Hello family!
Well Sister Behunin and I had another good week again. We are great friends and I really love her. Middlesboro is still Middlesboro, we met some creepy people but it's all good!
On P-day we found the murals on the side of the business of a member. He's one of the first members in the area, and when he made his business he decided to do these big book of mormon murals on the side! I thought they were pretty legit! The elders were less impressed...
Thanksgiving we participated in a ward tradition: pie for breakfast. that was the beginning. Then we went to another members home, had the classic feast, and more pie, and then another member called us and made us come visit with them and sent us home with more food! My cup runneth over! We also did a little bit of proselyting that day, just dropping by and taking cookies to people and wishing people a Happy Thanksgiving. It was great, they were a lot more receptive than I expected!
Friday we spent most of the day driving up to Whitley City KY where we had district meeting, for the last one of Sister Hansen. She returns home this Wednesday and will be missed!
We had a great meeting. We learned about the "He is the Gift" Initiative. This is a big deal!! We as missionaries are making it a big part of proselyting so the Brethren can measure the success of it. I have seen a difference, people love the message of focusing on Jesus Christ around Christmas time. So it's exciting and it shows us that His work is truly Hastening! The only thing that'll leave us behind is ourselves. Share the gift, y'all!
We got the chance to meet and begin working with Shanda this week. She is a returning member. She is amazing! She joined when she was 19, and became a YW leader, then got with the wrong guy and fell away. Years later, she has a little 2 year old, Ellie, and realized a month or two ago that her life isnt the way she wants it to be. Members of the church reached out to her, and now we have the blessing of knowing her. We got to go over and help clean, and then we shared a lesson about the Atonement. She understood it immediately, but is having a hard time forgiving herself. Last night Bishop Hinckley had us over to dinner and we taught the Restoration. She was crying as we bore our testimonies, a lot of regret was filling her, but I know that she'll make it through just fine. I am excited to see Shanda return to full activity and, most importantly, raise her daughter in the gospel!
Family is so important. That's really what the gospel is all about! It's also a way I was able to really understand Sister Behunin--the more I learned about her family the more I understood about her and it all made sense. I have seen on my mission how raising your family based around the teachings of Jesus Christ is the most important thing you can do!So Saturday the transfer call came, and I was suprised to be called as a trainer again! I am excited to receive a brand new missionary but I am sad Sister Behunin is leaving. We came to truly love each other. I won't forget the things I learned this transfer. I know we'll be friends forever. But I definetly trust the Lord needs her somewhere else and that my next companion will teach me invaluable things as well.
I am very excited yet nervous to train again, I would greatly appreciate your prayers!
Love you all!
Hermana Collier
p.s. I missed you all on Thanksgiving and thought of camp Tracy on friday. But not too bad. :)
Hi Sister Collier,
ReplyDeleteThis is your Aunt Laura here. One of my best friends, up until last year, was a member of the Cumberland Gap ward. We used to go visit a couple times a year. We even did Thanksgiving there. Was your "pie for breakfast" held at the Johnson's house by any chance? Great couple and I have never forgotten the "pie for breakfast" thing. It is just so perfectly right, I think! Anyway, my friend is Cheryl Shoults. Ask some of the members if they know her. She moved to Missouri about a year and a half ago. Her husband's brother, Ted, is still in the area. I don't know if he is a regular at church or not. He lives in Speedwell. Anyway, I think it is cool that you are in an area that I know. Merry Christmas, Aunt Laura (Arden, NC)
By the way, she is STILL one of my best friends. I just realized that the way I worded that sounds like she isn't anymore. Duh.... Aunt Laura
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