tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24862724141830657482024-03-18T20:46:23.929-07:00Baptizing in BirminghamUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-3796096034295378452013-08-19T14:03:00.000-07:002013-08-19T14:27:18.695-07:00Random Pictures<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6BceYN5v9JL1V2WYWZzoV4QMtHJjPyjVGiE9Sz4O__lQr-gVCj5ybDrP0OsGvd63Gkv3qgFDO-SLcxuCRx5MXBvAU23YjXYyVoXFEs290686lyWPBvtElpz1cibvrd0CLKWQCFHIYSnU/s1600/100_3612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6BceYN5v9JL1V2WYWZzoV4QMtHJjPyjVGiE9Sz4O__lQr-gVCj5ybDrP0OsGvd63Gkv3qgFDO-SLcxuCRx5MXBvAU23YjXYyVoXFEs290686lyWPBvtElpz1cibvrd0CLKWQCFHIYSnU/s320/100_3612.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister Mendoza and I on exchanges! Love her.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uhhh..</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's concerning.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PHS! Gotta love the Bulldog pride.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Weight! Finally got to see him!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President and Sister Hanks. They are wonderful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister Wilson's favorite holiday: 4th of July.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlceS2CzJQdMnPkhVG7p961uvBkvOem3ktQEmBHk7ZpIEeTrFbbjztA4dBSfwvuNmKZBTNgBTimXiDFdhtsMqIPDahGm9ZAjRlx9DA4TkUZbOx64_V6pov6N5_VBDHGH0DOQ98GK_IU9V/s1600/100_3651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLlceS2CzJQdMnPkhVG7p961uvBkvOem3ktQEmBHk7ZpIEeTrFbbjztA4dBSfwvuNmKZBTNgBTimXiDFdhtsMqIPDahGm9ZAjRlx9DA4TkUZbOx64_V6pov6N5_VBDHGH0DOQ98GK_IU9V/s320/100_3651.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M---- got baptized :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSOCfV-H0L7g8IVLJbKBIF8z7cO6Mnv_rMuE-DXiSvzH3tpzYZmrRFpMYVTKZ4gRr8mNO7EDrmSFi2tbjkBhXTlZrYD0M6sSFrQGJtuQcZO-uY6c3DtV9bnGtF7bE5QmlkSAAeYeqcc2-/s1600/100_3665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSOCfV-H0L7g8IVLJbKBIF8z7cO6Mnv_rMuE-DXiSvzH3tpzYZmrRFpMYVTKZ4gRr8mNO7EDrmSFi2tbjkBhXTlZrYD0M6sSFrQGJtuQcZO-uY6c3DtV9bnGtF7bE5QmlkSAAeYeqcc2-/s320/100_3665.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We looove to bake for people.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I bleed blue--BYU blue!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fPg7ygmTrui8vHffcmSEZ7_4VKDxDWpdx9-6qIQOtLe9SnWo74C7Ugsa-VdSJ58f5Nen6Hw3-C83mrIfDem_HawL674gYkMorXjXKxA6Ol64Ykc7VtDG4XA1-wmdRfSlIS0zzA4QQ0Rq/s1600/100_3673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fPg7ygmTrui8vHffcmSEZ7_4VKDxDWpdx9-6qIQOtLe9SnWo74C7Ugsa-VdSJ58f5Nen6Hw3-C83mrIfDem_HawL674gYkMorXjXKxA6Ol64Ykc7VtDG4XA1-wmdRfSlIS0zzA4QQ0Rq/s320/100_3673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filled my frame with pics of my lovely family. :)</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-29000107128272914532013-08-19T13:33:00.002-07:002013-08-19T14:37:58.195-07:00We Need the Book of Mormon. 7/29/13I have so much to say, but I will try not to bore you all with mindless details. :) haha. This week has been awesome.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGmNzxlgLFI1HTtUBCUuBjeY6vJdRAUvoIdkH4wR6s1XMR7m7uXUlidBCwHYb7y43Vlc-jY9w4TT10w5KqM9yYs6e-oPi8ksQBoQ_td2JqvYnVOyhwpm3GsziDcQYX1rem6FFpboHdKBe/s1600/100_3789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGmNzxlgLFI1HTtUBCUuBjeY6vJdRAUvoIdkH4wR6s1XMR7m7uXUlidBCwHYb7y43Vlc-jY9w4TT10w5KqM9yYs6e-oPi8ksQBoQ_td2JqvYnVOyhwpm3GsziDcQYX1rem6FFpboHdKBe/s320/100_3789.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sign we saw in a store... a little extreme, I think.</td></tr>
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First things first, C---- is being baptized this Friday! We are so excited for her. She quit smoking, drinking iced tea and drinking coffee cold turkey, in a matter of 24 hours. We gave her the church's 15 step stop smoking program and she is amazing. We love her so much.<br />
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Also, we met another golden investigator this week named Z----. Z----- is almost 19 and was referred to us by her boyfriend who lives in New Jersey. They met online and when he told her about the church, she was immediately interested. She's one of those investigators that the Lord has prepared from the very beginning. Everything we taught her just seemed like a reminder of what she already knew--even though she'd never heard any of it before. She truly is golden, and she's being baptized on August 10th. Her boyfriend will be in town that week, so we're excited. She's coming over to Sister A--'s house tonight for dinner and games, and we're also going shopping at Charming Charlie and stuff a little later on today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWX-WMEHXQPivRzWgclwaNavPL9RZtgnnbGNwk8KlRWoHlrA5JqgjV1ROT69w82qcI0JI5Jtsxa0P8NZBo8GVwL2zaX1LxhhfuYQzAlk9uxZNrb4WTLeEK3KI11LF8Sku8Ue6mxYuBVm3/s1600/100_3799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWX-WMEHXQPivRzWgclwaNavPL9RZtgnnbGNwk8KlRWoHlrA5JqgjV1ROT69w82qcI0JI5Jtsxa0P8NZBo8GVwL2zaX1LxhhfuYQzAlk9uxZNrb4WTLeEK3KI11LF8Sku8Ue6mxYuBVm3/s320/100_3799.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Z--- is amazing!! Seriously GOLDEN.</td></tr>
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Another miracle from this week: On Thursday night, the ward hosted a cute thing called GRITS - Girls Raised in the South. A lot of the young moms in our ward are here from Utah with the security sales team, so the ladies wanted to give them a good taste of the south. They had cooking demonstrations, recipes, and Sister N---- even taught us how to be southern ladies. :) haha. So fun. After everyone had left the church, Sister Wilson and I stayed behind to open the church for a ward mission leader from another ward. He was proposing to his girlfriend in the chapel that night and needed to get into the church. So we let him in, and while he was proposing, someone started banging on the back church door, so I ran to check it out. It was two girls, M--- El-- and C---, who had been baptized a year ago but were completely inactive. for the last week or so they'd been talking about church and wanting to go back, then they drove by the church building at 8:30 at night and saw our cars there. They decided to go and see if they could find the missionaries, and voila! There we were! Seriously, it was a miracle. We would've never been at the church that late if that WML hadn't asked us to stay there, and we would've never met the girls. They told us how much they missed church and that they really wanted to come back, but needed the missionary's help. Also, one of them has a non-member sister who we are now teaching. We've been over to visit them several times now and they all came to church on Sunday. C---- had to work, but hopefully she can come next week. Seriously, a true miracle!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJFZCghqe6xD_vnLvvpRKbdVLZRC6eImzib2uczwPTgNkvTys9FRn-u456Oklj01WVSsOwrA-tFjet7NolkJAmikzHAYGsh_KoQmyG2bZF2zWZSSH_lMFCqSvpHf6CgpLQh6EitBe_CQT/s1600/100_3790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJFZCghqe6xD_vnLvvpRKbdVLZRC6eImzib2uczwPTgNkvTys9FRn-u456Oklj01WVSsOwrA-tFjet7NolkJAmikzHAYGsh_KoQmyG2bZF2zWZSSH_lMFCqSvpHf6CgpLQh6EitBe_CQT/s320/100_3790.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GRITS cooking demonstrations.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRck6zQF5fOjxO3isVBhLDbG_mt73km6-1QWwoWl1Ri0wcuQSWkmU1jDNa8lER6NP9sYpAbMehnJQzAzNujMU5xeofCJLuqwgyLLCsmfX3obEndty8Sxu1f_x8NjNZRE_ahp6M8eC_7HJZ/s1600/100_3797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRck6zQF5fOjxO3isVBhLDbG_mt73km6-1QWwoWl1Ri0wcuQSWkmU1jDNa8lER6NP9sYpAbMehnJQzAzNujMU5xeofCJLuqwgyLLCsmfX3obEndty8Sxu1f_x8NjNZRE_ahp6M8eC_7HJZ/s320/100_3797.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm in love with the South.</td></tr>
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In total we had 4 investigators attend church and one less-active. So awesome. Another thing I learned this week was how much we NEED the Book of Mormon. It's not just a cool book that we're lucky to have. Pres Holzapfel said it perfectly when he said "Look at how many religions there are! Look at how people interpret one book in so many different ways. That alone is proof that the Bible is not enough on its own. We need a second witness of Jesus Christ, to clarify and testify of his doctrine." The Book of Mormon does not add to or take away from the Bible. It's simply a record of prophets, teachings, and believers, just like the Bible! The Bible takes place in Jerusalem and Israel, and the Book of Mormon takes place in the Americas. God loves all His children, so He wanted all parts of the world to have his gospel. Between the two books, they testify plainly and clearly of what He wants us to believe. The Bible lost many of its plain and precious parts after being translated so many times, so it's missing some pieces. But the Book of Mormon was translated ONCE. It's the missing part of the puzzle that answers so many questions, and I am so, so grateful for it. I'm grateful that between the Bible and the Book of Mormon, we have the fulness of Christ's gospel. It's been restored to the earth today, and we have it! We have prophets (Amos 3:7), we have apostles (Ephesians 4:11-14), we have Priesthood (Mark 3:14-15), and we have the Book of Mormon, the record of Christ's other sheep (John 10:16) which comes together with the Bible to testify of Jesus Christ (Ezekiel 37:15-17).<br />
