Celebrating Pioneer Day

Becca with her new companion, Sister Clark.

Hey Y'all!

So yesterday was Pioneer Day, yay! :D And it seams as though my whole week was themed to it. First off, transfers went almost exactly as my mission president told me. :) I'm second half training an amazing missionary, Sister Clark. She is so excited to do the work and ready to serve to the best of her abilities. :D What was unexpected was that I had to stay at transfer announcements longer because I was a new trainer and needed training myself, haha! :D So here I am now, pioneering myself as a new Trainer. :) 

What happened next took me back to my Trek days. :) It all starts with us needing to bring our car in to the shop for a defect. We had gone to see the dealership the week before, but they kept my companion and a sister she was out on exchanges there for 7 hours! Then sent them home saying they didn't have the parts and that they needed to come back the next week. They set up the appointment for Friday morning at 7 am. The dealership is in a town called Morrow, about an hours drive from PTC. So Sister Clark and I got up on Friday and took the car to the dealership. They told us it would take all day to fix, so we decided to call some sisters in the area to go out on exchanges with them. :) It just so happened they were taking their car into another dealership that morning too, so on their way they dropped by and picked us up. We ended up at the other dealership with no cars, but a GPS! The two sisters, Sister Fennwick and Sister Washburn who I came out with, had the idea to do some studies at the church which was 3 miles away. So off we went! :)

However, about half way through the walk, we get a call from our car dealership saying they still didn't have the part and that we needed to return and pick up the car. From where we were, that dealership was 2.7 miles away. So what did we do?! We turned around and walked to our car dealership! In total, we walked over three miles in about 2 hours. It was hot, and the grass on the side of the road was wet, but we had fun doing it! :D That was just our little way of celebrating Pioneer Day I guess. It really made me appreciate those pioneers who trekked across the states in the hot sun. 

The last thing that happened is that we got rained on. A TON. Which is typical for Georiga, however I don't think I've gotten so wet in such a short amount of time! We were on the porch of an old investigator named "P" who had questions about the restoration. We were in the process of placing a Book of Mormon with her when it hit. A huge thunder storm that decided to dump buckets came down. After we were done with "P", we ran to our car, but by the time we got there, we were already soaked! We decided to drive to a Less Active's house, and while pulling into his driveway we met a man and talked to him, but you see, I was so excited that I didn't grab an umbrella and the man didn't have one, so in a few minutes I was dripping wet! by the time we got home there was no helping me. The next day we went all day without rain, and just as were heading home the same thing happened! I ended up running from our car to our apartment, which drenched me! I just can't imagine how those pioneers felt pulling wagons, with no relief from the rain and sun and elements. It makes me increasingly grateful for their sacrifice so that I could be here on a mission and have all the blessings of being raised in the gospel with an amazing family. 

As we take this time to remember our pioneer ancestors, it really makes me marvel how much trust they put in the Lord. They didn't give up when it got hard, and instead pushed forward, Trusting that the Lord knew what He was doing and that soon they would find rest and peace. It reminds me of a scripture in Alma, when Alma the Younger is talking to his son Helaman. Alma 36:27-28

27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.

 28 And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory

I love that Alma says that he trusted the Lord and was delivered out of all his trials, but that he continues to trust in the Lord even now, through whatever he is going through. He, like the pioneers, trusted the Lord to deliver him from death, from "all manner of afflictions" and continued to trust in Him. I am forever grateful for those ancestors that I have who trusted in the Lord enough to leave their homes and all their comforts to travel with the saints to Utah. I can only imagine the hardships they had, and the trials they were put through, some passed on to the spirit world, and some lived to see the Salt Lake Valley. However, I don't doubt that they all had faith and trust. They knew their reward, just like Alma did. That if they trusted long enough, they would live with God in glory again.

I look up to our amazing ancestors and pioneers both in the past and here in the present. I hope one day to have the strength and faith to trust in the Lord as completely as they did. And I can't wait to thank them in person when we are all living in Glory together with our Heavenly Father. :)

Y'all's Southern Bell,

Sister Welch

These are a bunch of pictures of us walking to the car dealership. Sister Washburn is the one taking the pictures. Sister Clark is in Red, and Sister Fennwick is in the front of the line. The tallest one. :) 

Yes those are headstones.  I know, right?!