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

"you just saw that, huh?"

This week was extremely humorous to say the least.  Friday morning, an awesome member picks us up to go on a team up.  With all the snow and rain, the roads were all wet and muddy!  We are going to this appointment of a part member family who lives in a small trailer on a dirty farm.  We pull up and I realize that our team up is waring nice shoes and clothes so I figured I'd go and make sure they were home and my companion said she'd stay back and watch as well.  I'm carefully heading down the hill to their home, and I'm sure you can only guess what happened.  The next thing I know I'm flat on my back on the ground in a pile of mudd, goat and chicken poop, and whatever else.  I look up the hill and my companion is basically peeing her pants.  I lay there for a minute trying to catch my breathe and I look over and Adam (the guy who lives there) is standing there filling up his pigs water just staring at me.  I just said, "you just saw that, huh?"  He smiled and said, "Yes.  I was just trying to figure out what to say."  Moral of story is he asked us if we could reschedule and I ended up riding home in my team ups car with only my tights and boots on.  I'd have to say that was one of the best team-ups thus far in my mission.  More good news- after finding a bug nest near our fridge, our land lord decided to bug bomb our apartment!  What a blessing that us.  We're seeing less and less friends around these days. 

More BUGS

Working with Sister Walser is going really well.  Our focus as a district is talk to absolutely everyone, so that's exactly what we've been doing.   We've met some pretty interesting people, most not interested, but we have received quite a few referrals from some people who weren't even interested themselves!  Our poor investigator Evelyn is basically on her death bed right now, so we're praying a lot for her and hoping that she will just get better already so we can teach her again.  We are working with another excommunicated member who came to church this week and is talking to the bishop about get re-baptized!  She has a less-active son who is really looking to change his life around as well and we've had some really powerful lessons with those two. 

I wish I had a whole lot to say this week, but most of the miracles and true joys that I have witnessed this week, words can't really describe anyway.  I was reflecting back on some of the notes I took in the MTC, specifically an activity we did out of Preach My Gospel about who we wanted to become, and what we wanted to accomplish and it's incredible to me the growth and change I've expirienced in these past 11 months.  Sometimes I forget how much I've really learned being here but it again reminds me how blessed I am to be a missionary.  There is nothing I'd rather be doing right now than this.
Love you!

Christmas season

Well quick update this week:  

This week was the Christmas parade for the city.  We decided we'd make it into a finding activity and take the Elders and each take a side of the street.  Sister Ison and I wrote our number on a bunch of mormon.org cards and decided we would hand them out as we stated our purpose as missionaries but had little success.  We met up with the elders after to find out that they were passing out Christmas cards and DVD's and even got on the news!  We learned two things: 1: That Christmas pass along cards even exists and 2: you'll have much more success talking to people about the holiday season rather than talking to people about being Mormon.  Lesson learned.

Can I just say how much I love teaching the Sugg children?  This week, we taught them commandments, specifically about following the prophets and they just soaked it all up!  We played a fun little matching game helping them to learn prophets and their roles (Example: Noah built the Arc) and they were so excited to tell us what each prophet did as the game went on!  It was such a blast! Unfortunately, we had to cancel their baptism date that we had originally scheduled for the 28th of December.  We're hoping to recommit them for the middle of January after we go to teach their mother this week!

I absolutely love the holiday season.  I know I told you last week how big of a blessing it is to be a missionary during this season because ALL we do is center our thoughts and actions on Christ and it just makes Christmas that much better.  I hope that you too will continue to have a Christ centered Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Love you!!!!

Love, Sister Thiriot

Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving here went really well!  The food was great (almost as good as yours!)  We didn't really have anything unusual surprisingly.  The family we ate with is actually from the west coast, so they know whats up. I know we are not supposed to have favorites as missionaries, but I sure do love the Jones!  They actually have a daughter serving in Peru right now, so they made sure to take extra good care of us in hopes that someone would do the same for their daughter!  

Thats so cool about the sister missionaries! I'm glad that brought you some comfort being with them.  I sure will miss being home this holiday season, but I only have one Thanksgiving and Christmas to be out here serving the Lord, so I am really happy to be here and am already enjoying every second of it!  Just know that I'm well taken care of, and you have no need to worry!

I'm one blessed little missionary... enough said. 

