Monday, June 1, 2015

HOPE Y'ALL AREN'T EXPECTING THE SAME TAYLOR WHEN I GET HOME,
BECAUSE SHE WON'T BE THERE!
Paul and Daysha -My favorite place is sitting on this front porch with this family teaching them! They are super good to us! They call us their angels!

Here's an update coming at ya live from RUSS VEGAS!

Storms. Monday night we had a tornado touch down real close to us. Some of the ward members had trees in their living rooms. Luckily it didn't come into town where we were but some places got it pretty bad. At one point Katie had us in her bathtub-I guess that’s the safest place during a tornado? But it’s crazy the bad weather comes on so fast! The sky was so creepy. President called our district leader and told us that we need to get inside and stay put for the night so we almost had to stay the night at Katie’s. It ended up clearing up so we were able to go home late that night. It was pretty scary but luckily we were with some of her non member neighbors so we made the most of it ;) We got to teach a bit and we watched Saratov Approach with them. 




We get our Ipads tomorrow! We have been doing a lot of training and preparing for this. Elder Zwick of the Seventy came and spoke to us on Wednesday and we were given a lot of instruction. I'll be using Facebook in a couple weeks and I can be "friends" with family and friends on FB as well! It's actually pretty cool because family and friends are allowed to comment and even help us teach through comments. It's all acceptable as long as it’s missionary related. But I still can only message through emails on Mondays. Anyways there is a lot to it but that'll be kind of fun! You all can help me with the work! It's also pretty smart because they are preparing us to use technology after our missions too. To make facebook a tool to access people and teach, rather than a place to tell people what you had for lunch. Ya know how missionaries aren't allowed to preach in some areas of the world? Well using Facebook we can reach them =) At first we were a little hesitant with the change, and it’s a little odd for us to be combining our mission life with our home life like this, but it really will help is in the work in every way. 


All the Spanish speakers in the mission!
(For the Ipad training, the whole mission got together which normally never happens. For transfers we have  Little Rock side and a Memphis side, so it was cool to all be together!)

English Elders had a baptism Saturday! Woot Woot Russ Vegas District!

We had a return appointment with April. She's a minister for another church but wanted us to come teach, so we did…and it went well at first but then it slowly starting turning into them trying to prove us wrong and trying (and failing) to stump us. We realized where this was going so we just bore testimony and left them with the invitation to read and pray. She then went on to tell us that if God needed her to have more knowledge and if God wanted her to have another book then he would give her a sign or tell her she needed more...I think my jaw dropped. The missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are literally sitting on your couch right now. I don't know how much more of a sign God could possibly give then sending representatives of his son, Jesus Christ to your living room. 

Another cool experience: teaching a family, the wife and husband both had different religious views. The husband kind of took over and attempted to explain his religious views. He used a lot of big words that didn't make sense but we just went with it. We slowly tried getting through the lesson but he kept objecting etc, etc...at one point of the lesson I explained "that through the Restoration we now have the fullness of the gospel, and although all churches are good, and contain correct pieces, they still are missing the fullness etc, etc. But the Church of Jesus Christ has every piece of Christ’s original church." Using his big words he basically told me that since we believe that we are the only true church that he can no longer sit and listen to us and stormed out. I'm a people pleaser and my initial reaction was to try to stop him and to clarify or maybe reword what I said in hopes that he would continue to listen. But the coolest thing happened. I felt the spirit just burn inside me telling me to "stand your ground" "don't you dare budge because what you just said is 100% true and you do not owe him an explanation." It was so clear to me and that burning feeling in me is something I will not forget. We sat there in silence, watched him throw his little tantrum, and then turned to his wife and finished the lesson with her. Jacob 4:13 (I think that’s the right reference) talks about the spirit testifying of truth. And that is exactly what happened. We are the only true church on the earth and we have the fullness of the gospel. Jesus Christ established one church, and he gave us one way to salvation. And that one way is found in the Church of Jesus Christ. They can throw all the tantrums they want but that will not change. 

Rest Home yesterday: I may have mentioned this before but we go see Fredda every week. She has Alzheimer’s real bad. Like in our 15 minute conversations we have the same conversation 6 or 7 times. She forgets who her roommate is sometimes, just everything. But every time we go in there without fail she gives us big hugs and calls us by name and says over and over again "you girls are the best girls I've ever known" haha she is such a sweetheart. After her telling us this we told her it’s because of the church we go to. And since she doesn't remember what church that is she always asks and we tell her again, "the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" and then she said "oh yes that church is the greatest church in the whole wide world." haha we definitely agree with her on that one. Last night we sat around a table with 5 of them and they told us all the things they did on date nights when they were teenagers...Yes that’s all we talked about for 15 minutes..over and over and over again. haha love them. 

We set a goal to have 5 to church yesterday. By Saturday night we were only planning on 2 actually following through. But since Heavenly Father is CLUTCH we went to pick up Daysha Sunday morning for church and out comes all 3 of her kids and 2 of the neighbors kids! What’s up 6 TO CHURCH. Ahh, such a good Sunday. I had to talk in English church..feels good to have that over with yeee. 

I'm learning so much. We are working with a lot of people currently. Sometimes we feel a little stretched thin because there is so much work to be done. God's work is hard work but man nothing is more rewarding.    

I hope y'all aren't expecting the same Taylor when I get home because she won't be there.

Love Y'all.  



Also #blessed because we have the car back. 


Last Week's P-Day
Mount Magazine!





Oh what's up tropical rain forest, I mean ARKANSAS. ha ha! But really it's gorgeous.  Who knew, right???



The Smith's took us to the Old Mill. 
If I remember right, there was a scene form "Gone With the Wind" where they show this place.  It's super pretty and green as always!
Bishops daughter, Sydnee and Sam Smith
Sydnee graduated so we stopped by for lunch. Sam is heading to BYU! We LOVE these girls!

Katie's new puppy!

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