Six Month Miracles

Hey Y'all!

Can you believe that as of this Wednesday I will have been a missionary for 6 months?! Wow! the time really flies when you are doing the work. It feels like just yesterday that I entered the MTC, a fresh, green missionary who had no idea what she was doing. Now, 6 months later, I still have no idea what I'm doing half the time, but I know that my testimony has grown so much more. I also know that I have learned a lot being out here. I can't wait to see myself and in another 6 months and how much I have changed!

This past week has been so much fun! "M", our top investigator right now, has been progressing wonderfully! She is now on date to be baptized. That's right, my first person on date! :D WOOH! I have honestly never seen a person more prepared for the gospel in my life. We had a lesson with her last week, where we talked to her more about the apostasy and restoration. At the end of the lesson, she was so excited. She asked us "how come nobody else knows about this?!"  I almost laughed just from the surprise. I never had that question asked before. We went on to explain that that's the reason we have missionaries out spreading the gospel to all the world. She was so excited about it! Please continue praying for her as she continues to progress in this amazing gospel.

On Friday, we had Zone Conference where we heard lots of amazing words form our mission president, stake president, and also from a recent convert in our stake. We've never had one at a conference before, so President had him come up to the stand and answer questions then bear his testimony. The man's conversion story was absolutely amazing. Before joining the gospel, he was in gangs, dealt drugs, and even ended up in jail and prison a few times. However, he finally realized that nothing he was doing brought him happiness. He thought back to his high school days when he use to make fun of a group of Mormon kids because they always smiled. He realized that he wanted to be like them. Shortly after, he saw the missionaries. He walked up to them, gave them his number, and asked to meet with them. 2 1/2 months later he was baptized. Now he's a strong member of the church for several months, has entered the temple to do baptism's for the dead, and has a calling in his ward. We were able to ask lots of questions to him about coming into the church and his experiences as an investigator and recent convert. But perhaps the best part was that we could hear his testimony and him being there really encouraged me at least to keep working. It showed me that there really are people ready to hear the gospel, that all I need to do is keep working and following the spirit. The people will come when I do that.

Zone Conference - Sister Tracy and I are in the center

Me and Sister Eberhard

Now for a funny experience. We went on exchanges with the Newnan sisters this past week. I had the wonderful opportunity to go out with Sister Eberhard. That day we had a team up with a young member preparing to go on her mission in the winter. We went out to a trailer park where we tried to contact some investigators with little luck, but on our way back, we were passing a house that Sister Tracy and I had previously knocked at which belonged to an older black woman named "Miss M". She seamed nice when we talked with her, but couldn't pray with us because she was sick. She told us to come back, so I decided at that moment that we would! We knocked at the door, and she let us in. Wooh! Right then, she told us she wanted to pray over us. She took our hands and said a beautiful prayer! . . . Then after the prayer she touched all of our foreheads. Then things got weird. Turns out "Miss M" is a self-proclaimed Prophet! That's right, we stumbled onto a prophet! She proceeded to spend 15 minutes on me, prophesying how I would go across seas with a young man and young woman and be "surrounded by little black babies," because I was an anointed one, and then don't you know, I've been praying to do this! She said several crazy things that if I were to write down all now, would take far too long, so I'll keep my story to that. She then moved on to our team up and told her "the Lord is working on her." Apparently this sweet, funny, sister said some unkind words to her mother that she needed to seek forgiveness from. haha! Then she turned to my companion, told her that she was anemic, that her future husband would be taller than her and wear a size 12 shoes. (Sister Eberhard is maybe an inch taller than me). She also said that She would have 3 babies! 

Suffice it to say, we were really trying hard to not laugh. However crazy this experience was, it did teach us something, besides that this woman was perhaps a little crazy. It showed me the power of our living prophet, Thomas S. Monson. The entire time while we were in "Miss M's" house the spirit was not there. And although she may have said some truths, that the Lord answer's prayers for example, she was not a living prophet. The things she said we not from God in the way she may have thought it was. And although she sincerely believed she was a prophet, the spirit did not confirm to our hearts that she was. However, whenever our living prophet is seen, whenever he speaks, the spirit is instantly in my heart. He does not boast that he is the prophet, like "Miss M" did. He does not prophesy to each of us, telling us if we are anemic or how many children we will have. But he leads and guides us through the power of the spirit and Priesthood authority. He warns us of the dangers that will come if we don't follow the council of the Lord and his commandments. He reminds us of the promised blessings that await each and every one of us who keep the commandments and honor our covenants made at baptism and in the temple. This prophet, is what our world needs at this time. He is a guide though our lives, and not in the way "Miss M" was. But in a very spiritual way. Our experience with "Miss M" confirmed that truth to me more than ever. I know more than ever before that Thomas S. Monson is our modern day Prophet, seer, and revelation. He has the priesthood authority to guide and direct us in these latter-days. Him and his apostles are called of God, and are the mouth piece of the Lord. When you think about that, it truly is amazing. We don't have to stumble around in the dark, relying on our own wisdom or words of another man trying to interpret scripture in his mind. Instead, our loving Heavenly Father has given us a Prophet, Apostles, and all the tools we need to be lead and guided in these days by His spirit. I know that this is true, and I know that we can all be blessed from them.

Y'all's Southern Bell,

Sister Welch

Me and Sister Eberhard being silly

Sister Tracy made us buttered rice with black beans, corn, and green beans. It was gross. We didn't finish it. Haha! :D
I'm not gonna let her live it down!

Pictures from Zone Conference