The Amazingness Of Awesomeness Of Everything In Between And So On...

Monday, 22 August 2016

Dear family and friends,

Yep. You got it. This week was epic. We had a BAPTISM to prepare for!! And wow... a LOT of opposition comes before a baptism. SO MUCH happened! We had trial after trial... one person who we had on date for baptism decided she didn't want to be baptized after all. We had to find teamups with members the whole week because we didn't have a car. We were struggling with the opposition of lack of sleep from stress... The list could go on. But things always work out in the end! We feel much better now that the baptism has actually happened!

Here's a copy and paste for y'all of a bit of my week:

What a week!! It was crazy! Last week, we had so much happen that we were ready to crash every night when we got back to the apartment! 

The Lord has blessed us immensely as we've been working on being exactly obedient. 

​O​

bedience IS the blessing! I've seen this area grow so much over the past week as we've tried our best to be diligent. We have been working on getting to bed on time, 

​

(it's been something we've struggled with because of how much we have to do), and the Lord has poured out blessings as we've done so. 

One of the biggest blessings that happened was that we were able to get a car!

​ A​

nd we are SO thankful for it! 

​(Our car has been in the shop for almost 2 weeks. )​

Elder Roner 

​(the vehicle coordinator) ​

called us the night before we went on exchanges with the Conyers sisters, and told us that he had a car for us to pick up the next day. We were nearly leaping and crying in joy when we found out! Needless to say, our prayers were full of lots of gratitude that night! :)

Another blessing that we were given was a beautiful baptism and confirmation. :) Aaliyah, a sweet 9-year-old (the sister of Faith

​, a recent convert)

, was baptized! She looked so beautiful in white. And then, when she emerged from the water, I could see the glow about her! She was so pure and clean. It is amazing what baptism does for each person, no matter what age. :)
It was amazing how things worked out at her baptism. Her parents almost didn't show up for it. But then, just as the baptism was being announced, her parents walked in. They came just in time for the performance of the baptism, and it was beautiful! Her mom was so joyful afterwards. She thanked us frequently and at the end, told us that she loved us. It was amazing seeing the change in her countenance after she saw the joy of her daughter's baptism.
Her confirmation was beautiful as well! So touching seeing her there, with an excited grin on her face. She was so happy. I love the joy that this gospel brings!

​So, there y'all have it. ​My week of crazy awesomeness. Yep. :)

My invitation to y'all is to make your life a happy life. There's a quote that I've put on my planner that serves as a great reminder for me. It says,

"You don't FIND the happy life, you MAKE it." -Thomas S. Monson

The happy life is waiting for you! Keep smiling, keep moving forward, keep being faithful and doing your CPR (church, pray, read scriptures) and you will see great joy and you will make the happy life! :)

Keep smiling and have a blessed week,

Cuteness

Haha, someone stole my camera again. ;)



The adorable-ness of this child! Little Brian... he's two years old and the most adorable kid ever!

HALFWAY... O.O

Monday, 15 August 2016

Dear family and friends,

Yikes. I hit my 9 month mark tomorrow. On Tuesday, August 16th, I will have been in the mission field for 9 months!! It kindof freaks me out. But at the same time, I am so trilled that I have had this opportunity to make it this far! Halfway through, but never finished. Being a missionary never truly ends. :)

With great miracles comes great opposition. This whole week, we have had no car. It's been in the shop getting fixed from an accident that happened before I arrived. We've had a LOT of members helping us out! And to add to the fun, Sister Benedetti twisted her ankle last Sunday (not yesterday), so we haven't been able to walk anywhere besides when we have appointments. (She's doing better now!)

But you know what? There have been SO many blessings from this crazy experience! The Lord has given us so many tender mercies as we've sought to work diligently, despite not having a car. There have been some rough ups and downs, but we have been able to develop better relationships with the members, and we have been able to learn to trust more in the Lord.

