Becoming a Southern Bell: I Like to Look for Rainbows Whenever There is Rain!

Hey Y'all!

So I know y'all are probably wondering, and I'll tell you. I have been sent to the Hiram Ward! :D This is in the furthest stake north in my mission. Hiram was created about 2 months ago after several ward/stake changes disintegrated the old wards and they re-organized new ones. It is COMPLETELY different from Flatcreek. It's more rural, not filled with mansion-sized houses, and the ward has many more older families than in Flatcreek. Oh and most importantly, there are no golf carts. :P Haha! :D We are living in a re-modeled barn behind our landlady's house. It's a really nice place. :)

My new companion is a sister that I sat with on the plane when we came to Atlanta. Sister Williams! :D We weren't in the same district, but came out together. She has been here a transfer longer than me, and neither of us have any idea who anyone is! We have about 4 investigators. But one is progressing. Her name is "J". :)

My companion met "J" last transfer, but she didn't progress much until we went by the day after transfers. Funny story, "J" lives on a hill. On the side of a really busy street. We didn't want to park on it cause it was scary so we went to this little duplex community about a block down and parked there. We didn't have out umbrellas and it was raining lightly, but we thought we could get there and back without much problem. However, as we walked closer to "J's" house, it started raining harder and harder until we finally got under her porch. It DUMPED rain. We knocked on her door and her son answered, told us she was asleep on the couch. She woke up long enough to tell us to come back the next day at around noon. We said okay, closed the door and looked into the wall of rain. And so we walked, to our car. Without umbrellas. By the time we got to the car we were literally soaked to the bone! We decided that it happened because we were demonstrating how one should look after baptism. :) Soaked through, not a partical dry. We then went to the church and rung out our skirts. And hair. And shoes. Just everything. :P Oh, Georiga rain. :P

Anyway, we went back to see "J" the next day and taught a great restoration lesson! We invited her to baptism and she said yes! We set up a return appointment for Sunday and left. NOT IN THE RAIN. Haha! :D When we came back, she had read through all the questions and scripture answers in the back of the pamphlet! We taught her about the Plan of Salvation with her two sons and she ate it up! I can't wait to see her and her family progress in the gospel! :D

We have had so may miracles this week, and I wish I could talk about them all. But I'm running out of time. However, I would like to talk about one other one. This miracle is pretty cool. :) As I mentioned before, we are both new to the area, and therefore don't know anyone. We spent a good part of our day on Sunday finding less active members and seeing if they are interested. We knocked at the door of a woman named Sister Tripplet. Her daughter-in-law opened the door and got her. We sat outside and talked with her for a while, and it turns out she really isn't less-active. :) She wasn't able to come to early church due to medical reasons and has really been missing going. She told us about her conversion in Washington. How her whole family is strong in other faiths, has pastors in other faiths. And she went against them all and joined the church. They tried to convince her not to, but 3 weeks after she met the missionaries she was baptized. At one point a group of pastors took her aside and tried to convince her not to join the church. She prayed and was given the spirit to testify and quote scriptures from the bible which she studied extensively. By the end, she had converted one of the pastors! That's a strong testimony! :D Sadly, her family still didn't approve and she left Washington and after several moves, she ended up here in Hiram. We were amazed by her story and I personally admire her for sticking up like that. She knew what was true, and wouldn't let anything dissuade her.

I really wish I had more time, but I just don't. :/ So I'll leave y'all with my testimony. I know that Heavenly Father is there for all of us. :) He helps us through trials. He knows where he puts each and every one of us. It's not an accident that we are where we are. There is someone we need to touch, and there is someone that needs to touch us. So don't get discouraged. Don't get depressed. The Lord knows all. And he will help you, even when you are feeling at a free-fall. He never lets us hit the ground hard. Not as long as we rely on him.

Y'all's Southern Bell,

Sister Welch.

We went to the temple today! :D Here is me and Sister Williams and the members that took us. :D