Monday, July 28, 2014

Teaching a Vampire Diaries' Actor!

 Happy Monday!

This was SUCH an awesome week of finding twelve new investigators- two of them being a couple, and a huge family that has been previously taught by missionaries in Fayetteville. It's miraculous considering we've had a lot of appointments set up for this week with member involvement, but almost all fell through. On Saturday our entire day almost fell through, but we were really guided on where we were meant to go and who to see. I love it when I can look back and notice that we were led by the Spirit!


I'm so happy that I am staying with Sister Sullivan here in Fayetteville for at least one more transfer. Lucky transfer #7 woot woot! To top it off, we have been called to be Sister Training Leaders for our zone. That means we go to mission council every month, help teach during zone training, and go on exchanges with each of the sisters in the zone every transfer. I'm pretty excited since I've never been an STL before, and now it's my privilege to serve all of the sisters in this area. :)


We were able to go by and see everyone at the Hope Memory Center. We played Pakeno with them once again (it's like bingo but not) and one of the sons of an elderly woman was there, watching us interact with them and helping them see if they could put a token on their board. We always say good bye to each and every person individually since I've been able to build a friendship with each of them there. As I was saying goodbye to his Mom, he expressed how grateful he was for us to
come by and to share a smiling face with each of them. It really means a lot to them because they don't see so many young people anymore. I don't think I'll forget any of them, and I really wish I was allowed to take pictures with them (safety policy) so I could remember them for the rest of my life.


Another reason why we've been finding a lot is because we are so low on miles! Ahh!  Companionships in our mission haven't been careful on not going over miles, and it's costing our mission more money. So if any of us go over miles, our car gets taken away and we have to walk.
We've been pretty careful the past few days, so I'm praying that we stay under for the next few days. It was hard becoming the missionary who had the most knowledge of an area because I didn't drive so I'm not super knowledgeable of where people live, which results in us driving more than need be. Thankfully I'm learning quick so we can manage miles for the future.


We came to a 'golden' neighborhood three days this week, wanting to find that family who is ready to hear the gospel. We parked the car on a street and tracted multiple streets to save on miles. Sister
Sullivan and I found some pretty good potentials, and met two investigators. One of them is a Bishop for World Changers, and we have an appointment with him this Saturday. The last person we were talking to was pretty receptive so we kept on talking, ignoring the fact that it was starting to drizzle. By they time that we said goodbye, it was raining cats and dogs! Not again! We ran to our car three streets away and we were soaked by the time we got inside. It was hot and humid, so we weren't even able to dry off in the car. I'm so glad that we were going to a member's home next who let me use their hair straightener for my bangs haha. But the people that we met were worth it all!


Da and Dd (the twins of a recent convert) aren't considered investigators because they're only eight.  But we're still teaching them by letting them draw and see pictures of what we're teaching them.
They're very hyper but it's a blessing that Da is learning and he's retaining it all.


I'm so excited for this Friday. One of our member families is having a wedding this upcoming Saturday! We were originally planning on going to have a Journey lesson with them, but we asked the Mom how everything was going. She expressed to us that she's been praying that she figures out how she'll be able to decorate the reception since she's worried that it won't turn out the way she wants it to when they set up Friday night. We realized that setting up the reception is TOTALLY service, and so I get to be their artistic eye and to help them on what should go where. They were all so excited that I'd be able to help them out with decorating their reception, after all, I AM a wedding planner in training! So thrilled to help them out and to be an answer to their prayers!


As we were at a stop light, this lifted truck stopped right next to us blasting bagpipe music with their windows rolled down. We peered over to see who was in the driver's seat, and it was this burly macho man who was acting like everything was normal. We started laughing so hard because it was the funniest thing I've seen and heard in Fayetteville.


Sister Sullivan and I went back to that golden neighborhood and we knocked door after door after door. We found families, but none of them were interested in listening to us. We were tracting for a good while, until we decided that we better head back and go to our next destination. In the distance there were two guys walking toward us and we thought to ourselves it was them that God was putting into our paths. But then a girl walked out of her house to get the mail, and we complimented her on her cute sunglasses. She gasps and says, "Are you who I think you are?" We tell her that we're missionaries and she squeals, "I love you missionaries!" and proceeds to hug us. Come to find out
that she and her family were taught by two sisters in January. Dq is the daughter of a potential who is in our area book, but they moved a month ago. We've actually been playing phone tag with her Mom,
V. for the past four days which just shows me that God places us at the right place at the right time! If we had knocked on one more door, we would have missed her entirely.


We went back and met the entire family, and there's so many people who live in that house. V. met Elder McDonald-Smith on MARTA, and told him that she's read the Book of Mormon and everything, but she's Catholic. We've figured that the previous missionaries weren't entirely focused on teaching them, so it'll be interesting to see how set they'll be to learn from us this time around. But they have been so prepared because they've been to Salt Lake Temple Square so many times,
and V. loves how missionaries are good role models for her daughters. We came to find out that one of her sons, Jo., is an actor for Vampire Diaries. I KNEW he looked familiar, and I didn't know why! Haha small world!


We haven't been able to teach R. this week because work has been so hectic for him. A family was going to pick him and his daughter up for church but they weren't there, and they didn't answer their phone. We've been trying to call him but no answer. All of us are really confused because he was so sincere. Dang adversary making him busy so we can't teach him! :(


T. was able to come to church this Sunday, and the first thing that he said to us was, "If I ever became a member, I'd like you to know that I'm not changing into a white shirt and tie." We chucked to
ourselves, if you want to be baptized, we don't care that you're wearing a collared shirt and khakis!  T. was actually on call for work, but he came anyway which is a first for him. He committed to come to all three hours of church next week. His life is still pretty hectic so he's going to call us this week when we'll be able to have another lesson with him. T. told us that he considered being able to at least come to Sacrament Meeting a blessing. Happy day! He was downloading the LDS gospel app as he was leaving, so I'm really pumped seeing his progression.


R. arranged a musical number for all of the sister missionaries to perform yesterday. It was composed of In Humility Of Our Savior, and A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. She played the violin and one of
the piano teachers accompanied us. It is SUCH a beautiful song, and many people told us that it brought tears to their eyes. R. is the Laurel who always come out on team ups with us, and she is such a talented young woman. I wouldn't be surprised if she became a famous composer one day. :)


One of the things that I learned this week was all about sacrifice. If  we all think about it, we want to be able to gain everything that our Heavenly Father has in store for us. If we want something, we should be willing to sacrifice everything. Since Christ gave everything, it would be illogical not to require anything less. I'm trying my best to be able to sacrifice my will and heart to our Heavenly Father so I can become the missionary and person that he wants me to become.


What could you sacrifice to our Heavenly Father?

-Sister Sudweeks


P.S. Forgive us for our silly pictures. This is what we do to cool off after the humidity when we can't dive into our apartment community pool.
Now....THAT was  refreshing!

Sister Sullivan also got really excited about my Dad sending her maps of where he believes the Book of Mormon lands are located. Ifyou're curious or have questions, you should ask my Dad about it, I'm
sure he'd be happy to answer them! :)



No comments:

Post a Comment