5th Email: 4th Week in Salem

Whelp! Another week has flown by! And this week has been just great....(said with slight sarcasm) JK, JK, it really has been good. It's definitely been interesting. At the beginning of the week, Sister Tuckett and I were all excited because we actually had several appointments set up! Our schedule wouldn't have to be filled with wandering around tracting and knocking on tons of doors that don't open! But Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways, and He decided that He didn't want us to spend our week at all those appointments. He had something else in mind. Seriously though, almost all of our appointments fell through.

 

On Tuedsay we were supposed to teach J-- (a less active), R-- (our investigator...have I ever told you about him? He's great...I'll have to give you the scoop on him in a minute), and the T-- family (potential investigators), but none of them were home (or at least they didn't answer the door). So...we went tracting! Well first we tried to contact a member of our ward, but he wasn't home. And this is where the Lord's mysterious ways come in! When the member wasn't home, we decided to tract his street. We didn't get an answer at most of the houses, but at this one house the guy who answered invited us in. He and his wife are probably in their late 50's, and they told us they're just "churched out." I guess they've gone to a lot of different churches during their lives, but they're just tired of "man-made religion." They don't like how one preacher in a church teaches doctrine one way, and another preacher from the same church teaches the doctrine another way. I thought, perfect! Let me tell you about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It's run by God! The problem is, they've heard about our church and about Joseph Smith before, and they're not sold on the fact that he's a prophet. They think he just started another man-made religion. But they were super open and let us talk to them for a while. We testified of Joseph Smith, Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and told them that the knowledge we have was received from God through the Spirit, and that that's the only way they would be able to truly know the same thing. We gave the husband a copy of the Book of Mormon and he took it politely and said, "I'll take it, but I'm gonna be honest, I'm probably not gonna read it." We had talked about modern prophets and how they give us counsel on things of the world today (media, finances, etc...) and he thought that that's what the Book of Mormon was all about. We explained that it's not...that it's actually a book of ancient scripture, records of the inhabitants of America from around the same time the Bible was written, and he was like, "Oh...really? Hm. Maybe I will read that..." So that was pretty sweet! When we left, they told us that we should come by again if we're ever in the area. Of course, they also said they travel a lot, so it might be hard to catch them, but still! They could be some dynamite investigators!

 

Later that day, we were tracting another street that a member lived on, and the guy who answered the door (probably in his late 20s) told us he was pretty set in his church, but then he said, "my dad on the other hand...you guys should talk to him! He used to be a preacher at my church, but he was looking to join the Mormon church a while ago." What??? Sweet! So when we got home we looked through the area book, and sure enough, he's one of our area's former investigators. So that was pretty great! We haven't been able to get back to try and talk to him yet, but I think there's definitely some potential there!

 

Okay, so R--. He's great. Probably one of my favorite people. He's got such a funny personality and he's super nice. He's also tricky to teach. Ah, it makes me laugh every time! So when we first met him we pretty much taught him the Restoration on his porch, and he seemed pretty intrigued. He told us he's really into reading spiritual stuff, and he spends a lot of time reading. Perfect! We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and told him to read the first 50 pages by the time we came back the next week. And he did! We've taught him a few times, and he seems pretty interested and willing to hear what we have to say. The tricky part is actually getting a word in while we're at his house! He loves to talk and talk, and about the most random things! And we'll ask him an inspired question, and he'll start to answer it, but then something else will pop into his mind, and he'll go off about that! But he's great. He makes it interesting. And he really likes the Book of Mormon. We're just trying to teach him that it's more than a good book and that he needs to pray about it when he reads. This week we're going to teach him the Plan of Salvation.

 

Well...that's pretty much my week! (Actually there's lots more and I wish I had time to tell you every little detail...but I don't! Shucks!)

 

Hope all is grrreat, and that you all have a wonderful week!

 

Virginia is BEATIFUL, in case anyone was wondering.

 

Love,

Sister Melissa Myers

4th Email: 3rd Week in Salem

Where to begin?

