"I skipped the formula and went straight for the T-Bone."

January 11th 2016:

What do you get when you burn a bagel? 

Holey- smoke. :) 

Thank you Peggy for this weeks caption. Peggy has been a member for about 3 months now, and she is so smart. She studies the gospel 24/7, and I mean studies it! Her questions are so deep that I have never even thought about half the things she asks. Our lessons with her pretty much consists of Sister Morgan and I searching the scriptures and using our lovely gospel library app. This last week she got in some deep doctrine stuff, and when the gospel says "Line upon line, precept upon precept" they aren't kidding! You can't skip the main course and got to the desert, because then you can get sick. Peggy explained her experience last week like this,  "I skipped the formula and went straight for the T-bone" You have to take one step at a time with the gospel, or you aren't going to understand it, and it is going to take even longer and longer for you to progress in the gospel. 

 There is a question I have been asking myself a lot recently. That question is- What if I didn't come on a mission? I know that God truly sent me to Tampa Florida to find specific people. People that I was sent here to find. And what if I didn't come? I would have never met or found them. It makes me think of the sons of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon. They asked their selves that same question. And in Alma 26:9 is an example of them questioning the same thing. 

      9 For if we had not come up out of the land of Zarahemla, these our dearly beloved                       brethren, who have so dearly beloved us, would still have been racked with hatred against us, yea, and they would also have been strangers to God.

 If they didn't leave their families in Zarahemla they would have never converted the lamanites, and the lamanites would have continued to live their lives in endless torment. That sounds miserable. If I didn't follow the prompting I received over a year ago to come on a mission, I would not be here today. And I would have not learned the things I have, I would not have witnessed the miracles I have, and most importantly I would have not come to know my Savior like I have. If their is anything that you get out of this email, that is to please follow the promptings you receive. I have witnessed pure miracles from acting on the spirit. 

Here is an example of a miracle. This last week we went Tracting in the big houses by the bay, we just wanted to try it out, plus the lord prepares everybody not just the People in more humble circumstances (which some missionaries thinks that's the case). We knocked on a beautiful home and a 16 year old named Stephanie, answered the door. She told us she lost her mom 6 Years ago to cancer, and she has been really struggling recently. We prayed with her and testified of eternal families,and that she would one day see her mom again! You could tell she felt the sprit, and truly believed it! We got a return appointment and have had a couple of lessons with her. She told us she had been praying for peace and comfort, and a couple of days later we knocked on her door, and she said she knew God listened to her prayer and sent us to her! She expressed to us that the peace she has felt, is what she has been searching for. We set a baptismal date with her forFebruary 6th! She was pretty excited when we asked her to be baptized, you could tell it's something she has been wanting to do for awhile. I am amazed time and time again of the miracles I witness every single day in Florida. And I most definitely don't believe in coincidences. These miracles are proof that God is very aware of us, and listens to every single one of our prayers! There truly is no greater work. 

I am staying in the St Petersburg Ward for another transfer!! Which means my address is the same, and my mail box has been collecting dust. I would appreciate it if you put a pen to paper, and sent some love my way:) Just in case you forgot what my address is: 

5714 Calais Lane St. Petersburg FL 33714

I LOVE YOU ALL! 

1. We went to a Lao Refugee day celebration thing.

2. I ate a fried banana! 

Sister J

Happy New Year!!!

January 4th 2016:

What do you call a sleeping cow?
A bull-dowzer. 

I did not write an email last week. There was so much to write about that I couldn't just pick one thing! So here is a quick summary; I went to the temple for the first time in 9 months, and it was amazing. It truly is a house of God! We had a Christmas devotional, the spirit was really strong. Christmas Day we went to my favorite members home for Christmas morning. Taylor even filled our stockings, and attempted to make us snowman pancakes.;) They were delicious! We always have a lot of fun with Taylor. We skyped our families at the Smiths house, and had a yummy lunch. Later that evening  we went to the Erbals home for dinner.  It was a wonderful Christmas! I truly came to a better understand on why we celebrate Christmas. It's about the greatest gift of all- our Savior and Redeemer.

We had a lesson with a media referral named Rob. He said something that really touched me. His point was Heavenly Father wants us, he doesn't need us, he wants us. He kept saying that Heavenly Father doesn't need us, in my mind I was thinking no he does need us. He was right though, he is perfect. He can do everything and anything he wants and he doesn't need us to help him do it. Rob mentioned how he wants his wife to want him , he doesn't want her to need him. It made me think uh yeah! I want someone to want me, I don't want them to talk to me because they need something. Heavenly Father wants us because we are his literal children. It all makes sense in my head now! It was an ah ha moment for me.

On missions you can have some pretty crummy days, days where you are homesick and done. But then I meet someone who doesn't have the knowledge of the Gospel, and I realize the blessing it is to know that there is someone in Heaven that is my Father and he knows who I am. Not even that, but the knowledge that he has a plan for me, in that plan includes my family. And let me tell you my family means the world to me. I miss them like crazy, but I get to spend eternity with them and I know that. Friday night sister Morgan and I went tracting. We knocked on this ladies door, and asked if we could pray with her. She was holding back tears as she said yes, she then goes to explain that tomorrow is the 19th anniversary of her daughters passing. For 19 years she has been in pain, 19 YEARS!! I asked if her daughter had been baptized, she explained a little more of what happen, and that she died right after birth. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father guided me and sister Morgan so that we could tell her about the wonderful chance that we have to go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity, and to tell this sweet mother that she could be with her daughter for eternity. There are no words to explain the spirit that was there. It was so strong, and I know that she felt something stir inside her heart. There truly is no greater work. I know he sent us to her house. Gosh I love being a missionary. These are the moments that make all the bad days worth it!

Ps. Don't send me any mail. I could be getting transferred, I'll let you know next week! 

1. Taylor made us yummy salmon! :) she is a keeper! (Taylor is the one closest to me) 

2. Temple!! 

Sister J