Chapter 7: BAPTISMMMMMSSSSS

 Heeeeeyyyyyy! What a WEEK!

Weekly planning!

P-day was crazy. We took our car in for some maintenance, went to a Chinese buffet,(so gooood), did a Target run, made it to Walmart for groceries and talked with my family. 

But Tuesday was pretty good! We had District Council Meeting. We went over some goals we have as a district, and did a training role play. That's where a companionship will plan a lesson for one of their friends they're teaching and two other missionaries will act as that friend and a member, and the companionship will teach their lesson. The Elders in my District were the ones teaching the lesson, and I was acting as their friend being taught. I was sooooo nervous and didn't really know what to say. It was really cool though, because as they were teaching, even though it was a role play, they were teaching with the Spirit. And I started to feel less nervous as we went through their lesson. I firmly believe that doing missionary role plays help improve teaching skills as a missionary. As well as giving us the confidence and courage we need to teach.

The Elders were in charge of lunch afterwards, so we had panini's AND our DL made sopaipilla pie!

Tuesday night we did exchanges with the Nexton area! Sister Jones and I went to Nexton with one of the Sisters there, and her comp came to our area in Summerville with Sister Harris. That was a lot of fun! We found loooots of people and had some good lessons. And! We put someone on date for baptism!! He honestly is sooo ready! His name is Ivan, and he'd been taught before in Texas, and the lesson we had with him just perfectly lined up with baptism. He even brought up, before we invited him, that he'd been baptized before, but he wants something more. I'm excited for the Nexton Sisters to teach him more about the Gospel and help him prepare to be baptized with the Proper Authority.

On exchanges we had two member meals. A member bought us Chick-fil-A for a late lunch. Chick-fil-A is amazing. Then for dinner we went to a members house, and y'all. It was fancy. They had a starter salad with a scotch egg, this AMAZING squash soup for a first course, and legit shepherds' pie, then doughnuts for dessert. Also! The mom was from the UK, she had an awesome accent and everything for dinner was of her making. It was Soooooo goooood!! Also, loooooots of food. 😅 I'm pretty sure that missionaries are blessed with a second stomach so they can eat all the food members give them. I've definitely said a couple prayers that I'll have room to finish what's on my plate. 

Exchanges with Sister Jones and Sister Knudson

Ivan- put him on date during Exchanges 

Sister Jones started to feel sick throughout the day duringExchanges, and it got worse throughout the day and the next couple of days. She had some intense stomach bug. We didn't go to the gym in the morning for a couple days so she could get some extra sleep. We ended up asking a member for a blessing for her. That helped lots. The next day wasn't so bad, and now she's almost all better! 

We found some more people this week!! And it's been AMAZING! All the people we've been finding have been some solid people. They're all very interested in the Book of Mormon and really want to learn more and read it. One household we found had these three wonderful people, Leigh Ellen, Wanda, and Ricky. And y'all! They have been prepared for our message. Leigh Ellen kept telling us how she had been asking God what she should do and to "dumb it(the Bible and whatever else) down for her", then he sent us to her door. They already have strong faith in God and Christ. 

The temperature is getting COOOLLLLDDD. All of this week has been so so chilly. Except for one day! And that day looked cold and gloomy but was super warm. Then the next day looked super sunny and it was definitely not.

SATURDAY! BAPTISM DAY! We had Ellie's baptism first. It was wonderful! Such a good and strong Spirit. She also got confirmed then too. Flossie came and watched so she could see before it was her turn. She was so touched. We didn't have to do much planning for Ellie's baptism because her mom took care of most of it. We just printed out programs and led music. 

ELLIE'S BAPTISM

Flossie's baptism was also soooo good. We were all a little stressed before because of planning, and also her member friend who referred Flossie was late and we would have felt so bad if she missed Flossie getting baptized. But she made it just in time! The talks at Flossie's were wonderful, and brought a strong Spirit.

And on Sunday Flossie was confirmed and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost. She was most looking forward to that. You could just see how happy she was. And the ward is absolutely AMAZING and so welcoming to her. They all just surrounded her with love.

FLOSSIE'S BAPTISM

The rest of Sunday was hectic. We were running around visiting people. We met someone who might actually be a member! Crazy story. Apparently he was baptized yeeeaaars ago. So now were on a hunt for his record. One of the people we were supposed to be just dropping off a Book of Mormon to him. But it's the South. Quick interactions don't exist. He ended up talking a loooot, and we did our best to tie what he was talking about to the Book or the Gospel, but then he started explaining what a period is to us. I can confidently say I've never been in a situation where a 60 year old man, who I've never met before, explains female biology to three young women. Bizarre.

Lewis! Might actually be a member

And with that, let's end on a more Spiritual note. We had DHE(district home evening), and my Comps and I were in charge of it. We decided to read part of the Christmas story in Luke,(cause ya know, CHRISTMAS 🎄). We read Luke 2:9-14 where it talks about the Angels. Our promt question was "how can we be like the Angels in our Sharing of the Gospel?" I invite all my missionary friends to do the same this week. There's a lot in those couple verses. And I invite all the rest of y'all to read through the whole Christmas story in Luke 2, choose someone from the story and think about an attribute they have and how you can be more like them.

Merry Christmas everyone! I love you and I know God loves you. He loves you so much he send Jesus Christ to save you. Remember Him this season. He is Christmas, He is Joy.

Love,

Sister Ray

P.S. I'd love to hear from y'all! Send me an email!  jayden.ray@missionary.org