This week has been great. We taught B-- and C-- on Saturday and then this morning as well. Oh and they came to church on Sunday! Chaching! Yeah, I was super excited about that. B-- is doing great, he seems to just take everthing in, and actually from how he responds it seems like he already knows everthing. His eyes say, "tell me something I don't know!" I think he's just being patient and waiting on his wife right now. She's great, and she believes in God and Jesus Christ. Her biggest struggle right now is that she's prayed a lot in her life, but she's never felt like she's received an answer. So we really focus on prayer and the Holy Ghost and what kind of answer she can expect (in her mind and in her heart...thoughts and feelings...), so hopefully that'll get figured out. I've decided this is tough work! I mean, I knew it was going to be hard, but that was more of just a naïve acceptance of what I've heard from return missionaries. Now that I'm experiencing it I'm starting to understand it more! And I know I've got so much more to learn, but anyways, it's hard because no matter what I do, no matter how much I have the Spirit with me, no matter how well I teach, it all boils down to what the investigator does in the end. I wish I could just take my life's experience in the church and stick it in C--'s heart and say, "here ya go! This is what the Holy Ghost feels like! The Church is true!" But it doesn't work that way. She can only learn how the Spirit works with her by testing it out and having her own experiences. I can't force a relationship with God and Jesus Christ on her. She has to want it, and she has to be proactive about it. But anyways. There's my little rant. But I've got high hopes for B-- and C--. Oh, and they're scheduled to be baptized on October 19! :)

I've learned a ton in the past month. Mostly though, I think I've been learning about myself. I'm discovering certain things about myself that I didn't realize before, and I'm really learning what kind of person I am and what kind of person I want to become. I've got a lot of room to grow, but I think I can see my weaknesses more clearly, and I feel more resolved and motivated to change. I'm far from perfect, but I'm going to do my best to be as close to perfect as I can! Ah. I really just want to make the best of my time out here. I want to be exactly obedient, and I want to do everything the Lord expects of me. I don't want to disappoint him, or miss any opportunities to help his sons and daughters around me! That's another thing I'm working on...trying to recognize and follow promptings of the Spirit. I still just have such a hard time telling the difference between my random thoughts and spiritual promptings! And I know that even if a random thought isn't from the Holy Ghost I should just follow it, as long as it's good, but I just feel like I have random thoughts all the time, and it would be impossible and silly to try to follow all of them! So I tend to not follow them more than I follow them, which I know I shouldn't do, and I'm worried that I'm missing choice opportunities Heavenly Father is placing in my path. Anyway, I don't know if that made sense at all, but that's just something I'm working on.

Thanks for all your support! All ya'll are great! Love ya!

~Sister Myers

Safe and Sound in West Virginia

 

Hi! I made it!

 

 

They found me...President and Sister Pitt

 



3rd Email: 2nd Week in Salem

Hello!

Where to begin...this week has kind of been forever long, but it's flown by at the same time (let's be honest, ever since I entered the MTC it's been like that).  Sister Tuckett and I are still just trying to feel out the area and get to know people, but the work is moving right along. I feel like we've been led certain places to talk to certain people, even though it doesn't seem like we've had a lot of success. There have been a few people that have talked to us for a while on their porch or even let us in, and they tell us they're not interested or something along those lines, but most of the time when I walk away from the house it feels like a success. I don't know why! Like the other day we talked to this lady who was raised in the church, but she's been going to a Pentacostal (I have no idea how to spell that) church for 22 years. I guess her parents were super strict and she felt forced to do a lot of things in the church, and she was actually taught some false doctrine. She told us that she refused to believe that all the good people around here who go to different churches can't go to the celestial kingdom because they aren't Mormons. We immediately explained to her that that's not true at all, and we talked for a while about other things, but by the end of our little porch chat she expressed to us that she's just not that interested. While we were walking away though, I just felt like even though our visit didn't seem too successful, I think we did some good. Maybe we planted a seed or sparked a long extinguished flame...I don't know! But really, that's kind of how my whole time has been out here. No obvious or super visible successes, but I think those will just come with time. Of course, I am super excited about these people we met yesterday. Their names are B-- and C--, and they met with the Elders in our area about a month ago, but then they moved or something, and just kind of went off the radar. Brother T-- from our ward, however, knows where they live, so he gave us their address and we went to introduce ourselves. So I don't think either of them are members of any church, but B-- has been really trying to find the right church for him. He's gone to a bunch of different churches and researched a lot of things on the internet, and that's how he came across our church. Oh, and did I mention that he read the Book of Mormon before he even met the Elders? Twice?? Yeah! Super cool! Super Elect! Anyway, we asked them if they'd be interested in learning more about our church and they said yes, so we're going back on Saturday. I'm really excited to teach about the restoration because B-- will totally be able to relate to Joseph Smith and it'll just be awesome. And I can't wait to ask him what he thinks about the Book of Mormon. He read it twice! Ah. So awesome.

