Missionary Chronicles: The Waters Of Magnolia

Hola a todos!

How was everyone's week? I hope it was a good one full of God's love! This week was super busy here in Georgia and I'm excited to fill y'all in!

I guess I'll switch it up a little and start with my transfer news! I'm staying here in Magnolia and I'll be getting Hermana Hammond. I'm excited but also pretty nervous! I'm excited to see what the Lord will use me for over these next 6 weeks. 

Now, the email title come from on of the Zone Leaders, Elder Bowling. This past transfer we have helped 4 people come onto the covenant path here in the Magnolia Ward and it's been incredible! All 9 of us missionaries feel so blessed for the chance to work here in such an amazing area and Ward!

On Saturday our friend Gloria Leyda was baptized!! We were kind of nervous Saturday morning because the weather said that it was probably going to snow! Now, it's hard to get people to show up to a baptism when there isn't snow on the ground let alone when there is. Thankfully our prayers worked and we only ended up having some flurries fall. There was one slight issue though! Because it's so cold outside the water in the church isn't heating up super well. So, when we went to fill the font on Saturday morning we turned on the hot water to run and it was poring at like half speed. Needless to say, we had to fill the front with cooler water at the same time to make sure it was filled in time for the baptism. Y'all that water was freezing!! Gloria was a trooper though and she actually found it quite funny! Her baptismal service was beautiful and she's so happy to be a member of the Church (on record this time lol). 

Yesterday, our friends Sammy and Yimmy were baptized!! Those of y'all who know me know that I'm not a crier...at all lol. Let me tell y'all, there were some very concerned missionaries at the baptism cause I just couldn't keep it together haha. Sammy and Yimmy have two of the strongest testimonies I've ever experienced and I feel blessed and strengthend just by being around them! Thankfully we learned our lesson regarding the water on Saturday so we started filling the font about an hour earlier and all was well hahaha. Sammy and Yimmy have changed my life without a doubt and they're now preparing to enter the temple!

The joy you feel as a missionary watching people you've grown to love enter the waters of baptism and make covenants with the Savior is something indescribable! The scripture in D&C 18:15 has rang so true for me this weekend! I invite all y'all to share the gospel with those around you so you can experience a portion of this joy as well! It's literally the best!!

Alright, I want to share a quick spiritual thought that came from my interview with President Harris this past week. I'm always amazed at how well President knows each and every one if his missionaries. He teaches and speaks to us in the way we best understand, hence this rodeo analogy haha. President and I were talking about my thoughts going into next transfer and her brought up the old LDS video called "Easily Guided". In this it talks about how the best horses are the ones that are easily guided and are quick to take correction and make adjustments. President invited me to imagine myself as the horse with my Heavenly Father in the saddle and for whatever reason, that made perfect sense to me lol. As children of our Heavenly Father, we are to be "easily guided" and to trust that her has our best interests at heart. As we go through life he guides us and offers correction and adjustments but far to often we "pull at the reins" and take our own path that might seem easier or more familiar. That really resonated with me and I'm looking forward to applying that principle to my missionary work this next transfer. 

Well y'all, that's all I gave for this week! I hope this next week is fantastic for each one of you! As always, thank you for your continued love and support! Love y'all so much!!

Hermana Adams 

Pictures:

1: Roswell DLs

2: Baptism of Gloria Leyda

3: Baptism of Sammy and Yimmy