Monday, September 23, 2013

Leapin' Lizards and Jumpin' Frogs: New Symrna Beach, New Apartment, New Investigators, New Scripture Study Class, Hopefully a New Phone


                                                                                                September 23, 2013

Hey Family!! :) 

This week was a super crazy but good week! Last Monday we spent all of P-day moving everything out of our apartment and into our new apartment!! Oh my goodness... the new apartment is 10x better. The old one had been used for 13 years by missionaries... it was pretty beaten up. The new one is bigger, much more light comes in, it's clean, and we have a washer and dryer. It's much, much better. We have been trying move in and clean a little bit each day in between appointments... we finally were able to finish everything this morning. I'm so done with moving!!! Haha! 

We have started a scripture study class every Tuesday night at the church. It's been super successful! We have more people come every week. Sister Pitts and I trade off every other week with the elders in the ward. We taught 1 Nephi 16 last week. The chapter is about the Liahona and Nephi's faith through difficult times. Something that I learned from that study was that when Nephi's bow broke, he made plans (made a new bow),  turned respectfully to his father, the family Priesthood holder for direction (although Lehi had been murmuring himself,) and they prayed to get a confirmation of their plans before they went out and executed the plan. It was great! There are so many things that you learn in the scriptures every day. I try really hard to make sure that I am confirming my plans with the Lord so that He can direct me where He needs me. 

Our main investigator, Michelle, is so solid. To make things even better, her husband has come to the past two lessons and has come to church the past two weeks!! Apparently Michelle has tried having missionaries over for the past couple years but every time the missionaries would try to see her at her home, her husband, Ed would send them away. We were finally able to meet with Michelle and teach her because we would meet at the church for lessons. Michelle had made comments about how her husband has realized the changes that Michelle is making and now he is coming! He told us in our last lesson that he has been reading the Book of Mormon an hour a night. He was brought up Catholic and is only use to ROTE prayers... but without us even teaching him about how we pray, he told us that he has started changing the way he prays and it's more personal! It's amazing what the Spirit does and how he teaches us :) We are hoping that both Michelle and Ed will get baptized together. We are still a little uncertain with Ed, but we have faith that he can come around and be on board the way Michelle is. They are miracles!!! At church yesterday, Ed was awestruck that he was able to take the sacrament. He has been through a divorce. In the Catholic faith, divorce makes you unworthy to take the sacrament... so sad. He was nervous to take it but you could tell he was at peace knowing that he could actually partake of that sacred ordinance! On top of that, the Gospel Principle lesson just happened to be on the Sacrament. I think he was really feeling the spirit. 

There was a baptism of a member that had been excommunicated this past weekend. Michelle and Ed were able to come to it! The spirit was very strong... there were a lot of talks on how much God really does love each one of us and that we can always start anew and come unto Christ. Michelle was crying. 

We met or did more than our goals for this past week which is awesome. It was kind of a challenge to get it all done though because our phone has decided to freak out on us... we can't make any phone calls or send any texts... and the phone won't ring but just leaves voicemails... and we can't even connect to hear the voicemail!! We should have a new phone coming today or tomorrow (hopefully) but we have had to go over to member's homes to set up and confirm all of our appointments, etc. so it has been nuts!! Last night was super funny.... our phone was the worst it has been yet. We had to give our weekly numbers (how many lessons, contacts) and let our district Leader know that we were in and safe... but we couldn't get a hold of anyone!!! Luckily, we connected with our District Leader for like 5 seconds... but as I was quickly trying to say, "Before the call drops...we are in and safe!!"... the call dropped before I could say "in and safe"... hahahaha we watched our voicemails add up from 3 voicemails to 13!! ah!!! hahaha Kind of bad.. but we got things figured out... hopefully we get that new phone soon.... 

So technically my area is called New Smyrna Beach... but I live in Port Orange. Everyone here is super laid back in all that they do... for example, we were at a dinner appointment with the former bishop's family last night. We had finished dinner and were in the middle of sharing a short message with them and their son started calling them on Skype.. so they both jumped up and started talking to him and left us their confused with our scriptures open on our laps.... hahahaha so funny! I love these people but you are surprised everyday by crazy things. haha 

Another funny thing that happened this week...we were driving down a really busy road and all of a sudden Sister Pitts screamed and freaked out...because there was a MASSIVE frog that jumped and chilled on our windshield!! haha! I have no idea how it got on our car in the middle of such a busy street! It was hilarious and we both had a good time laughing about that. Seriously, Florida is like no other place. It's GREEN, super wet, humid all the time, lizards everywhere and frogs jumping out of nowhere. It's crazy! I love it here... but I also miss Utah. I know that I will be sad when I have to move home. Florida is my home!! Just like that Phillip Phillip's song, 'Home' says, Florida is my home for the next year or so. I love the quirkiness of the people and that I get soaked in a matter of seconds!

Thanks for the care package. That was so sweet of you! I love hearing from you guys. I have pictures that I'm going to send home today :) I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Please keep Ed and Michelle in your prayers... as well as that we will be able to find more people teach. XOXOXOXOXO

Love, 

Sister Kirkham

 

 

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