How Now, Brown Cow!

Happy Monday!

So I'm going to say my deepest of apologies, but this email is probably going to be very short, and it won't be very detailed because I was signing up for BYU CLASSES! :D I got accepted last week on Monday! I'm really excited to be starting school just 20 days after I get home hahaha, dun dun dun! :)

So remember the cool part when Va. and Sha. paid fast offerings? Well, we went by and saw Va. and Sha. this week, and Va. started to talk about how much of a change her life has been since she started to meet with us and listen to what we've had to say. She revealed to the entire family that the lights were about to go out, because she and her Mom couldn't afford to pay the bill. But the day before it was due, her tax return came and was put into her bank account that had the exact same amount to pay the bill. Va. has been wanting to pursue her education to get her dream job, so she applied to school. Well, she didn't have a way to get online because her laptop was coming two weeks too late, so they were going to drop her entirely. But since she put God first and came to church although she needed to go to work, her laptop came two weeks early, and she was able to sign on and do her classes. Her professor didn't drop her from school and it was a miracle. Va. hasn't had a desire to get any more piercings, which is such a difference from when I first met her. :) 

When we were having our stake missionary meeting, one of our leaders talked about Ether 12:12, 15, and 30. They read:  12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.15 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.  30 For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove—and it was removed. And if he had not had faith it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith.

This leader prayed to know what he should study this particular day to help those around him. He went to the church to meet with a man who had an addiction for 10-15 years. He asked this brother, 'Do you have faith?' (Yes) 'Do you want a miracle?' (Who wouldn't want a miracle?) 'Then President Johnson (our stake president) is going to give you a blessing, and your addiction will be removed from you.' He left and got President Johnson, and followed up with this brother a few weeks later. 'How are you doing?' (I haven't succumbed to the addiction since.) It's been a few months since that experience has occurred, and the brother is living a happy life addiction free. 

We shared this experience with Va. and Sha., and the spirit led us to tell them we would have a miracle, and that they would get married and baptized before I leave in April. They agreed that they would do everything in their power to do so because they don't feel that they're doing anything that would prevent them from receiving a miracle. We set a date for them to be baptized on April 4th, the day of General Conference. They're going to get married in the morning, and then baptized in between the two sessions of conference. We set a date that Sha. will be able to find a job by March 28th, and we're going to work toward those goals. It's going to be a huge miracle, and a huge blessing in their lives because they're increasing their faith that because they want to follow the steps toward eternal life, Heavenly Father will bless them to get married as soon as possible. Prayers would be greatly appreciated in helping Sha. find a job in 19 days! 

We helped Sister Denison with her goats, cows, and chickens again, and we were finally able to take pictures with Sweet Emily the goat, and Sister Denison named her new calf Lizzie March the 1st after Sister Buhler because she was just born. I got to take pictures with all of the farm animals, call me a country girl! (Okay not really, I hate getting my fingernails dirty, bleck!) But I got to take a picture with a brown cow! :D

How Now, Brown Cow!

Notice the awesome gloves?  They were a mission gift from my Aunt Pat!

Isn't Lizzie the sweetest thing ever?

My namesake--Emily the goat.  She has curly hair--just like me!

Sister Buhler loves her namesake!

How many sister missionaries can say that baby farm animals have been named after them? 

We were able to meet with Jo.'s parents at her home yesterday after church, and can I just say we were so nervous like we're trying to impress our future in laws or something... but worse! But it ended up going well, and her Dad is really funny. Her Dad has been going to church after church, and when he went the three times to his wife's church they only talked about money. That turned him off although that was the month that they pushed tithing (according to Jordan's Mom.) We taught them the Restoration with the cup lesson, and they asked a lot of questions. They expressed many concerns, and a lot of questions were answered. In the end, her Mom agreed that she would come to church with Jo. this upcoming week although it's stake conference, and not at our church building this time around. But they've still decided that Jo. can get baptized at 18 because they're worried that she's going to get interested in something else, although she's been to multiple churches before deciding this is where she wants to get baptized in. Throughout the entire lesson we focused on how we're not trying to take Jo. away from them (she's the only child) but this is for the entire family. We gave them copies of the Book of Mormon, and they agreed to listen to the Plan of Salvation as well.

We taught Af., and Sister Buhler was bold as heck as she asked Af. if she would consider praying about Jesus Christ and if he's more than just a prophet. She told us that she knows with all her heart that he's not, and how it talks about in the Qu'ran that there is no other God besides Allah, and she was quoting various things that would prevent her from questioning who God is. So we're going to be going back to the basics and talk about prayer, the nature of the Godhead, and we're going to ask her to take the 30 Day Challenge with us. Do all of the things necessary to gain a testimony on whether it is true or not. We're going to promise her by the end of 30 days that she'll know whether it's all true, or not. So it'll be interesting to see what happens, and how she'll react to that! 

There's a lot more happened that I don't have time to talk about, such as that we met with J. again this week, and she was watching us on her swing in her front yard (the weather was BEAUTIFUL) and noticed that the member wasn't coming to the door, so we left a sticky note. We came over and she was doing more yard work, and then told us that she's ready for a break, and how we should sit with her. (She already had pulled up two chairs in front of the swing, and a table.) Jn had read part of the Book of Mormon, and we did the cup lesson with her because she was curious on how cups could teach the Restoration. She had a lot of good questions, and in the end she said, "I think there could be prophets today. I agree with everything you said, but I'm probably still going to stay Methodist." She's wary of true/false prophets, but we're seeing her again next Saturday. :)

Love the Georgia Sunsets! 

My favorite quote of the week is, "You have been called for what you will become in the future, and not for what you've done in the past." Elder David Bednar

I find that quote so comforting because sometimes as a missionary, you feel very overwhelmed because Heavenly Father expects you to represent Jesus Christ. But in reality, he knows our fullest potential, and he's chooses us to serve in various callings and positions to help us become who He knows we can develop for greatness!

Love y'all, see ya in a month!

-Sister Sudweeks

P.S.  Here are some pictures from March's Zone Conference.