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It's just such a cool testament to me. I already knew that this was Christ's true church on the earth, but seeing the scriptures in the Bible confirm it is so powerful. I love this gospel and I love being a missionary.<br />
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Please pray for C---- and Z----!<br />
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Sister EdwardsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-65392037616959710342013-08-19T13:28:00.002-07:002013-08-19T14:27:03.739-07:00A Rainy Week in Alabama - 7/22/13Hello hello!<br />
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This week has been great, since Sister Wilson and I are staying together in Bessemer!! We get to be in this awesome area with this awesome ward with these awesome investigators for at least 6 more weeks. I'm so stoked. Plus it rains all the time in Alabama, which makes me happy. :D<br />
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We had a ton of cancellations this week... people calling 10 minutes before the appointment saying they can't do it, and us being like "Awesome, what now?" lol. That happened soooo much this last week... it's a part of a missionary work. But that's why you have a back-up plan. I also think I've been hung up on more times in the last week than I have in my whole life! haha. I'll be in the middle of saying something like "When can we come and see you again?" and they'll just hang up. That's happened a few times with K---- this week sadly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ19KVSdGMFgcEGRQG-gQWLxoP_YF5tyIvCr7mKZFb3i0wEQyz-1oP0LQ074xoCXBz3TW3GQsoels8dvYwNbxS1Ac3LX3P0ASWiTCWP9oZVSFZeZiKGXNoAs2ejN0-dVotcdUDRVHSW3r/s1600/100_3616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ19KVSdGMFgcEGRQG-gQWLxoP_YF5tyIvCr7mKZFb3i0wEQyz-1oP0LQ074xoCXBz3TW3GQsoels8dvYwNbxS1Ac3LX3P0ASWiTCWP9oZVSFZeZiKGXNoAs2ejN0-dVotcdUDRVHSW3r/s320/100_3616.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">how we look when we get canceled or stood up on.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New planners for the transfer!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeahhh buddy. Tree of Life.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8knoniSCpM5Hzceiad31XZz6MDKGuW_zDF4dlc7s676b1gPLXL6TmjcfjJ8klGXxc0wsuvhxmGGxaLL6sMaBheEHjchmj4H5Tqv_8KaYfBRidFcY-haFBON3t2MfyEzqymwQyUXtGspw/s1600/100_3774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8knoniSCpM5Hzceiad31XZz6MDKGuW_zDF4dlc7s676b1gPLXL6TmjcfjJ8klGXxc0wsuvhxmGGxaLL6sMaBheEHjchmj4H5Tqv_8KaYfBRidFcY-haFBON3t2MfyEzqymwQyUXtGspw/s320/100_3774.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was National Vanilla Ice Cream day. Naturally we had to get some.</td></tr>
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In other good news, C---- has a baptismal date!! We love her so much. She is an amazing person. She is being baptized in less than two weeks on August 2nd. We talked to her about the importance of being sealed as a family, which has a lot of meaning to her since her husband passed away in February. Then asked her to be baptized! She is a beautiful person and I can't wait to see her be a part of this gospel. She is so solid. Her daughter B----- will hopefully be baptized soon too, but we have more to teach her.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it's been raining a lot in Alabama!</td></tr>
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Also, her daughter has a friend named Br----- who we started teaching this week! He sat in some of our lessons at C----'s and wanted to learn more. He is an awesome guy with a heart of gold. Seriously, they don't come any nicer than Br-----. We taught him the first lesson and it was awesome. When we started talking about Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Noah, Abraham and Moses and how awesome they are, he said "Man, why don't we have a prophet today? I wish we did; that would be so awesome. Someone that God called to lead his people." When we told him we DO have a prophet today, named Thomas S. Monson, he was like "What?? Are you kidding me right now? Why isn't this on the news?! Everyone needs to know this!" We told him that's why there are more than 60,000 missionaries out spreading the gospel right now. :) he is awesome and when he looked up a picture of Pres. Monson, he said "He is a prophet. I can tell. He glows." So cool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrURZTX3a9wUscSbA3e2BTz0qQGvW5qJY9UbKKuM_DbL7_MK7QZxvDO_BlhSm7Ffahs5jrbylDWCnzFsHXac99Pbu6xrQD2SkyNYoLwqtG5OOPYPdq8O7aQRno-IafhFxZPax8kC8ZJyWh/s1600/100_3741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrURZTX3a9wUscSbA3e2BTz0qQGvW5qJY9UbKKuM_DbL7_MK7QZxvDO_BlhSm7Ffahs5jrbylDWCnzFsHXac99Pbu6xrQD2SkyNYoLwqtG5OOPYPdq8O7aQRno-IafhFxZPax8kC8ZJyWh/s320/100_3741.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our awesome district. Left to right: me, Elder Banks, Elder Lealiiee, Elder Dalo, Sister Wilson, Elder Galorath, Elder Losi, Elder Snelgrove.</td></tr>
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He came to church with us on Sunday, along with C---- and B-----. He had an awesome experience at church, because the last speaker talked about how we will receive an answer about the truthfulness of the church if we have the right INTENT. If you don't intend to do anything about it, you likely won't get an answer. But if you intend to change your life and become a member of Christ's church, you will receive an answer that this IS the church of Jesus Christ, on the earth today. Awesome.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUp_L3A7RvPtbZTbBLV_hOVABYG4g3tzdsdbn3hXWYTblycgCoes4_6GhLZAwfy-pv2_SC2HfZL2T0vQhKuWxreNDmH3F5EwcqX59vh9FRmEFVyI1k48dEjlaP3R3WacPbJ7yR_SeR_wdv/s1600/100_3736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUp_L3A7RvPtbZTbBLV_hOVABYG4g3tzdsdbn3hXWYTblycgCoes4_6GhLZAwfy-pv2_SC2HfZL2T0vQhKuWxreNDmH3F5EwcqX59vh9FRmEFVyI1k48dEjlaP3R3WacPbJ7yR_SeR_wdv/s320/100_3736.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some cute puppies we saw. Reminded me of Schatzie.</td></tr>
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We also had dinner with Bishop K-----'s family this week, and C----- came too. Sister K----- is an incredible gourmet chef and makes us the most amazing meals. She even wrote a cookbook and gave us a copy of it on a flash drive, along with the most amazing cake in the world and some other awesome stuff. We love their family. It's awesome because they were Baptists their whole life, and Bishop K---- has only been a member of the church for 4 years. But he is amazing, and so is his wife.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfh-B_i2fPIyNgk4VTXq-mTPTB01OQuujZ6kYC0b0HI2aTzt9FqxbRnBEg8MUjkxegDmfesJZv9cH5MaMPnHimIF1zs8lrnKKS5P-2h_xk0PQITwr9xBnnBK-NeUicyl4hwTtLEF-bbLKl/s1600/100_3753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfh-B_i2fPIyNgk4VTXq-mTPTB01OQuujZ6kYC0b0HI2aTzt9FqxbRnBEg8MUjkxegDmfesJZv9cH5MaMPnHimIF1zs8lrnKKS5P-2h_xk0PQITwr9xBnnBK-NeUicyl4hwTtLEF-bbLKl/s320/100_3753.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us with Brother T----.</td></tr>
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last but not least, we visited an awesome guy named Brother T-----! he is a recent convert with the most amazing conversion story. he is paralyzed from the waist down and has been for over 20 years from a gun shot to his back. In his neighborhood they have a calling tree that goes on when the missionaries enter the neighborhood to go inside and make it look like you're not home. lol. So he went in off his porch and laid down and stuff, but he heard a voice that said "Go outside. Someone is coming to see you." He looked around, then heard the voice again. "Go outside. Someone is coming to see you." So he goes outside, looks around for 15 minutes, and there were the missionaries, walking up the street. The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ changed his life and he went from smoking crack and cocaine to being the amazing member he is today. He needs a Mormon.org video made about him, because it seriously is amazing. He is so solid and has so much faith, despite being paralyzed. He studies his scriptures every day and is such a faithful member of the church. That is a true convert. I admire him so much and am so grateful for his example.<br />
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The church is true! I'm so glad to be a missionary. I read 1 Corinthians 15 this week and was amazed at how much pure doctrine is in that chapter! Verse 10 talks about laboring and grace (faith without works is dead, James 2:26), 20-22 all men shall be resurrected through Christ, verse 28 God and Jesus are separate beings; verse 29 baptism for the dead; 40-41 three degrees of glory/three heavens (2 cor 12:2), 44,46-49 we lived with God again and we will live with him again; etc. It's awesome!! I love this chapter and have been studying it a lot.<br />
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Thanks for all the emails and letters. I just found out we are only allowed to write letters on P-Day (monday) so it will take some time to write back, but I will definitely do my best!<br />
