Cooing Cats, Haircuts, & Accompaniments
March 24, 2014
Hey yall!
I'm starting the Book of Mormon over again this week! Sister Wolfert (my mission president's wife) challenged us to read the Book of Mormon through once and mark every reference to the Savior, and focus on Him while we read. I'd like to extend the same invitation to you. Learning to love the Savior brings blessings and peace into our lives, and I know you'll feel more peace and love as you read with the Savior always in mind. I'm excited to start this challenge!
Hey yall!
I'm starting the Book of Mormon over again this week! Sister Wolfert (my mission president's wife) challenged us to read the Book of Mormon through once and mark every reference to the Savior, and focus on Him while we read. I'd like to extend the same invitation to you. Learning to love the Savior brings blessings and peace into our lives, and I know you'll feel more peace and love as you read with the Savior always in mind. I'm excited to start this challenge!
We started teaching a woman named Brady this week. Regardless of whether or not she progresses as we teach her, she will be one of the most unique people I've met on my mission. She has a blind dog, a cat that coos like a pigeon, and a bearded dragon that eats pasta and marshmellows. She herself has numerous tattoos, formerly did stand up comedy, told us about the evil spirit living in her house, and goes to a "seer" regularly. She's very nice, I have no idea how interested she is though. We also met an 80 year old war veteran that was a former Italian Mafia member. All kinds of cool people here!
We also started meeting with a recent convert of six months, Heather, and her two children who are pretty destitute right now. They're living in a motel and only eat one meal a day, at the pizza joint her husband works at that lets them eat for free. Her daughter, Autumn, is three, and since they can't afford a brush, her hair is matted and tangled so I had difficulty braiding it while we were there. It's sad and eye opening to see what they are living without. But Heather's love and zeal for the gospel is motivating and exemplary. She speaks of her gospel goals as her life goals and wants nothing more but to be involved in the church, continue learning, and help her husband progress towards joining the church. While we were talking with her, she talked about scriptures stories she'd been reading and how compared to what they were going through, how could she worry about anything? I was thinking to myself, how could I worry about anything compared to what she was going through?! It was a humbling experience for me to see someone in her situation valuing the gospel and her family above everything else.
In that motel lobby we met Heather at, we also met Markena-- a woman who said from across the lobby, "Are y'all church people? I can feel the Spirit of the Lord from way over here! Oh, I feel it." We talked to her and she said she wants so badly to be taught the gospel. She wants to give up her addictions and start her life over with her daughter. Sister Macedone said to her, "This is the true church," to which Markena said, "I know it is." We're excited to start working with her!
We also started meeting with a recent convert of six months, Heather, and her two children who are pretty destitute right now. They're living in a motel and only eat one meal a day, at the pizza joint her husband works at that lets them eat for free. Her daughter, Autumn, is three, and since they can't afford a brush, her hair is matted and tangled so I had difficulty braiding it while we were there. It's sad and eye opening to see what they are living without. But Heather's love and zeal for the gospel is motivating and exemplary. She speaks of her gospel goals as her life goals and wants nothing more but to be involved in the church, continue learning, and help her husband progress towards joining the church. While we were talking with her, she talked about scriptures stories she'd been reading and how compared to what they were going through, how could she worry about anything? I was thinking to myself, how could I worry about anything compared to what she was going through?! It was a humbling experience for me to see someone in her situation valuing the gospel and her family above everything else.
In that motel lobby we met Heather at, we also met Markena-- a woman who said from across the lobby, "Are y'all church people? I can feel the Spirit of the Lord from way over here! Oh, I feel it." We talked to her and she said she wants so badly to be taught the gospel. She wants to give up her addictions and start her life over with her daughter. Sister Macedone said to her, "This is the true church," to which Markena said, "I know it is." We're excited to start working with her!
Saturday night/Sunday we had a miracle. Saturday, we were planning to be home an hour early to prepare to teach Young Women's the next day, and around 7:30 we visited Amanda, an inactive 24 year old member we visit regularly. She looked really stressed when we walked in. She ended up crying and telling us about a lot of hard things going on, and we listened and provided comfort where we could. We were there for an hour and a half...there would be no preparation time for our lesson that night. But as we drove home we knew we'd been where we needed to be, and that God would bless us for that. He did; our lesson went really, really well. The girls opened up and the Spirit was felt. God gave us what we needed when we followed the Spirit.
We (the Ward Choir) performed in Sacrament Meeting (I accompanied), and it went just fine. We're singing Amazing Grace for Easter Sunday, and it's my job to arrange the accompaniment! We talked with the choir director afterwards and got most of it figured out..we'll have two key changes and a few descants, etc. I've just got to play and make it sound pretty. :) I have the chords for the choir to work with. During choir they said, "Sister Taylor can't get transferred before Easter." Someone else piped up, "Sister Taylor can't get transferred EVER!" At least the ward choir loves me. :)
Can't WAIT for General Conference coming up!! Get ready for it!
Love,
Sister Taylor
Sister Taylor
P.S. Last Monday I cut Sister Moon's hair from long to A-line! It looks really good on her. I'm glad I haven't lost all my hair skills yet. :)
Sis. Marissa Haymore in the ward made each of us a hat like that. Love members!
The one of me with the Book of Mormon was at Waffle House, a dumpy breakfast chain that is EVERYWHERE in the South. Waffle House is to Georgia as LDS Chapels are to Utah Valley. Whether or not they pass health inspections is questionable...but the food is delicious and cheap. So I don't ask questions.