Monday we went to Hixon and hung out with the Elders. We had an "awesome sunglasses" Competition! I found these awesome robot lookin ones at the thrift store and it was a tie between me and Elder Cooley who had these sweet blue glasses with a sunglass flip on!! It was so much fun! We went to a park by a river and we decided to go exploring along the river bank. We took some pictures and had a good time. We went to the Elders apartment complex and played tennis and basketball. It was such a nice day! I think it was in the 80's. Then we got home and tracted for 2 hours and had dinner and went to bed.
Tuesday we tracted ALL DAY LONG! Not my favorite thing to do.. but the weather was nice and we didn't have anything else to do. Sister Shumway and I even got tan!! :] We found an awesome hiking trail that we will probably hike next p day. We taught 6 other lessons and not one new investigator..
Wednesday was a good day. I went on an exchange with Sister Bretzing. She is from Payson. She is serving in downtown Chattanooga so it was fun to get a tour of the city. It is a huge area and they have to ride the bus everywhere. So that was fun! We walked along the Tennessee river by what is called The Art District. They have some awesome sculptures and art pieces. It made me miss Shalece. I got some awesome pictures! I will have to see if I can load them sometime soon.. ish. We went to an appointment with one of the ladies that they are working with. She has agoraphobia.. which means that she is afraid to leave her house. She cant' get to church because she has panic attacks so the sisters are trying to help her overcome that. It was an interesting experience. After that, Sister Bretzing and I rode the bus past one of the projects in Chatt.. It was scary because she said that somebody had just gotten killed there last week.. they aren't allowed to go there because of all the gang violence. It's crazy!
Thursday we exchanged back.. did our weekly planning, visited mormon.org, we saw Lisa and taught her a little bit more about prophets, the Book of Mormon and fasting. She is still struggling to know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that's hard.. We told her that we would fast with her on Saturday and we decided that we would watch Joseph Smith:prophet of the restoration with her before we went to the baptism in Athens. We had dinner at the Curtis' house! I love them tons! they are so awesome! They have 4 boys and they are so so funny! We had fajitas and apple dumplings!! My fave!
Friday we had district meeting and I wasn't feeling so well so we came back to the apt and rested for a while.. I think that this week I have been stressing a lot about Lisa and that it has been making me sick.. Don't worry.. Nothing to serious.. Just SO TIRED!
Saturday we went to see Michael and James again. They are doing really good. James was sleeping when we went over, but Michael was there and his daughter was there too. We read from first Nephi with them and we commited him to keep reading and praying. It is awesome to see him continue to grow! We spent pretty much the rest of the day with Lisa. We watched the movie... she said she didn't really feel anything... prayed with her.. still nothing.. went to the baptism... STILL nothing... she got a priesthood blessing from the Elders... and yet again.. no answer.. I have tried everything that I can think of to help her receive an answer that Joseph Smith is a prophet... I am at the end of my rope here... I don't know what more to do.. She is praying.. she is reading.. she is coming to church.. she is so sincere and still no answer.. It has been hard not to get discouraged because she really wants to know and she isn't getting answers.. I am so scared that she will just drop because she isn't getting answers.. we are working with her to be baptized on April 2nd.. and I don't know what more to do than to be patient and keep praying my little guts out! Please keep her in your prayers too!
Sunday was a good day. We learned about what we can do to prepare for general conference. I was reading in Mosiah 2 about King Benjamin and how his people prepared themselves to hear the prophets voice. I learned some new things. I didn't know that before the conference they offered sacrifices. I thought of how sometimes it can be a sacrifice to listen to conference.. we are pretty lucky to be able to just watch it in the comfort of our own homes in Utah.. but other people sacrifice alot to hear the prophets voice. So that made me think... what am I going to sacrifice before conference?... I think that it's a good question to ask yourselves. Then after they offered sacrifice, they gave thanks. We have SO MUCH to be grateful for. We have a prophet of God on the earth today!!! How awesome is that?!?!? We are able to hear what the Lord would say to us through His holy prophet! I am so excited!! So don't forget to sacrifice and give thanks! Then they each gathered together in their families and pitched their tents with the door to the temple.. We need to keep our eyes on the temple. That is the goal. To have all of our family sealed in the Holy temple!!! we have so much be grateful for!!! I love conference and I am excited to invite people to "come listen to a prophet's voice and hear the word of God!"
Also on Sunday we had interviews with President Griffin. He came down and met us at the church building. It went well. He had me graph my mission so far on a scale of one to ten how happy I was when I came out of the MTC and how happy I am now.. It has changed a little, but he said that's normal. He asked me if I was ready to step up to the plate when all of the other sisters go home in a few months.. and I said.. AHHH NO! Just kidding... I hope so... haha. He said that we aren't getting any new sisters in as of right now.. I guess there just aren't that many coming out or something.. but that will mean that we will only have 8 sisters in the mission after july 1!! That's not good at all!! We will have to close a lot of areas and I am worried what that will do... But I know that God knows what will happen and I trust that He has it all under control... I just gotta go with the flow and trust in his plan..
Sister Stapleton called me last night and told me some awesome news!! She said that Sylvia, a woman that I was teaching in Watauga was baptized yesterday!! I was so glad to hear that she was able to be baptized! :]
Well I am sitting in a graphic design class waiting for Laura, our member. to take us to the mall in Chatt.. It's fun to see some of the things that she is learning! I am so excited to go back to school!! :]
I love you all! Keep praying for me! I need all the help I can get! Have a wonderful week and enjoy conference for me!
Sister C