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Love you all!<br />
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Sister EdwardsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-1309929311462443402013-08-19T13:24:00.000-07:002013-08-19T14:11:04.905-07:00Funny Stories - 7/15/13Well I have a time limit today which is stressing me out, but i'll try to tell you about this week and what all went down.<br />
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I had some interesting adventures this week. We had zone training on Tuesday and Sister Wilson and I sang There is A green Hill far away. It was cool. Then we got pulled out of the meting and this lady named K had walked in, looking for a church and for some gas money. We thought she wouldn't really be interested, but we've visited her several times and she is a promising investigator. She told us some crazy stories about herself like she woke up in a coffin and pushed it open and said "I don't mean to scare nobody, but I'm alive." She can't read, and she and her husband live in a camper trailer in a rundown trailer park. Not a trailer house, a literal camper trailer.We visited her and taught her, then she asked us to come to the sketchy Laundromat and meet her husband who just got out of prison. So we did, and we answered a lot of his questions like "do you really believe that black people are the devil?" no, no we do not. lol. We taught them the first lesson and about the Atonement and he was touched when we told him he could hold the Priesthood power. It was a great lesson.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsQoS_WCc4qxP3zGEI1Nx-Vyai5SpzlVmJSIk_97p3AJCjXdt8suFXySA0ULe3urrRx7nTgj2Gp-hNbAGl8JHNfa_KIpdNvTeiKMDILc25SfOytM5a2oK1VXD9gIzXfey68rtu_pGT8Yt/s1600/100_3675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsQoS_WCc4qxP3zGEI1Nx-Vyai5SpzlVmJSIk_97p3AJCjXdt8suFXySA0ULe3urrRx7nTgj2Gp-hNbAGl8JHNfa_KIpdNvTeiKMDILc25SfOytM5a2oK1VXD9gIzXfey68rtu_pGT8Yt/s320/100_3675.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lame panorama of Super Bessemer Highway, the main road in Bessemer.</td></tr>
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We had another awesome lesson yesterday with the AP security guys who served Spanish speaking missions. They translated for us, and the two guys we were teaching were ready to be baptized in the first lesson. So that was cool. We found out that one of them, G, is getting baptized this week!<br />
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Some funny stories from this week... the churches here are named some weird stuff. One we've seen is called "Love Conquers All Ministry" and another one down the street is "The World Overcomers Christian Church." Then another one we saw is "The Peoples Church--Let's Just Praise the Lord." That's literally the title of the church. Kinda made me think of when Jesus is speaking to the people in 3 Nephi 27:7-8 "<span style="background-color: #fefbbf; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake.</span><br />
<div class="" style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" uri="/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/27.8">
<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2486272414183065748" name="8" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </a><span class="verse" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 1px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">8 </span>And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel."</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZfEjUz4UvC6gOnf3uGGip4FlxcYNQb4qGx_azrjLertwPUAVCrqI8D72qXTrS7CLwiX4zEe0UFhy66by4A9Bm7EVesaiEM8DKB6lyIy2bWIFjjkFe2goOBOvHmTsX4fY22CQ90u98cH-/s1600/100_3677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZfEjUz4UvC6gOnf3uGGip4FlxcYNQb4qGx_azrjLertwPUAVCrqI8D72qXTrS7CLwiX4zEe0UFhy66by4A9Bm7EVesaiEM8DKB6lyIy2bWIFjjkFe2goOBOvHmTsX4fY22CQ90u98cH-/s320/100_3677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Technically we aren't supposed to take pictures of the signs... but there was no one around.. and this one was too good to pass up!</td></tr>
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Another funny story: a few weeks ago, Sister Wilson and I were in Wal-Mart getting some stuff. This 15-year-old boy with a shaved head and crocs comes up to us and says, pointing to our nametags, <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"So I see you work for Jesus."</span></i></b> We're like "Yes, yes we do." then he's like "Okay, tell me who the first people on the earth were." I said "Adam and Eve." And he's like "actually no, you're wrong." he proceeded to tell us how the Bible says that other people were on the earth before Adam and Eve, so we asked him to show us where in the Bible, and he's like "I'll come to your church one day and show you." Okay... lol. Some people just want to prove you wrong! We still laugh about that one.<br />
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pretty pictures of the ghetto in Bessemer :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSwTz5jI4UbHlAJNps4H9QXgfFiuFaSWksFJ9cnsqEcn8QWRDHG2pk8TeI0oJ2g0dzPXZyn2PlxFemIav06hU_rj_nEGnyYm2-Tk-A97arIAY5aNfLMeTNIBKQt_rjOch3eG0jxDi4A2c/s1600/100_3703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSwTz5jI4UbHlAJNps4H9QXgfFiuFaSWksFJ9cnsqEcn8QWRDHG2pk8TeI0oJ2g0dzPXZyn2PlxFemIav06hU_rj_nEGnyYm2-Tk-A97arIAY5aNfLMeTNIBKQt_rjOch3eG0jxDi4A2c/s320/100_3703.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another weird moment from this week: while out teaching some lessons, we saw a boy pointing his gun up into a tree. He shot it, and out falls a little squirrel!! We wanted to cry. It was squirming on the ground, he put his gun directly onto its stomach and shot again. Can I just say gross? We freaked out. Yes, we are in Alabama where every little boy has a gun and shoots squirrels out of a tree for fun.<br />
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We taught a less-active member about family history work this week, too. the spirit was strong as we taught about it, and a lady who had come with us said "well sometimes you don't want to do family history work!! I found out that my grandma divorced her husband and married her step-son! I was like 'Grandma, what were you doing?!'" Spirit gone. But sooo funny.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK9cisrTEUHD3ntZsOfkwqh8IvaKQ-ff1NvWPKt7ywVZRa6V1MOflYQT4CtWNaZ3hSRPX6PvZv8LD3YgEzgNiIS6mx0iZbfTx_hFPAkHf3mpqZ302T2xmEZWRa_4LDtQ0XVkszPhPErxT/s1600/100_3712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK9cisrTEUHD3ntZsOfkwqh8IvaKQ-ff1NvWPKt7ywVZRa6V1MOflYQT4CtWNaZ3hSRPX6PvZv8LD3YgEzgNiIS6mx0iZbfTx_hFPAkHf3mpqZ302T2xmEZWRa_4LDtQ0XVkszPhPErxT/s320/100_3712.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milking a cow!</td></tr>
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Anyway, there's one other one but I'll tell ya next week. Today was fun! We went over to the D-----'s and milked the cow! So fun. They gave us fresh raw milk and eggs again, and then we've been hanging out with Sister W. She taught us how to make biscuits, cornbread, etc, and then we went to a quilting club with some of the older ladies in the ward. Boy, did we have a southern spread. lol. I AM in Alabama, and when in Alabama, do as the Alabamians do. It's been an interesting experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother D----- and his cows.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginELXSu2zQTfMQydLBDazO8vdw0_hr9rBLaXGmchB-rnCbcsCO6OmT76n0FjKZKIptMCaymc9JoG4Mh2cxwKXRay0OA64eHA5Ysab3jtPvJEDAzSAzAdPDgv5FS8l1WqAguHkrZXyX8-3/s1600/100_3717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginELXSu2zQTfMQydLBDazO8vdw0_hr9rBLaXGmchB-rnCbcsCO6OmT76n0FjKZKIptMCaymc9JoG4Mh2cxwKXRay0OA64eHA5Ysab3jtPvJEDAzSAzAdPDgv5FS8l1WqAguHkrZXyX8-3/s320/100_3717.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">his farm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNcGDCyFLMs97JpUGExuSzPfmm2BzL_9BxwOQ5PWZRXRgUdyfsY-sTLNsc62CQnX3gBcLcmWsH93c1hbc73YfZcTqrJfuu1y9vVTNjlPIEHxbgHVn22pyHba9JhroMy3TT3TzDugwIDuK/s1600/100_3728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNcGDCyFLMs97JpUGExuSzPfmm2BzL_9BxwOQ5PWZRXRgUdyfsY-sTLNsc62CQnX3gBcLcmWsH93c1hbc73YfZcTqrJfuu1y9vVTNjlPIEHxbgHVn22pyHba9JhroMy3TT3TzDugwIDuK/s320/100_3728.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilting club with the girls :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yR1807nh3wpeHzqreX2O5M2zUJCM_FQerN4u74tLwK2NnGUQC22RHoSrEwZojOFSR9JFMmL8mh6aX_W8o71U_dMhOqiCrNK9SLfdkakAepkBENLavRsrTJV3IES_Sz9AJeeDQouL15Lq/s1600/100_3726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yR1807nh3wpeHzqreX2O5M2zUJCM_FQerN4u74tLwK2NnGUQC22RHoSrEwZojOFSR9JFMmL8mh6aX_W8o71U_dMhOqiCrNK9SLfdkakAepkBENLavRsrTJV3IES_Sz9AJeeDQouL15Lq/s320/100_3726.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These ladies know how to cook!</td></tr>
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Sorry I didn't have time to write back to your email mom. Today was cut a little short, so I'll write you a letter soon.<br />
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Love you all!<br />
<br />
