Hello my beautiful family!!!
What an amazingly wonderful week it has been and such a fast week it has been. It feels like I was just in the computer lab writing to you all. :) The most exciting news for you is all the lessons that we have taught. For the past four weeks we have gotten 32, 30, 29, and 31. But this week we got a whole bunch of lessons. We got 41 lessons this week and five new investigators. It is pretty much exciting news I think.
Sister Jewel is the sweetest member. She has been insistent in doing our laundry for us. I am pretty sure I write about this every week but it is amazing. She does our laundry for us. How amazing is that? She folds them and even irons them for us. I hardly ever iron my clothes. I love her lots. (Sorry by the way if I say something that is repeated from last week. I don't remember what I write every week). This week seemed to go by so fast. It was Thursday and I was wondering what happened to Tuesday and Wednesday. I have no idea.
It has been raining the beginning of last week and it was amazing. Although I got scared of some things. We had a tornado warning one day. It was blowing so hard and the tornado warning came on. I was wondering if I should panic but Sis Graham told me not to. One night there was a lightening storm and thunder storm. I have never been scared of thunder before in my life. This thunder was like no other. IT WAS SO LOUD. I couldn't believe it. There was one that I was sure something was going to fall off the wall in the house. The whole house trembled. It did that 4 or 5 times. I could not sleep hardly at all that night.
Last Sunday we met a guy that was adamant in telling us that he was Atheist. In the first sentence he said to us he said that he was atheist and a couple sentences later he gave us his whole life story of how he was a catholic, then a protestant, then a Mormon, and then a religion that speaks by the gifts of tongues (i can't remember the name but it is such a weird religion) and then that he was atheist. We kind of laughed inside and then said we respect his beliefs.
Keith Keith Keith. We told Keith last Monday that he would be able to be baptized this coming week. He was still having troubles with quitting the chewing so we thought that maybe that would encourage him and get him excited. Did it work? No. Not really. He is trying but he just does not have that confidence to quit. We don't know what else to do for him. Any ideas? He will probably not get baptized this weekend. Bummer. He is just so negative all the time and I don't know how to get him to switch that mindset. Quotes could be good. Any ideas????? But, Amanda is going to get baptized no doubt. I am so excited for her. She is just a really awesome kid and it is about time she get baptized. :)
Sis Graham and I got sick this week and we still are. I just have a cold and starts of a cough. She has had it worse. All Achy and throwing up today. We got a blessing this week and we will get better. We just have too much to do be sick this week. Sis. Graham's B-Day was on Saturday and that was the best day ever! I am so glad that it was her birthday. :) We just got lots of things done and it was good.
Okay. I have to get going. I love you all very very very much. Hope everything is great!!!!
Love Amanda.
Our Wonderful Life Together
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
July 23, 2010
Baptize!!! Awesome!!! Baptize!!! WHOOOO!!!!!
Okay...I just witnessed my first baptism of the mission this weekend and it was awesome and I am so very happy. I love being a missionary!!!!! Leean Emerson got baptized at 6:00 on Saturday night and what a day it was. I loved it. I took over most of the program it seems like. I took care of the prelude music, I played the hymns, I did a musical number with Mary Burst, and I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. Mary and I played a flute duet and played I know that my redeemer lives. We were good. We even did it for sunday yesterday. :) So, I am playing lots of piano and more flute than I expected. It is amazing to see someone get baptized and see the glow on their face when they are clean and pure and when the recieve the Holy Ghost. I love it. Leean was a smoker and she quit almost cold turkey and has been without smoking for four weeks now. She is an amazing person and she is going to be a great member throughout her life. She is stable. For only knowing for four weeks, I could tell that she cahnged alot in that time. For the better. She is getting her singing voice back and she is just amazing. Her husband Keith is working toward baptism. As soon as he stops chewing tobacco he will be baptized. He so wants to quit but lacks something to make him quit. He is getting so close though and he is very very excited to enter the waters of baptism and to be sealed to his wife. Their daughter Amanda is going to get bapitzed next weekend. She would have been baptized with Leean but her parents did not think she was quite ready for this commitment yet. Sis. Graham and I are working with her individually and getting her ready and the next step is to get her excited for this step and to get her to read the book of mormon. This family is amazing and it is going to be sad when I have to leave.