So I know I've told you how cool our neighbors are in the past.   This week, Sister Ison and I were singing a hymn for companion study, and all of the sudden we hear this really loud, obnoxious singing.  Every time we would pause to listen, he would stop as well.  After a few minutes of entertainment, we finally came to the conclusion that our neighbor wasn't a fan of our singing and was making fun of us. Lets just say that it made a really good laugh and I'm grateful for cool people that make our days a little more exciting!

With the holiday season approaching, everyone seems to be busier than usual which has made it really difficult to make appointments and to teach, however, we have done our best to remain diligent in trying to fill our schedule. We found a lot of opportunities for service in place of our cancelled appointments which was such a blessing.  Each time we found ourselves a little discouraged trying to make the most of our time, there would be something placed in our path to keep us busy until our next appointment.  It was even more proof that the Lord provides as we are willing. 

I'm am loving the ward and the area more and more each day. Okay, so honesty time- I know you probably think that missions are all butterflies and flowers, and don't worry, they are for the most part! However, ever since I got to this ward, I have felt pretty unwelcome here and Sister Ison stated that she, as well as most of the other missionaries that have served here have felt the same. On top of that, it has felt as we haven't really been physically seeing much of the fruits of our labors and a good portion of our efforts have gone towards the elders in our ward but once again, Heavenly Father knew exactly what we needed to keep us going.  There were multiple members that mentioned in testimony meeting that were doing a good job and appreciated all that we are doing which is huge! There was even a few members that came up to us directly and told us how much they loved us and glad that we are serving in this ward.  I guess it was just another little tender mercy to remind me that I'm not a complete failure of a missionary and remind me how blessed I am to have this opportunity to represent Christ.    I really am SO grateful to be serving in this area right now.  I'm already seeing so many positive changes in this ward!

Thanksgiving was fabulous and I am so full of gratitude for the miracles that happen each week.  Yesterday we had a really powerful with a less active member that we have been working with a lot who thinks the world is literally out to get her, especially the church.  We've been trying for weeks to figure out how to help her but no matter what we do, she seems to come up with more and more concerns.  After church, Sister Ison went over to follow up with her book of mormon read and she had admitted that she didn't read it, so we decided to read it with her.  After reading about half of the chapter, Sister Ison and I both put down our books, and started asking her inspired questions which were clearly not from us.  The spirit was So strong and by the end of the lesson, she was speechless.  Even though she may have not committed to coming back to church, she was left with a lot to think about. My companion and I both walked out of her house and looked at each other and said, "What just happened?"  It felt so good to know that I was able to say the things exactly what the Lord wanted me to say by simply allowing the spirit to work through me. More than ever before, I was able to feel that I was truly being an instrument for God.

I really can't even put into words how much I love being a missionary, so I'll just leave it at that! Talk to you next week... LOVE YOU!

No growing in the comfort zone

The leaves are BEAUTIFUL!  I send you a pic of the leaves here.  You'd DIE at how florescent and colorful the leaves turn. Unfortunately, they have all fallen off now and it's even snowing right now! Burrrrrrrrrrrrr

 Way to go on the speech contest!  You are so brave.  I could never do that; Although, I'm practicing a lot of leadership and public speaking skills out here and I don't think it's gotten much easier but as president always says, "no growing in the comfort zone, and no comfort in the growing zone" so I guess that is a good thing that I still don't love it.  

I really have found the greatest joy in doing missionary work, it's incredible.

November 11

  I never know how to start these things off, so I'll just jump right in.

So we were car-less for three days this week because our car was in the shop and it seemed nearly impossible to get around this massive area without it. It felt like we taught very few lessons but we tried to use the most of our time and thanks to some awesome willing members, they took us around a few times as well.  On the bright side, we had a killer weekly planning session so this next week should be good! 

A little background on a lady we have been working with, Sandi Smith, (picture attached below).  Her daughter was actually baptized two transfers ago before I got here and when her daughter was being taught she figured that it was time to get reactivated and go back to church.  After attending a few weeks, the bishop pulled her aside and told her that she had actually been excommunicated.  She was DEVASTATED.   Since then, she decided that she was going to do everything she could to invite the spirit until she had it with her permanently because she knew that it was clearly missing in her life.  She was constantly playing mormon tab., conference talks, or reading the scriptures. Ever since I got here, in her words, she was "starving for the gift of the holy ghost" and was counting down the days until she was able to be re-baptized! Saturday she was finally able to do so and it was probably the most spiritual baptismal service I've ever been too!  She was more than prepared to once again make those covenants with her father in Heaven and was so relived after receiving the gift of the holy ghost, knowing that she would never have to go without ever again.   I guess that's just another thing that I've taken for granted my entire life. 

