Monday, March 30, 2015

Sometimes I hate technology

So I'm like....really annoyed right now because for some reason the
computer will not let me sign into my email. It keeps saying "sorry an
error occurred while trying to process" or something dumb like that
and I switched computers and browsers and nothing works so now I just
have to do it on my iPad and I don't have my little keyboard so I have
to do all the typing in the slow way so now I'm just really mad so of
this letter doesn't sound as happy as usual that's why.....ugh...the
struggle.

On a better note...this week was crazy but good :) better than last
Sunday! Willie was facing lots of opposition there for a bit...he told
us on Monday that he didn't want to meet with us anymore...but he
wasn't quitting....but he's good now. It's a long story but he came to
church yesterday and is back to normal...just your average opposition
I guess! :) we had a birthday party for him and it was a lot of fun!
:) I'll send a pic :)

NEWS FLASH: SPARTA CHURCH BUILDING BUILDING HAS COMMENCED!

So I was thinking about Lucy, my pet guinea pig the other day because
we were at this members house and she made the most delicious grilled
veggies ever (zucchini, onions, peppers, etc.) and I just kept eating
and eating them and I was like "They're healthy so it's okay right?"
Then I thought about how Lucy is obese even though she only eats
veggies and I was just like, "oh great..." Haha

We found a drive through bar.....um what?

Said bye to Jaleta yesterday.... :( she's off to serve the Lord! Oh I
just love her and I'll miss her so much! She'll be such a good
missionary though, I'm so excited for the people on Florida because
wow....miracles are about to happen!

We met this girl named Maddie this week and she said we could come
back and talk to her. So we went back and sat down with her and her
husband (they are both like 19 by the way) and the friend they were
living with who was in her 40s). We taught the the restoration and
while I would love to say that it was a great lesson and the spirit
was there....unfortunately it was an entire lesson of bible bashing.
We couldn't even say one thing without the, pulling out some verse on
it and it was just awful. Then the husband said the closing prayer and
basically prayed to save our souls and for us to find our way. Good.
Good good. Also he said 'Father' probably a hundred times...like every
4 words or something...it was ridiculous....yeah so I don't even know
what to do in those situations....we like, didn't want to leave the
restoration only half taught because that might have been more
confusing but the spirit just wasn't even there....the struggle is so
real. It's so sad to see people so hard in their hearts and set in
their ways that they won't even let someone else explain their
beliefs, whether they agree or not.

Also we had this lesson with this potential who we have tried to see
soooo many times and she kept saying to come back and so we kept
coming back and we finally got to sit down with her and then she
wouldn't even pay attention! We were doing the cups lesson and she
just kept flipping through her bible and not even looking. Oh it was
so frustrating. Then she kept telling us pointless random stories that
had nothing to do with anything. Oh the people of the south.....

Hey remember Keesha? So we FINALLY got to go see her this week and we
taught her, her fiancé, and his brother the restoration. She's and her
fiancé aren't really interested...sad day! But, the brother seemed a
lot more with it...we had his attention the whole time! Don't know if
that will go anywhere but at least one was interested....also the
fiancé said we should come back in like 2 weeks when his mom was there
because she had been looking for a church and wanted to find God. Okay
then!

Okay here's a crazy not coincidence slash miracle of the ice storm:
So once upon a time we had that crazy ice storm and so the past
several Saturdays have been spent helping people clean up their yards
from all he debris. So, a member of our branch, brother Shotten, had
gone up the mountain in our area and asked people if they wanted our
help and so then later that week we went up and cleaned up their
yards. So there was this one family that we helped out and Brother
Shotten asked them if we could come share a message about Jesus Christ
and they said yes. So on Thursday me and sister laws went to see them.
Well the dad answered and we shared the new "He Lives" Easter video
with him and then we ended up teaching some of the restoration right
then and get this: he tells us that he grew up in the LDS church and
was baptized when he was 8! Say what?!!! But then he moved to
Tennessee when he was 10 and hadn't been to church since. So we get
his info to check to see if his name hasn't been taken from the
records or some thing and we set a return appt and wow...it was just
so crazy.....

Oh here's another cool story: so we were tracting this one street and
we talk to this old lady who is working (quite energetically) in her
yard....so then we compliment her on her property (it was big with
lots of gardens and stuff) and she's like "well let me take you on a
tour!" So we follow her and she starts asking about who we are and
stuff and when we tell her we are LDS she's like, "Really? Me and my
husband have been to Nauvoo and your temple in SLC and it is amazing.
Oh we also went to Palmyra and basically followed John Smiths life
(haha) and we went to the forest where they say he had that vision and
wow, when we were there - what a feeling! So....I just love you guys!"
Um....what just happened? Haha it was crazy....then we went back
yesterday to set up a time we could help her with her gardens (don't
know how she keeps up with all of it at 82 years old!) and we showed
them the Easter message and it was just a weird lesson...so we'll see
where it goes!