You want to know something else exciting? We got two more baptisms this week! Well, set dates. We met Mary and Larry james and they are excited to get bapized. They were going to get baptized six or seven months ago but some complications happened and they took care of the complications. Now they are ready to get baptized and we are excited for them. They are the sweetest people in the world and I love to visit them. Their baptism dates are set for August 7th and we can't wait. So many people it is awesome.
We have Sheila who know that the church is true and is ready to be bapized but she needs the confirmation from the Lord. We asked her if she would be baptized but she said that was waiting for that confirmation. So we issued her a challenge. For her to make the date and take it to the Lord. The Lord will tell her that the date she picked is a good one. She needs to stop smoking and drinking coffee but the Lord is preparing her already. She said that her coffee is tasting bitter now and that she does not like it as much. So, when she gets the confirmation I believe that we will have another baptism soon. The Gospel IS TRUE!!!!
There are so many people in this are that have so many health issues it is crazy. Pinched nerves, cancer, MS, Pnemonia...and so on. Everyone is getting sick with the flu and colds as well and I pray that I will not get sick. It is true about the whole teeth thing. You are not a true southern without missing a tooth or teeth or if you just have nasty teeth as it is. I have now made sure that I floss at least everyother night and that I brush my teeth nice and long.
Okay. There is an Elder here that lives in Gilbert and he went to highland and we were talking about how is going to go home in a couple weeks. Then he asked if I knew Sheila Toolson and I said that I did. Sheila Toolson pushed him to go on a mission and I told him that she was in our ward. Is she? I know I know the name but I can't see the face.
Time is about up and I do not want to stop writing because this week has been so good. But I must stop. I pray that everything is going well for everyone and that they are enjoying the rest of the summer and NOT BEING BORED!! :) JUst kidding. But seriously. Find something to do. It will make you happy. :)
I love you all. Love your favorite missionary in the world,
Sister Amanda Ralph
Okay...I just witnessed my first baptism of the mission this weekend and it was awesome and I am so very happy. I love being a missionary!!!!! Leean Emerson got baptized at 6:00 on Saturday night and what a day it was. I loved it. I took over most of the program it seems like. I took care of the prelude music, I played the hymns, I did a musical number with Mary Burst, and I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. Mary and I played a flute duet and played I know that my redeemer lives. We were good. We even did it for sunday yesterday. :) So, I am playing lots of piano and more flute than I expected. It is amazing to see someone get baptized and see the glow on their face when they are clean and pure and when the recieve the Holy Ghost. I love it. Leean was a smoker and she quit almost cold turkey and has been without smoking for four weeks now. She is an amazing person and she is going to be a great member throughout her life. She is stable. For only knowing for four weeks, I could tell that she cahnged alot in that time. For the better. She is getting her singing voice back and she is just amazing. Her husband Keith is working toward baptism. As soon as he stops chewing tobacco he will be baptized. He so wants to quit but lacks something to make him quit. He is getting so close though and he is very very excited to enter the waters of baptism and to be sealed to his wife. Their daughter Amanda is going to get bapitzed next weekend. She would have been baptized with Leean but her parents did not think she was quite ready for this commitment yet. Sis. Graham and I are working with her individually and getting her ready and the next step is to get her excited for this step and to get her to read the book of mormon. This family is amazing and it is going to be sad when I have to leave.
You want to know something else exciting? We got two more baptisms this week! Well, set dates. We met Mary and Larry james and they are excited to get bapized. They were going to get baptized six or seven months ago but some complications happened and they took care of the complications. Now they are ready to get baptized and we are excited for them. They are the sweetest people in the world and I love to visit them. Their baptism dates are set for August 7th and we can't wait. So many people it is awesome.
We have Sheila who know that the church is true and is ready to be bapized but she needs the confirmation from the Lord. We asked her if she would be baptized but she said that was waiting for that confirmation. So we issued her a challenge. For her to make the date and take it to the Lord. The Lord will tell her that the date she picked is a good one. She needs to stop smoking and drinking coffee but the Lord is preparing her already. She said that her coffee is tasting bitter now and that she does not like it as much. So, when she gets the confirmation I believe that we will have another baptism soon. The Gospel IS TRUE!!!!
There are so many people in this are that have so many health issues it is crazy. Pinched nerves, cancer, MS, Pnemonia...and so on. Everyone is getting sick with the flu and colds as well and I pray that I will not get sick. It is true about the whole teeth thing. You are not a true southern without missing a tooth or teeth or if you just have nasty teeth as it is. I have now made sure that I floss at least everyother night and that I brush my teeth nice and long.
