I hope ya'll had just a wonderful Christmas! Christmas southern style is quite the party. Sister Robison and I baked up a bunch of ginger bread cookies to give to our investigators. While we were baking we heard it start pouring rain outside. Knowing me, ya'll should guess that I ran out the door, dragging my companion behind me, and we danced in the rain. It was awesome!
We spent our Christmas in Tupelo. We went over to a members house for Christmas Eve, they gave us matching Christmas jammies with our names on them! We spent the night with the Tupelo sisters, and then we went back to the same members house and spent the rest of Christmas there. I got to skype my family! That was wonderful, and really hard. After ya'll hung up I just sat there and cried for a few minutes. But, it's going to be okay! I'll see ya'll sooner than we think! After that we had a ton of fun eating fried french toast, playing board games, and southern sledding. Since it doesn't snow here, you just sit on a long board and ride down your drive way. It was a little sketchy. Sister Robison and I sat on a long board together and when we hit the bump where the gutter is Sis. Robison flew off and I kept riding down the street crashing into a gutter. It was awesome, caught it on video too. And, Sister Robison taught me how to play the guitar! After she taught me all the chords I sat in the living room with the children's hymn book and played for an hour. I love it! My fingers hurt, but I love it! I also wanted to say congrats to Lindsay Evans for receiving her mission call to Arkansas!! We'll be neighbours and I am so absolutely proud, happy, and excited that she decided to serve the Lord and His children!!
Well, aside from all the good fun, Sister Robison and I have seen some miracles happen this past week. Although everyone's been crazy busy with the holidays, we have found those diamonds in the rough that have let us into their homes. We were headed over to Will and Erin's, the couple that lives in the apartment complex, but they weren't free. So, we knocked on the door next to theirs and a guy named Gus let us in. He is amazing. He attends the Victory Temple church and actually has had lessons with some missionaries before that didn't go very well. But, he talked to us for an hour basically baring his testimony of his Savior and how much he loves Him and the blessings he's had. He is so solid and I can't wait to teach him about the gospel!
We got to see an investigator get baptized this past . Her name's Addine, the Tupelo sisters have been teaching her. The Spirit was really strong and it gave me more hope that I might get to see someone that I find and teach get baptized someday.
All of it rained. It was cold and I was feeling really worn out and down. We kept having plans fall through and as we were tracting either no one would be home or they weren't interested. As we were headed home we felt like we should keep tracting the streets we were walking down. The very last house we were walking up to the door and before we could even knock a lady answered. As we explained who we were and if she would like to hear a message she said yes and let us in. Her name's Rita, she's a baptist but I don't know why she's not already a Mormon! She sat us right down, gave us hot chocolate and we talked to her for an hour, getting to know her and telling her about what we do as missionaries. She is a cake decorator (Mom :) ) And has her own shop in Nettelton. She's had a lot of struggles in her life including the death of her father, husband, and she's in the process of getting a divorce. As she explained these struggles she kept talking about how prayer has helped her through them all. She was really interested in our Family History Research. So we told her that she could come to the center we have at our church and we'd have people there to help her find her ancestors, and it'd be a great opportunity to give her a tour of our church :) (sneakily converting people to the restored gospel) It was such a blessing that we decided to go to her house and that we didn't even have to knock. She was ready.
It reminds me of the picture we've all seen of the Savior knocking on someones door without a door handle. We have to let Him in. I feel that Rita is readily letting the Savior more fully into her life by letting us into her home. I am so excited to keep teaching her. So remember, even when it's cold and you're wet and tired and a long way from home and you may feel like things aren't working out at all. Remember 3 Nephi 22: 7.
And, I personally encourage you all to get up and bare your testimonies this Fast Sunday. Baring your testimony strengthens your testimony. I know that to be true.
I love you all! Have a very Happy New Year, don't get too crazy ya'll -ya hear?!
Much Love, Sister Michaela Nicole Mason
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