Sister EdwardsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-15652567363436504082013-07-08T14:32:00.000-07:002013-07-22T12:26:23.881-07:00A Tough Week<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This week has been a very emotional one! Sister Wilson and I are </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">dealing with a lot of difficult things with our investigators and it </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">has been tough. More on that.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So last Tuesday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> we met the new mission president! What an awesome experience. I"ll </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">forward you the email we got from him today with some notes from his </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">talk. He teaches very differenty from Pres. Holzapfel but I love them</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">both.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">. I went up and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">introduced myself to them and reminded them that they had met Mom at </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">their farewell. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I don't remember the day-by-day breakdown of the week, but the rest of Tuesday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and Wednesday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> was hard to say the least. We visited a sister </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">in our ward who is less-active and recently had </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">back surgery and is in terrible pain. She can't stand for more than 15 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">minutes and she lives all alone in a run-down trailer home. She is so </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">unbelievably lonely and is sinking farther into depression every day. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We love her though, she is so sweet. We go and visit her often and do </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">everything we can to lift her spirits and bring her closer to Jesus </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Christ. She can't make food for herself since she's in so much pain </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and will just open a can of corn or make a quick sandwich. So </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">yesterday Sister Wilson and I brought her dinner, and we're going to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">help her cook meals twice a week. But anyway, it's just a hard </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">situation. She's lonely, she's constantly in pain and does nothing but </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sit, watch TV, take her pain meds and sleep, and she is so poor. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">She's in need of so much help and I came out of our visit with her so </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">so down. It hurts to see someone in so much pain and not be able to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">take it away.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Right after our visit, we got another call. Things went south with another investigator and it made us so sad. We love them so much.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Lastly, we visited a woman who is just as sweet as can be. She recently lost her husband and is struggling to raise her family in a dysfunctional home. We sure love her, and she really needs our help.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's hard because these people have such real, difficult trials and it breaks my heart. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I don't feel qualified to handle them, but somehow the Lord is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">strengthening me. I never knew how much it would help to have suffered </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">through so much in my life. But I can relate to these people so much </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">better because I have experienced so many trials, and that's a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">blessing. I talked to her about losing Grandpa and how we were so so c</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">lose. I told her how hard it was, but that I found strength in the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Savior and in this gospel. She knows this is what she needs to find </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">joy, and her faith is incredible. She truly is a wonderful woman. She </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">came to church with us for the first time yesterday and went to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sacrament for the first time. She has a lot of anxiety so she was very n</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ervous, but it was awesome to have her and her 10-year-old there. To </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">see them take the sacrament for the very first time was... wow. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Beautiful. It gave me chills. It was fast and testimony meeting, so </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sister Wilson and I prayed that the people would be inspired to share </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">things that were applicable to her, and wow, were they! So many </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">recent converts got up and said that the gospel changed their lives, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and that the gospel brought them peace through trials. She wants </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">her daughters to have a strong foundation in God and so many of the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">youth got up and bore testimony of the gospel and Jesus Christ. She </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was so touched and said "I will be back next week. And I just got Sundays </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">off, so I can come every week." She is amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">On a happier note, Mitch got baptized yesterday!! That was my first </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">baptism, and it was sooo exciting. We had originally planned it for Sunday</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> morning a 8am</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> since Mitch does the door-to-door sales where </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">he works all day every day but Sunday.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> The Bishop said it had to be in </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the morning, so Mitch could be confirmed during church that day. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In the end we moved it to 5 so that his friends could be there, and it was great </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">because it was exactly how Mitch wanted it. It's his day, after all, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and we were glad he was so happy. He was glowing, truly. It was a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">wesome to see someone you taught and helped finally enter the waters </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of baptism and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He was so happy. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Such an awesome experience.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We had another family reunion this weekend, too. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> It was fun ahha, I love our ward. They're all so great. The </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(Smiths) are the family we ate with that had the farm and ducks a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">few weeks ago. Brother (Smith) brought us vegetables from his garden </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and a whole carton of eggs from his chickens!! I was soooo happy!! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">haha. so this morning I had cage-free, grain-fed eggs where I've </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">actually seen the chickens and fed them myself and I know they are </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">well taken care of. They run around his back yard all day and are </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">happy as clams. So that was just really cool. me and my weird ways.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">More and more people are finding out about Minor Details... I had so </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">many people come up to me yesterday and say "So we heard you're </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">famous!!" I'm like no.. no I'm not... We got to teach the Sunday </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">School class for the 14/15-year-olds yesterday too, which was fun, and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">then we taught a short lesson in YW right after on ordinances and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">covenants. When I introduced myself, one of the leaders said "And </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">she's the one in movies! which movie was it?" I told them Minor </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Details and two or three of the YW were like "No way! I love that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">movie. I knew you looked familiar." hah. So yeah... there's that...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">lol.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well, that's a lot. Sorry for so much, but I have a lot to say. :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Love you all so much! Hope to hear from you soon!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sister Edwards</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-22475586702644175052013-06-27T21:16:00.001-07:002013-06-27T21:16:44.728-07:00SENT ON MONDAY, JUNE 24th, 2013<br />
