Transfers

Our District!
and this was when we painted, and then got wet. fun stuff!

Dear Everyone!

So I got a brand new missionary, and I will be finishing out my mission with her, here in Shelbyville. She is really sweet, her name is Sister Theriault (pronounced tarry-o), and she is from Bakersfield, CA! That's the fifth missionary in a row that has come to this area, and is from Ca! She went to BYU for a year, so she is just barely 19! I keep getting younger and younger companions, and it just makes me feel older and older.... but it's been a good week, and Sister Theriault definitely likes to work hard, and for that I am super grateful!

So we had transfer meeting on Tuesday, at which I dropped Sister Linsangan off with Sister CobianPonce, from LIVINGSTON! And I picked up Sister Theriault! She was crying a LOT at transfer meeting, since she had to say goodbye to all of her companions from the MTC, so I was a little worried about her, but she's doing good now! She was apparently just really close to them. So, the other best part of transfer day was that we got.....CHIPOTLE on the way home!!! I seriously wanted to cry. Our awesome member who was driving us suggested it, and I had just totally given up all hope that I would ever get CHIPOTLE on my mission. There are I think two in all of Tennessee, and now I've been to one. I know, such a silly thing, but it's kinda like my comfort food. It really was a tender mercy from the Lord.

Then we had the craziest night ever, I hardly even remember it because I know it was just all over the place. But we survived. I do remember that we had dinner with some sweet ol southerners, and they had to show us their entire garden. Every single plant! But it was a good introduction to the South for Sister T. I think. :)

We enjoyed knocking on a few doors this week, met some interesting people, but a few that are sincerely interested! One of the people we talked to was out mowing his lawn. Now, it's never comfortable to approach someone who is mowing their lawn, especially because out here everyone uses riding mowers, and they are a lot louder, and more awkward to approach. So, we walked past this one, and then on our way back, went over and talked to the man mowing and his wife. They were really nice, but were asking some pretty interesting questions. What it eventually boiled down to was this: he had been kicked out of church for wearing his work clothes to church, since he came straight from work, and he was asking us if we would kick him out of church! Of course, we told him no! And explained why we dress nicely, as a sign of respect to God, but that God cared more about us being there than what we were wearing. As we were resolving a few more concerns, his wife then walks over to him and hand him a bottle of whiskey, and a cigarette. He then asks if he can come to our church if he smokes and drinks. We told him of course you can come, but we do believe in treating our bodies as temples, and a creation of God deserves respect. He kept on pushing it, but eventually, we won him over. He said, 'Well, you might just see me in your church one Sunday. You aren't gonna kick me out for my work clothes, are ya?' It was really an interesting conversation, one that Sister T had no idea how to handle, but she was doing her best! It was just such a hilarious, totally Tennessee, moment! People are so funny.

We also met a sweet woman with two kids who just moved here, and is looking for a church! She told us to come back when her husband is home, so we can talk to all of them together! Hope it goes well :)

One of the most exciting people we found this week was a boy named Noah. He has met the missionaries a few times before, but they had stopped for some reason. Sister Theriault was taking the lead on talking on this one, and she was so funny! She didnt' know what to say, so she ended up just asking if he was Noah and if he would be interested in learning more about our church. It was sorta awkward, but it came out alright, and he was quick to say, 'yes!'. it was a great moment, even though there was so much awkwardness!

Diamond is still doing great. We really made a break through with her last night, so hopefully, we will be able to help her put the pieces together some more, and help her feel comfortable to come to church. She is hilarious, I really wish I could explain, or video her or something. Last night she finally understood that she needed to be baptized by the authority, and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (by the way, I have studied a lot about that this week, there are TONS of references about that in the Bible, so cool! It's totally how the apostles gave people the Holy Ghost, through the authority Christ gave them to do so and by the laying on of hands!) So Diamond was just going on and on about how she gets it, but she doesn't want to call herself a Mormon. It's so funny when we teach her. She gets everything, but then she lets something totally irrelevant or unimportant get in her way, and then the next time we see her she is practically over it. It just cracks me up! She is getting there though, so it's ok :)

Robyn also is doing good. We moved her baptismal date back a ways because there was some stuff that came up with her family, but I think she will be able to make it! It's exciting, but we still have a lot to teach her :)

A few weeks ago I had mentioned to one of the less active members that I think old Book of Mormons are way cool! And this week when we saw him, he brought us both a copy of an old Book of Mormon! It's from the 70s I think? I just think the cover is awesome, and it's neat to see. It was so nice of him! He finds them at Goodwill, haha!

The only scary bug moment of the week (other than a wasp flying in our apartment from nowhere again, and me having to kill it, and crunch it. Eww, so gross, the crunch gets me) was when we were walking up the stairs for the night. Sister T was ahead of me, and she jumps back and yells (which is weird for her, she never makes a loud noise. she's extremely soft spoken!). I look, and see this humongous beetle!!! SO big. it's disgusting :/ See the picture. And that doesn't even do it justice. But it was right outside our apartment!!

Well, there were some moments from the week! I know I didn't even remember all of what went down. but I am sure grateful for this time to be serving! Hope you all had a good week, Thanks for the support!

 :) Love, Sister Penrod