8 months down!

Week of August 18 - 24: I don't know about you...but I'm feeling 22!!! :)  

Someone please listen to "22" by TSwizzle for me since I can't. I have been singing it a lot, which is probably annoying my companion. But it's my birthday. :)

This week has passed in a blur! I can't believe that I'm almost done with my 5th transfer! I can't believe it's already my birthday! Time is flying, people. Time is flying. Sometimes, I look at my watch and think, "Really?? It's been an hour since we've started doing this??" Which is really helpful with tracting :)

Monday we had pday and we played frisbee! We just threw a frisbee around for like an hour. I'm terrible at frisbee.  So sad. haha

Then we taught a recently baptized couple about the temple and gave them a framed picture of the temple (frame from Walmart, temple picture from the Ensign) and they're going to try to make it to the ward temple trip this Saturday! So excited for them. :) They are really great!

On Tuesday we tried to contact a bunch of people and tracted a lot and still didn't get to see a whole ton of people. We did a looooot of biking.   We biked down a really steep hill to see a less active. They weren't home. So we promptly biked right back up the really steep hill. As we were pedaling, my companion asked,  "Why can't it always be downhill?" and I said "I feel like there's a life metaphor here..." and her response to my deep profoundness? "I'm not in the mood for a life metaphor right now!!" It was really funny. :)

Wednesday we drove all the way to Vicksburg for district meeting. Our district is made up of missionaries here in Clinton and there in Vicksburg so we alternate weeks where district meeting is.  When we pulled up to the church in Vicksburg (after driving for like 45 minutes), we didn't see any other cars and we suddenly thought "It IS in Vicksburg right?"   But it was actually in Vicksburg. hahaha

After district meeting and lunch, we taught a lesson about the Plan of Salvation and heard some really good questions! We don't think she gets why we're really different from other churches, though! So we're going to review the apostasy and the priesthood again! We invited her to church this Sunday but she’ll be out of town.

Then Thursday we actually had productive tracting! We tried new door approaches about families and talked with one lady for like half an hour. She accepted a Book of Mormon and actually told us "Y’all come back!" It was great. As we started talking with her, instead of just saying our normal lines, I thought "I don't know anything about this lady. I don't want to just talk at her! I want to know about her!!" It really made a difference and was really meaningful! It was great!

Then Friday we planned and  taught a new member lesson and taught one of our investigators.   It was really good!  We had her teach us the Restoration and she did a pretty good job of it!

On Saturday we tracted a lot. We met a guy who had met Mormons before and he asked a lot of questions about missionaries and how it works and how we got here and I responded before I even really thought of it... "We're here because we love what we do!" Sometimes it's hard to remember, but I really do love being a missionary! It's taken me a while to really get to that point, but I do love what I get to do! It’s awkward and hot and uncomfortable sometimes but I do love it!! We didn't teach anyone while tracting all day, but that conversation was really nice for me! :)

Yesterday we went to church and then tracted for another 9 million years.  We had a referral from a member but I don't think the lady could even hear us so I don't think we really helped her "come unto Christ." But she was really nice and told us to come whenever! And then we tracted and met another nice lady!  She could definitely hear us, so that was a plus to know that. She had just moved into the area with her daughter and said no one had invited her to a church yet! Well, we sure invited her!

AND TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!! :) woo!  Thanks for all the birthday presents and cards and messages!

There were some really good church signs this week!

              "God gives what's right not what's left"

                   "Soul food served here"

                         "A smile will never go up in price or down in value"

I think that's about all for this week!!

Love,

Sister Nash

We live right by the train tracks so we frequently have to wait for trains! In fact, as it goes by, it rattles our apartment.   One day, I counted 133 cars! :)

Tracting! The dog was a 100 pound black lab named Gryffindor. He was napping though so he didn't bark. The guy was really funny and let me take a pic

They have these signs around a main intersection :) 

Y'all belong here!

The southern version of "grandma and grandpa's house"

Week of August 25 - 31: This week has been crazy!