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Family! so much to write about. so many miracles have taken place this week and I am so, so blessed to be serving a mission right now.<br /> </div>
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First off, that broadcast--wow! I am excited but nervous to use technology. It's nice not to have Facebook or any of those distractions. We'll see how it goes.. if it's what the Lord wants then I'll do it. It felt soooo cool to sit there as a part of the team. what a blessing to know that every time they said "full time missionaries" they meant ME! I am a missionary. sometimes it just hits me and I'm like "whoa. I can't believe I'm here, doing this." I remember all the times the missionaries came to our home, ate dinner with us, left us a message, etc. And now that's me!! I'm the missionary in someone's home, teaching them, helping people, etc. It's just insanely amazing. What a blessing. I love, love, love being a missionary. I almost never want it to end, haha.<br /> </div>
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This Bessemer ward is amazing. They have shown us so much love and taken such good care of us. Sister Wilson and I have visited pretty much every member individually in their home and gotten to know them all. We leave cards and cookies and make sure we can help them however we can. Everyone is so excited to have sisters and I love being in this ward. We greet every member every <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544042" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span> at the doors and it's nice to know everyone's faces already. I love our ward mission leader and his family. Their little girls are the cutest and always give us the biggest hugs and hold our hands wherever we go. They're so happy to have girls so they can hug us! haha. Sister Wilson and I are singing in Sacrament meeting next week. We'll sing in our apartment and record it so you can hear the song. I have been trying to take lots of good videos to send! Sometimes I wish you could just see me being a missionary, Mom. I wish I could video tape everything I do so you can see I'm actually doing this!! It's so cool. I'm so glad to be here.<br /> </div>
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One of the members in our ward is this amazing 86 year old and she is just the classiest lady! She is always dressed to the nines and wears makeup, nice clothes, earrings, jewelry, etc. Her house is decorated so fancy too. She has the biggest personality though and makes me laugh so much. She was in commercials and did film all throughout her life. Apparently she won an award for being in the most commercials at one time or something? We visited her last week and had the best time. She's the funniest and loves to squish everyone's faces and kiss us on the cheek. We are now her "precious angel baby missionaries" and she's Grandma. ha ha. She can't let us leave her house without giving us food, so we left with a bag full of Vienna sausages, graham crackers, saltine crackers, soup, peanut butter and homemade fudge/almond joy chocolates! ha ha. Her and her husband banter back and forth and are just really funny. He had one of those long claw-like grabby things for things on the top shelf, and well... he may or may not have used it to grab her bottom. Lol. Sister Wilson and I just looked at each other in shock and died laughing. He said "She can't go anywhere when I've got one of these!" lol. Funniest people. We just didn't know how to respond to that. </div>
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The culture in Alabama is really fun. Everyone likes to talk for a very long time. There's no such thing as a "stop by" visit. You sit down, talk, talk and talk and they like to give you all the details about their life and their uncle's life, and their grandma's life, and their best friend's nephew's life, etc. It took some adjusting at first but now I'm a little more used to it and am loving it. </div>
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One of the cities in our ward is McCalla and we LOVE it!! It's more like what I thought Alabama would be. A lot of people are farmers there and have gardens like you wouldn't believe. We ate dinner with a family this last week that has chickens, cows, emus, ducks, and goats. Our dinner was fresh green beans, squash and carrots from their garden, along with homemade rolls and fried chicken from their own chicken. lol. They also had butter made from their own cow's milk! He said we can come over in the morning sometime and help him milk the cow. We'll probably do that next week or the week after. Not eating meat has worked out just fine here. Everyone is very understanding and always has something else besides meat available! it's been a huge blessing. You should let Nick Van Why know that, because he promised it would work out, and he was right. :) It's nice that so many members have gardens and farms, because we've been given some fresh produce! We got zucchini and peaches last week, and there will probably be more as the season goes on. It's a huge blessing to me!<br /> </div>
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Sister Wilson and I are still doing so well together. This companionship was inspired for sure. She understands my need for a clear, distinct answer and a pattern or method to doing something. She thinks just like me and has been able to help me a lot. The hardest part about missionary work for me, as a type 4, is that there is no right/wrong answer! There's no set method or procedure that needs to be done in order to teach the lesson and there's no perfect, step-by-step process to teaching a lesson. It's all very guided by the spirit, and you can't really pin it down. so that's been a hard adjustment for me to just feel and be okay with not having all the answers. I'm working and praying for confidence in trusting myself and trusting the spirit to guide me. I'm getting better. But yeah, we have so much in common. We like all the same things and don't like all the same things, We're going to be friends forever and I can't wait. We've been really blessed with each other and it will be hard to say goodbye. </div>
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Has anyone received mission calls lately? I know Elise Carambela's papers were in.. she worked at Jamba with me. What about Kayla? Or anyone else? Has anyone gotten engaged/married?<br /><div>
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<br />We have been SOO busy here in Bessemer. This field is white (or green in my case) already to harvest. We haven't even been here for two weeks and have been so so busy. We always have people to visit, teach, and help. We haven't had to go knocking once. I told you last week about a woman who could progress if she would actually be home for our appointments. It's hard to see someone recognize truth, and then not care enough to do anything about it. We'll see how that goes. Now we also have one whose fiance is the less-active brother of our ward mission leader. She's had several lessons and already knows she wants to be baptized and sealed to her future husband. They are both very promising and like I said,she knows it's true. We've met with her once and I already adore her. she's the sweetest southern woman! she has a farm too, and owns a stable and works with horses. Her property is like 60 acres and it's just the most beautiful, green, lush sights. I'm sending some pictures. We have two appointments with her this week, <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544043" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Wednesday</span></span> and <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544044" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span>. <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544045" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">On Sunday</span></span> we're making homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh home-grown peaches!! haha. She told us she does that and we got so excited. So yeah, that will be awesome. :D I love her and am really excited. I hope we get to see her baptized.<br /><br />We're teaching a girl <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544046" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">next Sunday</span></span>. Remember how our ward has a lot of people from Utah here for the summer to sell security systems? She is with that group with her boyfriend. She lives in Bountiful, has had discussions in Utah but never got baptized. She really prefers sister missionaries and hasn't been taught since getting here, so hopefully that'll work out.<br /><br />Some sisters are also giving us their investigator who has a baptismal date because they didn't realize he's actually in our area. We're meeting him <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544047" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">tomorrow</span></span> and he's getting baptized in July. So cool!! I'm way excited. Our elders also had a baptism this week, which was cool.<br /><br />We have 8 referrals we received from some people and some missionaries, so we're going to contact them all this week. The work is moving forward. Lastly, a few stories about a few more investigators.<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544048" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Yesterday</span></span> we taught a guy named xxxxx and his cute family <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544049" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">yesterday</span></span>. These security sales guys are awesome, because they go door-to-door selling security systems, but they also share the gospel! So one of them called us up with a referral for xxxxx and his family who are Catholic, but very interested in the gospel. Only thing is that they all speak Spanish and very little English. Luckily the sales guy served his mission in Peru and he brought a couple where the husband served in Mexico. So <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544050" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">yesterday</span></span> we taught the first lesson and they translated for us as we went. So so cool. The spirit was so strong and I was so grateful to them for helping us. There are no Spanish missionaries in our area, but we're going to see about having some from another area come teach them. They were very touched and accepted the Book of Mormon and will pray about it. We have another appointment next week... I can see real intent in them. It was cool because afterwards, their friend said "Wow. That was so powerful. I asked him how he felt when you sisters were teaching, even though he can't understand English. He said 'It feels good. It feels powerful, I feel peace."" That was such a testament to me that the spirit can reach across all language and cultural barriers and touch the hearts of any person. So cool.<br /><br />We taught a girl <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544051" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Saturday</span></span> and have another appointment tonight. She has had all the lessons and was almost baptized a year ago, but was living with someone so she didn't get baptized. Now she's single and I think she'll be baptized. She remembers how good the church felt and how it brought her peace and joy. We taught her the first lesson again, since she'd forgotten most of it. She really felt the spirit and is going to read and pray about the Book of Mormon again, since she wasn't sure how she felt about it anymore. I have high hopes for her and hope we can see her baptized. She's a sweet girl who lives in The Projects, so Sister Wilson and I were a bit nervous to go over there for a <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544052" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">7 o'clock</span></span> appointment, knowing that by the time we left it would be dark. We prayed for safety and walked with a purpose as we walked to our car. Sure enough, a large group of large men were standing at their house across the street from our car. They called out to us and at first we were really nervous, but then we realized they had 5 or 6 little children with them, running around and playing games together. They asked us what church we're from, so.. we talked to them. The one guy has two children and the other kids were his nieces and nephews. They are really important to him. We bore a quick testimony about how families can be together forever, and asked if that's something he would want. He had a sincere look in his eye when he said "I would want that more than anything else." We took down his number and will most likely give him over to the elders, but what a cool experience it was. I could feel protection and safety as we talked to them. There was no fear or concern, and I just felt angels protecting us. And then, turns out, he was interested in the gospel. Pretty cool.<br /></div>
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Last but not least, last night was awesome! Sister Wilson, the elders, a couple in our ward and myself were invited to the mission home for Family Home Evening with Pres. and Sister Holzapfel on their LAST Sunday in Alabama. What a blessing that was! And what a privilege. President asked us to come up with a lesson, so we planned and taught a lesson on the Atonement and how it can apply in our family. We took the attribute of humility and applied it to family relationships and really broke it down. At some point I'd like to share it with you, because it went really well I think. The spirit was there and we left several commitments to bring them closer to the Savior. I think they all liked it and it was again, such an honor to be asked to come teach. We planned a musical number as well, but a sister in another area got injured during our lesson, so President needed to leave earlier and go make sure everything was okay. Still, what a blessing! I love them and am grateful for them. I can't wait for you to meet them!! Sister Holzapfel is a doll. President is so powerful and so good at connecting to people. You will love his talk. </div>
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I'm gonna send my pictures now!<br /></div>
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Love you all!<br /><br />Sister Edwards</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-27131804215459963472013-06-27T20:56:00.000-07:002013-06-27T20:56:05.354-07:00SENT ON MONDAY JUNE 17th<br />
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Wow, wow, wow. So much has happened this week and I have so much to say.</div>
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So this week has been intense. <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544038" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">On Friday</span></span> we went and met a referral. We knocked and she let us in, and we ended up giving her the whole first lesson right there. It went so well and the spirit was so strong. She believes in Jesus but knows she needs to do more. She's a sweet black woman, single mom, and has 5 kids. She's pretty young and was so so touched by the message of the gospel. She had a lot of questions and wanted to know more, and she couldn't stop thanking us for coming. She said that just before we knocked, she was in her room praying and telling God that she just couldn't take it anymore. She was handing it over to Him and just said that she needed some help. And then we knocked on the door. So cool, huh? We helped her recognize how that was an answer to her prayer and that the message of the gospel could change her life. We're going back to see her <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544039" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">tomorrow</span></span>. Pray that everything goes well with her, please!!</div>
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We've met up with a few other investigators the elders left us. We're seeing several of them this week, as well as some referrals we got from ward members. Our ward mission leader and his family are soo awesome! His future sister-in-law has had all three lessons already and is so ready to meet with us. She wants to be baptized and sealed to her future husband, so we're teaching her <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544040" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Wednesday</span></span>. Our warm mission leader's kids are so cute!! His wife is adorable too. The girls, ust love us! the first time they saw us they ran up and gave us a big hug, because they haven't been able to hug missionaries in 6 years. So cute.</div>
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This weekend was fun! Remember how I said the whole ward is related? They really are!! Two families started the ward as a branch, and then it grew and grew. Almost everyone is related to one or the other. This last weekend they had a big family reunion for one family, which is basically just a ward party. Haha. 70% of the people there were in our ward. So we went and met a ton of people! It was at this big park area where the two families used to live, and half the ward members were baptized in the little creek at the park (picture posted of the creek). It was typical Southern food potluck, and I think that's when it really hit me--I really am in Alabama. Haha. Next month is the other family reunion, and we're invited to that too!! haha.</div>
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The ward has been so awesome. They are ecstatic to have sisters and have welcomed us so warmly. Because we moved in after elders, our apartment needs a LOT of work. Sister Wilson and I had to buy a TON of stuff to make it liveable. We had like two forks, two spoons, two plates, that's it. No rugs, no pans, nothing nice, and it was just nasty and gross and stinky. So it's taken a lot of work to fix it up and make it sister friendly. So many of the ward members have asked us what we need, how they can help and what they can do to make it better. They're so sweet. People are bringing us swiffers, plug in air fresheners (our apartment smells like smoke... but that's because of the complex), kitchen towels, pans, a blender, etc. It's been a huge help and they are so sweet. Our relief society pres. has taken good care of us, but we've spent a lot of money on this apartment lol. It's getting better!!</div>
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Church was great. They asked all the missionaries to get up and bear their testimonies, which was way cool for me. We share the area with two other missionaries. We see them most days and they are great. They're our zone leaders so we do a lot of things with them. They are fantastic missionaries and it's an honor to serve with them. Relief Society was wonderful and we had lunch with a really nice family afterwards.</div>
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Sister Wilson and I made cookies the night before (you're allowed to do that as a sister missionary!!) and packaged them up to take to members <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_968544041" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Sunday</span></span>. There's a huge amount of people in town for the summer doing security sales, and they're here for a while. They're mostly from Utah, and they're all younger couples with young kids. They live in some really nice apartment complexes down in Hoover, so we drove up there and visited with them! We introduced ourselves and we also got a lot of referrals from the members. We're teaching a few referrals this week! It was funny because it just felt like Utah Valley up there, in these nice apartment complexes with all these nice Utah families. Haha. It was surreal and felt like I was in Utah again. </div>
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Also, EVERYONE tailgates you. Seriously. I can't tell you how many people ride our bumper every single day. Also, everyone has an accent here. Even little two-year-olds!! It's really cute.</div>
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Sister Wilson and I are doing so well together. I'm happy so many people liked the post on facebook! I'd LOVE to know what people are saying!! We are having so much fun together. We basically feel like we're having a 6-week sleepover with our best friend--while working super hard and getting blessings from the Lord. haha. We do work hard, but it doesn't feel like it because we are having a great time.</div>
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So I have a beautiful photo album I got at the MTC that I would LOVE to be filled with pictures!!! Can you put out an announcement to people that I would love pictures of all of my friends? So if a friend wants to send me a picture of them (printed, 4x6) I can stick it in my photo album! We don't have time to print pictures and I don't have any pictures here anyway, so it would be great if people could send me pictures. I keep some picture frames on my desk too that just need to be filled. :)</div>
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So excited for all my friends going in the MTC this week! The only ones I can remember for sure are Emily Lewis and Landon, but I know there are others too. Good luck to all of them!! I'm so proud of you all. Email me your addresses so I can write you! You will love the MTC. :)</div>
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Sending pictures! Love you!!</div>
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Sister Edwards</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-2111844181627826892013-06-27T15:26:00.002-07:002013-06-27T15:26:58.336-07:00Wave 2 of pics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dinner at a member's house!<br />
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They have the coolest backyard!<br />
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They have chickens!<br />
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We looooooove duckies<br />
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Saw these colors together- reminded me of Dakota<br />
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Everyone here is OBSESSED with roll tide<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Beautiful McCalla! Right by Stephanie's house.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: start;">This is an old conference Ensign, but I was flipping through it and look who I saw!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">A lady in our ward, Sister Bonham, has her own sewing shop in her house. We love it! she fixed some of our skirts for us. We took a picture in her shop</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: start;">This is in Pleasant Grove, AL. A nasty tornado wiped out the trees two years ago</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: start;">We have a ton of cockroaches in our apartment. :( We don't have roach spray so this is how we deal with them... putting a cup over them till they die, then spraying them with cleaner just in case. We're picking up some roach spray today. We have three roaches under cups like this, all over our front room. lol. It's kinda funny but nasty at the same time. We hate them!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Yayyy for our companionship!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-40141401861714702992013-06-15T16:40:00.001-07:002013-06-15T16:40:35.468-07:001st batch of pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-75386495485098284502013-06-12T20:51:00.000-07:002013-06-13T12:59:45.270-07:00<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" type="cite">
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I'M IN ALABAMA!!! hallelujah!! I have so much to tell you, but it might have to wait till <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2098634255" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Monday</span></span> when I have more time.<br />
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My zone/district is Bessemer A. Our apartment could be better but it could be worse. Everyone here is SOO friendly. The ward is amazing. The Relief Society pres. came right over and took us to Wal-mart and bought us dinner and took us to the church to meet the bishop. I'm in the Bessemer ward, everyone is family in the ward.</div>
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My trainer companion is Sister Maren Wilson from Provo!!! She went to Provo High with me and I remember her. Mom, she was in that Children of Eden play. Facebook her, I know you'll remember her. She's been out one transfer more than me (8 weeks total, including the MTC) and both of us are brand new to this area. So we're whitewashing it, and we're both new... so it's been interesting and awesome. The relief society pres and everyone is so willing to help and show us around. She (the relief society pres) has driven us all around and is waiting for us right now while we email. the members are seriously the greatest. We're taking over the elder's apartment so it's a little gross, but we'll get it fixed up. They haven't had sister missionaries in this ward for 6 whole years, so they are ECSTATIC to have us! Everyone wants to have us over for dinner, help us, do anything they can. It's awesome. Sister Wilson and I get along so so well and have everything in common. We're going to be best friends and we both know it. She's super cute and way fun and we love knowing all the same people. She's amazing for being ready to train after ONE transfer. So impressed.</div>
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Everyone in this area is kind and open and loving. Alabama is SO. HOT. And sooooo humid. It's like living in a sauna all the time. I am regretting not buying more simple, plain t-shirts and lightweight skirts. I can't see myself ever wearing a cardigan or jacket or anything. It's so so hot but we have a gorgeous brand new 2013 Toyota Corolla with 60 miles on it. So I do have a car! But our miles are limited so I will still have to bike a lot. </div>
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<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2098634256" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Yesterday</span></span> at the mission home was amazing!! The mission home is in the most beautiful part of Birmingham, in a little city called Hoover. The only way I can describe Alabama is like The Woodlands. It's LINED with trees everywhere you go, as tall as you can see. Gorgeous, winding roads with every blooming tree you can imagine, flowers, cute old country signs, and just.. wow. You know how pretty the area of Waxahachie is that the Swalbergs live in? Or the area in Dallas where Audrey Bishop used to live? Or the drive up to YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow or HEB Camp? It's like that EVERYWHERE, but without the little town feel. It's a big city and it's just beautiful. There are huge baptist, methodist, protestant churches on every single corner. There are beautiful rolling hills and trees just EVERYWHERE. </div>