Okay. There is an Elder here that lives in Gilbert and he went to highland and we were talking about how is going to go home in a couple weeks. Then he asked if I knew Sheila Toolson and I said that I did. Sheila Toolson pushed him to go on a mission and I told him that she was in our ward. Is she? I know I know the name but I can't see the face.
Time is about up and I do not want to stop writing because this week has been so good. But I must stop. I pray that everything is going well for everyone and that they are enjoying the rest of the summer and NOT BEING BORED!! :) JUst kidding. But seriously. Find something to do. It will make you happy. :)
I love you all. Love your favorite missionary in the world,
Sister Amanda Ralph
Monday, July 12, 2010
July 12, 2010
Well, my week has definately been better than all of yours have been. Wow. That was a crazy crazy week. It is almost like you were not supposed to go. But that is porbably the only time you were able to go with Bubba's schedule.
Nothing terrilby exciting has happened this week. But this coming week on the other hand is another thought. This past week...We got two new investigators this week! We went by an apartment that some of the previous sisters have visisted and she accepted to take the lessons again. This 'gator is named Mary James. She took the lessons previously and had a baptism date but then things happened and she decided that she could not get baptized. So, now we are teaching her and hopefully she will be baptized soon. Her husband Larry is taking the lessons also. It is super exciting. We just need to figure out how to get them to church. Hmm... ANy thoughts? Another thing happened yesterday that was super weird.
Lindsay, a 'gator, called us and for some reason she does not like me or she just does not remember my name, but she left a message for us on the phone and asked for sister Graham only. Anyway, She called us and she seemed a bit upset about something and so we call her back and she just seemed very paranoid with something but she never told us what. She asked Sister Graham "do you see? Do you see?" Sister Graham said "See what?" and then Lindsay goes off on a new subject. It is very weird situation. We think that she is possesed by the devil or something because of the things she experiences and the things that she says. She does not believe in modern day prophets at all and she has not openly said this to us but we think she thinks that our church is not true. She believes that when Jospeh Smith was in the sacred grove, he saw Satan instead of HF and Jesus Christ. Hmm. wierd. But then she keeps saying that she is getting revelation upon revelation upon revelation. We think she thinks she is a prophet. But we don't know anything because she won't tell us and it is crazy wierd and creepy. We have senior missionaries and we think that they need to come with us to her appoinments from now on.
So yeah. That was the most bizarre thing that has ever happened so far on my mission. Hopefully we can help Lindsay know the truth of the gospel and that she will accept it. She is very confused woman and she is going to go crazy if things like this happen to her more.
That was pretty much all that happened that week. This coming week is going to be awesome. My First baptism!!!!!!! Leean Emerson is getting baptized on Saturday at 6:00. This is exciting news. I cannot wait for to get baptized. She is such a strong member already. She even sung in church yesterday. Oh, I gave my first lesson in a class yesterday. it was about obediance. And I did pretty dang well. :)
Today was exhausting. We moved today to our new apartment. We moved a whole 3 blocks away. We got up at 6:30 like usual, did one hour of personal study, one hour of companion study, and then we started. 8:30 to 10:00 we were by ourselves packing. We got a car load of stuff to the new apartment and then we started to load the car up with more stuff. Then at 10:00 others came to help. Elder Foote (the senior) came, Keith Amanda and Marie emerson came with their truck, and the Hinckle's came with thier cars. We loaded EVERYTHING up in all the cars and truck. We got two big dressers, two endtables, and table, five matresses, and a couple small things into the back of one truck. It was amazing. I should have taken a picture of it. Oh well. Then everything else was in the cars. We then took everything to the new apartment and unloaded everything. That was so much faster. It only too two hours to do all of that. I was amazed. Everyone left and before the Hinckles left, Sister Hinckle insisted that she do our laundry for us. We tried to refuse but that did not work. She took it anyway. So, we got our laundry done for us. It is kind of weird that someone is doing my laundry. I am so used to doing it. Then Sister Graham and I started to put things away and got ready for the day and now I am here writing to you. I am so tired. Bed is sounding pretty good right now. But I have to go tract some more. Yeah for Tracting!!!.
I gots to go. I hope you all have a great week and better weekend. I love you. !!!!