The rest of my birthday was good but it was kinda weird. I really wanted to have a good birthday because my birthday usually falls on a day like moving into the dorms/apartment or school starting or something not birthday-fun-tastic. But then focusing on yourself as a missionary never seems to turn out well.  I did get a birthday/pday nap though! It was a good birthday even though it was weird! I'm glad that I'll only have ONE mission birthday! :)

Tuesday we went visiting teaching with two sisters in our ward.  We saw some less active sisters so that was good. We saw one lady who reminded me a lot of Grandma Nash!! We talked to her for kinda way longer than we should have but she was lonely and she needed it :)  She was really sweet.

Wednesday we had apartment checks and we had to clean our car for zone conference so we spent a good chunk of the day cleaning! We didn't have district meeting because we had zone conference.

That afternoon we went tracting and it was great. It has been cooler recently (still hot and gross but LESS hot and gross) and I've been trying really hard to drink lots of water and eat really healthy so I've been feeling fine biking around! :)

While tracting we met a lady who had met Mormons before and I think she even has a Book of Mormon! We had a really long conversation with her about how her last year has been really hard but she's relied on her faith to get her through. As we talked, we shared a scripture with her and asked if we could come back and see her again. She said sure, but "you're not going to convert me!" Yeah. We'll see.

One thing that we do while tracting is offer to share a scripture with them right there. We get a lot of lessons that way (sometimes) but it's not about the numbers! I have really internalized that it really is the gospel that will help people. I have literally nothing else to offer these people. I'm not even allowed to offer the little bit that I have that is even in the state of Mississippi. Sure, I'm fun to talk to and all that, but if I really want to HELP anyone, I need to open the Book of Mormon and read to them words of Christ that will really actually help them. That's what motivates me to ask to begin with a prayer and read a scripture together or offer them a copy of the Book of Mormon. Yes, I measure these actions in numbers but it really is what's going to help them!! That's why it bugs me when people say things like "You're not going to convert me" cause that's not why I'm here!! The Spirit will convert you! I just want to share it with you!

I thoroughly enjoyed tracting that day :)  We also met a guy who told us all about his marital issues. #awk. Good thing the whole Ensign for the past like 3 months has been entirely on the family!

Thursday, we were so busy we didn't have time to schedule dinner. That is a busy missionary! Also a hungry one. We had zone conference on Friday and exchanges on Saturday so we weekly planned on Thursday morning! Then a church service couple here in Clinton (the Blacks) took us to lunch!  Brother Black served in Las Vegas when it was still a part of the California mission! They're great. They are very very Southern. Sister Black asks all the missionaries "Have you started saying y’all yet?" "Yes ma'am" "Good!" Also every time we get out of their van (they're our ride to church when we don't have the car) Brother Black says "Y’all stay particular!" I think that's Southern for "Be careful." Anyways.   Part of lunch with them was Brother Black telling stories about North Carolina. Towards the end of lunch, Brother Black was like "Oh! I have to tell them this other story!" and Sister Black said "Okay but it'll be your last cause no one wants to hear anymore." So sassy. Love them.

Then we biked around forever and taught people. We had a return appointment with a lady we met last week. As soon as she invited us in and told us she wished she had made us cookies, she gave us back the Book of Mormon we had left with her. Uhhhhh? She had a ton of questions but told us that she didn't have time to read at all. Sooooo I don't know if she actually can! So we read the introduction TO her and told her about the app that would read it to her. We answered her questions and she liked what she heard and then she told us that her husband probably wouldn't be happy at all if he knew that she invited us back. Uhhhhh? So that was awkward. But she's busy for like a week and then hopefully her husband doesn't hate us and we can meet with her again! Random.

Then Friday was zone conference! We got up at 5:30. EW. We didn't even get home until 9 the night before and we still had to have dinner, plan for Saturday (because it was exchanges) AND I had to pack for exchanges. SO TIRED. Well the elders had told us that they would pick us up between 6:30 and 7 to go to zone conference so, at 7:10, we texted them and said where the heck are you? Their response was "Didn't you go with the Greenville sisters?" What? Since when? No! So the zone leaders picked us up and we sped off to zone conference.