Update on the 6 Sugg children.  So I know I mentioned previously that the kids are all begging to be baptized but they're parents aren't very supportive.  The first time we went to go find these kids, we knocked on their door and the mother came out and told us she wanted nothing to do with the church and wouldn't let us in but said that we could teach them once a week at their grandmothers house.  Since then, we've been able to teach them three times, and we decided we needed to go talk to her again so that we don't feel like we're being secretive about things and ask her for permission for the kids to be baptize.  We we're pretty nervous about going to talk to her again just because we were scared for the turn out but we had been praying so hard all week that her heart may be softened. Last night, when we knocked on her door, she instantly invited us in with open arms.  She told us that she was so grateful that we were working with her children and agreed to let them be baptized but wants to wait 2 months to make sure this is what they really want and aren't just jumping on their excitement.  Fast forward to an hour later, we were walking out the door and she hugged us, and said, "Please just don't give up on me girls."  She invited us to come teach HER in her home when her abusive boyfriend is gone.  Miracles happen, just sayin'.

It's been such a blast teaching these little kids.  There is just something special about the innocence they have.  We showed up Saturday to teach them, and when we walked in the room, they were all sitting on the couch with their copies of the bible and book of Mormon already opened!  They're always so excited to learn and love coming to church!  Cute little Maygen (the 11 year old) told us how when she gets scared at night or during storms, she puts her scriptures under her pillow because she knows that it is the closest that she can get to her Heavenly Father and Jesus.  My testimony is always solidified each time I hear the testimonies of these sweet children.  I feel so blessed to be able to teach them these simple gospel principles that I know will have such a big effect on the remainder of their lives. 

Welll fam, I love you and I'm so grateful for all your support.  I was reading a talk from April general conference and I read a talk about how missions are a family affair.  Although at times I feel like I sacrifice to be here, I know that you too sacrifice for me to be here.  I'm so lucky!!!!

Love,
Sister Thiriot

Hey, so I thought you'd get a kick out of this.  It's a redneck "trailer home"  Only in Tennessee!!! No need in upgrading... they literally built a house on to their trailer

Spreading the good news to the youth

Hi, my name is Sister Thiriot, and there is nothing I love more than being a missionary. 

That basically sums up my thought process right now.

 I guess I'll tell you about the past week.  It was definitely a more productive one.  I've repeatedly said that Sister Ison and I have been working hard to be diligent and exactly obedient and we are finally starting to see the fruits of our labors!

So our entire teaching pool turned to children this week, which I can't complain about it!  7 out of our 10 investigators are between the ages of 9-16.   We've been working hard to work with the ward members and gain their trust and have been asking all of the auxiliary leaders for assignments and ways that we can get involved and help them. This week, the young woman president gave us names of two sisters that attended girls camp who showed interest in joining the church but then suddenly disappeared. We were able to finally locate these two girls through their grandmother who is a less active and on top of that, we were also able to meet their two younger siblings as well as two of their cousins who were so excited to see us and told us how badly they wanted to attend church!  Their grandmother is such an incredible woman and has basically raised them due to their crazy home situations and wants nothing more but for them to be happy.  We were able to teach  the four of the younger kids at the grandmothers home, and invited them all to church! 

So, a humbling experience dealing with them, Sunday morning, we were waiting for our investigators to come to church and were disappointed when none showed so after we took the sacrament, we headed into the chapel.  After the meeting ended, we walked out to see the grandmother and her four girls sitting on the couches!  They were so excited to attend primary so after taking them to their individual classes we came back to talk to the grandmother who looked pretty distressed.  We asked her what was going on, and she had told us how badly she had wanted her grandchildren at church, but how it has been nearly impossible to get there not only because of her illnesses and disabilities, but also because she can't even afford the gas to get there (she lives 20+ miles one way from the church.)  She said how this particular morning, she somehow managed to scrounge up five dollars so they could make it to church, sacrificing food money for that week.  It is seriously crazy to me how much people out here sacrifice just to be able to get to church!  I was again reminded how blessed I have been my entire life to have it so easy not ever having to worry about traveling far distances to church and even just having the money to get there!  I'm so grateful for the sacrifice that she made so that her granddaughters could be at church this week. We are going to continue focusing on them and working with their parents so that they will give a consent to be baptized!