One miracle that we've seen as we've worked with members a lot! We went on a teamup with a YSA recently. She's been struggling to know what to do with her life lately. While  we were on the teamup, she told us that she has been considering serving a mission! We were able to testify to her of how incredible it is, and she is now excited to serve! Her mom called us later and told us that she was so thankful for our example to her. The YSA has been working to change the way she acts and dresses lately, and it's been amazing to see her turnaround!

Another miracle! We tried to contact someone who was potentially interested in learning more that we hadn't been able to for a while, and when we stopped by, his wife answered! The member that was with us was immediately able to connect with her and because of it, she was more open to us teaching her! We were able to give her two copies of the Book of Mormon (one for her and one for her husband) to read on the plane while they travel! :) We are so excited to follow up with them in a few weeks when they get back!

Whoo! I love being a missionary! I love serving here! I am so excited to keep spreading the joy of the gospel with everyone! There is so much that all of us can do, whether we have name tags or not, that is sharing the light of Christ with others. We are ALL missionaries in the gospel! When you are living the gospel, you are a living witness of the truth! So go share your light with others--smile and serve! :)

My invitation to y'all this week is a little follow-up. :) In your next emails to me, tell me what you've learned from the challenges I leave with you, or that the Spirit has taught you as you've sought to live the gospel. I testify that as you do this little self-reflection, you will see the joy that you've brought into your life and others' lives from it!

Y'all are amazing and are doing incredible things! Keep it up and keep smiling! I love y'all! :)

Shopping and temple and exchanges, what fun!

Last week, Sister Benedetti did a makeover on me! It was quite interesting to see the befores and afters. I prefer no makeup, just 'cause I'm proud to be me and I don't want to hide it! Fun times, though, with Sister B!

We went shopping with an investigator (WHO IS ON DATE FOR BAPTISM NOW!! :D) and she decided it would be fun to steal my camera! ;)

 #Awkwardstoreselfies

Sister Shaffer! She's AMAZING! :D (She's the one who took us shopping. She does so much for the missionaries! I love how she cares so much about the work!) 

Shopping fun! :D

 GA skies, beautiful as ever. :)

 Someone stole my camera... ;)

 Temple selfies! :D We got to go to the temple with a large group of missionaries this past week.

It was amazing! :)

 EXCHANGES! With the Jonesboro sisters! It was a BLAST! (As usual. I LOVE EXCHANGES!! :D)

This is Sister Washburn, who was my companion for the day. :)

 The other sister is Sister Fennwick. :)

 Group fun! Exchanges are a blast! :D

"YOU ARE SPECIAL!" sticker fun... :D

FIVE BAPTISMS?!?!

Monday, 8 August 2016

Dear family and friends,

Yes, you read it right. Over just a few short days, we were able to commit five investigators to be baptized on specific dates! So this week, we have been pretty busy, keeping everyone on track!

Sadly only one of them came to church, so we are still struggling with that. But still--this is a record for us. This has never happened before on my mission! It's like the people are coming to us and telling us that they want to be baptized! The Lord has truly prepared these people. And He has sent them to us so that we can testify of the truth and invite them to take the steps to eternal life. It is incredible what the Lord is doing to hasten His work!

Also, I LOVE being a Sister Training Leader! I get more and more excited whenever an exchange comes along. We swap companions a lot, but that helps me to get to know the other sisters better and to help them, and it helps me realize how much I love and appreciate my companion! :)

There is something special about going on exchanges with the sisters of our zone

​ (the larger area we cover)​

. It always feels like the majority of miracles happen while we are on exchanges. These sisters have great power and strong testimonies! We were blessed with an opportunity to go on exchanges with the Jonesboro sisters this past week, and they went so well! 

On exchanges with Sister Washburn, we got to visit Sister M

​, ​

a member who is preparing for the temple

​​

. This time, while we were talking with her about the temple, she pulled out a vapor cigarette and said sadly, "This is why I haven't been able to go to the temple." We were amazed that she opened up to us about it. This was something we had never known about her! Because the Spirit's presence was in the lesson as we talked with her, we were able to testify to her that through the Savior, she can overcome everything. We testified to her of the importance of keeping the Word of Wisdom, and we helped her to see the joy that comes from repentance. We were then able to give her a Word of Wisdom pamphlet, which she excitedly accepted. It was amazing the joy that came into her countenance as we helped her see that there is hope for her. She lit up and I could see the peace that filled her. I am so thankful for the power of the Spirit. When we have the Spirit with us, He will guide. We are the Lord's servants, here to share the gospel with those who will accept it. As we seek to live worthy of the Spirit, He will guide, and He will reach out and touch the hearts of those we serve.