Zone conference was good. We learned a lot and I got a mini Powerade from Sister Olson because it was my birthday this month.   After zone conference,  I went to Richland on exchanges!

Saturday was great.  It was really fun spending the day in Richland on exchanges.   I got to ride in a car all day and not bike. Glorious.   After exchanges, we drove back to Clinton and switched back at the church.

Sunday's excitement was that I was the primary pianist! I did a terrible job but the kids sang at the top of their lungs anyways so it didn't really matter. :) it was SO FUN. :)

Then we tracted until we died.  Actually, it wasn't that bad. We met a couple who had a TON of questions. We talked with them on their doorstep for like 35 minutes! They had so many great questions about where the Book of Mormon came from and what it teaches and what it tells us about how to return to God and how we are saved. It was awesome! They actually asked us some really hard questions. It was great to have people actually ask questions!

We had to get our tracting in and I guess we were so concentrated on getting our 7 hours in for the week that we totally forgot we had an appointment. Well it turned out okay cause she forgot too. So we showed up like an hour and half later and had a great lesson!   We were able to talk about the blessings of living according to what we know we should.

Anyways this week was weird but I guess it was good overall.

With all the travel, I saw a lot of church signs!

"Jesus sees beyond our faults and sees our needs"

"Education is not received. It is achieved"

"It's hot but not as hot as hell!"    <--- clever

"Worship renews the spirit like sleep renews the body.

Attend church with us."

"Join our family"  <--- no beating around the bush!

"Christ feeds us here. Bread and water for you too"

"Life is a puzzle. Look here for the missing piece"

Anywho that's all!

Love,

The 22 year old Sister Nash

The South takes every opportunity to share a spiritual message

Week of September 1 - 8: We put the labor in Labor Day!

Transfer day is hard to email because Clinton is the main transfer point for the mission so the family history center is FULL. Also because I have a new missionary and we need groceries and things like that!

My new companion is from California (the bay area) and went to 2 years of BYU-I already! :) She's super nice and it's going to be great!

Tuesday it was SUPER hot and we biked around all day and no one was home. I was dying so we went home and took a water break and then it started POURING rain! The weather is really difficult as a missionary.. especially a missionary without a car! That night we went to institute because our investigator went! He didn't really need the moral support there cause he can make friends with anyone but it was fun to go :)

Wednesday we got the car!! Sometimes that's all that I remember about Wednesdays.. whether we got the car or gave it up.. haha

Thursday we went back to have a lesson with someone we met tracting and oh man it was something. They talked SO MUCH. And not only have they read the Book of Mormon (not completely) they've also read parts of the Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. And they had some questions about the doctrine and had tons of scriptures to back them up. It was like we walked into a gunfight with a knife. OH it was rough. They didn't even listen to us try to share our testimonies. We have a return appointment for Thursday which I really regret, but it'll be good for my new companion, right? Baptism by fire!

The excitement on Saturday was that we were supposed to get transfer calls and find out if we were leaving/where we were going! But they never came so we just assumed that we were staying.  We didn't actually get called until Sunday at like 7:30.  Normally calls come at like noon on Saturday! They just forgot about us. President called us on Monday to be sure that we got called and told us we just fell through the cracks. But we found out eventually!

On Monday we were the only ones who did any labor because it was a pretransfer day of service! We helped a family in the ward and then saw a ton of people so my companion could say goodbye!   And then today was transfers and I've seen alll sorts of people I haven't seen in forever!! Yay!

Love,

Sister Nash

Week of September 9 - 14: Week 1 of the transfer!

Tuesday was transfers!  I met my new companion and we shopped and ate lunch and then hung out at the church so that the elders could borrow the car to grocery shop. We're nice people :)

On the 2nd Tuesday of every month we go out with the ward on what they call "Tuesday night visits" to visit less actives. Well, no one showed up but one counselor in the bishopric so we just left on our own.  :) We visited one of our investigators that we met while tracting a while ago.  She told us that she had a Book of Mormon and didn't know where it was but was VERY interested in learning more! So we went back! It was my companion's FIRST LESSON! I think I was more sentimental about it than she was. In fact, I know that I was. haha

On Wednesday we had district meeting! Literally every companionship in our district (besides the zone leaders) is training.  I am officially the oldest sister in the district. I FEEL OLD. The end of this transfer is my halfway mark. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? I am glad and excited but it's WEIRD.

