week, but through all of it, God's hand has still been there. Things could have been a lot worse in many situations!!! Positivity is s something that I have always been bad at, but idk where it came from, this positivity I am feeling.  I have been the most positive freaking person this week! What is up with me?! Even through all the rough times!! I'm serious!! Even a crazy man in the town square noticed and commented on how happy I was!! He said, "Your smile is so bright it looks like a rainbow is coming out of your butt!!" See!! Such a blessing. God's got our back. Even in the rough times.  The Lord is directing this work.  I can feel it. When we embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are able to see happiness even in the hardest of times. That is something I was definitely able to learn this week!

Quotes of the week:

"Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come." -Elder Jeffery R. Holland

"Happiness can come even in the darkest of times, if one remembers to turn on the light." --Albus Dumbledore (probably didn't quote that exactly right, but I have mission brain now so sorry about it!!)

Have a great week!! Be positive!

- Sister Hannah Thomas

Ps. THANK YOU JOHNSON FAMILY for all of the letters this week! It was such a tender mercy from the Lord to get all of your letters during such a crazy week. I will keep them forever!!