Monday, November 4, 2013

When The Lord Closes A Door, Somewhere He Opens A Window


Hey Y'all!
Another great and exhausting week! I have to remind myself that being this tired is a blessing because that means there is a lot of great work going on! I literally cannot believe that the work in this area is progressing like it is this fast! It's freakin' me out! Everday we are lead to a new experience or person that is ready and receptive to the sweet message of the Gospel in some way or another. As a mission, and throughout the world of missionaries, they have been talking about the Lord "hastening" His work. I'm here to tell you, we see it everyday. Things are happening left and right and miracles are all around. So here are details of my jammed pack week; some funny, some scary, and some spiritual, and some that I just want to include! Ya gotta have little of everything, right?!
So Monday night we are teaching this amazing little girl and her family! She is going to be baptized soon and is the most spiritually in-tune person I have ever met. She lost her mom a few years ago and yet has used it to help strengthen her and grow closer to God! As we planned to teach the Plan of Salvation I was really excited because it is one of my favorite things to teach, and my testimony of it has been strengthened, especially after losing my sweet Granny so recently. As we were teaching her it came to the part where we talk about death and I started to get a little choked up. Next thing I know everyone had horrid looks on their face and someone even screamed! I was super confused, but I looked behind me at what was going on and there was a huge cockroach on the wall! Her younger brother ran in and killed it --- it was so funny, the timing was awful, and yet we were able to have a visual lesson on how death comes to everyone. Even those nasty roaches. :)
Each week we have District Meeting. A handful of missionaries get together and talk about whats going on and give trainings and talk about the people they are working with. I had to give a training on Obedience and I was grateful to use the scriptures so much! I love the scriptures. I love the truths that are found in each book and how they can relate to us today. President Wolfert showed up and joined us for District Meeting. I am grateful for good leadership here!
So a few random things... A. You know you are in the South when someone yells at you for being Mormon, for knocking on their door, for being in their neighborhood, and yet... ends with a "have a blessed day." You also know you are in the South when an excuse for someone not wanting to let you into share more about the Gospel is "I've got oil on the stove, we're getting ready to fry chicken. I'm worried its gonna get too hot; sorry!."
You also know you are in the south when your investigator calls you a "yankee... a squirrel.. or a chicken..." And yes, in case you are wondering.. I was called all three of those things this week. What an honor! Ya feel me!?
Halloween was awesome. The night before the ward did a huge trunk or treat and tons of people were there- active, less active, and non-members! Some of our investigators even showed up! We have been doing a lot of church tours and showing them around the building, it is amazing the Spirit that is felt inside them! Even when they are dressed up as monsters! Haha! On Halloween I wore a cheetah shirt and decided that was as festive as I could be. We taught a few lessons, knocked a few doors, and even sang "I would walk 500 miles" as we strolled through the Georgia country! a lot of, "DUH DUH DUH!'s" were included, in case you were wondering. :) Not exactly in the Hymn book, but hey! It was Halloween.. and it relates to missionary work! You do a lot of knocking to wind up at someones door!   We retired early, as directed, and unfortunately not a single person showed up at our door.. so that was a bummer.
In our ward there is the sweetest lady. She joined the church two and a half years ago and has the most amazing southern accent EVER! Elders knocked on her door.. and she loves missionaries and the Gospel. Her testimony is so sweet and so strong. We had the opportunity to go out with her and share the gospel with some of her friends and family. We went to one house and had a crazy thing happen, the person we were going to visit's son was there and was really, really drunk. He was running around like a crazy person and when we came inside the house he quickly turned from happy and on top of the world to angry and wanted us to leave. He was telling us that we were Amish and that we needed to get out, we tried to explain who we were but he was not listening..he got angrier and angrier and so we got up to leave and this sweet sister turned to him and said boldly, "I am a Mormon". As she said this the Spirit was so strong! He quickly calmed down and we were able to leave a simple message and a prayer! She bore her testimony on this experience and said that had we not been there she would have handled the situation with a shot-gun! She said she was impressed with the way we handled the situation, and that we were full of the Spirit.. even when he was full of the "liquid spirit". It was funny.. and a good lesson or two learned. We came home and had dinner with her, fried okra, butter beans and chicken will fix just about anything right?
Multiple times throughout this week things fell apart, appointments fell through, and people flaked out. Even though its something I should expect by now and not be so bummed about, it's still hard to not let it discourage you. Whenever something like this happened, we saw that the Lord had something better in store for us--- something he needed us to do instead. The Lord knows what is priority--- and sometimes it just takes a few bumps along the way to get us where He needs us to be. So, as we had doors slammed on us and people telling us that they didn't want us to come back, we also found new people and had more teaching opportunities than we could ask for.

Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can come together.
When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.
& heck ---- if nothing else, you will always have a few funny stories to laugh about, right?
I love you all.
Have a great week.
Look for examples in your life when the Lord helped you to find something great, instead of something good & don't forget to laugh along the way.

May the Lord be "blessing your hearts!"
God-bless & Godspeed,
Sister Beasley


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