Sister Jenkins called to serve: May Week 2

So, I had this dream that I saw my family yesterday. Oh wait! I did:) It was the best, I could talk to them all day. This week went by really fast and I'm surprised. It's like when you don't want time to go by fast it continues to go by fast. Then when you want time to speed up, it goes slower? How does that work? Oh well whatever the case time won't be an issue in Heaven so I'm just going to enjoy every moment I have left in the field.

Monday we had some members of the ward take us to Wally World and help us find things to put into our house. These people are saints. Literally I love them and couldn't thank them enough on the car ride home. I seriously made the world to me! There are so many wonderful examples in the mission field especially members that take care of their missionaries. I remember when we first got to Hattiesburg the Bishops wife helped us out so much. I will always be thankful for these Christ-like people who give their time and money to helping the Lord. As my trainer always said, "The members are our life lines." I completely agree. They are 100 percent our life lines regarding everything. I really hope that one day I can be able to help out the missionaries as much as I have been helped out on my mission.

Tuesday was good-it's just been non-stop busy and I love it. Literally this is such an amazing area. It's literally been such a blessing to be able to open this area for sisters. It's been our biking week, so obviously we've been on bikes all week. Remember that time I told the Elders in Hattiesburg we could just car share? Well, it totally helped prepare me for this area. Biking wasn't that bad! I mean the first day we didn't know where we were at half the time. Which is totally typical so we just went with the flow. Which I don't know if that was a good thing or not. Everyone that we planned to see wasn't home. So there was some I guess confusion as to where we were. We had back up plans to everything and we ended up biking into the Elders area. Not a bad thing though because we ended up finding them a potential investigator...go sisters. But, Brother Adams saw us biking, "Hey you two Mormons! aren't you in the wrong area?" Oh hey haha umm yes we are...we just thought we'd bike at least 15 in the hot sun and humidity. All to end up getting the Elders some investigators oh and to get lost like three times and have to bike back and forth back and forth. He was so nice haha he saw that we were totally lost and let us use his GPS!! It was a blessing to run into him. Oh haha funny story so there was this one time we were driving last week and Sister Brown said at a major intersection, "haha can you imagine Elders biking across this highway? I bet people laugh at them." Well, guess who happened to cross that same intersection this day? Oh two "Mormon Chick" missionaries in skirts with bright red faces. Needless to say, we saw some awesome returning members. So all of it was worth it. We even got some sweet tan lines. I personally love the watch and tom tan lines. Icy Hot was well used at the end of today:)

Wednesday! District meeting. Hmmm well, not going to lie it was one of the more awkward district meetings. Thank Heavens I didn't have to drive to Shreveport this week. Last week still kinda scared me. But, it was just awkward! Like I can't explain it. But, I totally became a Sister Missionary officially today ya'll. Because Sister Brown and I decided to make lunch for our little district. Sister Brown made this pasta (it was all healthy cause the elders are health nuts) it was really good. Then I made this spinach, strawberry, madrian oranges, cranberry, and the best part...homemade honey roasted pecans! Yeah, I didn't even use a recipe y'all I just made them. The Elders all thought they we're good...like they were eating these pecans like they were candy. One of them wants me to make him a whole bag of these so that he can snack on them. Of course I will!! I actually made something that Elders will just eat. I didn't buy it...(cause that's what I'd normally do if I was making lunch) but I made it.:) I even forgot dressing and they said the salad was so good it didn't need a dressing. Psh I felt awesome. So it was a pretty legit lunch, all homemade which makes me an official Sister Missionary. Thank Heavens I passed that test before I came home. Today Bailey came out with us:) It was a good time. Sister Brown had a "potential investigator" call and ask to date her. Most awkward conversation, apparently it wasn't the gospel that got his attention. My comp is beautiful y'all but she was very polite and mature in the way she turned him down. We had an awesome lesson with Blake again and he committed to baptism!! Bailey is going to be a solid missionary someday--seriously she was pulling out scriptures I didn't even know before my mission. But, the spirit was super strong during the lesson. We also saw the Nelsons:) Their and active family and I just love them.

Wow, I'm writing a novel today. But, hey keep reading:) Thursday lets see, Sister Brown and I had to bike to the library to write our talks for Sunday. Then we got caught in a rainstorm. It was awesome! I freakin love the rain, especially the rain in the south. The rain in Utah just...isn't the same. But, we had a legit lesson at the Saunders home!! Seriously this ward is the best. They do so much missionary work on their own and make sure that the missionaries are in their homes teaching these people they are talking with. We taught two people in their home. It was kinda a jumbled lesson. Sister Brown and I lead the lesson, and the Elders got our backs. Even with the four of our teaching it was still great.

Friday we did a lot of service, painting dressers and helping the ward with their "garage sale" at the stake center. We weekly planned today and we had legit stuff to plan for!! So we basically did that for about four hours.

Saturday we went on exchanges. I was on bikes and Sister Brown was riding with Sister Giddins. Sister Cottrell and I saw a lot of people. We tracted for a couple of hours and tried a few returning members. Even though we didn't get a lot of lessons in, it was still a successful day because we were non-stop working. I mean it was tiny moments that we kept finding opportunities to teach or serve. For example, a man was looking for something down the street. I said, "What you looking for sir?" He replied that his dog was missing and she ran down the road. I asked what kind of dog and immediately took off. I didn't mean to like bike as fast as I was haha but I was determined to find this dog this old man needed help. Well, at the end of the street we found her. Then I chased her back home on my bike, because she wouldn't come to me. But, since the south doesn't have sidewalks...I was bookin it on my bike across everyone's lawns chasing this dog. Point is...the dog made it safely home:) The man was extremely grateful.

