Monday, September 22, 2014

September 22, 2014 - New Transfer, New Companion, New ward, new investigators!

Ah, a week of new things!  It feels great! :)

So, lots has been going on!  Like I said last week, it was transfers, and Sister Ketring got swapped out with Sister Stevens, one of the sweetest Sister missionaries in the mission field.  Not only that, but we picked up a new ward to work in too!  (not that our last ward wasn't enough work-- oh, we already had plenty!)  But we now cover both Kuna 10th and Kuna 3rd wards.  I'm pretty excited about it too.  There's lots of work to be done in the 3rd ward too. :)  It's great.  

Sister Stevens was thrown right into the work when she got here, since we had a FHE with the Jepsons and the Whiteheads again Monday night.  It ended up being a really good lesson.  We did it on how families love each other, even when some things don't go so well.  The spirit was really strong in the room, and the Whitehead kids participated this time.  It was great.  It's like they realized that despite the bickering and the fighting and all that, they still loved each other.  And then we had fun playing pictionary afterwards, and I think that's the least they have fought during one of the games.  It was a great night. :)

We also almost immediately dived into the 3rd ward, since we had a new member discussion with the Higleys on Wednesday.  Sister Higley and her daughter, Lucy, actually lived in China, and have only moved here recently since she married Brother Higley, who was already a member.  So, since Lucy knows a English a little better, she translates for her mom for us.  They're both super sweet.  We taught the lesson on the Priesthood and Auxiliaries, and it went really great. :)  We also went and met some potential investigators, the Boswells.  They're great too.  They currently go to a non-denominational church, and loved to talk with the Elders.  Well, while we were there, we committed them to take the lessons!  So we're going to start teaching them tomorrow.  Super excited! :)

On Thursday, we got to meet Teressa Nova, who is a recent convert who has gone inactive due to some recent events in her life.  She's super sweet and charitable. :)  And she wants to start coming back to church too-- she says that she really misses it, and plans to come back after her trip to New York (where her husband works.  We got to meet him too since it was his week off.  He's happily Catholic.).  She's hoping that as she comes back to church that her life will start  to smooth out again.  But yes, super nice Sister.  We also met Sister Meyers, who is a less active, who has a non-member daughter and granddaughter.  She's awesome.  Just says it like it is.  :)  She's glad to have Sisters who can come in now.  She didn't like porch visits with the Elders.  haha  But she's sweet.  Told us we could stop by at anytime.

We also went and saw the ladies in the Assisted Living Center on Friday.  I miss those ladies!  They're so sweet!  Glenda is so sweet and cute, and I love her cat, Thor.  She calls him a "monster", but she loves him none-the-less.  :)

Saturday was really busy for us!  We started out with visiting Stephanie Marsalas, and seeing how she was doing.  Then we had lunch, updated progress records and worked on our area book (which was in the process of sorting through old papers, adding in 3rd wards information, and updating other records we have), and then went to the Taylors.  Sister Taylor is the Primary President (and is phenomenal-- I have never seen a lady single-handedly control jr. primary like she did last Sunday), but her husband is completely inactive.  BUT!  He wants to be active again, and wants to take the lessons.  So we started with the Plan of Salvation, and we had a really good conversation about that and Temples.  We also talked a little bit about Star Wars, since both of them are fans. :)  But, anyways, the discussion went really well.  He was really involved with us, asking all sorts of questions and putting in his input and thoughts.  I'm pretty sure he'll come back to the church.  Positive. :)

Then, as we left their house, we started talking to this lady that was outside washing her car.  Her name is Cheryl, and her father was Mormon and her mother was Catholic.  So she grew up going to both churches.  She believes in God, but doesn't really go to church.  But she invited us to come back over any time!  And she said she would give us a call if she needed service. :)  That always makes a missionary happy. :)

After talking with her, we booked it over to the church, where they were having their "Fire and Ice" ward party.  It was a competition, to see who could make the best chili and the best ice cream.  There were lots of less actives there and potential investigators, so it was a good time had by all.  And I swear there was this one ice cream that was lavender and garlic and it was SO GOOD!!!!!  It probably wasn't, but that's what I thought it was, and it was YUMMY.  I need to find out who made it and find out how to make it. :)

We then rounded off the night to a visit with the Hellyers, who are less active because of their health, and I felt like we really needed to go see them.  It was a really good visit.  We later learned that they had been feeling very forgotten, because no one had been visiting them, and they hadn't received the sacrament for a couple of weeks.  I'm very grateful we followed through with the prompting. :)

On Sunday, we went to the Assisted Living Center for one of our sacraments, because the Higbees wanted me to sing "More Holiness Give Me" for the sacrament meeting they hold there.  It was a very sweet and tender moment, just because I knew almost all of the people there, and they're all very close to my heart.  I'm very grateful that I was able to sing for them, and they were grateful to hear me sing.

That night, we had two lessons-- one with the Martin girls, and another one with the Higleys.  We taught the Martin girls about their baptism covenants, and what a covenant is.  The girls really enjoyed the lesson.  And then we taught the Higleys about Temples, and about Family History.  (fun fact-- there are Higleys in the Empey line.  It was sort of cool. :)  Just sort of. ;P)  Both lesson went well.

And that brings us to today-- one week later.  Yes, it's been a busy week.  And I've really enjoyed it. :)  And Sister Stevens and I will be a great companionship. :)  It will just be interesting to see how this transfer will end.  She only has three transfers left, so it's possible that she'll jump ship, or that I'll leave Kuna, or.... well... there's a multitude of things that could happen.  We could stay together one more transfer!

.... but I suppose it's a little too early to speculate now, huh?  It's a little too early to be doing that.  Point is, we work great together, and I know that I'm going to learn a lot from her.

Well, I love you all, and I'll be seeing you again in 9 months!

Love,


Sister Empey

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