Week 16

Yay! We actually have enough time to email all the people that we want! Sister Reed was dying. When she went on her email this morning, she had 31 unread emails, between all the ones she had gotten over the course of the week and the ones she has been leaving unanswered for the last few. I have no idea how long we'll be here today, but I'm pretty sure it will be for at least another hour. She's typing away pretty frantically.

It was very cold earlier this week. Very very cold.

This is in our recent convert's backyard. Yep, that's ice. It rained a ton, which flooded parts of town (yards, streets, etc), and then it froze. So, sheets of ice!

  

Tuesday, we had a great day. We taught a ton of lessons, which is always good! I love days when we get to sit down and teach for most of the day. After all, that's really what we're supposed to be doing as missionaries. Finding is more difficult, in a way, because sometimes you don't know where to start. Door to door finding is not very effective. We contacted a lot of old potential investigators this week, though, so hopefully we'll find some people to teach through that.

Wednesday, we had a REALLY awesome lesson, where one of the young women we teach told us that she had decided that she wanted to get baptized! We were talking about her scripture study, and she has been reading every day, even though I think she has dyslexia, so it's not easy for her. We were talking about how she can feel closer to God through her scripture study, and she said, "I think that I need to get baptized so I can feel that way." Sister Reed and I were a little taken aback--it's always such a good surprise--and then we were like, "Yep! That sounds like a good plan to us!" haha.

We also had a fantastic district meeting on Wednesday. We had a training by our district leader, and he was talking about our motivations. He drew a triangle on the board, and divided it into four sections. Basically, the lowest motivation is fear. Plenty of people obey God out of fear of consequences, fear of hell, whatever. And they will be blessed, because they are at least doing the things that are right. The next motivation is duty. Some people obey out of a sense of duty, like this is what they should be doing. And that's fine as well. We should serve God, because it is a duty. Then, the next motivation is blessings. Some people obey because they know that obedience brings blessings. So they will receive blessings! But the highest motivation, the real reason that we should serve and obey God, is out of love. We should love God and love our neighbor. I wish I had clip art or something so I could draw it out better.

Then, the next day, we had exchanges! I've talked about exchanges before, I think, but this time was a little different. The biggest thing?

I LEFT POPLAR BLUFF! dun dun dun...

Haha. See, before, the two sister training leaders (STLs) would come to our area, and we would split up here in Poplar Bluff. But now, they're changing it so that we meet up halfway between the STLs and our area, then two missionaries go back to the STLs' area, and two go back to our area. So, Sister Reed and one STL stayed in Poplar Bluff, and I went to Fenton Missouri with the other. It's a twenty-four hour exchange, so nothing too crazy, but it was definitely strange to be out of Poplar Bluff and doing missionary work! Obviously, I've been to meetings in other areas of Missouri, but this was my first time teaching, finding, contacting, etc. out of Poplar Bluff.

It was a lot of fun, though. It's definitely different in other areas! Fenton is pretty close to the city. It was a lot... richer. Actually, it probably was very similar to Camas, but it felt a lot richer because I'm so used to Poplar Bluff! It felt a little surreal.

I was glad to go. I learned a lot, and I think that it will make the transition easier when I get transferred out of Poplar Bluff. But I was definitely glad to be back in my own area, with our investigators! Home in the country :)

Friday I headed back to Poplar Bluff! Yay! Long, long car ride, with a lot of rain. Basically, I drove six hours over the course of two days. It was a bit much. But there was a happy reunion with Sister Reed ;) When we got home, we did our weekly planning. Then, we went to a member's home for dinner. These members are awesome. The brother is actually an amateur artist, and he offered to paint a picture for our apartment. That night, we actually got to help paint it! Pretty fun stuff. And I'll be excited to get some more color in our apartment.

I have been so tired this week though. Hooph. It reminds me of being back at college, and feeling perpetually exhausted. I'm usually happy, but also I could usually use a nap.

Sunday was a little rough. Most of our investigators who had said they would come to church didn't. Which was sad. Also, I gave a talk! I think it went pretty well. I was still writing it on my way to church.... I just always dread giving talks so much that I procrastinate way too much. Got to stop doing that. I talked about why I went on a mission, what we do as missionaries, and tied it all to charity. I'm going to send it to you all (Mom Lyv Quinn). It's actually kind of missionary month: one of the elders and I spoke this week, and next week it will be our companions' turn. Our goal this transfer was to really encourage the members to get excited about member missionary work! We have started implementing some new things, and I hope that our work will pay off.

In my personal study, I've finished the Book of Mormon, so I'm starting over again (yay!). This time, I'm studying it a little differently. I really want to STUDY the Book of Mormon. So, I started 1 Nephi 1 on January 7, and I've studied it almost every morning... and I am still on 1 Nephi 1. I think I'll finish it tomorrow! But I'm going through and reading the cross references on every verse, and actually pondering the scriptures. It's been a great experience, and I'm so grateful that I have this time on my mission set aside that I can go this slowly, and it's okay!

One of the verses that I studied was 1 Nephi 1:3: "And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge." So, I was reading the cross-references, and basically pondering how I personally know that the Book of Mormon is true. We have a lot of testimonies of it! First, Nephi said it's true, along with his descendants, the translator (Joseph Smith), the Three Witnesses, the Eight Witnesses, and millions of Latter-day Saints since it was published in 1830. But really, the only way that I can declare with Nephi that I know that the Book of Mormon, the record of ancient inhabitants of the Americas, is true, is if I follow Moroni's promise: Read the Book of Mormon. Ponder it. Pray about it. That's how I know that the book is true.

It's also been interesting to read the Bible through as I study the beginning of the Book of Mormon. It was a total coincidence, but I was reading in 2 Kings, right where Zedekiah starts to rule, as I was studying these verses. I feel like this time, I have actually understood what's going on! Which makes sense, because the last time I read the Old Testament was when I was a sophomore in high school. I've been enjoying it a lot this time.

Well, life's good I guess. Not much more to say than that! Transfer calls are 11 days away, which is INSANE. I can't believe that. I just looked it up and man oh man, I keep saying time flies, but it really really does. More than four months since I left? 16 P-Days? Almost the end of the transfer?!? I love Sister Reed, and I'm going to be sad when I have to leave her and Poplar Bluff, but I know that there are great things still to come!

Love you all! Miss you loads! I hope that you enjoyed this email... although maybe you preferred the shorter ones from the last three weeks! In that case, whoops! Sorry :)

Sister Barret