March 3, 2014
What a wonderful week of missionary work!
I'm slowly but surely getting to know my way around Fleming Island but thank goodness for Sister Call's GPS. I honestly do not know what we would have done without it. I thought I should explain a little more about the people and the area.
Sister Call and I nickname our area "A giant golf course" with many fishing ponds because that is basically what it is. The area is about 8 miles from West to East and 3 miles North to South.
It's a very wealthy community with beautiful homes everywhere I look. Each home is unique in every way on the exterior. No home is exactly the same the way I look at it. There isn't a day that I don't see people doing yard work. Everyone just loves taking care of their yards and whenever we offer to help, I think they kind of look at Sister Call and I all dressed up in our skirts and blouses and they kindly don't take the offer. We seriously want to help out with their yard work though!! One day someone will let us help. It is a very active community. Probably because the weather is so perfect everyday until we get that one random day that just rains constantly. So many people exercise all throughout the day and night and love to hangout in their garages. So we just walk right up there and start talking to them about the gospel. The people here are all very friendly and love to talk about Jesus Christ. I see why the south is called the Bible Belt. It's been wonderful meeting new people each and every day.
Every member in the Fleming Island 2nd Ward is so welcoming. They have been waiting 10 years for Sister Missionaries to finally come into their ward and were so thrilled to finally see us. So many of them are ready to share the gospel and have already made it a part of their daily lives. It's been great beginning to work with them in missionary work.
I was able to have two teaching experiences this week which truly strengthened my testimony of Hastening the Work of Salvation.
I taught a part-member family the message of The Restoration! Jackie (member) and Walt (investigator) are very sweet people. I love to teach Joseph Smith's First Vision. I can always feel the spirit whenever I testify of the truthfulness of this message and I know that Walt and Jackie did. Walt has committed to read the BOM and I can't wait to continue to teach him! I love seeing the joy the gospel brings to others.
I was able to teach another family this week as well! Their names are Jim and Judi. Judi has such amazing faith in her Heavenly Father. They are both so knowledgeable and want to continue to learn more of this gospel so we taught them The Restoration and they are very interested in the Book of Mormon. Judi said she knows this gospel is true! AHHH! We also committed them to come to church. This is so exciting! It's wonderful to see the hand of The Lord in this work. I love the Book of Mormon so much and I love seeing the joy it brings to others.
As I have said before, miracles happen everyday.
On a cold and rainy Wednesday night just before we drove back to our apartment, we felt impressed to stop by at a member's home whom we haven't met yet. A sweet heart elderly woman let us in and could not express how thankful she was for us showing up to her home. She poured her heart out to us. She had been going through some trials and we were able to share a message from a general conference talk by Elder Holland. She called us angels sent from Heaven.
Heavenly Father knows each and every one of us better than we know ourselves. He gives us trials because he knows we can overcome them. That is why he sent is only begotten son, Jesus Christ to this Earth. It is through his atonement that we can be healed from these mortal challenges that we face.
I learned a lesson this week about recognizing the many blessings that Heavenly Father has given me. Instead of saying "I'm lucky", I'm going to say "I'm blessed" because the many blessings we receive are not luck!
Missionary work is amazing. I love it so much!
Until then,
Sister McCook
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