Sister Neel 7/12/21

Elder and Sister Clements surprised us by dropping off our favorite crumble cookies :))

 Hey ya'll! 

It's been a party over here in wake forest and I am LOVING this area! Our ward is just so amazing and makes me never want to leave. We spend most evenings with a different member family and they each have made us feel like we fit in right along with them. Laughing our heads off around the dinner table, playing 500 in the backyard, seeing who can eat a cupcake the fastest with no hands, walks around the pond, getting chased by chickens BUT most importantly gathering in the living room and teaching powerful lessons while learning SO MUCH from each household. Man, I just feel so blessed to be here!

Sister Stoddard is pretty cool:)) Although she may run things differently than what I'm used to, I've prayed to have more patience and to see her as God sees her rather than becoming frustrated or impatient when things don't go as planned or how I like. The Lord has opened my eyes and I am able to have that love and patience she needs and we work a lot better together now that my focus is in check haha! I learned I couldn't change anyone but myself and that made the biggest difference in our companionship 

Oh also fun fact: Sister Stoddard is TIK TOK FAMOUS haha!! I've never been a huge fan of tik tok but when she showed me her video that went viral I felt pretty cool to be with someone who's so popular XD ;) so there ya go I have a famous comp everyone XD

We had the tropical storm Elsa hit our area on Thursday which put the mission into lock down all day. It provided a good way of extra study and finding time! Unfortunately we had to drop Sharron, the sweet elderly lady who requested a book of Mormon and we had a golden lesson with. When we called to see how her trip to Florida went and how her BOM reading was going she requested that we read with her. When we went to set up a time, out of the blue she asked us to stop calling her and didn't want anything to do with us anymore...so strange. But other than that unfortunate event we found a lot of success reaching out to formers and even got a few lessons scheduled! 

Our ward gave us a long list of less active members they want to go and visit so each night we pick three families and deliver cookies and possibly share a short message after we get to know them. Yesterday was such a highlight! After church we went over to Mary Carmen's house, a lady who's husband and kids are active in the church but she stopped going after covid and has been looking into Buddhism as her new religion. She didn't want us to teach any lessons and requested we just visit. It was interesting but fun! We spent the first 30 mins getting to know one another and then she and her kids took us outside to pick sunflowers and cucumbers, collect chicken eggs and catch baby frogs. We seemed to build a great trust foundation after she realized we respected her decision and weren't going to shove lessons down her throat. She invited us to come back and look at her horses, which was huge!! That night we stopped by the Bacon home and they were so kind! They stopped coming to church after covid hit as well but after our long visit Sister Bacon wants to invite us over for dinner which is another big deal! We are so grateful these families are feeling comfortable with us!

I want to wrap up my email with a powerful thought I had after we listened to the departing testimonies of the missionaries going home last week. We all have trials right? Some are harder than others and can push us to our very limit. We may question 'why me' or pray that the trial be taken from us so we can return back to a feeling of peace and normality. But sometimes we have to realize that heaven wants us to go through it and not around it. That "these things shall be for our experience and shall be for our good" as it says in D&C 121:8. There's one person I know of who can relate EXACTLY to how we feel and can provide the comfort, healing and even miracle we need to endure it well and walk towards the light; and that's Jesus Christ. He performed the Atonement which was one of the most painful things He had ever done and yet He willingly did so because He loves US. Imagine if the Savior gave up when things got really hard? How different would our lives be? What would be the point of life? If He can suffer pains, afflictions and temptations of every kind...and go through it rather than around it, so can we. It should motivate us to not quit. To keep trying. To keep believing. That people need us. And we KNOW that we are in good hands. 

The Lord knows how to shape and mold us into the people He needs us to be and as we trust Him we will find that everything will make sense no matter how long or difficult it may be. Just like He says in D&C 121:7-8: "Peace be unto thy soul. Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment. And then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high." I think that's what makes a mission so much more eye opening as I truly come to rely on God and His mercy as I am called upon the deep waters that test my faith. But I've learned to stop questioning why and begin to ask more what questions such as, "WHAT would you have me learn from this?" It provides a deeper perspective and allows me to trust rather than doubt. That's the beautiful thing about this gospel. We already know we have a loving Father in Heaven who is aware of us and as we come to Him, we will receive unimaginable healing and comfort and find that we ourselves have changed as we draw nearer unto the one who knows us best. I know and am a witness of this :) 

I love you all!!

♡♡♡

Sister Neel

 we did chalk drawings at Joyner Park as a fun finding activity and we got lots of people who stopped and wanted to learn more so we were able to teach a few restoration lessons on the spot!!