If I haven't mentioned before, being a missionary is literally having front row seats to miracles every single day.  Another miracle that happened this week was a visit with a less active named Jim. Jim got baptized about ten years ago and has always been a really strong member until last year when the bishop offended him.  He stated how he will not be coming to church until the bishop is released which would be another few years.  Missionaries have been working with him off and on, but he hasn't shown much progress, so we have tried to use our time more wisely spending it elsewhere.  Yesterday, we had a good solid day planned with lots of backups but everything, and I mean EVERYTHING fell through, backups and all.  We sat there pondering of what to do and we decided we would go stop by Jim’s house.  We shared some random thought that I pulled out of nowhere, not thinking much about it and he had told us that he was praying to know if he should go back to church or not and that we had called him to come over minutes later and he was taking that as a clear sign that Heavenly Father needs him back at church. It's so incredible that I can do the greatest work of being an instrument in the Lords hands as I allow the spirit to work through me!    

To end it on a funny note, (or at least I got a laugh out of it), we were talking to a random guy in a parking lot and had a pretty good, solid hour lesson with him. He expressed how he was searching for a church and was waiting for god to lead him somewhere and he invited us to the church he had been investigating and said he'd come to ours in return, so we did just that!  Sister Ison was terrified to have her first experience of attending another church here in the south, specifically the Pentecostal church called "a day of deliverance", but was surprised to find out how casual it really was.. that is, until the last ten minutes. Of course, there was lots of clapping and music and after the preacher did his spill, he invited anyone to come up and confess their sins, and be saved.  Well, it just so happened that our so called "new investigator" invited us to join him on his special day of turning his life over to his savior. Our new friend went to the front of the room and  was suddenly overcome by the holy spirit and fell on the ground and well.. that's about the last we saw of him.  Unfortunately, he didn't attend our services like he had said, but it was a memorable experience nonetheless.

Well, that was my week.  I hope yours was just as great.

The church is true!  Don't ever hesitate to go out and share it. 

 

Love, Sister Thiriot

Mice, fried food, and the spirit

So first off, I'll just let you know that the problem behind awful smell in our apartment was fixed this week. Well, Sister Ison was studying one morning and she looked at me and said, "you know, maybe that smell is the cheese that is rotting on the mouse traps."  I'm sure you know where this story is going from here....  Basically, there was a dead mouse, blood, guts and all sitting on the trap a foot away from our desks. We found ANOTHER dead mouse on the trap!  Moral of the story is, our house is mice infested but we got it covered and bought some smell good stuff so life is good.

We went to four true southern restaurant this week.  Sister Ison was having a bad eating day and decided she would be smart order a veggie plate which consisted of broccoli and chesse, okra, and cucumbers.  Joke was on her when they all came out FRIED!  The look she had on her face was priceless.  I've come to accept the fact that you can't get fresh veggies out here without it being either fried or cooked in bacon grease.

We had two awesome lessons with a referral we got about two weeks ago named Patrica.  She is scared to commit to anything and has put God on the back burner her entire life, however she has the biggest heart.  We went in and the spirit instantly took over entirely.  Patrica basically poured out her heart and soul about her current situation and our member partners could relate to her so well and she taught the entire lesson by simply listening and baring sincere testimony!  It was such a powerful lesson, and probably one of the best lessons with a team of partners I've had my entire mission. It reminded me of how big of an influence the members can have with investigators and can often times relate to them much better than we can!  I hope you remember that as you too as you too have an opportunity to be a member missionary! 

I'm really gaining a better understanding on the importance of keeping our covenants.  The blessings of making covenants are countless.  It truly does bring us strength, happiness, empowers and protects us, and it's how we are able to demonstrate our love for the savior and his atoning sacrifice.  Everything we give our savior, such as tithing, time we sacrifice (callings, 18 month missions, etc.) is things that he has already given us that we are giving back.  The only thing that we can give him that he doesn't already have is our heart and our will. As I've better understood that concept, my desire to be even more obedient and diligent has grown!  I'm so grateful for this 18 months that I can turn my whole heart over to my savior. 

I love this gospel. Oh, and.. I really love you

Beautiful Tennessee

Front porch -- not so beautiful