Sunday, October 3, 2010

Rincon

** From email sent July 26 **

Hey y'all! I am now in Rincon Georgia. I only have 7 or 8 minutes to use the computer so this'll be super speedy fast. My new companion is Sister Smith who is awesome, by the way. She has only been out 6 months longer than I have....and she is convinced she's never going home....:D

Anyway, we're not really teaching anyone right now.....everybody that was in our teaching pool....well...didn't make it out....:D But Rincon is great. There is a woman in the ward here named Sister Ames who is freaking amazing. She's a lot like me. We live in a duplex and well.....that's about it. I'll put more in a real letter. LOVES!!!

** From another email sent the same day **

Yeah y'all.
Sorry that was so short! I thought I was limited on time....but Sister Smith is amazing....of course. Sister Smith is my new companion. She is originally from Hyde Park, Utah....which is up by Logan. She's really tall....about 6 feet tall and is really nice. She's allergic to gluten...so I've tried gluten free pancakes and gluten free cookies and they were really good! She also wants me to write one of her friends.....hmmmm.....not entirely sure how I feel about that....but.....oh well. Rincon is a nice place. Super duper small town.....but we're only about 20 minutes away from Savannah. It's much more humid here, but at least we get the ocean breeze once in a while. Our teaching pool is dead. There's not really anyone progressing....but that's ok. We'll find some people this week. Other than that, that's about all I can say....there'll be more details in my next email.....hopefully. But, love y'all!!!!

"Coming! Ready or not!!" -Jesus

** From email sent July 19 **

So, I got told to die and go to hell by a 90 year old man.....we tracted into him and he yelled at us and told us we were a cult and gave us all these reasons why the Book of Mormon wasn't true. I almost pulled a Jeffery R Holland on him and started quoting his last conference talk about the Book of Mormon....but I held my tongue. But he told us to die and go to hell....which is a huge shock in the south, if anyone else had heard him, he would've been shot. You do not treat people that way in the south....especially a woman. Women are hugely respected in the south. People just treat us with the highest respect. But oh well. If anyone's close to dying, it's him. He's all hunched over and can't even hear.

I'm leaving. Sister Savage and I think I'm either going to Rincon or Ridgeland.....Which will be good, cuz they are small towns....and I'm a more of a small town kind of girl.....always have been. But, we'll see.

On to happy stuff. Sister Platts finally accepted a date. She's still scared, but she knows it's what she's supposed to do. She's been loving church and she wants to bring her daughter to church cuz her daughter doesn't like the church that she's attending right now....so hopefully, we'll get the both of them in the water. :D

Ummmm.....We only have one other person on for baptism and I'm not entire sure how solid she is. Her name is Stacey and her mom lives in Florida and her mom is a member....so at least we have the mom on our side.

Well, opening an area was an experience.....I think God was trying to test me. Or maybe Satan was......Well, Satan can just eat it!

I hope y'all are having fun without me. I've been fighting homesickness this past week....it's harder than I thought it would be....I honestly haven't been this home sick since the beginning of my mission.....but I'm okay. At least I know that there's a tall blondie in Argentina that is feeling the same way I do! Love you, hermanito!!!

The south is such an interesting mission. People love talking about Jesus and stuff, but they don't want to change. Sometimes I feel like quoting 2 Nephi 29: 6-10 to them. "Thou fool, that shall say: a Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews? Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth? Wherefore murmer ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure, And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be utnil the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever. Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written." Sometimes, I just wanna tell them that. Sure, the Bible's great, but we need the Book of Mormon too!

Oh well.....my time is running out so I better get going. Love y'all!!!!!!

"Don't worry about it....Moses was once a basket case too." Saw that on a church sign and I fell in love with it!!!!

** From email sent July 12 **

Um....this week was kinda boring. Um....we've met a wonderful woman named Sister Platts. She came to church with us yesterday and loved it! She is so funny. We were teaching her on Saturday and she was in a Jesus nightgown with her hair all up in a wrap. We invited her to church and she said not this week. Get me next week and Sister Savage said, "well, what would keep you coming from this week?" and she said "I don't know what to wear!" And sister savage said "we don't care what you wear! you can wear that if you want to!" and we pointed at her night gown. She freaked out and said "There is no way in HELL that I am wearing this!" It was way funny.
And we met this lady named Barbara and she wants to be baptized she is really sweet. Just loves us.
It's been an interesting week. Had a turning point with Sister Savage on Saturday. It was really great. I'm growing....though I'm trying to deny it. I don't wanna grow up! I wanna stay young forever! Oh well....growing old is inevitable....growing up is optional! :D Ummmm.....other than that......it's been boring. Oh! I finished that poem and I promised I would send it when I finished it!

"Without Sin"
By Sister Kathryn Marie Hoggard with help from Sister Hayley May Savage ;)

Headed to the square,
They drug me through the streets.
Crying and stumbling,
They threw me at his feet.

"Adultery!" They cried.
"Look at what she's done!"
"Stone her now!" They scream.
"She must pay for what she's become!"

I sit and I shiver and I
Stare hopeless at the ground.
The crowd quiets down
As they gather all around.

The Master looks at them and
Then He looks at me and
Then His gaze is back on the ground
As though he hadn't heard them speak.

Staring at the ground
I silently start to cry
Knowing that I would
Be sentanced to die.

I look up and I see the
Master writing on the ground.
Wondering how? How can this be?
He again looks at the crowd around.

"He who is without sin,
Let him first cast a stone."
I cringed, waiting for the blow,
Only to find, none would be thrown.

I cautiously look up as
The crowd slowly dispersed.
I look into the Master's eyes
Thinking I'd be condemned and accursed.

The Master looks deep into mine eyes,
"Woman," says He
"Where are those thine accusers?
Hath no man condemned thee?"

I again look around me
"No man, Lord." is my quiet reply.
"Then neither do I condemn thee" He said
And once again, I begin to cry.

I gently take His hand in mine
and kiss them tenderly.
For He has paid the ultimate price,
So that all men may be free.

As I stood to leave,
He says "Go and sin no more."
All lives may start anew.
He has opened up the door.

All through my life,
I've never forgotten that day
When my Lord and my Savior
Opened up the way.

Yep......................That's my poem and I am quite proud of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you!