Well, that's about it for the week! Nothing much more to update on! :)
Love y'all!
Love,
Sister Myers

PS
We got a flat tire yesterday and a member of our branch and a random
homeless man helped us change it. Haha there was this giant metal
thing that had a screw in it that went in the tire so that's good. We
have to go to cookeville to fix it because Sparta has nothing haha.

Also a JW knocked on our door during weekly planning the other day and
he asked about our picture of Jesus and then I told him who we were
and he got super weird and the just sort of jetted out of
there....hahaha

Okay I really just didn't put in my spiritual thought so yeah that's
why I sent this:

So since my 9 month mark, or half way mark is coming up this Thursday
I was thinking about myself as a missionary and who I have become on
my mission and I was kind of getting down because a lot of times I
feel inadequate and like I haven't changed enough...you know...the
normal thoughts that I know come from the adversary....well this
morning I randomly opened my scriptures to Alma 26 and started reading
and I love these verses when Ammon is talking to his brothers:

2 And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?

3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in
darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them
are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the
blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made
instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

I love that because he's basically like, "Look how far we've come! So
many people were in darkness and we brought them light!" And obviously
they couldn't help EVERYONE and give EVERYONE the goalie, but they
still gave it to many and it got me thinking about how I need to quit
looking at how far I need to go. I need to look at how far I've come.
No one is perfect or is expected to do anything perfectly. I am
working to change and become better every day and that's what
important!

Anyway, that's all...love y'all!


PSS Pictures!
1. Church building building commences!!! (I know I look really bad
haha wind is dumb)
2. The drive through bar...... ?
3. Willies birthday party!
4. Just me holding Bobbie and Krystal's puppy :) #bejealous
5. Me and Jaleta :)


 




Monday, March 23, 2015

Satan's pulling out his Bazooka

Wowie Kazowie what a week! This week has been AMAZING!!! So jam packed with miracles and just so much awesomeness it's somewhat overwhelming!

We got to go to the TEMPLE this week! Woot, woot! I just LOVE the temple! Also, we were going to go early to do initiatories but then they didn't have room for us to do it so they let us do sealings (we could only act as a daughter though because we can't act as a wife as missionaries) so that was cool! Then we went and did a session and it was AMAZING as usual! But it went by WAY to fast! 

Also we got to do more service on Saturday again and that was fun! I didn't get any crazy cuts or anything from that excursion so that's good! :)

SUPER-SWEET-AWESOME-COOL-MIRACLE: So Wednesday evening our Branch President was going to come out with us so we wanted to get some set appointments. But then on the way home from the temple EVERYONE cancelled and then even our backup's couldn't!!! So we tried some people who are usually busy or we see a lot and so we finally had a couple of people that we had set appointments with. The first one was James, who we just set a baptism date with and then this other guy. So we are almost to James's house and he calls us (it's like 6:45 at this point) and says, "Sorry I'm running late so I won't be there until like 7:30." Good. Good good. We are in his driveway at this point, our branch president is following in his truck behind us and there is NO ONE nearby to see. So we hurry and pray for a miracle. Then we are like, "Well, Jame's daughter-in-law, Sabrina, is here so we could go talk to her...we've never talked to her about the church before..." So we're just like, "Alright then...." So we go and she lets us in and we just chat with her for a while and then we taught her the Restoration and she seemed genuinely interested and said she would go to church. Then right around that time James came in and we told him how we had just taught her the Restoration and wow you should have seen the look on his face. He just stood there - stunned - for probably a full 30 seconds. Then he sits down and he's like, "This is another answer to my prayers." (quick background: last time when we set the date with him he talked about how he was worried that he wouldn't have any support from his family) and then we read Enos 1 with both of them and talked about how we can receive answers to our prayers and come to know that all of this is true and then we invited Sabrina to be baptized when she came to know it was true and she said yes and then - we set a baptism date with her! And she set it for the same day as James - June 10! And then James was crying and it was just super spiritual and wow...GOD IS SO GOOD!