​Y'all, miracles are happening all over! Everywhere you go, there are evidences of the Lord's blessings! He is guiding us daily to those who are prepared to accept the gospel. To those who are in need of a lifting hand. Look for them. Pray for the eyes to see miracles, and you will!

My commitment​ to y'all is to do CPR--this is a commitment that we extend to everyone to help them come unto Christ. C stands for Church attendance. P stands for prayer. R stands for reading the scriptures. If you do all of them--daily prayer, daily scripture study, and attend church each week with sincere intent--you will see great blessings! You will feel the Spirit testify to you of the truth of these things. You will strengthen your testimony of the truth. And most importantly, you will strengthen (or gain) a testimony of the Savior's love for you!

Keep smiling and remember to do your CPR! It will save your life. Literally. ;)

PS Please send me pictures when you can! Emails are great (thank you for them!), but pictures make things come to life! :)

Excitement And Miracles And Awesomeness And...

2 August 2016

Dear family and friends,

I just love being a missionary! I seriously do. What an incredible time this is to serve the Lord! <3

I failed to mention last week some important details! The area I am serving now is Snellville, GA, and I LOVE it here! The ward is fantastic (but very tiny--they don't even fill up the whole chapel), and the people we are working with are amazing! I really appreciate the new Bishop and his family, the Cahills. They have a special spirit in their home and I love being around them. :)

Here is my new snail mail address. :)

{Not sure if it's OK to post publicly, so if you want this, contact Mom directly.}

Also, GUESS WHAT?? I also failed to mention that I leave the mission every single day now... Our apartment is located just barely outside the mission boundaries, so we leave the Georgia Atlanta mission every day... o.o 

It's crazy when we get lost and accidentally drive outside the boundaries... But don't worry. All is well! :D

MIRACLES!

​-​

On Tuesday, we went on our first exchange​ (splits)​ with the Centerville sisters. It was so fantastic getting to know them better, and seeing their strengths and weaknesses, and how we could help them. I love spending time with other sisters, helping and strengthening them. They are amazing and I love seeing their growth! :) We saw a lot of miracles from exchanges, too! Sister Hansen and I reached out to a woman in our ward who has been preparing to go to the temple for the first time, and she has been really struggling lately. We felt like we should sing hymns to her, so we did. And we could feel the Spirit testify as we sang them. It was amazing! And it lifted her spirits and she said that we made her day! In her words, "You just made an old woman very happy." :)

​-​

Another miracle we saw during exchanges! We went to visit a less-active sister who is normally really shy and quiet. This time she opened up to us! Sister Hansen felt inspired to ask her "Who do you know that needs a prayer right now?" and immediately, she lit up and said that she has been trying to reach out to her sister for a while now! She gave us her contact information and asked us to visit her! 
When we stopped by to see her, she wasn't home, but we were able to talk to her neighbor who was outside. He was really great, too! After saying a prayer with him, we saw him open up and he said that we could come back to share more with him! 

I really love exchanges. I love being a Sister Training Leader. And I especially love serving the Lord as a full-time missionary! This is the true church, and now is the time to share the restored gospel to everyone!

​On Sunday, the main subject was temples. So my invitation to you this week is to get a picture of the temple and put it in a main part of your home, where it can be seen frequently. To my siblings, and to those who would like to participate, get a picture of your favorite temple and hang it in your room! :)

Also, next time to you plan to attend the temple (which is hopefully soon because it's amazing! :)), prayerfully consider someone who you could invite to attend with you. That is one way that you can reach out to others and be a missionary, in a way! :)

I know that as you do these things, you will be able to see bounteous blessings. Your family will become more unified, you will feel more peace, and the Spirit will dwell in your home. 

