I love being a missionary

So, I'll just start off by letting you know that my companion Sister Walser is still alive.  She is obsessed with football and didn't know if she would make it through the super bowl but I did my best to make her feel at home by buying her a lot of junk food and turning on "The District."  She said it wasn't quite the same but she was grateful for the attempt anyway.  

Meet Sister Walser 

School has been out for 3 solid weeks here in Elizabethton and our mission went as far as taking a snow day.  We weren't aloud to drive our cars so Sister Walser and I hit the shops (AKA. Walmart) to try and find people to talk to!  It was somewhat of a success.  I had no idea a little bit of snow and some black ice could really make a city shut down!  We're praying for better weather this week so we can get something down.  

Week 10 of having no one at church.  We were both kind of getting frustrated, especially because we felt like we literally did everything within our power to stress the importance of church, get our investigators rides, etc. and still, no one came.  We were laying in bed last night and Sister Walser says, "Sister Thiriot, do you realize how many less-actives we have reactivated since I've been here?" In the past 3 weeks, we have had 4 less-actives come every single week solidly.  I guess it went right along with what Elder L. Tom Perry came and talked to us about this week.  (That's right.  He came and spoke to our mission this week)  He stressed the importance of our less-active work and how important it is that the Ward council step it up to help the missionaries and ward become more unified.   We have high hopes as both the missionaries and the ward takes steps of action in helping this marvelous work further along and excited to see the results! 

Agency is frustrating and although many of our investigators seem to be using it unwisely, I was in the middle of a lesson with one of the families we were teaching and even though they didn't keep any of their commitments and were listing off multiple excuses, I just felt so much love for these people and that is truly the hardest part of it all!  I'm just praying that I will know how I can better help these people that the Lord has placed in my path.

I wish I had time for more because there is so much more to say.  I love being a missionary.  I'm sure you haven't heard that before.

LOVE YOU
XOXOX, Sister Thiriot