Friday was another eventful day! Well, sort of. We had District Meeting in Spencer and then on the way home Sister Laws was getting dizzy slash blacking out so she had to pull over and have me drive and then we talked to the mission nurse who had the mission doctor call us and he told her to take some over-the-counter medicine since it wasn't because of lack of food or dehydration and then get some rest so we had to stay in for a while on Friday but it was okay. Then we went and saw Bobbie and Krystal. Okay this is crazy. So they are not married and said they were planning to get married next year in July 16 and talked about how they are not really doing much of a wedding at all because she has been previously married and they just want to tie the knot so we actually convinced them to move their wedding to April 6 of this year!!! Hahahaha that's like 2 weeks away but who cares! Haha it may not be able to happen THAT soon but it's better than July of 2016....haha anyway THEN we re-invited them to be baptized and we set a baptism date with them for May 23! Woot, woot! So many baptisms!!!! :) That makes 6 baptism dates people! 6!

Oh I just totally remembered I haven't said anything about transfers! Haha me and Sister Laws are staying!!! Wahoo!! Also, the Elders in our branch covering Spencer are closing so we will take over their area! Now we will cover White County AND Vanburen County! Crazy!!!!! Vanburen county is tiny though so it shouldn't be THAT bad! :)

I have been bracing myself for it to happen but Satan finally pulled his bazooka on us yesterday. No not bazooka bubblegum...sorry that would be sweet but no.....bazooka as in "let's throw everything I possibly can at these 2 sister missionaries because they are setting too many baptism dates and people are being blessed".....UGH!!! I won't go into detail but let's just say that it was like Murphy's law...or whoever's law that is that anything that can go wrong will go wrong because yesterday....everything that could go wrong did! From people not coming to church, to forgetting nametags, to losing the keys, to investigators having doubts, to people cancelling, and soooo many other things....but we did see some cool miracles yesterday! Bobbie finally came to church (Krystal had to take the boys somewhere) and her cousin Billy that has sat in on lessons came too! Then this less active and her non member husband showed up after we stopped by and just talked to the husband on Tuesday and he said they might come! So that was sweet!

Also I played the organ in sacrament meeting yesterday because the usual organist was gone so that was fun! I also played the piano for the musical number AND I always play the piano in relief society....a lot of music!! Also it was Jaleta's farewell yesterday! Crazy she leaves a week from Wednesday! Also, I got to meet Sister Sumbot's mom and sister! They had come down to visit Sister Sumbot's grandparents for her grandpas birthday and they came to Jaleta's farewell because Sister Sumbot's mom and Jaleta became good friends and so yeah..I got to meet them! That was weird but also sweet! I can see such a family resemblance!

Anywaaaaaay.....this scripture came to my mind yesterday and I just love it! Romans 8:31 "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" What shall we say to all these things, all this opposition that is happening? "God is with us so who can prevail (JST) against us!"

Well, y'all have a blessed day!
Love you!
Love,
Sister Myers
 
P.S. Pictures!! (hopefully they are in the right order)
1. Us and Sister Sumbot and Merrell and Jaleta at the temple! :) We had to take a selfie because everyone had left so there was no one to take a picture for us! :)
2. Me and Sister Laws at the Temple!! Don't ask what my left hand is doing....I don't even know why it's like awkwardly out like that haha
3. Our district! :) Top L to R: Sister Laws, Merrell, Sumbot and Me, then Elder Westra, Harrison, and Smith. Bottom L to R: Elder Dalton, Tracy and Catherall
4. Me just drying a puppy after giving it a bath! (We gave Bobby and Krystal's puppy a bath for them haha)
5. Us and Sister Sumbot's fam bam! Top L to R: Jaleta, Sister Sumbot's mom, her sister Emily, me, and then Sister Laws and Sister Matthews (her grandma).







 
 

Monday, March 16, 2015

Baptism!!!

Ha!! Y'all thought we had a baptism didn't you?! Well, we didn't.....

Anyway......we did set 2 baptismal dates! Woot! 

Bennie: MAY 2!
James: JUNE 10

More details later.... :)

Random side-note: TEMPLE IN T-MINUS 3 DAYS!

So....this week was like...really long. I don't even really know why, it just was! I can't even remember what happened this week and what happened last week or when this or that happened or what day...its just been bizarro! :)

Well let's start with my brand new iPad that I have just chillin beside me here in the library

It's AWESOME! Okay, it really isn't that different except it has this super awesome like military tested crazy case that could like probably protect it in the zombie apocalypse or the second coming. Okay not really...but needless to say it's better than the previous case. Also, we have some different apps on there...like this sweet weather app that tells me way more information than I really want to know...like the fact that currently the moon is at "waning crescent" or tha the UV Index is "moderate 3"...I don't even know what the UV index is! :) Also, they have a couple of language learning apps so I could totally just keep working on my Spanish for when I fulfill my dream of tracting into someone Spanish (long story haha). Also there's a sweet new app (we actually had it before but I just didn't tell about it) of all the pamphlets and they are like interactive and don't have pictures that are like 100 years old and they are just sweet. We haven't really used them in a lesson or anything yet though....Also the new iPads are 32 GB so that's sweet.

