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| Sweet Nikki's big day. She was so ecstatic! |
Welllllllllllll! We had a great busy week, I'll just tell y'all some of the highlights.
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| We teach Nikki at her trucking institute that she is a manager of. She's the greatest. |
Something great: Nikki's baptism was amazing. It was one of the moments when heaven feels so close and you forget you're in the world! There are many small miracles related to this, one was that Brother Sheets-best ward mission leader- left his family vacation in South Carolina early to conduct the service. That was a miracle in and of itself because Nikki and her family members love Brother Sheets so much! Another had to do with her husband Brother Singletary. He's a very sweet guy, but always avoided us. Nikki explained that since the death of their son a few years back, he won't have anything to do with churches becuase of the sad memories and feelings they bring back of his son and the funeral. She said he probably won't come to the baptismal service. However, Noah (Nikki's nephew who referred her to us) had a talk with Brother Singletary, and on Saturday we saw her walk in the chapel, arm-in-arm with Nikki. Brother Sheets began the service, telling us that there was nowhere he'd rather be, and the spirit was so strong from the get-go. Brother Singletary was in tears by the middle of it, and had his arm around his wife. It was such a sweet thing to see, and I know that his heart will soften with time.
Nikki wanted to be confirmed the same day, so Brother Sheets asked her if she'd bear her testimony afterwards. She said probably not, she was nervous and needed to do it a different day. After the priesthood holders took their hands off of her head, she was just sobbing, and our sweet Nikki sat up straight in the chair and bore the strongest, most clear testimony ever. She said she knew that she had found the true and only church, and that every single person in the room had an impact on her conversion, and there was hardly a dry eye by the time she was done. It was so perfect for the people who were there- among which were Raisa - it reminded sweet Raisa of the covenant she's made and the way she felt when she was baptized in May.
Right after that testimony, Brother Sheets stood and bore testimony as well, as everyone kept weeping. It was so beautiful! Then, the missionaries from our ward and Maryville sang "When I am Baptized", and it was so beautiful. I truly just felt an overwhelming feeling of gratitude: for the oppurtunity to teach Nikki, to witness her baptism, to be associated with her and her nephew, to our ward mission leader and fellow missionaries. It was perfect!
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| Changes in the Sevierville district - all our elders except one are going to be district leaders in other areas, we'll miss them! ADIOS! |
New news: We thought we had transfers all figured out but were suprised when President Griffen called us Friday. We are TRAINING a brand new hermana this transfer! We go pick her up on Wednesday. I can't really describe how I feel about it, but I'm excited and very nervous too. I truly do feel a bigger responsibility than being an STL, although that was, just in a different way. But since I can't be a solo STL and sister malloy is going home in the middle of the transfer, the STL area in our zone moved, and we're not any longer which I will miss a little, but I have prayed about it and I just know that this oppurtunity to train is something all three of us need. So I'm excited and very nervous. Please pray for us!
Sweet Nikki's big day. She was so ecstatic!
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We also had a successful pioneer day ward party.
One of the elders had a matching bag!
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Something funny: Taught a family about repentance with the pepper and soap in water demonstration. We'd said that the pepper was like the mistakes we make in life and the soap is like when we say sorry. After, he went and grabbed a bowl, and said, "OK. I'm going to teach y'all how to make 'stakes." And he continued to make 'mistake soup'. I thought it was hilarious.
Something discouraging: OYMing is the term here in the mission for talking to people, or 'open your mouths'. Basically just sharing who we are, what we do, and getting their informaition. BUT here's the thing, we can't/shouldn't do it in public places (libraries, grocery stores, fast food, etc) and sometimes we recieve the most perfect oppurtunities in these places. This week we got talking with a young woman with two little kids in the library, and she asked before we left if we had some information about our church that we could share with her. She asked US! So we couldnt do much, we were able at least to give her our number. But I think the Lord is testing my patience with these types of things. But I know being obedient to civil laws brings blessings too so I guess I will just look for those!
Something I'm studying: The new testament. I have a goal to finish it by the end of September. I also want to read the Book of Mormon en Espanol with my trainee.
LOVE YALL!
Hermana Collier
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