Y'all are incredible. I love y'all very much and I know that this gospel is true! Keep smiling and remember Whose child you are! :)​

  --

Sister Eggett :)

"Things will work out. Keep trying. Be believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Things will work out." -President Gordon B. Hinckley

More good-byes and a big hello!

Dun dun duuuuunnn!! Here it is, folks! The one and only... Powder Spring! ;) 

This is the Powder Springs historical monument. :) Last Preparation Day together (with Sister Archer)!

Yep. That's it. The Powder Springs water pump. :D



Attempted selfie in front of an ancient building in Powder Springs. It is abandoned and y'all know how much I love historical buildings! :) You can see how empty it is because behind us there are clouds... But those clouds are seen from the windows inside the building! (If that makes sense...)



Ohhhh yeah! Another part of historical Powder Springs! :D This one's for Daddie. :)



Another Coca Cola sign! Old Austell. Downtown Ghetto area! Hehehe... ;)

The awkwardness of my district. As usual. Yep. Last district meeting in Powder Springs!!

From left to right:

Me :)

Sister Archer

Elder Herring

Elder Murdock

Elder Owens (District Leader)

Elder Edwards

MISS B!! :D She's one of our amazing investigators! It was hard to say goodbye. I miss her!

BOB!! He's the best! Another amazing investigator! :D It was hard to say goodbye to him, too.

In the middle is Sister Winsor, our amazing teamup for the day! She's fantastic! I miss her, too!

We had a FANTASTIC ward Pioneer Day celebration on Saturday (with my new ward)! :D

This is one of the activities that all the youth (plus the Elders) did. It was a blast to watch! We had a watermelon eating contest, a stick pull, a 3-legged race, and a team activity that I don't know how to describe (the pictures will tell you a bit) and live country music from the members (and elders)! :D

Elders singing country! :D



True Southern food... Baked beans, cole slaw, pulled pork, and potato salad! You get this at a bajillion ward activities here. :)



My new companion, Sister Benedetti! She is from France, and she's fantastic! :D



The awesomeness of mission life! :D

Big Changes...And Big Miracles!!!

25 July 2016

Dear family and friends,

What a week! Transfers are crazy! 

I am super excited to be a Sister Training Leader! The sisters in my zone are fantastic, and I am looking forward to doing our first exchange tomorrow! :D

Sister Benedetti, my new companion, is fantastic. She is from France, she loves the color pink, and she has three brothers. :)

SO MUCH has happened in just a few short days!! We've been super busy with appointments, getting to know members, and teaching new investigators. 

Here's another copy and paste. ;)

​"​

The Spirit has also been a great help here. Sometimes, I shy up and close off because I don't know the people I'm working with, and I worry that I'll mess up what the other sisters have taught them. But then I remember that it's the Spirit that does the teaching, and I'm only the mouthpiece. During the lessons, I have been seeking the Spirit and inviting Him in, and each time, I have felt His presence. Having the Spirit to guide is an amazing blessing! :)

On Saturday, we had a crazy lesson with an investigator (named AJ) and his family. Originally, when we walked in, we were expecting to teach just AJ. None of his family had seemed interested. But then, once we explained our purpose more and helped them to understand that we were Christians, they immediately invited us in! We were then blessed with the opportunity to teach all of them the Restoration, and it went so well! Though it was crazy and sometimes they jumped around on subjects, by the end I could tell that they had felt the Spirit. And all of them wanted copies of the Book of Mormon! It was amazing to see the Spirit working in their hearts as we taught the message of the Restoration. We are given this incredible gift to share the gospel with everyone, and look at the incredible results that come from it! I am so thankful for this opportunity that I have to share the gospel and to be a missionary at this time.

​"

​My invitation to y'all this week is to seek to listen to the Spirit. The Spirit is a great companion that you have been blessed with. He will guide you and He is watching over you! I know that as you seek to live worthy of the Spirit, He will help you, comfort you, and guide you. 

​Keep smiling and have a blessed week! I love y'all! :)​