Hello from Big Shanty! Week 3

Hello friends from the Big Shanty YSA (Young Single Adult) Branch at Kennesaw University!

I don't know where to start. 

Thank you to everyone for the prayers and support with the accident. We, well Sister Stenquist was teaching me how to do weekly planning when we received the call. We were both shocked. Purely shocked. There are a lot of sisters who are grieving. Sister Beckstrom has only been out for 3 months, so everyone that came out with her is struggling. Thank you!

At times like these, I always wish the world would stop turning. That time would stop. But it doesn't. The world continues to revolve and orbit, and time does not slow down. There is still work to be done. We are so blessed to know the plan of Salvation; to know that there is more to this life;  That we have a loving Heavenly Father, who loves each of us so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to Atone and die for us. Because of Jesus Christ, we will all live again. And not only will we all live again, but we have the opportunity to return to live with our loving Heavenly Father and our families. Because Christ atoned for us, He knows us each personally. He has felt and endured everything that we must endure. We must always remember to turn to Him, because He is the only one who truly understands. This is the message I am here to share with people, who also struggle, who may have also had to endure the trials of losing loved ones, but do not have the comfort of this message. I know that I am sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that it is true. 

In the MTC there is a great talk you can watch on Sunday nights by Elder Bednar. It is called "The Character of Christ".

http://www2.byui.edu/presentations/transcripts/religionsymposium/2003_01_25_Bednar.htm

It is all about how the character of Christ is to turn outwards. To remove the focus from ourselves and do as Christ did, and focus on others. He shared a story about how a mother, who was serving as the relief society president, lost her daughter in a car accident. There were many incidences of this women showing the Character of Christ, but the one that sticks out in particular was that on the morning of her daughter's funeral, a member from the ward called her and just ripped at her because she had a cold and the relief society had not delivered a meal to her. On her way to the funeral, this mother dropped off a meal at this member's home. We get to choose to either be the mother, or the member. It is a constant effort to chose to emulate the Character of Christ and Turn out, but I know that we are better in the long run we do it.  

I LOVE GEORGIA!!!!! They let you see the sky here!!!!

The MTC is like living inside the rock of Gibraltar. 

It is like celestial prison. 

Being a Missionary is the closest I will ever come to being 

a nun

an assassin (we just want broken hearts and contrite spirits though...)

and a professional stalker

It's amazing.

Can I just say I LOVE MY COMPANION!!!! Her name is Sister Stenquist.

We are like the same person. We even picked the same scripture for our plaques! and we both feel awkward about our scripture!!!

I seriously love her so much. She is so kind and patient, and a neat freak too, and a really hard worker! We just click. We're great friends. Thank you to everyone who prayed for me. Those prayers have been answered without fail so far!

SO this mission is not at all like what I ever expected. I'm pretty sure I was expecting to come to a third world country because I am continuously amazed at our nice plumbing, dish washer, and Walmarts. As far as I'm concerned, I'm living it up! (but seriously, I just wish there was a way I could mail food to Zoe...) (mom note- Zoe is from our ward and serving in the Philippines).

We do not have a car. We share one with sisters at our apartment that are in the family ward for this area. Well, I'm pretty sure it's their car, but our branch covers the entire stake, so we have to use it sometimes, like last night when we went to dinner at a member's home that was 45 minutes away. 

They are letting me use a bike a sister left. It's Yellow, and interesting looking... but it was the smallest bike they had available. All the bikes were like 16" and larger.... Supposedly all the sisters that just left were very tall...

We have not used the bikes yet though because the sister left the lock on the bike without a code, and we are currently trying to access that. 

So we've walked. A lot. 

That's ok. In fact, it's great! I'm a proud supporter of walking and anything that involves caloric burn.

Our branch...

Our branch is very small... We make up about 10% of the attendance, which would mean that about 20 people show up to church. 

Also, we have no investigators. So pray for those to come our way. 

There are a lot of less/in actives, so when it started flashflood raining yesterday, we called everyone on the ward directory. Three people said they'd call us later this week. We will for sure be calling them later this week. 

The people in our branch our amazing. So while we don't have any investigators, we do have recent converts that we work with. 

My first Sunday yesterday was fun! The branch meets in a rented office building. So it is not actually dedicated! The branch president, (who is actually from Ohio and said he know's papa. His last name is Murdock) had be bare my testimony. I just laughed. and was relieved that I knew that I actually was supposed to bare my testimony! (Mom note- Tyler served in East LA, Spanish speaking. His first Sunday his companions tricked him into baring his testimony.  Saying that the Branch President had asked him to come up and do that. However, he had only introduced him. This is why she said this.) We then taught gospel principles and that was great- the members were really involved. For the third hour, one the Branch presidency did a lesson on member missionary work! It was awesome! and some people were even telling us that they were going to invite their friends to meet with us!

I love you all so much and wish I could hug each of you! Thank you for your prayers! Know that I pray for you too!!!

Love,

Hermana/Sister  Madeleine Wallis