Sister Allie King: Monday, September 21, 2015

September 21, 2015

I'm restraining myself from saying "hey y'all" like I normally do. Apparently I get a southern accent when I get excited, so that's been the object of amusement among the missionaries this week. The other has been us debating with Elder Iguasnia about which is better, USA or England. I think we're winning!

I CANNOT believe we're going into week 4 of my second transfer!! WHERE DID THE TIME GO?! It's scaring me.

We spent a lot of time out on the streets talking to people, and it is safe to say that every single person in Bishop is either a hardcore hippie or cowboy. It's the greatest thing in the world.

This week we got a new investigator, Nick, who met the Elders on exchanges! He ended up here because he was hiking the Pacific Coast Trail and ran out of money. He is just about the nicest dude ever. Plus he's super spiritual. He was in foster care for a year when he was in high school and stayed with a Mormon family, so he knows quite a bit still! He shared some experiences he had growing up and when he was in the marines (he was in it for 8 years), it is extremely evident that the Lord still needs him on the earth.

We need extra prayers for Claudao this week! His health is continuing to decline and it's getting to a point where he can’t stand up for more than 5 minutes at a time. It's breaking our hearts.

This week we focused a lot on working with the members, so we had a few Family Home Evenings at their homes, and it has been such an amazing experience! One family has 3 sons so we taught them how to use Preach My Gospel and how to teach. The spirit was SO strong in that house and they're all naturals! The 11 year old explained how a dispensation is the opposite of an apostasy and my mind just about exploded. Duh. We talked all about Doctor Who and Star Trek and books; needless to say I fit right in with that family! They live outside of Bishop because, since Bishop has a population of a whopping 3500 people, they need to get away from it all... they live in what looks like the wild west of the 1800s. Cowboys.

We also had a lesson with another family on how to answer questions simply, and I was just overwhelmed with how simple our message is! We have a loving Heavenly Father; and since he loves us he's given us a savior and a prophet once again on the earth. The Book of Mormon testifies of that and can bless us. The rest falls into place if we JUST have a testimony on those things! I love spending all my time on the Lord!

I got a lot of strength this week when talking to strangers. I feel my concerns about what the world thinks of me melt away, I don't care if they think I'm crazy; I just want them to know about this gospel! It's the best thing we can follow!

I finished reading the Book of Mormon (not the book book, but the book in the book if ya know what I mean) and what struck me the most is how often the Lord says "let vengeance be mine." It reminds me of D&C 121:7-8, how we will "triumph over all our foes," as long as we're on the Lord's side! In this war between good and evil, we ALREADY KNOW who wins in the end! The Lord's side does! And even if it SEEMS like we lose a battle, whether people reject us or slam the door or walk away or insult us or say we're wasting our time, I know that I am on the winning side. I know that I'm supporting and representing the King of Kings, and I am so grateful for this opportunity!