Lost and Found

Me with the new "allergy free" blanket mom sent.

Hey Y'all

This week started off pretty chilly! But each day got a little better and sunnier. :) Transfers are this week, and I am happy to say that me and Sister K will remain companions in the Flat Creek Ward! I am so thankful, especially because I have so many people to teach and investigators to bring the gospel to. I can't leave now!

This past week was a little crazy. However, we did have a few great lessons with members present. The first is kind of a funny story, well, actually both are kinda funny.  We went with our awesome member Sister Fincher, to go see S*, who wasn't home. After that small disappointment, we decided to go see an old investigator that we had given to the Elders. His name is J*. They had not had much success with him, which was weird because before we gave him to them, we had lots of success. We dropped by, and he welcomed us in gladly.  As we talked to him, we came to find out that he had attended church the Sunday before! NONE of us saw him at church, except maybe me. I remember seeing a man that fit his description at the other end of the chapel walking out. However, as of that Sunday, I had not really met J* and therefore didn't know what he looked liked. I thought for a moment that it might be a member that we don't see often and shrugged it off. Oops!

After finding out that J* was at church, we committed him to come in two weeks. We wanted him to come this week, but we had Stake Conference and he wanted to see our normal services. That is completely understandable, but we still wish he could have come. J* also shared with us an experience he had had with an answer to his prayers. After a crazy Sunday experience, where he showed up at our church 30 min late, and went to a disappointing Baptist sermon, J* was thinking that he needed a sign to know what was true. The day we came, he told God that he wanted his sign to come at his door in threes, knocking first. Right after he had said that, we came up to his door, two missionaries and a member, and knocked first. How crazy is that?! We had an amazing discussion afterwards, and we left him with the commitment to read the Book of Mormon.

Our next member present was interesting. We asked our awesome member Sister Stallings to come with us to go delilver a Bible to a woman named P*. We had set up the appointment earlier, and we were hoping to share with her the Book of Mormon as well. We met at P*'s driveway, and as we were about to go to P*'s door, a man came out of a little barn in front of us and told us she wasn't home. He looked in his 60's. We then turned our attention to him, and found out that his name was P*, and that he was the father of P*. He let us in to his little barn and started talking to us. The place smelled of smoke and beer. P* was even drinking as we talked to him. Just as a note, it was 11 in the morning... He was a very nice man, though, and very funny. Although part of me wonders how much of that was the alcohol. We did have an amazing first discussion with him. We gave him a brief view of the restoration, and a Book of Mormon which he promised to read the Intro. Sister Stalling's bore a sweet testimony which was amazing. At the end, we asked for a prayer and P* offered it. We all bowed our heads and waited. . . and waited. . . and waited. . . We looked up. P* had his head bowed and eyes closed. He said nothing. We had no idea what to do. After several long, awkward moments, P* lifted his head and smiled. That was the most interesting prayer I have ever had!

As we left, Sister Stallings gushed with excitement. This was her first time doing missionary work and she was so happy. I could tell that her testimony was strengthened because of P* and our lesson with him. To put the icing on the cake, as I was backing sister K out, P* came out of his barn, holding up the Book of Mormon, and said: "See ya'll! I'm already readin' it!" We hope to see P* and his family again.

Our other members are doing great. C* (older woman suffering with lymphoma) is fantastic, and although she hasn't prayed to know if this church is true, we think she knows. All that is left is getting her to be more at ease about leaving her church that she has attended most of her life. We hope to keep working on her.

M* (mother of 5) has been interesting... We drove by her house this past week only to find a big UHAL Truck parked outside. We knocked on her door to see what was going on, but nobody answered. We are really hoping that she hasn't moved! She has been our top investigator, and we don't want to lose her!

The rest of our week was pretty fun. We had stake conference, which was amazing. Sister K and I got a ride up to the stake building from the senior missionaries that live in our complex, the Jeffery's. It was lovely, and we had a fantastic time. The Jeffery's dropped us off at our apartment after, and just as we had gotten to the door, Sister K looks at me and says: "I think I left my quad at the church." I didn't realize the magnitude of this comment, until she told me that our apartment key, car key, and cell phone were all in her scripture bag. . . HAHAHA! We burst out laughing, realizing that we were practically stranded out here! We spent half an hour thinking of members near-by who would give us a ride. Finally, Sister K was like "Why don't we just ask our really nice neighbor?!" So we did! She is a non-member, but super nice to us and she willingly gave us a ride. Although the ride was awkward, she really is very skeptical of the church and she is a scary driver. . . But we are so grateful for her willingness to serve us. The people here in Georgia, no matter who they are, are so nice and willing to help others out.

It's been a great week, where I have seen the Lord in my life, and the lives of my investigators. I now that He answers prayers. He has answered all of mine. One thing that really stuck out to me at stake conference was something that President Foote said to us. He told us that we all come to this Earth with a "greenie fire" just as new missionaries enter the field, but that we need to keep it burning. We come with a greenie fire, and return with a "forest fire!" I hope that we all press forward, not just missionaries, but members as well. We all come to this earth, ready for the challenges and trials that await us. With excitement and energy. Let us not lose that fire, that light. keep it going, nurture it, and let it turn into a "forest fire." I love ya'll, and pray that ya'll have a blessed week!

Y'all's Southern Bell,

Sister Welch

My hand :) and one of our member's dog's, Annie, that we watched while they were on vacation. She is so funny! She think's she is a lap dog, but she is a fat golden retriever! haha! :D

I LOVE my new blanket!