Week 74, 3/7/2022

BAPTISMS!!

 I don't even know how to start this email, I feel like I always say something like, "this week was full of miracles!" Or "we had full and busy week" or "we met all the crazies this week" or "just the usual missionary grind" and basically all those statements could be said about this week. Actually we didn't meet any crazies, but we definitely met some new golden investigators! 

Lesson with the Busby family

Here is a table of contents for this email if you just want to read the parts you're interested in lol:

-The randoms

-Living my dream

-Baptisms

-Sad day

-The end

-Pics

Dinner with Liz, Kallee, and Gaia

The randoms:

We've made a huge effort to talk to everyone we meet. We do companion study at parks, and walk around neighborhoods talking to people, and we make sure that we never let an opportunity pass us by. This week we were able to meet Greta at the park who literally hugged and kissed us when we gave her a Book of Mormon. And we met Nick at the frozen yogurt shop (we go there a lot) who also accepted a Book of Mormon! We also met a man who believes in "happy science" and doesn't want anything to do with us, and almost gave a poor Publix worker a panic attack when we asked for his number. Not everyone is interested but overall the South is full of people who love Jesus Christ and love what we do as missionaries. 

Living my dream:

I lived my dream this week and went on a tradeoff to St. Augustine! I've heard so much about this place even before I came out on my mission and I finally got to go there this week on a tradeoff with Sister Andersen and Sister Beatty. It was a blast, we learned how to underpin a trailer 💪 and had some of the best Jamaican curry ever...and of course ate ice cream. We also went there for district pday.

District Pday in St Augustine

Baptisms:

There will be baptisms galore in the next few weeks here! We had another amazing few lessons with the Busby family this week. They have been studying the Book of Mormon as a family and coming to church and they know that this is Jesus Christ's church! During one of our lessons we were explaining the plan of salvation and the mom said, "wow I just got goosebumps, I know that is true!" They have had multiple people in their life pass away and every church they have been told them they either go to heaven or hell. And they were confused about how to tell where they actually ended up? We assured them that God is more loving and merciful than that and he gives everyone a chance to accept the gospel after this life. That lesson brought them a lot of peace and they decided to be baptized on April 9th. I'll definitely be home by then so I won't get to be there in person, but I'm just so grateful that I've been able to teach them for a bit. They have shown me that God really does prepare people to receive the gospel. Everything we've asked them to do or give up they've done it willingly and with excitement because they know that it's what God wants them to do. They have so much faith already. It's safe to say they have been my favorite people to teach. 🙌 

Speaking of people I've taught, do y'all remember Ally from Gainesville? I taught her basically the whole time I was there and she has decided to get baptized on March 19th! I'm also so happy for her! I feel like I've really been able to see people come closer to Christ these past few weeks, and the closer they get, the happier they become. It's no joke! 

Busby family at church!

Sad day:

Do y'all remember when I said someone in my ward was murdered a few weeks ago? Well we had the funeral for him this week. It was the most horrible of circumstances for this family, someone they all loved dearly was suddenly taken from them. We attended the funeral to show support and even though it was heartbreaking to be there and see so many people in pain, it strengthened my testimony of Heavenly Fathers plan of Salvation. I know that even though I know death can be so sad and it's hard to be separated from our loved ones it's only temporary. I also know that death is a part of the plan.  It has to happen, it's necessary! It doesn't make it any less heartbreaking but without death there would be no resurrection. Without pain there would be no happiness, without failure no success.

In 2 Nephi 2: 11 & 13 is says,

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.... 

And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away."

I know that Heavenly Fathers plan is perfect and that it involves opposition in all things. We need the bad in order to have the good. I know that death is just as important as our birth and its just another step on the plan and closer to our Heavenly home. 

So despite the horrible circumstances that brought everyone together at the funeral, the spirit was very strong and it bore witness to Heavenly Fathers plan of salvation and brought peace to those that were there!

The end:

Well as you can tell it was another great week and another long email haha 😅 Once again I love and miss y'all so much! Have another amazing week 

-Sister Bonny ❤ 

Amazing views from St Augustine 👌