Stuck In the Mud!

Hey Y'all!

The start of this week was SO rainy!!!!!!!! In fact, it created a hilarious experience that I must share with ya'll before talking about the rest of the week. Sister K and I were doing some tracting in the country part of our area called Fayetteville. We had decided to stop there after being prompted by the spirit. Houses are farther apart, and we were on a busy main road, so we decided to pull off to a gravel driveway of what looked to be an abandoned house. We pulled a little into the grass to let other cars pass through if someone was living there or behind the house. So we set off tracting the street! :D We got one goodish contact, and after a while we decided it was time to move on, so we walked back to the car. Since it was a busy road, Sister K didn't want me helping her back out onto it, so she decided to make a three-point turn on the grass. Remember how I told you it had been raining all week? Yeah, well the rain had turned the grass to soft, gushy mud. But Sister K pulled onto it, and tried to back up. Just before we had decided  to try this wonderful idea in a 2 wheel drive car, we both had the thought that we would have some kind of problem backing out. And look what happened! WE GOT STUCK!!! Sister K tried to back out, only to dig a deeper rut with the front two tiers! We laughed so hard we could barely breath! I tried to push the car while she backed up, but nothing happened. SHE tried to push the car while I backed up and had the same result. Finally, after much laughing and discussion about how dumb we were, we called our Zone Leaders helplessly. After calling them, we decided to say a prayer, asking the Lord for help. Immediately after the prayer, a man in a red pickup came pulling into the driveway and asked if we were stuck. He then pulled us out of the mud with his truck. Haha! We learned our lesson that day to NEVER drive on the grass after a week of rain!

However funny that experience may be, it can also be a big lesson for us. At times we may feel like we are stuck in the mud, our tires spinning and spinning, but finding no traction. No matter how hard we try, we alone cannot get out of the mess we made. The sins we may have committed, the mistakes that keep digging a deeper and deeper rut until we finally realize that we cannot get out alone. It is at that point, when we have tried our hardest, that we decide to kneel down and ask for help. We pray to our father, ask him for help, ask him for forgiveness, and like the man with the red truck, he sent the savior to atone and help us. The Lord does not want us to do this alone, he knows we can't. He knows that we are here to fall down, make choices, and be human. That is why he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to be our helper. To give us mercy, and to pull us out of the rut we dug trying to help ourselves out. I have often wondered that if we had listened to that thought not to go on the grass, then we wouldn't have been in the situation we were in. That is true, and we would have gone merrily on our way, not learning an important lesson. I am glad that we made the mistake, I am glad that I have agency to choose and to stumble and fall. But I am more thankful for the Savior, who can pull us out when we just ask. All that is required of us is to give our best, to humble our prideful selves, and to seek help form the Lord and our Savior by by getting down on our knees to pray. Just as Peter reached his hand out when he was sinking on the waters, cry for Christ to save him, so must we reach our hands out and ask for help. 

Anyway! After getting stuck in the mud at the beginning of the week, we did manage to turn it around and have a great time! Unfortunately, Sister K has been sick with dizzy spells that make it almost impossible for her to stand, let alone drive, but we went out on the days we could and were blessed for our service. We dropped our investigator Thyrus, after an interesting session at her doorstep. Lets just say I'm glad she didn't come out, because I am almost positive she would have torn our heads off... Yeah... This is not the first time she has treated us like this, and because of that fact, we decided to drop her. The spirit does not dwell in homes where people don't love one-an-other. 

Unfortunately, our appointment from Mihsah also fell through. Neither her, nor her kids were home. We had brought an amazing member along with us, Sister Fincher, who goes with us everywhere. We decided to make good use of our time with her and drop by on a potential investigator named Lolitta. What an amazing blessing it was to do that! The two hit it off right away, and not only that, but Sister Ficher was able to testify and help her after she had opened up about a serious abuse she had gone through as a child. This woman has never opened up to us in that way. We set a return appointment for tomorrow where we promised to bring her new Friend Sister Fincher along.

Cleo is doing good as well. As of right now, she is our only real progressing investigator. She started her Chemo treatments for her Lymphoma this past week, so we decided to drop by on her with the Ward Mission Leader's wife, Sister Worthington. Miss Cleo absolutely loves the Worthington's especially after Brother Wrothington gave her a priesthood blessing when she was sick. That blessing turned her conversion completely around. She really believes that the LDS church has the Priesthood Authority of God, and accepts almost everything we teach her. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and could tell she really felt the spirit. Unfortunately, she refuses to pray about Joseph Smith. We think, especially since she is so old and been a member of her church for so long, that Miss Cleo is afraid to find out it is all true. That would most likely mean her leaving all of her friends and social community behind. She didn't commit to pray, but we hope that as we bring more members by, she will become less afraid and eventually pray about Joseph Smith

We also met another miracle on the same day we got stuck in the mud. We stopped by to see some investigators, but they weren't home. We were heading back home when suddenly Sister K turns her car around and says we need to knock at one door. I was like, okay? We went back to the street with the investigators and pulled up to a big white house. Just after we had prayed, the father of the household pulls up. We told him who we were and he welcomed us in happily. He introduced us to his three kids and told us about his wife who was on the phone in the other room. His name is Gui, and he has been looking to come to church more. He doesn't go often. We gave him a Book of Mormon, and invited him to take the five lessons. He said yes! We are teaching him and his family tomorrow! :D What a blessing it was that my companion followed a prompting from the Spirit! We are so excited to teach them!

This week has been filled with blessings and lessons learned. I am so very thankful for being here. Everyday I realize what a blessing it is for me to have been called to serve in the Georgia Atlanta Mission. It has changed my life and continues to improve it. In 2 Nephi 25:26 it says: "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." I know and promise that when we live that scripture, and do all things unto Christ, we will receive a remission of our sins. We will be blessed beyond measure for the work that we do to try and become close to Christ. It confuses me, her in Georgia, how so many people don't think that Mormons believe in Jesus Christ. We had a lady that passive aggressively criticized us for not doing so. It makes me wan't to shove my name tag in her face and read her that scripture. Of course that is not the best way to handle that situation. It makes me wonder what we as members can do to help others understand that we believe in our Savior. That he is the center of our lives and the key to our salvation. The answer is in that scripture. When we do all things in his name, people will recognize and understand who we are better. I love my savior, and am so privileged to bare his name on me. But we all need to remember that we take his name upon us when we are baptized. Not just when we are missionaries. I love you all, and wish ya'll the best in your lives as we all strive to come closer to Christ.

Y'all's Southern Bell,

Sister Welch :D

Me and Sister K at the home of Mrs. Hughes.  She has been like a mom to us.

The muddy grass where Sister K and I got stuck.  

This is a picture of some play dough people and Jesus Christ that I made for an object lesson about the restoration. We had to stay in on Saturday because Sister K was sick, so I made these, and listened to the 175th general conference.