Hey y'all!
This week wasn't full of a lot of people, but it sure was
full of entertainment. At the beginning of the week we had a lesson with
Stephanie and it went really well. We talked about sacrament and the importance
of it, we asked her what was holding her back from coming to church. It was a
really powerful lesson and we felt like we really got through to her. (She
didn't end up coming to church, which was a real bummer...free agency kills
me!) After our lesson we saw that her son had this weird looking thing with
wheels so we asked if we could try it. They are called Sky-walker Hover boards
and they are INSANE. I don't know if yall have heard of them but you stand on
this skateboard looking thing and your thoughts control the device! I know this
sounds crazy and I didn't believe it either, but then I rode on it! When you
think "turn" it turns, and when you think "fast" it goes
fast! I have no clue how it works but it's pretty crazy stuff...I feel like all
the missionaries need one of these :)
We also went to a sister specialized training with all of
the sisters in the mission! It was so good to see everyone again, and it was
really uplifting. The Lord has definitely blessed me to be able to serve with
such amazing people.
We ate a shrimp and okra gumbo with a recent convert for
dinner one night. Our lesson was suppose to be "God is our Loving Heavenly
Father" and it turned into her theory about God's children. You always
know it's a bad sign when a recent convert says "I still believe in
everything the church does, but.....". She then went on to tell us how
everyone on the earth is not part of God's bloodline and that there are people
on the earth that were here before Adam and Eve. She called them
Humanoids....so that was something I have never heard before and I have no clue
where she got this theory. It definitely caught me and Sister Blaylock off
guard haha. I am glad to have the knowledge, however, that everyone on this
earth IS a child of God. We are all loved incredibly no matter how terrible are
choices are. They will be a consequence to all of our actions but no matter
what are consequence is, we will always be loved :) I don't think any of us are
"humanoids", sorry for the let down. Haha.
On Saturday we helped out with a service project called Days
for Girls. It is for women in third world countries who don't have the
necessities for feminine hygiene. It is a really great program to give women
education about their bodies and that their lives can go on when they think
that they are dying. If you have a chance to look it up, it's incredible. We
just cut fabric for a while :)
Sunday was sad because Stephanie didn't come to
church..however it was still a good spiritual recharge. Sister Blaylock and I will be staying together in Lafayette until she goes home on December 28th. As
we were leaving church we had a crazy member pull us aside and asked us to move
her plants for her so that they wouldn't freeze. We offered to go with her
right then (thinking it would be a fast job to move 10 plants), she told us
that we would need to get our P day clothes and it would take a while because
she had FIFTY huge plants to move. We felt bad but had to say no, because we
shouldn't be doing member service in the first place. She then proceeded to
tell us that she finished and left a voicemail saying "I am not calling
you to make you feel guilty, although you should feel guilty...". She
talked so much on the voicemail that it even cut her off! Haha. She is a very
interesting person. Luckily her plants did not die.
Later on Sunday, it was the last thirty minutes and we really
just wanted to return for the night. It was frustrating because we tried door
after door and no one was answering. Nothing was working out how we wanted it
to. However we decided to stay out the additional time that we were suppose to
and we were able to meet with this less active member! She was an interesting
woman who had been through a lot. She was really grateful to have us come visit
her. It was a huge tender mercy that the Lord provided us with. It showed me
that we need to stay out those last thirty minutes because that is usually when
all the miracles happen and when we get blessed.
Being a missionary is no walk in the park, but it is helping
me to stretch and grow into the person that Heavenly Father wants me to be :) I
have truly been able to understand the atonement and how it works. I am so
grateful for my savior Jesus Christ and the peace and hope he can give to each
and every one of us.
Here is a link to a
video on gratitude :)
Love,
Sister Amanda Cornia
