Keep Pushin' Through, Rain, Snow, or Shine

Hey Y'all!

Happy Valentines day! I hope everyone got sweets! Our ward members loaded us up with so many treats at church that we got sick!  I'm sorry for the delay on the weekly email, yesterday was presidents day and since the library was closed, my mission president moved P-day to Tuesday.

Can you believe I have been out for a whole month?! When I realized that, my mind was blown! I feel like I just got here! It is really true what they say, in your mission your days feel like weeks, and your weeks feel like days. But I am so excited to be out here doing the Lord's work. It has been the best experience I have ever had.

This past week has been spiritual, a little disappointing, but overall amazing. We had several appointments cancel on us. Including Mr. Harvey who kind of shrugged us off. We have tried calling back to set up another appointment, but he hasn't been answering. We are hoping to get an appointment this week though. Another investigator, Shanada, who is very promising, did the same thing to us. Pray for them that they might at least let us in their door again.

Our dear investigator Thyrus did not come to church again. She also didn't answer her door or phone when we knocked and called. I KNOW she needs to be baptized, and that if we came in and asked her, she would say yes. But she is being stubborn! I really hope and pray that we can get in the door and teach her more about the gospel.

Through all of our challenges with our current investigators this week, we did have two rays of hope. The first one came when Sister K and I were filling up gas in our car. We ran into a woman named Angela who is incredibly prepared! She use to live in the same apartment complex as missionaries and even attended our church a couple times. She is interested in learning more, and excited for the missionaries to come and teach her family. We will set up an appointment to see her this week.

The other little miracle is named Mihsah. We kind of tracked into her? After a failed attempt to knock at Thyrus's door, we went to go visit some other potential investigators in the trailer park where she lives. It was a cold day, and it actually snowed! We knocked on the door of this home, expecting to see an old potential investigator that we had lost contact with, and instead got Mihsah. She is a mother of 5 children and so prepared to hear the gospel! Apparently the people that lived there before here moved out a while ago. She invited us in and the first thing she said to us when we started talking about religion was that the Bible has missing pieces! We were like HECK YES WE KNOW! She also stated later that Satan in the pre-mortal life was one of Gods children until he was cast out of His presence! I swear we didn't even need to teach her the lessons! Sister K and I had to contain our excitement, but we did give her a Book of Mormon which she made the connection was "the missing pieces to the Bible." Whoo hoo!!!! :D She committed to read it and take the 5 lessons. We are seeing her again on Wedensday. Pray for her to continue receiving further inspiration as we teach her!

On Thursday we went to the Atlanta Georgia Temple and had zone conference. It was amazing! The temple is beautiful, inside and out, and I learned so much from the zone conference. We had the opportunity to ride up with some sisters and our mission nurse. On the way back she actually let us listen to Disney Music! I was way excited!

I went for the first time on exchanges with my Sister Training Leaders in the Peechtree City ward. Their names are Sister Leyba and Sister McFarland. They are some of the sweetest sisters ever! I learned a lot form them! I went with sister McFarland on bikes as we set out to go see some investigators and members. Although it was a gloomy day, and it started pouring rain as we rode home, I absolutely LOVED it. Riding a bike was lot's of fun, it made me really appreciate the beauty-and hilliness- of Georgia in a way that you can't get while riding in a car. Most of the appointment we had canceled, but we did share a powerful lesson about baptism with a young teen named Molly who committed to being baptized! We also spent a lot of time with a recent convert family. They are so nice and sweet. We read a chapter form the book of Mormon with them and really just had a great visit.

Overall, this week as been amazing. Although we have had our ups and downs, at the end I have loved every second. I really gained a strong testimony of the worth of souls and that as long as we try our hardest, the Lord will bless us. I know I am out here for a reason, and that reason is to serve the Lord by bringing the lost sheep to His fold. in Alma 26:3 it says: And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we may have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work." I know that the Lord called me to be an instrument to bring about the great work, which is missionary work in the Georgia Atlanta mission. And even though some weeks seam a little harder than others, and we may feel as though we are giving our all but nothing is coming form it, the Lord will bless us.

Y'all have a great week! And remember, you are loved by our Heavenly Father,

Sister Welch

Me and Sister K...goofing off in the car.

This is a picture of a REALLY old Doctrine and Covenants book that I found on our book shelf. Someone owned it at some point because there are notes in it. I think I'll make it part of my personal study.

These are pictures of my first greenie breakfast! My ward mission leader made me a green waffle, green grits, green bacon, green scrambled eggs, green orange juice, and green milk! Hahaha! although it looks nasty, it was very delicious! :D

Pics of me eating mac and cheese with green beans, Dad's specialty. I was feeling a little home sick, so I decided to have some in honor of my awesome family! :D