Then we ate lunch at Zaxby's (never been there! It was like Canes. Southern good) and then went tracting! It was my companion's first time tracting!! I am apparently sentimental like that. We talked to like 1 person cause it was like 2pm on a weekday but STILL. Then we went visiting teaching with a sister in the ward! We ended up visiting another active member, but she is really old and said repeatedly how much she was so glad that we came :)

Then we tracted more until we died and then went out with the RS secretary.   We ask her to come out with us all the time and she literally never says no. haha  In fact, she told us that she would NEVER tell us that she can't come out with us, so she's always good to ask. haha  We saw a less active family that the ward council told us to go see and they let us RIGHT in! Well the dad did. He told us that he had had a hard day and took it as a sign of God caring for him that we came by! We had a return appt but they cancelled and, when we went back yesterday, the mom wouldn't let us in.

Then we biked and met up with a man we met tracting a few weeks ago.   We sat on his porch and taught him the restoration! When we got to the part about the great apostasy (which is the MOST IMPORTANT part), my companion kept driving it home. "WHY do you think God would take away His authority?" And he did not know why. "God would never do that!!" It was actually really good! I was only slightly afraid that she was going to shake the poor man’s fundamental belief in God but, instead, it really helped him see that the authority of God HAD been lost and that, yeah, it would need to be restored!! That was great. :)

Then we tracted and no one was home,  so we walked around our neighborhood and met up with an investigator whom I'd never met before. He was super nice and told us that he'd be at church! He wasn't but that's okay! It was still great to meet him after hearing about him for a whole transfer! We had dinner with the RS pres’ family.   They are the BEST. They have the missionaries for dinner every Thursday (they alternate which set) so they lost track of the commitment that we had left them last time! haha and they made chicken salad with greek yogurt. SO GOOD.

Friday was yet another adventure!  My new companion has been sick since the MTC and she woke up sounding BAD. I actually don't even know what her normal voice sounds like cause I have yet to hear it. So she went back to bed until like 11 and I read a whole big chunk of the General Conference Ensign. I want to finish rereading all the talks before conference in October and, because of Friday, I'm definitely going to make it.  haha  When she woke up, we called the mission nurse who suggested medicine and we plotted how to get it because we are carless. Then we weekly planned and tracted and went to a lesson!

We didn't feel like that investigator really got what we were saying UNTIL she called us on Thursday and said "Missionaries. I've been thinking. What's the DIFFERENCE between your church and my church?? Come tomorrow and tell me." So we did! We went with the primary president and we sure taught her that apostasy. FOR THE THIRD TIME. We taught her the restoration again but ONLY focused on the apostasy. The whole time during the lesson she said, "Well, that's not a difference! I believe that too!" And then she said it again at the end.. "We still don't have any differences!" So it sounds like she is secretly Mormon and is just trying to trick us poor missionaries. haha  But it was good.   :)

On Saturday we got up and helped clean the church! This coming Saturday, the Governor's Youth Council is meeting there. I don't know what that is but I do know that the whole building got a deep cleaning! Then a member family took us to DQ for ice cream! :) I have decided that my one true love is peanut butter milkshakes. I LOVE THEM. So good. It's dangerous that there's a Sonic right by our apartment.... :) But I eat healthy during bike weeks now. haha

Then we tracted and met a less active! We talked to him for a looooong time and it was so good.   We had a great lesson with him and he came to church yesterday! We're gonna see him again and I'm so glad! He really seems like he's ready to come back to church :)

Sunday was GREAT! I was not looking forward to it because of all of the things we had to do. It wasn't really a big deal, but there were a lot of little things that we needed to do and they all worked out perfectly!  Heavenly Father answers even the smallest of prayers :)

I didn't see any new church signs but here are 2 that I didn't get a chance to send last week:

"Exercise daily. Run from Satan. Walk with God."