So we went back and saw Michelle this week (I told you about her in the last letter...she was one of the ones in the apartment complex) and we taught her and her kids the Plan of Salvation. Several things occured:
1. The 11 and 8 year old just soaked it all in like there was no tomorrow (they are so smart!)
2. When we reviewed, there was no question that they understood the importance of baptism
3. The 11 year old understood how you could still progress in the Spirit World }(um...like no one gets that)
4. They said they wanted to go to the celestial kingdom because that is only place God is and that's where they can be as a family forever!
5. Sister Laws invited them to be baptized (funny story about this: Sister Laws gets freaked out by inviting people to be baptized and we were in this one lesson and I was signaling her to invite him to be baptized and she wouldn't do it so I just did it and before we went to go see Michelle I was like, "You have to invite her to be baptized! We didn't do it on the first lesson so you have to do it this time! I always do it and you have to learn!" and it took some convincing but she finally agreed) and they said yes and the kids were so excited! 
6. We gave them a couple chapters in the Book of Mormon to read and the 8 year old asked if her mom could read them right that night and Michelle said, "I'll read them to you before bed." 
7. We were talking about how you have to pray to come to know that these things are true and how God will always answer our prayers and the 11 year old was like, "How do you know when He answers you?" Well, let us tell you! (I don't think anyone has ever asked me that question on my mission so that's SWEET!)
Anyway...so yeah needless to say they are awesome.

We went on exchanges this week and I went to Livingston with Sister Penrod and that was like the greatest thing ever. We figured out that we are basically the same person. Well not really but really. There are so many unique similarities between us that it's slightly freaky. Like the way we think and process things, or the fact that she has super thick hair like me. But yeah...except I'm not an STL thank goodness (excuse me while I go knock on wood). I ain't cut out to be one of them! 

Oh also while on exchanges I mucked out horse stalls...that was an adventure but fun because I just love manual labor...that just sound so weird but yeah I really do. It wasn't even bad at all though :) 

So then we got to do service again on Saturday and it was raining and muddy but whatever I had my rain boots so I didn't ruin anything! Except my leg when I was foolishly running and fell on some rocks....but whatever...it didn't even really hurt until I have to scrub dirt out of it later that night because I didn't clean it out good enough.....yeah....

So we saw Bobbie and Krystal yesterday and guess what they named their dog?!!!! Not Liars or Maws paws....ha! Tricked you again! You thought I was going to say they named it after us! False! They named it Rubble Jr. Not sure why it has the Jr. on there but whatever....a 4 year old named it so yeah haha...it's better than "Fluffy" or something. Anyway, so they didn't come to church again yesterday but here's a lesson for you all about following spiritual promptings: we were sitting at church at 9:30 and it didn't start till 10 (usually it starts at 9 but this week we had Branch Conference (equivalent of Ward Conference where all the stake people come) and so it didn't start till 10). Then Sister Laws was like, "I wonder if Bobbie and Krystal will come because they promised. Maybe we should go knock on their door and make sure they are awake." And then I was like, "Yeah maybe we should." And she was like, "Nah...I don't think that would really do much." And I had thought as she said that, "Why not?" But I was just like, "Nah..." also and so then later we were like, "Man we should have gone with that prompting Sister Laws had! But we didn't and so then when we went over yesterday night they were saying how they accidentally slept in and so that's why they didn't come. I reckon they would have come if we had knocked on the door! Oh well though...you live and learn. They are still doing great though and are super sincere. And when we were talking about when we would come back Bobbie was like, "Y'all can come every day if you wanted to! I don't care!" They are seriously just the best people ever. I just love them. 

We set the baptism date with Bennie like you read before! Woot! May 2 is his 65th birthday and so that's when we will do it! It's only like a month and half so that's no even bad! 

Oh wait guess what I just remembered?! President Anderson called us on Wednesday night and told us that the First Presidency's secretary had Willie's information in their hand! WOOT!!! It's only a matter of time now!!!!!!

