Things Here Are Simply Peachy

Hi!

Things here in Cumming, and more specifically the Pilgrim Mill ward are so great! Me and Summerhays... better known by friends (investigators), family (ward members) and followers (our pretend posse), as "SummerBeez" have had a killer week teaching and doing what we do best, sister-ing. If you are wondering what sister-ing involves, let me just say this... a lot of skirts, a lot tracting in the nine bazillion degree weather, and a lot preaching the word or the Lord. Needless to say, things here are simply peachy!

I'd like to tell you an unfortunate tale that happened to me and my companion this week.

Tuesday night we get a phone call from the Elders serving in our ward. They had forgotten about a meeting they had to be at the next morning and needed to borrow our car. Of course that was fine, but we had a big day planned and no having a car put a damper on our plans. There wasn't a lot that we could do so we simply arranged our lessons for different days and times and decided that we would do what we could on foot. So... we started our journey. We first visited a lady in a nursing home that is just around the corner from where we live.... next, the journey to the other nursing home about a mile and a half away so we could play bingo with the fine folks that live there! We also had a lesson planned with a lady who is investigating the church there as well. We had an hour to make it... and did so as quickly as our little legs would allow. (the skirts hold you back a little, ya know?) We were about 2/3 of the way there when rain started to fall just a little.... we started walking faster and faster.... at this point now we are about 5 minutes away and the rain dorps here and there turned into BUCKETS pouring down on us. We were soaked. We took off our shoes and ran the rest of the way to the nursing home. By the time we got there we stood on the entrance patio and rang our skirts out and shook our wet hair as much as possible. We were drenched ... and most of our makeup was gone! We looked like little wet puppies. A worker brought us blankets and paper towells and then asked "Did y'all go swimming?"
Due to the fact that we couldn't get dry and would have just made a disaster of the nursing home, we had a member come and pick us up. The point of this story, the Elders won't be borrowing the car for a while.

In other news, I went on a Road Trip this week! Y'all know how "Vacation Kate" gets... well, "Vacation Sister Kate" is a whole new story-- I was blasting that MO-TAB and acting like Spring Break was awaiting us....which, was about the opposite of the turth... my companion had a doctors appointment in Decatur.... which is about an hour away and out of the mission! It was so exciting! Well, as exciting as a Doctors office in the GHETTO can be! Let me just say this, there is a big difference between the Atlanta Mission.... and the Atlanta North. I'm grateful to be serving in the North.

I'll end by sharing some awesome experiences we had in lessons this week...

First of all, we got in with Ekta again and she is so solid and so wonderful. The last time we saw her so much was going on you could just see that life was heavy on her. This time, she looked bright and happy and full of hope. She said she had been reading the scriptures, both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and said that having them brings her so much love and peace! She is from India and has gone through so much... but becasue of her rock solid faith that God loves her, she knows that he will take care of her. We taught her part of the Plan of Salvation and she soaked every last bit up. I could feel of Heavenly Fathers love for her in such a great abundance! She is His Daughter! The plan of Salvation... with our Saviors Atonement as it's fuel, was created specifically for her and for each of us! The Lord wants for us to be happy. At the end of the lesson Ekta said the prayer, the last time we had met with her and she said the prayer, she recited the Lords prayer. We taught her about having a conversation with God and pouring your sould out to him. When she said the prayer this time, it was unreal. It was like Heavenly Father was sitting there right with us. She is so sweet! Please keep her in your prayers! Clarisa is doing wonderful as well... we taught her with some of her friends that are in the ward last night and between school and the Gospel she is just outstanding. She shared with us a quote she loves and it goes something like this, "When trials come and we feel that God is not there, remember; the teacher is always quiet during a test." I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach such wonderful and spiritual people!

Tracting paid off... and we have found quite a few people we will go and follow up with this coming week! Hopefully I have some good stories to tell next week! We have also been doing a ton of less active work and getting in with some exceptional families! One fed us shrimp and grits... the other said that if we ever need a place to stay when we come back to visit, we are like family to them and would be allowed to stay with them! How sweet is that?

Someone this week kindly said to me at the end of our lesson, "You must be so happy becaue you are truly bringing people closer to the Savior. You have done so much for me, and for that I hope you know how much I love you."

The life of a missonary isn't always easy, but it is worth it. No effort is ever wasted. I know that missionary work changes hearts and lives and eternities. I know it has done that for me. I was so humbled to hear those sweet words, and then so grateful to know that she had done the same thing for me! The people I serve, have served me and brought me closer to our Savior. I love my brothers and sisters so much, and so grateful to see their knowledge of the Gospel and the love that God has for them increase.

I miss you all. I love you all.

Do something great this week .... do something that will bring you closer to the Lord

Godbless and Godspeed!

-Sister Beasley