May 24 News

**From an email sent on May 24**

So....Brother Stapleton: Told us that he's decided to get baptized into the Episcopal Church. After he told us, I came home and knelt by my bed and cried and prayed for about an hour. It hurts because I know that he knows it's true and he's not acting on that knowledge....he will be held accountable for that....

Sister Sam is getting baptized this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On Saturday at 2:00!!!!!!!!! Sister Child and I are so super excited! She made it through the Isaiah chapters of second Nephi and had two whole pages of words for us to define. She is so great!!! I love her!!! She is totally AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

Brother Smith is soooooo great!!!! He loved church yesterday! I can't wait for him to be baptized.

Sister Jerri and Latonya....Well. That's another story. It's getting interesting. We haven't been able to get in touch with her. We're beginning to wonder how serious she is about all this. But pray for her. And pray for everyone else....oh! And pray for Sister Ingram. She's great and we really want her to be baptized.

The Elders had a baptism on Saturday! I played the piano for it. It was so great. I almost started crying. I love the priesthood power that was filling up that room. And the man they baptized is so funny. He's the one that was being taught by sisters and then he disappeared. But I am so glad that another brother of ours joined the ranks!!!!

We had a fireside yesterday for the youth. I had to sing for it. But I sang a great song and Sister Child told me that I did really good. I sang the hymn, "The time is far spent" it's a great missionary song. It goes:
"The time is far spent there is little remaining
to publish glad tidings by sea and by land.
Then hasten ye heralds, go forward proclaiming;
'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven's at hand. Repent for the kingdom of Heaven's at hand.'

Shrink not from your duty, however unpleasant
But follow the Savior, your pattern and friend.
Your little afflictions though painful at present,
Ere long with the righteous in glory will end. Ere long with the righteous in glory will end.

What, tho, if the favor of Ahman possessing,
This world's bitter hate you are called to endure?
The angels are waiting to crown you with blessings!
Go forward, be faithful the promise is sure. Go forward, be faithful the promise is sure.

Be fixed in your purpose for Satan will try you;
The weight of your calling He perfectly knows.
Your path may be thorny, but Jesus is nigh you;
His arm is sufficient though demons oppose. His arm is sufficient though demons oppose!"

It's a great song. And then every one of us missionaries gave one of our favorite baptism stories. The spirit was sooo strong! AMAZING!!!!

May 17 News

**From an email sent to the family on May 17**

Hey y'all!

We had the coolest lightning storm last night. It was so great! LOVED IT!!!

Today is Sister Child's birthday....the Elders made her a cake and dropped it off at our apartment....apparently the bottom left corner is left for the green weenie...(which is me, but I'm scared to see what they put in it...) We've had fun so far, though.

As for our investigators....Jerri and Latonya are still on for baptism. They came to church yesterday and loved it! We also have somebody new that we are teaching. Her name is Sam and she is so great! She's 19 and she LOVES the Book of Mormon. She ordered one from like, one of the commercials or something and we dropped it off to her and taught her about the restoration. Two days later when we came to see her, she was already in 2 Nephi. We've taught her a whole bunch and she loves it!!! She has no problems with the Word of Wisdom, so that was great (especially when people down here LOVE sweet tea). She came to church yesterday and loved it. She's also started reading a Gospel Principles Manuel and loves it. She's so great, her baptism is set for May 29. Hopefully, we'll be able to teach her mom too. :D Brother Stapleton has disappeared. He can't go too far, cuz he's in the Vet's Hospital so pray we find him soon.

Mission life is so great! I love it! Both Sister Child and I think this will be my last transfer here in Milledgeville. When I'm transfered, I'll either go to Rincon, Savannah or Warner Robins, Georgia or Ridgeland, South Carolina. PRAY FOR SOUTH CAROLINA!!! Haha. Just kidding.

I plan to bring all y'all back to Georgia some day to see all the places that I served in....but Daddy, you'll have to let me drive cuz Georgians drive like crazy people and I'm the only who is used to their crazy driving. Didn't take me too long to get used to it since I'm crazy anyway. :D

I love the mission! It's the best thing I have ever done. Sure we have our weird times, like the suicidal duck (the thing flew straight at our windshield!) and the man-eating cockroach (the thing was two inches long, I swear!) and the time the car had a mind of it's own....long story. :D But it's so wonderful.