So yesterday we got in late #mustrepent but it was okay because it meant that we set a baptism date with James! He is another one of our investigators and has been coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon a little bit and we were finally able to set a date with him and he chose June 10! That's further away but who cares?!! He's awesome! :) 

Anyway......something I learned this week is that we have to make the mistakes we make so we don't do them again....let me explain: a lot of times we say to ourselves, "Man I wish I could just go back in time and not do that! or I wish I would have done this!" But really, if you were to go back in time....you would just do that very same thing because you would be just as ignorant...nothing would change. But, because you made that mistake, you won't make it again because of you know NOW. Live in the NOW and not in the past and what could have happened because 1. you can't change it and 2. even if you went back to the past....you would have just make the same mistake. NO ONE is expected to do anything perfectly or to be perfect. I hope that made sense. 

Also, I don't remember if I shared this before at some point but I just love this scripture: Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God". If we Love God then everything is going to work out! It's that simple! How do we love God? 
1. We serve the people we love right? Serve Him! How do serve Him? Serve others! - Mosiah 2:17
2. Read the scriptures - when we come to know people, we love them - and we can come to know our Heavenly Father through reading His word
3. Pray - we don't come to love someone if we don't ever talk to them! 
It's by doing the little things! And if we do those little things then everything in our lives will just work it, maybe not the way we expect but they will work out! 

Love ya'll lots! 
Have an awesome day!
Love,
Sista M

PS Here are some pictures from this week! \
1. While at the service project on Saturday: there are just so many funny things about this picture haha
2. Us and the Elda's in the car after service...we are all wet and gross from the rain but whatevs
3. Also a pic of my scrapes
 





Monday, March 9, 2015

"Do you guys want a puppy?"

So I'm not sure how this letter is going to be because today is going to be a weird P-day...like not really even much of a P-day because we have so much to do to get ready for zone meeting (we have car inspections and we are exchanging our iPads then so we have to clean the car and make sure there is no stuff left on our iPads). Also we have to go to a funeral at 2 - I'll explain in a minute - and so today is going to be busy! 


So we have been seeing this member at the Assisted Living Center in Sparta and a few weeks ago she had a stroke and was in pretty bad shape. She couldn't really talk and couldn't really use her right side at all. So the other sisters used to visit her before the stroke and she is super awesome and just couldn't come to church because of health. So anyway we have been visiting her at the Nursing Home that is in the same building as the Assisted Living (but obviously she wasn't in Assisted Living anymore because of her stroke). We had been going and reading the Book of Mormon to her because she loves it and can't read it on her own, and also I have been singing to her and she just loved the company. But then she passed away on Wednesday which was really sad but also really good because she was definitely ready to go and she knew it. So yeah we have her funeral to go to today. 

PEOPLE! WILLIE IS ON HIS WAY TO BE BAPTIZED!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOO!!!!
So, I've talked about Willie before but anyway - recap - Willie has been learning from the missionaries since the beginning of December and has come to church EVERY SINGLE week for over 3 months. He is so ready to be baptized but because of some things in his past, he has to get permission from the First Presidency to be baptized. Before he could get that he had to come to church every week for 3 months and keep all the commandments. So anyway long story short, he did all the things he needed too and yesterday one of President's counselors, President Riches came and interviewed Willie. He will send that to President Anderson who will send it to the First Presidency who will approve Willie's baptism....*please wait while Sister Myers leaves the library and screams with happiness for a minute* :) Haha So now as soon as they send back the approval he will have a regular baptismal interview and then HE CAN BE BAPTIZED! :) :) :)

Random moment: so this week I totally couldn't remember the word "vigilante" and I struggled to remember it for like a whole evening and morning till I asked at District Meeting (sister Laws had no idea what I was talking about) and they were just like knew it right away. 

Aaanywaaaaay....now that I just told you completely pointless information.....I'll update you on a couple of people!

Bennie: He's doing awesome! He came to church an hour late yesterday and after sacrament meeting ended I was like, "Bennie why were you late?" And he was like, "I don't know! I mean, I left my house at 8!" And I was like, "Uh Bennie I think it must have been 9 when you left because of the time change" It was so funny because he was just like, "Oh." Anyway so we are just trying to set a baptism date with him...we keep telling him to pick a day and he's just like, "I don't care what day!" And we are like, "Bennie! It's your day! You decide!" Haha and then we just keep telling him to pray about it....THIS WEEK hopefully!!! :)

Ashlee: We pushed back her baptism date (well, we didn't reset it yet but we just told her we would have to push it back) because she still won't come to church! We have talked to her about making it a priority but I think her being 13 and with her personality she just can't make it that priority....it's hard to explain. 

