Monday November 17, 2014

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

This week has been another slow one for us up here in Meridian.  We walked most of the week to help keep us busy trying to talk to people on the street.  It ended up snowing Wednesday night up here and no joke probably snowed for almost 48 hours straight.  It was so nuts!  We really didn't have much planned for Friday so we headed so we spent a good part of the day shoveling peoples driveways.  Man I have never been so sore in my life.  We defiantly slept well that night.  A lot of people looked at us like we were crazy offering to shovel to shovel their walks for free. 

    The ward had a chili cook off which is such a great opportunity for them to invite their friends to.  I don't think that was ever anything that we did down in Simi, but I think it is a great idea.  I feel like in this area almost every ward does it.  Even though the roads weren't that great and it was pretty cold Friday night there was still a really good turn out.  It was also a great opportunity for me to be able to meet more people in the ward.

    A tender mercy from the week was picking up a new investigator.  Her name is Sallie Fogg, her husband is a less active member. The sisters had visited with her before but she hadn't shown much interest.  When I came into the area she has had some events in her life to humble her, she got a priesthood blessing the first week that I was here so I really didn't get a chance to know her.  This week we went by to see her because she has to now stay home due to some new health issues.  While we were talking she randomly asked us when church was and where just in case she ever wanted to sit in the back and observe.  This just blew our minds, no one has ever been the one to bring up going to church to us first, so we talked to her about learning more.  She has really come along ways and we invited her to take the discussions and she agreed.  We taught her the Restoration and it went really well, we committed her to read the Book of Mormon. And when we went by her house Friday to shovel her driveway for her she had told us that she had been reading! From what Sister Broberg has told me she has been taking leaps and bonds this transfer, we really have high hopes for her. We have really been trying to push the work along in this area and its been tough not gonna lie, but it was such a blessing from the Lord to be able to pick up a new investigator.

    One thing I learned this week as well came from a less active family.  They don't as active or don't come to church very often due to their daughter playing basketball.  The don't force her to go to mutual because she claims that their aren't girls there that she gets along with or play sports.  Their whole life revolves around her and her sports, they see her playing in college so they are doing everything in their power to help her make it there.  It made me realize how grateful I was for you Dad and Mom, that you didn't let my life be revolved around sports.  That you helped me see the importance of the Gospel in my life.  That one day I wouldn't be playing sports and their were different things that needed to be a focus in my life to prepare me for that day.  You helped me to start building my treasures up in Heaven then here on earth.  So thank you for helping me to build my testimony when I was young and making me go to mutual to help me to branch out and to be friends with those around me.

   This week we have been going around contacting people and teaching the members the Lesson of the Restoration to talk to them about those around them that would be receptive to hear our message.  It has been a great experience and it really has affirmed to me over and over again how true this message is.  It just burns in my heart and soul, one of the members we taught returned from his mission five years ago and he said to remember the feelings we have on our mission because we will never be able to feel them with that much intensity again.  That really hit me, so I went home that night to write my testimony down and to write the feelings that I had.  I love being out here teaching and testifying to everyone even when things feel like they aren't going at the pace that I would hope.

   I am just trying to enjoy every moment of the mission, snow or shine!

Love

Sister Metcalf

1-So much snow!

2-Us by our car before we went to go shovel peoples driveways...got to bundle up!