Date
June 19, 2018
Area
Pittsfield, IL
Companion
Sister Aubrey Alder
TRANSFER DOCTRINE AH
So, each day I just get progressively more and more tired and I'm probably going to come home with narcolepsy because of it lol. Also, you know it's insanely humid when you go to stand in the shade to cool off but the 99° weather in the blazing sun feels the exact same under the tree. Love it.
Sister Alder and I go to the Nursing Home twice a week to visit a less active member. There's a man who goes to the Nursing Home every single day to visit his wife. We asked him if he would be interested in listening to a message we had to share. He told us no and then started talking about Jehovah Wittnesses lol. We asked him if we could come play the guitar and sing to him and his wife. He said he would love it, so we went and sang Joseph Smith's First Prayer!! #1NewInvestigator? We were singing hymns in the open sitting room area next to the dining room. We sang while everyone was eating dinner and after we had finished singing the husband told us that everyone stopped making noises and just listened. He said it was the quietest he's ever heard the Nursing Home. So that was really cool, and I've decided that after my mission I want to keep doing that.
Last week we met a family while we were tracting in a small town in our area called Griggsville. We knocked on this house and this dad answered, telling us that he had read the Book of Mormon and didn't think any of it was true. We tried to help explain more of what the Book of Mormon was, left him with our number, and then left. While we were at zone conference last week, Sister Alder and I both felt strongly that we needed to go back and see them. We went over to their home on Sunday night and told them, "We know that you clearly told us that you weren't interested in hearing a message from our church, but we felt very prompted to come back and tell you that our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ, repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. As we have been praying about knowing who to invite, the spirit has told us to come to you and we would like to take a couple of minutes to come inside and share a quick message with you and your family." AND THEN THEY TOLD US TO COME INSIDE AND THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO LISTEN. It took some MAJOR confidence let me tell ya, but we had been fasting for it and I seriously know it was all by divine design. They told us that they didn't believe some of the things we were telling them, but they committed to read from the Book of Mormon and pray about it! It was honestly such a cool lesson and their love for God and Jesus Christ is insane. Hands down, boldest move I have yet made on my mission and TOTALLY WORTH IT.
NANCY TROLLED ME AND MADE ME EAT FRIED PIG SKIN AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT. SO GROSS.
So, transfer calls were yesterday and I'm leaving Pittsfield and I'm SO sad about it. I've already cried 5 different times lol. I've gained such a huge love for everyone in this small town. And I'm literally depressed that Sister Alder and I don't get to be companions longer. It has been the absolute best thing in the world to be companions with your best friend. Seriously, so much fun. I think our Mission President knew that Sister Alder and I were doing way too good together haha.
I won't know my next area or who my new companion will be until we actually get to transfers in St. Louis tomorrow! So, I'm anxious as heck but insanely excited to see where I go. (Hopefully a city because I have been so deprived the past 5 months. The Wal-Mart here doesn't even have a produce section lol what)
SIDE NOTE- the only good thing about leaving Pittsfield is that I finally get to move into an apartment that isn't haunted or smells like dead people! #blessed
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT- I decided to study the Book of Mormon chapter in Preach My Gospel to prepare for this family in Griggsville. The mom had asked us if the Book of Mormon puts the Bible down in any way and I had just read this phrase that I was able to say to her, "The Book of Mormon supports the Bible, it exhorts us to read it, and testifies of the truthfulness of its message." I think it's so sad when people don't understand what the Book of Mormon really is. It's so interesting when people tell us that the Book of Mormon has nothing to do with Jesus Christ and that it's all about Joseph Smith, when Jesus Christ is literally on the cover of the book. I love this quote that I recently found by President Ezra Taft Benson, "We do not have to prove the Book of Mormon to be true. The Book is it's own proof. All we need to do is read it! The Book of Mormon is not on trial- the people of the world, including members of the church, are on trial as to what they will do with this second witness."
That's it for the Pitts for the last time :'(
Okay also, sorry this email is forever long- Frank is the investigator we picked up a couple of weeks ago who told us he would completely quit drinking coffee and is hands down the most golden investigator I will probably ever have on my mission. He's getting baptized on Saturday and we are SO happy and excited for him! I won't be here for the baptism, but I have been so impressed with how good he is. God seriously lead us right to his house and Frank was so ready to hear our message. It has been so cool to be a part of his conversion process and see how prepared he has been.
xoxo,
Sister Beal
Pic 1: my adopted grandpa (he's the one that let me borrow his guitar for the past 2 transfers. Literally, the best)
Pic 2: our potential Jennifer, who I love A LOT