Sunday I was speaking in church. I chose to speak on the conference talk "Oh how we need each other" By Bonnie Oscarson who is the young woman's general president. I wanted to make my talk a mix of this talk and mothers day. So I wrote a poem for my mother Saturday night. The poem will be in a different post. But, basically I talked to my family!! It was a great great day. I love them soo much. The Glass family is awesome for letting us always come over. They help the missionaries out so much.

Anyways y'all it was such a great week. Like, I am so happy. I haven't felt this happy for such a long time on my mission. I mean I've always been happy, but I'm so much more. I think the better I become as a missionary the happier I am. Granted it means my heart hurts for everyone that I come to love that doesn't accept the gospel even more. But, that's just part of the deal. I pray for these wonderful people with all my heart every night/morning. Nothing is more important then our brothers and sisters. We all need each other. We can't do it alone. "Love one another as I have loved you." John 13:34 This is literally the most important time on earth. What a blessing it is to be able to be a member of the one true church on earth. Christ lives and he WILL come again. I know it. Lets all continue to love and prepare each other for it.

I love you always.

Love Sister Jenkins

Hey everyone!!
Wow what a week it has been. I can't believe it's already pday and here I am at the computer emailing again. I miss you all. But the relationships and everything I am learning and gaining out here couldn't be replaced. I love my mission and I love what I do.

Wednesday we spent a lot of time tracting. I was honestly tired and sweaty haha it was great! We met some very interesting people as usual. There was one lady that said she has had multipule Mormon friends and she knows all there is to know about mormons. She was bashing Joseph Smith....(the normal.) Anyways at the end of the conversation she looks at us and says...I hope y'all are serving because you want to and not because it's expected. Haha I just looked at her and laughed. I am serving a mission because I want to and I know the words I say are true. She smiled and said, "Well, Good luck to y'all." The next person we met was sitting on her front pourch and started talking of how years ago, she met two sister mormon missionaries and a half hour later they left her husband died!! I was like what?! So as my mouth was dropped open I looked and said, "well I hope you don't think he died because of them." she laughed and said, "oh honey I know it wasn't because of those two cute girls." So we taught her the Plan of Salvation and we have an appt scheduled with her this week! It was really funny...my soul started to panic as she told that really sad story about her husband.

D.... is still progressing it is awesome!! We were able to really teach her the Plan of Salvation this week. She understands it--it is all making sense to her and she loves her bible. Her comprehension of everything she reads is amazing. We found out this week that she has been to prison before and she was changed when she found Jesus Christ. She loves us coming over because she feels it's right. She still isn't ready to come to church which is hard because she full on admitted to us that there is nothing holding her back to come to church! She just isn't ready--I know she will come though!!

Friday we got to become a trio with Sister Benjamin. She was a visa waiter going to Australia. It was so much fun doing missionary work with her. I learned a lot as well and we had fun.

On Saturday the twins (Brianna and Brooklyn) got baptized. It was a great baptism. I was able to play the piano and I sang a duet with Jenni. I love the ward I am in. I learn so much from the members here. They all have such a good desire to serve God and I couldn't be more thankful for their love and example. I really feel like I belong here, and I love it.

Sunday was great:) I love Sundays! They are super busy but I really love it. Every Sunday we get to go sing at the hospital for Bro. Pat. He is so funny because he always requests Popcorn popping as the last song. We get into the song haha you would laugh. During church the missionaries get up and make announcements to get the ward excited about missionary work. With Gladys Knight coming everyone is getting extremely excited about inviting nonmembers. Anyways one of the announcements that we randomly had to say was a surprise bible study! Remember last week how Do.....said she would come to bible class? Well...she gave us her schedule and if she won't read the BOM or come to church then we will have (at her request) a bible class. So she texted us Saturday asking when it was and we randomly said, "Sunday at 3:30!" She said okay. Well we made this announcement and two ladies decided they would come. It was great. So 3:30 comes around and no Do......I knew we wouldn't be leaving the church without a class today. So we waited...and waited...only two ladies came...Sister Tr...and Sister D.... We waited...finally I called Do.... She said, "I'm at home waiting for y'all!" haha Do.....thought it would be at her apt even though we told her it would be at the church and gave her the address. But needless to say, Do..... came!! It was a spiritual highlight of the week. It could not have been set up more perfectly. These two sisters had so much in common in their conversion story with Do.... They bore testimony and at the end Do..... bore hers with tears in her eyes on why she knew she was suppose to be here today. She loved the entire class. We studied from the Bible, and then of course we brought in the BOM. We read Moroni Chpt 10:) It was planned very tactfully that morning:) We read from 1Cor 12 and it related perfectly with spritiual gifts found in Chapter 10 of Moroni. I even planned it out so Do....... had to read out loud Moroni's promise! While she read she marked her BOM! First time her BOM has been marked ever! I love watching the light her her eyes glisten as she learns more and more.

It was a very good week. I enjoyed being with Sister Benjamin and Sister Keyes this week. We all learned so much from one another and we had to say our goodbyes to Sister Benjamin today. She is going to love Australia and I know she made a pit stop in the south for a reason. Anyways, I love what I am doing. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I am so thankful for him. He strengthens me in all things!

Have a good week! I sure love you.

Love Sister Jenkins