Well, not too much else exciting is going on... Well unless you count the fact that I'm being eaten alive by mosquitoes. I think I counted 25 bites yesterday....yeah! Fun stuff! (Yes, Dad, I have heard of bug spray, and I think we even have some, but I never think about it until I'm already out the door and it's too late. Maybe I'll learn someday) Oh, speaking of bugs! The other day we walked up to this house that kind of looked a little rugged...long grass, spiderwebs and dead bugs all over the porch...it kind of looked vacant. I don't know. Anyway, I rang the doorbell and turned my head to look at the yard or something, and when I glanced back at the door, there were ants crawling out of the doorbell!! Since when do ants live in doorbells?? Could've been worse, I guess, but really, I felt like I was in a scary movie or something.

Well, I love you all! Take....luck!

~Sister Myers

2nd Email: 1st week in Salem, Virginia

Well, Hi!

How's the weather over there? Oh that's nice. The weather over here is HOT. And HUMID. Mostly humid. But it's great! So, I know you've all been dying to hear where I am so....(drumroll).....I'm in Salem, Virginia! Yup! I'm sure none of you know where that is, but that's where I am! It's in the Roanoke area, and guess what. Nevermind. You'll never guess. So remember how Aunt Sherry was like, "Oh hey, my parents live somewhere in your mission. Maybe you'll bump into them!" And I was like, yeah! But in the back of my mind I was thinking probably not, it's a big mission with a lot of people...what are the odds that that would happen. Um....guess who's in my ward in Salem? Yeah. Brother and Sister Turner. Sherry's mom and dad. So crazy! But yeah, they're super nice.

So anyways, wanna hear something else super crazy? Of course you do. So my companion's name is Sister Tuckett, and she's from good old Payson, Utah! I know, right?? She's three years older than me and she went to Payson High, but her senior year she went to Salem High (also crazy because we're in Salem, Virginia right now) so we never crossed paths. But if she hadn't gone to Salem we totally would have because she played soccer so we would have been on the same soccer team! So I guess I probably saw her at soccer games but I never knew her. But she's good friends with some people I know, like Candace Rowley and Rylee Johnson (Rosenbaum...?). Yeah. Super crazy. We get along really well though.

The first week out here has been a little rough because we got "doubled in" to this area, which means Sister Tuckett is new to this area too, so neither of us have no idea what's going on. We basically started going through the ward directory and started trying to figure out where people live, and we've been going around introducing ourselves to the members and trying to find less actives and nonmembers. So it's been fun! We taught a lesson to these two girls, Stacey and Caitie (they're our investigators and they already have baptism dates because there were taught by the elders that were here before us), and it went really well. They're both great. Especially Caitie. She's 16 or 17, I think, and there's just something special about her. She doesn't really have any religious background, but I can tell she really needs and wants something in her life right now. She seems a little hesitant, but I can tell she really wants to believe that our church is true. She's very hopeful.

Let's see...what else...Oh I know. I'll tell you some things I've learned since I've been here:

1. Knobless dresser drawers are super hard to open.

2. Humidity has the ability to seal envelopes.

3. The people who made the movie Avatar probably came to Virginia to brainstorm ideas for how the creatures should look. (I have seen some weird looking bugs out here.)

4. Oh, and the church is true! Oh wait, I already knew that...

Seriously though, I'm loving it out here, and I can't wait to get some more investigators and just start spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ! I hope all's well in Utah, or wherever you all are, and I want you all to know that I love you! A lot!

~Sister Myers