Bobbie and Krystal: They are doing pretty good! They still haven't come to church but I think their excuses are valid, not just made up stuff that people always give us. We taught them about receiving answers to prayers and stuff this week and it was a really good lesson! We talked about what the Spirit feels like and Bobbie said he feels it when we come. Then as we left that lesson he was like, "When are y'all going to come again?" People don't ask us that! Wow! Then yesterday after our lesson we had about how the gospel specifically blesses families they were like, "When is the next time y'all can come by? What about Friday?" Um...YOU are setting up the next appointment?! It's like unreal how genuine they are. Also here's a couple of funny stories from our meetings with them: So like I said, yesterday we taught them about how the gospel blesses families and we were directing the first part of the lesson to Blake, the 4 year old. We go a long string and had a knot in the middle of it (to represent eternity and the knot is life on earth) and we were going to try to ask him something about what the knot is in comparison to the rest of the string. It was just so funny because Sister Laws was like, "What does the knot represent?" Right off the bat and I just looked at her like, "Uh....that is the most general question in the world" and it was so funny because Blake was like, "String?" Yes Blake, the knot represents string. Haha and then we were just laughing at how general the question was haha and then we kept accidentally asking really general questions like that. But it still turned out to be a really good lesson because we just have to go about it a different way - and Blake still caught on really fast to the whole string idea. 

Oh and the second funny story with them: (quick background: we have this one investigator that has this husky that just had puppies - cutest things ever and he is totally giving them away) so we were at Bobbies and Krystal's yesterday and after the lesson Sister Laws is randomly like, "Do you guys want a puppy?" And Bobbie was like, "Yeah actually we have been wanting one" "A husky mixed with something else?" "Yeah!" "Like you seriously want one right now? Because we know someone who is giving them away!" "Sure!" So we called up James, the guy with the puppies and he was home so we drove over there and Bobbie and Krystal and their kids followed and so we got to go play with puppies. They  took one so now we get to see it every time we go over there! Then after they picked we were all just standing there playing with the puppies and we were like, "Hey you should name it after us because we got it for you!" And I was like, "okay how can we combine our names? Laws and Myers....Liars!" Haha so we were joking around naming it Brother Liars (because it is a boy)....but Blake wanted to name it Rubble so we'll see if that even happens haha...probs not but that would be sweet! We also talked about how they could name it Maws or Maws Paws because that is also a combo of our names....haha

Aaaanywaaay.....so we had to stay in on Thursday this week but we were able to do a really good weekly planning session and then in the evening organize the area book so it was actually really productive!  

Guess what we got to do another service project this week!!! WOOT! Salt Lake sent an 18 wheeler of food for people who were struggling from the storm and we all gathered and packaged it all up (because they didn't have time to put the boxes of food together). Then Sister Thrift, the member driving us, had a big truck so we went to another area of the county and delivered a bunch of the boxes to a church that was handing out food. Then okay - quick funny story - we went out to lunch and Sister Laws, well she LOVES water and for some reason she was really thirsty so she drank 6 glasses of water....like, pretty large glasses and so was like about to explode from drinking so much! It was just so funny because she just kept drinking and drinking! haha
 
So we went finding at this one apartment complex this week and it was SO successful! The first day we went we got 2 new investigators, 3 referrals and 2 people who just wanted us to bring pamphlets to them (because we had run out but they said we could bring them one). Then then second day we visited the referrals and 2 were not interested but one, Michelle, was SUPER awesome! She let us in and we taught her the restoration and her kids asked if they could go to church when we invited them to church and she was just so cute! Then we went and took a pamphlet to one of the ladies who said we could bring one (it was funny because she said she was looking for a church but wasn't interested in hearing our message) and so when she opened the door she was like, "Wow you came back! Come on in!" So we go in and she's like, "So after you left yesterday I prayed about whether I should talk to you more and I felt like I should so that's why I let you in just now...also I realized that I never even asked you about what y'all believe so...like what are some of your basic beliefs?" Um what? That never happens!!! So we taught her the restoration and she is just super open to learning more and praying about it and everything! Her name is Teresa and she is just awesome! Miracles in the apartment complex! 

Well sorry that letter turned into a novel! There was just so much to say! Wowie! And next week there will probably be a lot to say too! :) But that's good! Also this transfer is like, getting pretty close to being over and that is just insane....