Nothing terrilby exciting has happened this week. But this coming week on the other hand is another thought. This past week...We got two new investigators this week! We went by an apartment that some of the previous sisters have visisted and she accepted to take the lessons again. This 'gator is named Mary James. She took the lessons previously and had a baptism date but then things happened and she decided that she could not get baptized. So, now we are teaching her and hopefully she will be baptized soon. Her husband Larry is taking the lessons also. It is super exciting. We just need to figure out how to get them to church. Hmm... ANy thoughts? Another thing happened yesterday that was super weird.
Lindsay, a 'gator, called us and for some reason she does not like me or she just does not remember my name, but she left a message for us on the phone and asked for sister Graham only. Anyway, She called us and she seemed a bit upset about something and so we call her back and she just seemed very paranoid with something but she never told us what. She asked Sister Graham "do you see? Do you see?" Sister Graham said "See what?" and then Lindsay goes off on a new subject. It is very weird situation. We think that she is possesed by the devil or something because of the things she experiences and the things that she says. She does not believe in modern day prophets at all and she has not openly said this to us but we think she thinks that our church is not true. She believes that when Jospeh Smith was in the sacred grove, he saw Satan instead of HF and Jesus Christ. Hmm. wierd. But then she keeps saying that she is getting revelation upon revelation upon revelation. We think she thinks she is a prophet. But we don't know anything because she won't tell us and it is crazy wierd and creepy. We have senior missionaries and we think that they need to come with us to her appoinments from now on.
So yeah. That was the most bizarre thing that has ever happened so far on my mission. Hopefully we can help Lindsay know the truth of the gospel and that she will accept it. She is very confused woman and she is going to go crazy if things like this happen to her more.
That was pretty much all that happened that week. This coming week is going to be awesome. My First baptism!!!!!!! Leean Emerson is getting baptized on Saturday at 6:00. This is exciting news. I cannot wait for to get baptized. She is such a strong member already. She even sung in church yesterday. Oh, I gave my first lesson in a class yesterday. it was about obediance. And I did pretty dang well. :)
Today was exhausting. We moved today to our new apartment. We moved a whole 3 blocks away. We got up at 6:30 like usual, did one hour of personal study, one hour of companion study, and then we started. 8:30 to 10:00 we were by ourselves packing. We got a car load of stuff to the new apartment and then we started to load the car up with more stuff. Then at 10:00 others came to help. Elder Foote (the senior) came, Keith Amanda and Marie emerson came with their truck, and the Hinckle's came with thier cars. We loaded EVERYTHING up in all the cars and truck. We got two big dressers, two endtables, and table, five matresses, and a couple small things into the back of one truck. It was amazing. I should have taken a picture of it. Oh well. Then everything else was in the cars. We then took everything to the new apartment and unloaded everything. That was so much faster. It only too two hours to do all of that. I was amazed. Everyone left and before the Hinckles left, Sister Hinckle insisted that she do our laundry for us. We tried to refuse but that did not work. She took it anyway. So, we got our laundry done for us. It is kind of weird that someone is doing my laundry. I am so used to doing it. Then Sister Graham and I started to put things away and got ready for the day and now I am here writing to you. I am so tired. Bed is sounding pretty good right now. But I have to go tract some more. Yeah for Tracting!!!.