"Faith focuses on God, not the problem."

Love,

Sister Nash

One day last week it POURED and we got DRENCHED!

Mississippi College! The oldest college in Mississippi.

My shoe tan after wearing the same type of shoes for the past like 6 months

Week of September 15 - 21: The SECOND week of the transfer!

I think the highlight of this week happened on Wednesday when the Elders handed me the keys to the car. That was a BEAUTIFUL moment. Glorious.

Have I whined enough about the fact that at the end of this transfer I'll have officially spent 1/2 of my mission in a car share? HALF. I feel justified in whining about it. And I think I've officially made it through the summer! Everyone tells my companion that she came at the best time cause it's finally (barely) cooling down and it makes me realize "Hey, yeah! The past like 5 months have been terrible!" It's great. I can't wait to go through it again next summer! :D

This week was good though :)

On Monday we had dinner with a sister who LOVES missionaries!  She is great!  

On Tuesday we walked to the pharmacy to get medicine for my companion and a member who lives right next to us saw us walking home and gave us a ride! So nice. Then we tracted and a lady at literally the second door we knocked on invited us RIGHT in! She had a lot of questions and seemed very interested in learning more!    We talked to her for literally an hour. I love talking to people!

Wednesday we had district meeting in Vicksburg! Afterwards we ate lunch at Cracker Barrel (GOOD) and an Elder ordered grits just so I could try them. He couldn't believe that I hadn't had grits yet! But, grits are a breakfast food and no one invites us for breakfast! They were good :)

Then we had a church tour with the investigator that we taught about the apostasy.  Afterwards, we sat in the chapel with her and talked about how we felt. It was good.  She just needs to come to church on Sunday! We're going to ask her next time we see her why she thinks we keep inviting her!

The rest of Wednesday was full of people cancelling/forgetting about us/not responding, so we tracted! And we got even more medicine for my companion.  I think she is finally starting to feel better! Which is good.

On Thursday we texted an investigator to remind her about our appointment and she sent us a breakup text in response. She had talked to her preacher about our church so she's "good." She actually sent that! "I talked to my preacher so I'm good." hahah uhh  Can we get the Book of Mormon back then? And actually clear things up that maybe, just MAYBE, your preacher didn't know? But she wasn't home when we went.

Then we had a great lesson!  It did not go at all how we planned but it was still great! We talked about prayer and how we receive answers.

Then we tracted.  We've been trying new tracting approaches cause "Hi!  We're missionaries" doesn't always work. So we started by talking about families and prophets! And whoooeee.    We met a woman who invited us right in and opened up her Bible.  She really wanted to know what the heck we were talking about!   I was a little scared that it was going to get kinda heated!  Our policy on Bible bashing is simple: don't.    Anyway, it was the last door we were going to knock on before we had to go to our dinner appointment, so we left with a prayer and set a return appointment.

On Friday we weekly planned and then the Blacks took us to lunch. I love them. They are so sassy and hilarious. Then we finished weekly planning and tracted for like 15 minutes, during which we met a very confused man:   "I think my family is asleep.. I don't know when you can come back.. I don't really have a religious background..."   We just left him with a card.  haha

That night we went back to a woman we met tracting and taught the Restoration.  It was much better than I expected!  She has a lot of questions and doesn't get why we NEED prophets. “We have the Bible! Isn't that enough??”  It was like she was trying to convince us that we were being led astray. Which was very nice and thoughtful of her but not quite what we're looking for.

On Saturday we tracted for a loooong time and didn't really get anyone. I've learned that tracting in rich areas is different than tracting in poor areas. Rich people don't want anything that you offer. They already have it all. I don't know how to tract in rich areas versus poor. None of the same approaches work. Although one guy did come out and tell this really long story of how he had a prompting to stay home from work one day and he listened to it and he was able to save his elderly father's life with CPR. So that was cool.

Then, on Sunday, my companion was asked to speak but I wasn’t!  (Score) After church we visited a less active member in a nursing home and sang hymns and primary songs for him ! Then we had a great lesson.

I think that's a wrap!

Love,

Sister Nash

True signs of the South: