With the younger Arkansas Sperry's back to their home, the house
has gone back to its normal quiet state and it is beautiful :) A lot of
events happened this week with our investigators and within the life of
Sister Larson in general! I have learned a lot, mainly about the Lord's
timing. With October, the girl with the baptismal date, she dropped us
this week and said that she isn't ready right now to keep learning
because she is trying to finish nursing school and can't learn anymore
from us. We had a hard time with coming to terms with her not learning
anymore. Another investigator hasn't been at home to be taught when we
plan these really spiritual lessons too. Another lesson of the Lord has
his timing even if we plan by the spirit, sometimes things do not go as
planned because they are heading in a different direction we just can't
see yet. It has been a bittersweet learning week that is for sure but I
have gained a testimony of patience and truly letting the Lord lead the
course because it will end in a place that is better than anything I
come up with!
Our investigator Rusty, who testified of the Book of Mormon to his
pastor dropped us awhile ago but his wife has come into the picture! She
accepted a Book of Mormon, wants us to come by to visit with just her.
We left her with Mosiah chapter 4 to read earlier in the week and by
Saturday she has read the whole chapter! Whoop! Her husband Rusty was
home and he committed to reading that chapter before next week and to be
home for our next return appointment :) They are such a nice family and
have such great faith. We are excited to see where it all goes with
them and hopefully we will see them at church next week.
The lady who takes care of Nate Sperry, Teresa, stayed the night
this past week and we had dinner with her at our house. After we ate, we
watched the Joseph Smith movie with her and then talked with her
afterwards for another 2 hours. When she first started working for the
Sperry's 5 years ago, she was curious about this "blue book" that Nate
would hold in his hands just thumbing through it. So she picked it up
and would read in random places. Well she was curious about the book and
so she bought one online, for $22 mind you ha and has her own copy of
the Book of Mormon at her house. She never asked the Sperry's any
questions really and we ended up answering a lot of her questions that
night. It was such a long discussion but it was so awesome at the same
time! She never grew up going to church, she's in her 40's and she
started going to church 3 months ago...just 1 month after we got here.
If Sister Barnum and I don't really see why we are here with other
people, I can honestly tell you that we are here for Teresa and she
tells us the same thing. Hopefully she commits to letting us teach her,
she was a little hesitant about it but took the Ensign magazine from
last year in October that was all about the Book of Mormon. She is
incredible!
We had exchanges this week with the sisters in Liberty. I went down
to the Liberty 1st ward with Sister Lisonbee and it was a crazy
experience. The best part about being down in the house again at the
jail, was seeing Sister Dodd and Sister Kavea!! On Friday night after
planning, I went out on the porch with those sisters and we talked,
laughed and had so much fun together. I think we could have easily
stayed up til midnight, but don't worry, we were obedient! Saturday was a
fairly dead teaching day because Sis Lisonbee just got to the area and
didn't really know where to go plus a lot of people weren't home. Although
we did come across a member who wanted us to learn HIS ways, learn how
the Book of Mormon is false and he found out for himself, blah blah
blah. I may have interrupted him a few times, told him we would listen
to him if he would listen to us (with a smile on my face)...he did NOT
like my interruptions haha. So he avoided eye contact with me and just
looked at Sis L the rest of the time haha. The whole time I was thinking
of the story of Korihor in Alma 30, wishing that I could strike him dumb
haha. It was a very funny and sad situation. We prayed for him haha.
That night at dinner, we were walking up to this house which looked like
it was falling apart. Sis Lisonbee didn't know the members and I of
course didn't either. As we walked up I said, "I have a feeling were
going to be eating some interesting food...." Well. I can honestly say
that I have had the worst dinner experience of my mission, thanks to
exchanges. Dog pee every where, tons of trash, dirty floors, dirty
dishes, black floaties in the drinks, cock roaches on the
ground/floor/stove....the members were around 50 and didn't have any
teeth and the wife had whiskers on her face that looked like a go-tee. I
don't know if that's a good enough description but all I have to say is,
if it weren't for the power of prayer, my stomach wouldn't have survived!
Sis Lisonbee was a rock star, after we left and talked about it all, she
said "listen to me! I am so ungrateful, they fed us and didn't even need
to! I am grateful they did that." She was serious too! It was a HUGE
lesson that I learned in a matter of minutes. Course I'm not saying I
would go back and do it all over again haha but it was a moment I will
never forget.
On a funny note, the Weed family that we have been visiting with
for awhile, their daughter got baptized a month or so ago fed us on
Friday before exchanged. Their littlest girl, Eliana, is 7 years old and
says the funniest things. Her mom was looking for her chapstick in her
purse, she yelled out, "who took my chapstick!?" Eliana then says, "Not
me! Last time I'd sawed it was in my hands today after school!" Hahaha.
After my laughter about her comment, I turned to her and told her that
was taking her chapstick. She quickly corrected me with raised eyebrows,
big eyes and her hand unfolding in my face saying "Noooooo, that's
BORROWING." Hahaha. I LOVE HER!!! She made my week. Another positive
note, we got a new district leader who is a BOSS! He is so awesome and
is already turning our district around, we are so excited to have him as
our leader. Our awesome Zone Leaders came to our meeting this week too
which was a tender mercy for me because they are incredible and so
uplifting. I love little tender mercies :)
I hope you all have a wonderful week and keep your heads held high!
Remember, it is all in the Lord's timing. Its up to us to make sure we
SEE His timing and don't fight against it :) Much love to you! I miss you
too!!!
Love
Sista Larson
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