Hello everyone!
So basically, I feel like it is Christmas already. I am just so excited! I don't know why, maybe it's because I actually pulled out my winter coat, and I am wearing scarves, I'm not sure, but I love it. I am staying in Covington, but Sister Clawson is going to Houma. Oh my beloved Houma. I love that place! My new companion is Sister Choal (pronounced Shole)! She is coming from Houma. Sister Choal is so cute. She is from Laramie, Wyoming, and she is actually a recent convert to the church! She has been a member about a year and 3 or 4 months. She used to be Pentecostal, but not the kind that don't cut their hair, wear make-up, and only wear skirts. And she just has a really neat conversion story. I'll have to get her to write it down because it's pretty neat. She is amazing. She is facing a lot of opposition from family right now. Her Dad won't talk to her, and her mom will email her, but she can't say anything about the church. It's crazy. But yeah Sister Choal is just a cute, little, vivacious blond, and I am excited to serve with her. I think we will have a lot of fun.
Everything still sounds exciting at home, and I love how silly our family is. Can I just tell you that. We are utterly ridiculous! Oh my goodness can you believe that tomorrow, I have been gone for exactly 9 months?! Crazy right? Weird. Thank you so much for the package! I can already see a difference from the medicine! Oh! And want to know something funny! The Relief Society President in our ward told me she had found some gluten free bread and a store here in Covington, and I figured...yeah it's probably the kind that tastes like cardboard...nope! We went over to her house for dinner on Thursday, and she made me gluten-free spaghetti, gluten-free cornbread, and also bought me a loaf of bread from that store! And it is UDI's bread! Exciting no? Yeah, so then come home on Friday and what do I see, MORE gluten-free bread! I am so excited :) Ha, thank you so much! So basically as long as I am in Covington you don't need to send more bread. I'll be set :) But now I don't have to buy it. So thanks!
Yes, my birthday is coming up, and I don't have any huge desires for gifts...maybe some sweaters. I have 3 right now, and I am contemplating buying another one. But basically just some tops. That's something that I need I guess. They don't even have to be white, but solid would be best. But other than that, please don't send me a bunch of sugar ha, ha. I don't need it. A little is okay, but not a lot.
Anyway, getting to the week!
On Tuesday we taught Sedonia the first half of a 2nd. It went really well. She comprehends a lot of what we teach, and even more so what she reads. It's really neat because she takes notes as she reads so she will understand it. On Thursday we taught the rest of a 2nd (Plan of Salvation), and it was neat. I REALLY like teaching Sedonia. She is really neat, and definitely has a desire to turn her life around. She was going to be baptized on the 13th, but it will be pushed to end of December, possibly early January. She has to come to church 4 times in a row, and get first presidency approval. But I am very excited about her. She is supposed to have her baby next week, and I am so excited. Man I hate the rule where we can't hold children. I understand it, but seriously. Babies are just too cute! On Saturday we taught her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the spirit was there. Basically right now we are trying to help her feel the Spirit, because that is what she needs right now!
Bettie....well, she is very complicated to me right now. I really think it's time that we drop her, but this week she went and said that she and a less active member made a pact that they were going to quit smoking, coffee and tea together. So, this is the biggest thing with her not being baptized. Word of Wisdom and coming to church. We just need to conquer these things and help her gain a testimony, then, it will be good.
Janet is one of the recent converts here, and actually, Sister Jack and Sister Holmes were the ones who taught her! She hasn't been coming to church though, but she has a strong desire to go to the temple. This week she cut my hair, and we were able to start the new member lessons, and it went pretty well. She told me that she would color my hair for free...can I say EXCITED!?! Ha, yeah. Hopefully it'll cover up my white hairs I've been developing on my mission. But yeah, it looks like that will probably be the next time we teach her.
I think I remember telling you about Gabrielle, but we were able to see her on Saturday. We have decided that we are teaching her the lessons as well. She knows a lot of it, but it doesn't hurt to be refreshed right? Heck, I didn't know half of this stuff anyway till I was a missionary...well the deeper stuff. Anyway, Saturday we taught her about the Restoration. The Spirit was definitely there. Yesterday, we planned to teach her the Plan of Salvation. We got there, and her boyfriend Matt was there. We had been told he's not really interested right now (on Saturday), but we went in and decided to teach it anyway. I was SOOOOOO flustered! I got nervous, and I stumbled over words like crazy. Ha, I guess I was scared, it's been a while since that has happened, but it was still a really good lesson. We asked him some good questions, and he read a little from the Book of Mormon. In the next couple weeks, we are going to watch Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration with them (the one in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building). We are excited.
Yesterday was just an awesome day! We went and volunteered at the Food Bank, and helped sort things for Thanksgiving packages. We taught Gabrielle and Matt. We went to see Christine Neumeyer, and were able to finally sit down and talk with her (she is somebody that Sister Hill actually worked with in Oakdale, and she told me I have to start teaching them again!) So we are going to set a time when we can have dinner with them and some members. After that, we saw Nani, who is a woman that we were really excited about, then we lost touch with her because of bad timing. But she is Catholic and said she wasn't interested in converting, but we taught her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, and she said she'd read it and we could come back and talk more about it on Friday, so that will be exciting. Then we went to see Rochelle Brock who is a less active member who came to church on Sunday for the first time in a while. She has a strong desire to go to the temple, and we are going to help get her there! I don't know. It was just a really good day yesterday, and I loved it.
That is basically the highlights of the week. I don't know what else to say, but I love y'all so much! Thanks for being such a wonderful family. You are the best!
Love you,
Sister Stacy Earl
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