Well, love y'all so much and stay awesome! :)
Love,
Sista M

PS Here are some pics from the service project if you didn't already see them on Facebook :)
1. Just carrying some boxes of food and loading them into trucks!
2. Me and Sister Merrell (Sister Sumbot's trainee)
3. Us in action! Woot!
4. All the missionaries doing it (there were other members and stuff but that was just the missionaries)
 



Monday, March 2, 2015

To the Family and Friends of Sister Myers

Hello, you don't know me but I know Sister Myers quite well. It was a
crazy week for Sister Myers and Sister Laws. A lot happened. But first
here are several funny things that happened to these 2 hooligans:

1. Once upon a time Sister Laws and Sister Myers were driving to find
a less active and the GPS took them to a fork in the road and it told
them to turn left.....but.....THERE WAS NO LEFT! What? Yeah that GPS
was off it's rocker because they were already on a back road that was
hard packed dirt to begin with and then it wanted them to basically go
off-roading up a VERY bumpy path that hardly looked like a path. Yeah
then they were taking a video of the whole scenario and while they
were taking it the phone started ringing and it is hooked to the car
and so they heard it but in the video Sister Myers like, freaks out at
the fact that the phone is ringing and they aren't in the car.....but
also she wasn't sure how long it had been ringing because one could
not hear it very well....anyway.....so that happened

2. Sister Myers and Sister Laws acted out 1 Nephi 18 for some less
actives this week and it was the funniest thing ever. Picture
attached. Also, it makes Sister Myers look really fat but she is in
fact....not THAT fat haha she hasn't gained any weight on her mission
so there (unless you count losing 10 pounds then gaining it back haha)
Also the outfits....were just so random. Not sure why they used
lemonade as the Liahona...I guess that's the closest thing they could
find that maybe sort of got close to resembling one.

3. So Sister Myers and Sister Laws were at a members how teaching them
(wife used to be less active and husband is a recent convert) - the
Dobbs and they were teaching them about the Holy Ghost. After doing a
little activity to demonstrate what the Holy Ghost is like they talked
about ways that they can have the Holy Ghost and ways that they will
lose the Holy Ghost. Then at one point Sister Dobbs decided to do a
role play with Hayden, the 10 year old and she "called" him by
pointing her hand up to her ear like a phone and Hayden did the same
and this is how the conversation went:
Sister Dobbs: "Hey Hayden theres this huge party coming up this
Sunday. Everyone is going to bet here and there will be beer and stuff
too. Do you wanna come?"
Hayden: .......... (long pause...like 20-30 seconds)
Sister Myers: "Hayden listen to the Holy Ghost, what should you tell
your friend?"
(another pause)
Hayden: "Can I bring the missionaries?"
Oh Sister Myers and Sister Laws just about died laughing. It was the
funniest thing.

4. Another time, after visiting someone, they decided to take a
picture by this giant Sparta sign so they parked on the side of the
road and went and took pictures. Upon getting back in the car they
realized they were stuck due to the melting snow....they could move
the car backwards but not forwards because there was just a slight
incline to get back on the road. Then they are like, "Hopefully no one
stops thinking we need help." Right like 3 trucks stop and they like
start pulling out ropes and stuff...the most embarrassing thing ever
and Sister Laws just told them that we were fine and just stopped to
take a picture and Sister Myers is like, "Um....we are so stuck! Don't
tell them to go!" But they do so then Sister Laws just backs way up
and then goes forward and so then she had enough momentum to get up
over the little ridge and they were on their way....wow.

5. This morning, upon returning from working out on the track outside,
these 2 sisters walked up to their door to find it locked! And no
phone! Great. So now what? Sister Myers had been on the back porch
that morning to get her shoes that had been drying so they thought it
might be open. But they needed a way up to the second floor so they
thought they could call the Tuckers and get a ladder from them. But
how on earth would they call the Tuckers? Well, the Elders knew their
number....but they didn't have that either. Usually Sister Myers is
great at memorizing numbers....like it's creepy...but she could not
remember it but she did remember the number of the sisters in
Christiana her last area....so they ran to an investigators house
nearby and used her phone to call them to get Presidents number who
could give them the Elders number who could give them the Elders
number who could give them the Tuckers number. (Oh also they tried the
apartment complex person but there was no answer). But President
didn't answer so the line stopped there. But Linda, the investigator
was so nice and took them to the Tuckers. They got a ladder and went
back to the apartment and Sister Laws climbed up it and one could
basically cute the suspense as she tried the back door. Locked. GOOD!
GOOD GOOD! So now what? Well, I guess it's back to the Tuckers. So
then 2 hours, a nap (for Sister Laws) and 3 letters (for Sister Myers)
later, the apartment lady answered and they were back in their
apartment. Used to be that the other set of sisters had keys to their
apartment (they had made copies and traded) but now there weren't any
sooooo yeah....today they are planning to make another copy and give
it to the Tuckers for safe keeping! :) It's been a weird day for them!

Okay, that's it for the funny stories and crazy adventures. Now for
some even better stuff!!!

