Hello, Canton!

February 24, 2014

Howdy y'all!

I'm graduating to more country greetings because I am indeed in the country. Weeow. We drive by fields (I can breathe!) and horses all the time; uneven, knobby wooden fences strung with barbed wire; more accents and in some areas, pretty po-dunk. But there are several areas just as nice as John's Creek, as well. I'm still fresh here but I think I'm going to love it.

It's been quite the first five days in Canton. It's like starting over and serving a new mission, except I don't feel quite as lost as when I started the first time. ;)

One of the biggest differences is the ward. I absolutely loved church yesterday; there are many strong members who are excited about missionary work and love the missionaries. But I've seen more inner turmoil and outward struggling in the members in five days then I feel I ever did in my four and a half months in John's Creek. Some of the people here are going through remarkable trials, and have trusted us with their deepest feelings and concerns. There is a great need for healing and love between and for the members.

I've also learnt the importance of keeping a neat and detailed area book. I flipped through several teaching records that were incomplete, not informative, and sometimes hard to read. We were able to update and reorganize most of it, but some of the records won't ever be very helpful and the missionaries who wrote them are long gone. I'm not really one to talk since I haven't been perfect about updating the area book myself, but I'm not going to let that happen to future missionaries because of me.

Also, our apartment is actually a small townhouse in a complex-- so we have an upstairs (our room, laundry, study room, and our OWN bathrooms) and a downstairs (kitchen, garage, living room). It wasn't awful, but it really needed some TLC to get clean and liveable. Sister Mac was sick one morning so I cleaned for an hour or two. Especially after we cleaned this morning, there are no more piles of random paper, the floors are vacuumed, floors swept, bathrooms sparkly clean, and furniture neatly placed. No random piles!! I think (I hope) I'm turning into a neat freak. I don't want to be freakishly obsessed with being clean, but it would certainly be a helpful habit compared to where I was before!

I'm trying hard to find my purpose here. I feel like there are so many needs among members, less actives, and the responsibility of finding people to teach, that I can't meet all of them. I guess I really can't. But that's where the Spirit comes in. I just want to feel like I have a specific vision of what Heavenly Father wants Sister Macedone and I to accomplish here.

I've had promptings from the Spirit that help me know that there are people here to find and teach. I have a renewed focus and desire to find them. I'm still working on having the faith, humility, and obedience that will help me be worthy to teach those families and individuals. I want to specifically work on that through more specific, sincere personal prayers and exact obedience, especially with getting to bed on time. I'm often a few minutes late and it's unnecessary.

Sister Macedone and I are getting along pretty well. For whatever reason I've been a little closed off and not as warm and loving as I usually am, but I apologized to her for that and I'm working on being my loving self. She has a big heart and truly loves the people she serves, and they know that. Her approach with members and less actives is much more casual than I'm used to, but I'm adjusting. I can see how that part of her personality is what these members have needed. I'm slowly opening up to new ways of connecting with people.

I love the countryside here and the beautiful winding roads! It's a beautiful area. I'm excited to be here.

Have a lovely February!
Sister Taylor