I Saw My Life Flash Before My Eyes!

December 30, 2013

Hey hey hey!

Man has this been a loaded week or what!

So to start it off, last P-day was pretty interesting. As I was typing up my last letter a most likely intoxicated woman ran into the library and starting to scream at this man, "You don't love me!" "Don't you remember why you were in jail?!" While holding him in a choke hold, she screamed, "I'm going to kill you!" The library volunteers were exclaiming on how they're calling the police if she doesn't leave. I kept thinking to myself, "I'M A WITNESS OF SOMETHING! I'm trying to write a spiritual thought here and this might end up on the 5 o clock news!" It was something else, but they dragged her out of the library and thankfully no police came.

Sister J. and I also made peanut clusters to make for the families that were feeding us on Christmas Eve and Day. We also gave them to our entire district, and they loved them. 

 

Four of the elders in our district are being transferred out of this area. Two of them- Elders M. and K., got jumped last week (have I said that already?) so their area is closing, and this isn't the first area that has been closed this year. Elder O. got his visa to Australia, and his companion Elder B. is leaving as well. Thankfully Sister J. hasn't gotten her visa.  I love her too much for her to leave! Later on, on P-day we were driving to visit Brother and Sister B. and we saw a police officer on the corner of the street. He was crouching over this guy on the ground in the middle of a lane. Well, it turns out that guy was dead because he was checking for his pulse and found none. Sister J. was freaking out but I wasn't since we were in the car that night. One of the new converts said he probably got shot since it was in a certain area, a few blocks from our church, how nice!

On Christmas Eve, we went to go see a less active who lives in a nursing home. Her name is M. and we try to see her every other week or so. She tells the funniest stories like how Christopher Columbus and Alexander Graham Bell were at her high school reunion! She talks for hours at a time, and she doesn't even blink if we would get up and leave without notice (which we had to do because a nurse came in and said to step out for a few minutes.) It's pretty entertaining trying to get in and out of the nursing home, since there is no gate for people who just walk there. We have to nonchalantly wait for a car to drive in, and then as they turn the corner we book it and run to make sure the gate doesn't close in on us! I laugh every time.

Also on Christmas Eve, Sisters B., W., and J., and I had a sleepover in our apartment. We had to drag up two mattresses to the 3rd story, and it was quite the workout! We all slept in the living room and it was great, minus the fact that I woke up with a huge headache. We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and opened our presents. We had a lunch with the entire district at Elder and Sister N.’s apartment (the senior couple serving in our ward), and took some pictures with the district. I'd send it but my eyes are SO red and I look completely evil! We went to a member’s home so Sister J. could Skype her family on Christmas Day, (I Skyped with my family Christmas Eve which was great!) while Sister G. told me stories about her mission. We went to the B's for Christmas Dinner, and tried to put the thought of being baptized in Sister B’s head once more. We got inspiration on how to ask her to be baptized that night, so we implemented that the next time we saw her—which was Saturday.

Saturday was the best day ever! We went to go see the B’s, and we had prepared on committing Sister B. to baptism. I haven't mentioned a key part of their family, but they have a dog named Karma who is part pit. They are trying to get rid of her because she is SUCH a bad dog. She's ruined so many of my tights by trying to bite me. The spirit is never there because she's always jumping on or biting someone. But we prayed fervently that she'd be calm for this visit, and she was completely knocked out underneath the table. Blessings! 

Sister J. got a present from her grandma- A little wooden box. Inside there was a story called "Christmas Is Love", and I really encourage you all to look it up, it's the sweetest story. Then we wrote our testimonies and put it in the box as well. Sister B. read all three of them and she started to cry considering the spirit was so strong in their home. We had her read Mosiah 18:8-10 as well, and she told us that she knew that the church was true, and she doesn't know what was holding her back. Her husband bore testimony to her about how she almost died in the hospital with her gall bladder infection, and how much it scared him to almost lose her so he really wants her to get baptized. There were tears everywhere as we both bore testimony about how she would gain so many blessings from being baptized. She committed for January 18th and it was a miracle. 

We also saw L., who I haven't mentioned before because she now lives outside of our area and MARTA can't reach her. But she's house sitting for a member in the ward so we've been able to teach her in person instead of over the phone. She also is committed to baptism on the 18th, and it may even get bumped because she is so ready! These two amazing woman are so solid, I can't wait for the next year. January 18th can't come fast enough!

We saw C. and LS. this week, sorta. C. was very antsy and she no longer has a baptism date, and we think something is wrong. She didn't keep her commitments so she's no longer progressing. We tried to go see LS. and she wasn't home, and hasn't been home for a few days but should be home by today. We might go try to see her tomorrow or Wednesday to see how she's doing.

Since it was pouring one night, the other sisters picked us up so we wouldn't have to travel home in the rain. They had to stop by and see someone and Sister J. and I stayed in the car. There was a truck somewhat next to us, and they were leaving and backing up. They did it HORRIBLY because they were getting closer and closer to our car. They were literally coming straight for us and I almost grabbed Sister J. because the truck was coming right at her. I saw my life flash before my eyes because the truck was SO close, I thought I was going to die on my mission! Thankfully, it stopped and as it went by they said, "Sorry!" Yeah, I bet they were sorry...

Sunday we were able to substitute the 4 year old Sunbeam class in Primary, it was the cutest thing ever because a little girl named N. kept asking for my autograph. Another four year old girl named O. wanted to play the missionary game while wearing our name tags and carrying our planners around. I miss Primary so much and singing all of the primary songs! We're substituting for another class on the 12th so that will be fun!

I hope that you all had an amazing Christmas, and that you at least tried to have a missionary moment last week eh, eh, eh? I hope you all have a Happy New Year!

-Sister Sudweeks