So do y'all remember Ashlee? Well, the sisters decided that they were
going to have a real serious lesson with her about making sacrifices
to come to church because she just wont come because she is always at
her mom's. It was such a great lesson about putting God first with
some great examples from the scriptures. And guess what she said when
they asked her to make a way to come to church? "I'll just go to my
mom's on Friday and come back early Sunday so I can go to church." :)
Fast forward a few days to Sunday when the sisters were quite
disappointed when she didn't show up and they asked the Crossville
Elders (where her and her mom are) if they went to church....no go.
Bummer :(

But here's something super awesome! So Sister Myers and Sister Laws
have been teaching these less actives....they were relatively active
before but then something happened so they haven't bee going....but
anyway they are very simple minded southerns and so the Sisters have
to basically teach them like they are in primary but they are the
greatest people ever....haha they are the ones that they acted out the
scriptures! And guess what? Ever since they have been teaching them in
this way - they have been coming to church! :) And invited them to
dinner and that is HUGE! Also, another miracle about the whole
situation is at Sister Longie called them up on Tuesday or something
like that and asked them if she could GO OUT TEACHING WITH THEM! Wow,
that was a huge step - and she absolutely loved going out with them.
She kept saying how much of a ball it was! :)

THERE WAS A MISSION CONFERENCE THIS WEEK!! Woot! Sister Myers loved
that! :) If she could give it a title it would be, "Online RESET". The
meeting was all about how they are going to reset the missionaries
minds on how they use online technology. They are doing a 2 month
Facebook Fast to let the RESET really work and to take a few courses
slash read some things about how to be better online missionaries!
There are several stages to this RESET:
Stage 1: Mobile devices -  new iPads with more safeguards and better
technology, first the missionaries will get used to using these
Stage 2: Area book planner - new features for the computerized area
book will then be introduced
Stage 3: Online Proselyting - this is where online missionary work is
reintroduced and the missionaries get back on Facebook and become
effective missionaries in the technological world!
Some other interesting things: now, missionaries will get information
about online work way before they leave on their mission. They will
take online courses at home, then when they enter the MTC (or right
before, she doesn't remember when) missionaries will get iPads, which
will be theirs, and they will learn how to use them in the MTC and
then when they enter the field they will be prepared on how to use
technology in teaching people face to face as well as online. Then, 6
weeks before missionaries return home, they will have a 6 week return
home program that helps them plan on what they will do after they
return home and make a plan. Then they will show this to their stake
president upon returning home.
And this RESET is to help missionaries know how to use technology for
the rest of their lives. Here's a quote Sister Myers wrote down from
the member of the 70 that was speaking "This teaching [RESET] is not
just a reset of your mission, it is a reset of the rest of your life!
Media will be with you until the second coming."
So I think I was unclear at one point: this a RESET of online
missionary work as well as how we use media and technology along with
many other things! Things are changing!

So I would think that y'all remember Sister Myers last letter about
being stuck inside right? Well, because of that weather there were
several places in bad shape. So in Monterey, a city close by
Cookeville, about 20 minutes from Sparta, the stake was having a huge
service project to pick up branches and trees in peoples yards.
President Anderson asked all the missionaries in that zone to go to
the service project on Saturday and help out. Sister Myers was so
excited. She loves doing work like that....not sure why she didn't
like it before her mission...she didn't really say. But anyway, they
went up to Monterey and they were in groups and for like 5 hours they
went to members houses and stuff and some people used chain saws to
cute up trees and branches and everyone else picked them up and put
them by the street where the county would pick them up. Sister Myers
seriously thought it was funniest thing every. Especially since they
got to wear the OFFICIAL vest things that they say "Mormon helping
hands" that you see on like lds.org and stuff. It was basically the
best day ever. Pictures will be attached. Also she got some good
battle scars because she was wearing capris because her legs don't get
cold and so she got a few cutes and scratches and some bruises on her
arms but it was still SO FUN!!! She wants to do it again.

Well, that's basically it for the adventures of Sister Myers this
week. It's supposed to snow again this week and she isn't too happy
about that but maybe a miracle will happen and it won't. Also sorry
this letter is so long. Sometimes I just tend to go on and on.

Sister Myers told me to tell you that she loves all y'all and she
hopes you have a fantastic week! I do too!

Much love,
Sister Myers iPad

PS Here are some pictures that I have that are from the week. There
may be more!
1. See funny story number 1
2. See funny story number 2: Sister Myers was Nephi and Sister Laws
was the brothers/God
3. Picture that came from funny story number 4
4. From the mission conference! Sister Myers got to see Sister O and
her 2 very favorite people from Christiana! Michelle and Sister
Philburn! :) :) :) :)
5. All the missionaries before the service project :) I'll send some
more from the service project! :)