I gots to go. I hope you all have a great week and better weekend. I love you. !!!!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
July 6, 2010 The Emerson Family
Well, this week has been pretty busy. we taught 30 lessons and we were expecting 28 so that was way good. Sometimes days don't go as planned and they don't seem productive but we try all we can. Other days don't go as planned and they are very productive and we see the Lord's had in all things that we did that day. It is amazing how the Lord blesses people and their families. I have especially found that with the Emerson family. They are so amazing. Marie got bapized before I got here. She is the daughter. Now Leean (the mother) is getting baptized the 17th!!! It is so awesome. She seemed pretty happy when I met her but she is just getting more and more happy and I love seeing the spirit in her eyes. We are working on Amanda (the daughter). She is kind of slow when it comes to learning and remembering. Somewhat like me. :) She will be baptized soon. Keith (the dad) has a bit of a trouble. He knows the church is true and he is happier with it but he has a problem. He Chews Tobacco and he has a rough time quiting that. We had a cool experience that happened on Saturday. We were teaching them and just read a chapter in Enos...which is just one chapter...and then we talked about fasting since that was the next day. We said that drinking water was part of fasting and he did not agree with that and he said when he fasted that he drank water. He got real quiet and we knew something was wrong but he would not tell us. You can read his face really well. So we left with a spirit of contention and left for a party thing at president hardman's. We were there for about 45 min and I felt uneasy about being there. I felt we needed to be somewhere else. Sis. Graham confirmed the feeling so we left. We rushed the 30 min drive to the Emerson's house. We had no idea what we were going to say or what we were going to do we jsut felt we needed to be there. So, we got there and asked to speak to keith. We talked to him for an hour on the porch with all the flying bugs around our head. THe spriti was so strong with us. We talked about lots of stuff. He does not have confidence in himself at all and the main reason is that his grandmother verbally abused him so he does not think he can do anything. He is afraid of success and alot of things. We encouraged him and told him that Satan has a firm grasp on him and that he needs to let go and punch Satan in the face. We asked him to start our fast for him. Sis. Graham and I were going to fast for him the next day. So he did and we left shortly after. We found out later that we had been without tobacco for 20 hours and that is the time we fasted him. 20 hours. WE were so happy for him. I just wish he would continue three days and get the nicotene out of his system. But he was good. Maybe Sis. Graham and I need to fast everyday. :)
We made a cake and attempted to make it a three layer cake but we failed. I have pictures of it and I will probably send you some. Especially of our green tongues that one day. :) We play bingo on tuesdays at the nursing home and it is so fun. They are so funny. Some people yell the bingo and you can definatly here it. I get to give a talk on sunday about the life of Christ. So very vague. I am doing something cool that I think you should all do. Go to the Bible Dictionary and there is a graph thing under the gospel, harmony of. I believe that is the topic. There are a whole bunch of scriptures about christ's life. Read them in order. It is so cool sometimes to see the similarity of all the Gospels of Matt, Mark, Luke, and John. It is cool.
1 Nephi 11&12. The angel is telling nephi to look and nephi looks. And 1 Nephi 17:41... how easy the way is before us. If we just look unto him we shall live and have enternal life. 1 Nephi 17:21 is pretty cool verse. Focus on the words Might. They might have know the inheritance would be good. 21:16 we are the prints of his hands. He will never forget us. WE are always on him. He will never forget us....Those are some scriptures that I liked or stood out to me in my scripture study.
Can someone or all of you do me a favor? I can't go on the internet so I need help. Can you all think of ways I can encourage someone to do good? Some sayings? Some activities about encouragement? anything would be greatly appreciated.
There have not been any dinners that I have hated. They are all pretty normal. We shall see what happens this week. I pray that everything is going well for all of you. YOu are all in my prayers every night. I love and miss all of you. Sorry that this letter was not on monday. Appartently everyone was still celebrating 4th of July. :)
Gots to go. I love you all.
Sister Amanda Ralph
We made a cake and attempted to make it a three layer cake but we failed. I have pictures of it and I will probably send you some. Especially of our green tongues that one day. :) We play bingo on tuesdays at the nursing home and it is so fun. They are so funny. Some people yell the bingo and you can definatly here it. I get to give a talk on sunday about the life of Christ. So very vague. I am doing something cool that I think you should all do. Go to the Bible Dictionary and there is a graph thing under the gospel, harmony of. I believe that is the topic. There are a whole bunch of scriptures about christ's life. Read them in order. It is so cool sometimes to see the similarity of all the Gospels of Matt, Mark, Luke, and John. It is cool.
1 Nephi 11&12. The angel is telling nephi to look and nephi looks. And 1 Nephi 17:41... how easy the way is before us. If we just look unto him we shall live and have enternal life. 1 Nephi 17:21 is pretty cool verse. Focus on the words Might. They might have know the inheritance would be good. 21:16 we are the prints of his hands. He will never forget us. WE are always on him. He will never forget us....Those are some scriptures that I liked or stood out to me in my scripture study.
Can someone or all of you do me a favor? I can't go on the internet so I need help. Can you all think of ways I can encourage someone to do good? Some sayings? Some activities about encouragement? anything would be greatly appreciated.
There have not been any dinners that I have hated. They are all pretty normal. We shall see what happens this week. I pray that everything is going well for all of you. YOu are all in my prayers every night. I love and miss all of you. Sorry that this letter was not on monday. Appartently everyone was still celebrating 4th of July. :)
Gots to go. I love you all.
Sister Amanda Ralph
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