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The members here are wonderful and are so excited for us to be here. They love to talk!! There's a lot of history in this ward. Everyone is related and named after the first members of the ward. We share the ward boundaries (which are huge. It's about a 45 minute radius) with another set of elders. Our area is really so huge, and it's only one ward. It will be tricky to cover so many places with so little miles but we'll bike. We're going to go to the nicer parts of the boundaries, too, which is Mccalla, Pleasant Grove and Hueytown. We'll pray and go by the spirit.</div>
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<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2098634257" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Tomorrow</span></span> is my first official day of mission life. We're going to go visit some people we found in the area book and check up on some families. A boy named "Danny" (name changed) is getting baptized in July so I'm sure we'll go check up on him too. I can't wait to actually do this for real! It's so exciting. The heat and humidity is killer but some how it will all work out. </div>
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My interview with Pres. Holzapfel last night was wonderful and exactly what I needed. He said he predicts that at the end of my mission, he'll call up Pres Hanks and say "Let's talk about Sister Edwards. I bet she was the kind of missionary that when she left an area, you could say "she always left it better than she found it."" I'm really hoping that's the case. That's my new mission goal, thanks to Pres. H. he's amazing and teaches with so much power. We got to briefly hear from him at transfer meeting and he is just an amazing person. </div>
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About my blog, do you have a way to put the pictures on the blog? I know you can upload them there too. That would be really great if it's not too much hassle, just so it completely captures the experience. Thank you!!</div>
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That video of Schatzie kills me. Can't even believe it. </div>
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My P-Day is <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2098634258" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Monday</span></span>, so I get to email you again then. Hopefully I'll have more to say. I'm gonna attach pictures! It was so wonderful to hear from you on the phone, even if it was short. I love you so much. I miss you all and I loved hearing your voices. You are the best family and I can't believe how much love you sent me at the MTC. It meant more than you could possibly know!!! I was so spoiled and everyone was so jealous. But thank you so so so much. </div>
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Love,</div>
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Sister Edwards<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-62043113589452252682013-06-05T21:18:00.000-07:002013-06-05T21:22:36.326-07:00First email from the MTC!<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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Hey! Hey! Don't know that I'm gonna get all my pics out today. My computer isn't working and the pictures aren't working.</div>
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So much to say and so little time to say it all. Wow. The MTC is great but so so busy. and so crazy. My district is cool although we are all so different. The elders are going to Reno, Nevada and the sisters are going to Alabama. I love my teachers. They are amazing. Bro. Hilton is so great.</div>
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One of the cool focuses of the MTC is to convert the missionary. We talk a lot about how you can't convert someone else unless you are fully converted yourself. the other cool thing is that I always thought personal study was studying for yourself. In the MTC we learn to study for our investigators during study time, and find scriptures/stories that THEY need to hear. through studying for another person, you gain strength and knowledge you wouldn't have otherwise gained. sorry for all l the typos. trying to go fast. The sisters in my district are cool. We get along well. They're all in one room except for Sis. Haws and me. We're on our own, but it's okay. I like having extra space and room. I lead the sisters in workouts a lot, which is fun. Loving my workout book!</div>
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I've seen SOO many people I know!! Seriously a ton. I saw Tim Sitze the other day. I see Saren and Eric often, and Margo often too. It's way fun. We write each other notes and leave them on our desks. I see people from my classes at BYU and it's fun. I also have seen Elder Kent Fellows a lot. You don't know who he is, but he's the son of the man I met when I announced my call in Mission Prep. They're both from Alabama. His name is John Fellows. You should let him know I've seen Kent! We have breakfast at the same time so it's cool.</div>
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Thanks for all the Dear Elders!! That awkward moment when your district leader walks in with a stack of letters and ALL but two or three are for you. Haha. It's awesome though. Thanks so much to everyone who has written me. It seriously means the world. The MTC is so so so hard and so exhausting. It means everything to have a letter to read at the end of the day. So please give my sincere love to everyone who has written me. Rachel, Dad, Derek Williamson, Jessie Jones, Sis. Pedroza, Aunt Cindy, Shayla, Aunt Mikael, Andie, Kaelani, Landon, and of course the endless Dear Elders from you, Mom and Brady. Means the WORLD. i wish I had time to write every single person back but please know how much to means to me. There's not a single letter I don't appreciate!! I get letters at lunch today so if I've missed anyone in the list that's why! We get letters twice a day, at lunch at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_261950989" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">1:40</span></span> and dinner at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_261950990" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">6:40</span></span>. Dear Elders have to be in by <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_261950991" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">12pm m</span></span>st and we usually don't get them til dinner time. so yeah. The district leader picks up the letters and hands them out.</div>
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Everyone was right! Wait till <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_261950992" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span>. It's so much more doable after <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_261950993" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span>, although still difficult. Things slow down a bit though. I'm still exhausted although I have a hard time sleeping at night. I lay awake forever in the hopes of falling asleep.The MTC is not like EFY haha. It's like ed week times twenty. No one is on your back or makes sure you are some place. You are on your own and responsible for yourself. and you learn ALL day. haha.</div>
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A tip to future missionaries: know your scripture masteries!! seriously so helpful that I still know mine from high school. it's been the biggest blessing.</div>
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Mom Google He's been there before, and marks of a man. two awesome missionary poems/stories. Thanks for the footie socks, razors and coconut roll! so sweet!!</div>
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Got to go on the temple walk <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_261950994" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Sunday</span></span>!! It was so cool and weird. I saw a lot of people I knew then too. I was thinking about how I was there just 2 months ago with Emily Lewis, walking around and wanting so badly to have that black name tag, to be a part of the team. And now I'm here. Now i get to do this marvelous work and be a part of the team. It was surreal. But awesome. We've also been focusing a lot on preaching with boldness. Moroni <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_261950995" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">8:16</span></span> has helped me with that. My MTC teacher said that when you preach with love, it's never overbearing.</div>
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I am glad you kept my bag! I like it and would rather have it than not have it. Just mail it here to the MTC please. :) I can't believe I leave so soon! the time has flown. Sister Haws and I got to leave this morning for my eye appointment. It felt so foreign to go out of the MTC haha. I drove past Jamba and Andie's apartment and everything. So so weird.</div>
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Gotta go. I'm gonna send more pics. Love you all!!</div>
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Sister Kelsey Edwards</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2486272414183065748.post-85259516325412081532013-05-28T22:22:00.002-07:002013-05-28T22:22:58.141-07:00TestThis is a test. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0