Oh Bogie Town--

Sooo lets get up to date on all that's happening here in my favorite Bogalusa.  This week was crazy, I love Sister Bailey!  She's a rock solid missionary and we work hard together.

Basically the biggest event that happened this week was the amazing word of wisdom lesson we had.

Basically what happened was we went back to visit Ms. Emily who we've been teaching for awhile.  Sister Mygrant, Baker, and I all taught her the Restoration a couple of weeks back and she had tears just flowing from her eyes because she could feel the spirit so strongly and knew it was true.  Unfortunately Emily can't read but she wants to change her life around badly.  Sister Bailey and I have gone back a couple of times to see her and wow.  Basically the 1st lesson we had with her, we asked her if she knew how to even really pray.  We always ask people to pray about our message to find out if it's true (which I testify that it is).  One thing that we constantly seem to miss sometimes is whether or not the person actually knows how to pray.  Finally in the middle of the lesson (we were talking about how to feel the spirit) we ask, "Ms. Emily do you even know how to pray?"  She told us no.  We then taught her how to pray, it was the most heart felt prayer I've ever heard.  After we grabbed her hand and told her what a wonderful and sincere prayer she just prayed.  Then we asked if she believed that Heavenly Father could help her stop smoking.  She nodded yes and then we set up an apt for a "Stop Smoking Workshop" for next time we come over. 

Two days later it was the workshop.  It went really well, probably the best "Stop Smoking Workshop" I've ever been able to help teach.  The spirit was there extremely strong.  Right in the middle of teaching, Ms. Emily pulls out one of her cigarette boxed and begins to take the plastic wrap off of it.  Sister Bailey and I were almost upset because we thought that she was pulling out a stick to smoke.  But nope, that wasn't the case at all!  Ms. Emily took all of the cigarettes in that box, put them all in her hand and crushed them (broke them in half) right in front of us.  She did that with both of her boxes and got rid of ever ash tray and lighter in the house.  We were amazed!! We didn't even tell her to do that...I mean it wasn't even that part of the lesson she just naturally did it.  That's how big of desire she has to change.  We also told her not to drink coffee or alcohol while she is in the process of quitting--she gladly said, "Okay, but y'all take my coffee pot away from me or else I'll be tempted."  Are you kidding me!?  Um...we'll gladly take your coffee pot, crushed cigars, and ash trays away from you.  It was the best Word of Wisdom lesson to witness ever!  Right before we left we said a prayer and I took a min to recognize the spirit ( I do this a lot just to keep me in check).  The spirit was strong and in her home.   The moment all of that was being taken out the spirit gradually got stronger.  Emily's countenance was already changing.  

 President Monson said, "We need to keep in mind that people can change. They can put behind them bad habits. They can repent from transgressions. They can bear the priesthood worthily. And they can serve the Lord diligently.” Emily's desire to quit is strong but her faith in God is stronger.  I know that people can change.  Even when it seems like there is no hope at all for others to change I know and testify they can.  I am witnessing that daily out here, it's through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we can become as he is and "Purging out our iniquities and sanctifying ourselves." D & C 43:11

That night things got a little crazy, it honestly makes me laugh because this night is proof that missionaries literally would do anything for their investigators.  Because Ms. Emily can't read we told her we had The Book of Mormon of CD for her to listen to.  Sister Bailey had a Walkman and some headphones that she never uses anymore.  She was just going to give them to Ms. Emily so she could listen.  When we gave it to her, that night Ms. Emily called saying that it doesn't work.  We went to check and sure enough it wasn't working!!  The CD player wouldn't play anything that is MP3....bah!! This was such a bummer because Emily desperately wanted to listen to The Book of Mormon. 

We frantically drove to our house to see if there was another CD or something that would work, but nothing would play.  That's when we realized we needed something (a mini DVD player) to play MP3.  Well, those little buggers are expensive!! But we went to Wal-Mart just to see and hope that maybe there would be a sale.  There wasn't (go figure), and while we were seriously debating whether or not to get one, Krystal came in with her family!  "Sisters, what are you doing?!"  We explained, she then put her hand to her forehead, "Girls...just get a cheap DVD player that's like 20 bucks and that would play MP3 too."  Um...yeah why did we not think of that?  So we found one and split it and got it for Ms. Emily (she didn't have one).  We show up at her house and exclaimed, "Well, we didn't have another Walkman or mini dvd player but we magically had this random DVD player!"  Yeah okay maybe that wasn't all truth but hey it made her day and she could listen to The Book of Mormon.  So her sons set up the DVD player and we put in the CD...it worked!!! All that effort and it worked!!  We sat and listened to 1 Nephi chpt 1 with her and her boys.  All she could do was cry, the spirit was so strong and she was thankful, she told us she could understand everything that was being said (she even repeated it to us) and that she knew it was true.  So, therefore by the end of the night everything was worth it!!  Sister Bailey said, "I didn't realize how far away from other missionaries we were until I realized no one could help us tonight but ourselves."  Yep, that's my area and I love it.  This "abandonment" has been the best thing.  Granted yes it's been difficult at times, but it literally has just been Heavenly Father and me.  Which is how it should be.  These people are our number one and we not nothing more then for them to draw closer to Christ and taste the truth of this restored gospel.  Nothing in this world will bring us more happiness then this gospel.  This is truly the church that Christ established when he was on the earth and when people come to know that its the sweetest thing to witness.   I love being a missionary I love losing myself in this work and "just being here" this is where my mind and my heart needs to be and I finally get it.  I am more devoted to Jesus Christ then I ever have been and that grows daily.  My devotion grows deeper which brings me happiness.  I hope y'alls week has been grand.  Keep reading your scriptures and praying.  It's the small acts of obedience that save our souls and bring us eternal life.  It's those small acts that help us to endure to the end which help us keep the biggest covenants of all.  "And if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest gift of all the gifts of God."  D & C 14:7

Stay Strong and know I love you always.

Love Sister Jenkins