"Grandmother"

Since  I came to Georgia, I have realized how much work needs to be done in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In Utah, pretty much all of your neighbors are LDS.  Up here, they are all over the place. The only people that live close to us is the sister missionaries. They are awesome!

I want to share a brief story of my connection with missionary work since I've been here.  Let's just say that I was converted to the gospel on Jan. 7, 2006, and ever since it has been an amazing adventure. I loved what was given to me and I wanted to share it with everyone that came close to me. I just love Heavenly Father very much. Time passed, and my desire to share the gospel has decreased. Maybe because I got discouraged and noticed that some people don't really like to talk about the gospel even when they are part of it.  I might be naive, but that is how it seemed to me. Being part of this church is everything to me. It gives me happiness, purity, truth, love, understanding for life, and much more. It gives so much and the blessings that comes from believing and doing what's right is incredible.  

Coming here opened my desire to share! I always had the passion but buried it inside me. I wanted to go on he mission and thought that would be a great adventure for me and people that I would teach. I got married before I could fully think about it. 

Brad and I met a lady who we are currently taking to church with us on Sundays. She is a sweet lady. She said, "God brought us together.... This year is such a good year. I really like it" and "[the] LDS church makes me feel at home." She says so many things that melt my heart.  It makes me happy to know that she might have found something she was looking for all her life. She is in wheelchair and barely could walk. She calls herself "A wall walker." She is funny! She is eager to learn and know more. She is a religious person and has been all her life, but this time I think she won't have to go to one church or to the other, because she will belong to one church that will take care of her. The first time we came for a visit, she said things that reminded me of Joseph Smith. The still small voice said to me "she is ready, she is ready." It repeated over and over again in my head 'till we invited her to church with us. She got so excited! I told her that she will love it! She does like going to LDS church. I told her that missionaries don't get paid and bishops don't get paid as well. She says, "That is how it should be."

I don't know if she knows it yet, but I think she was ready for this moment for so long. She's been waiting and waiting, and finally Brad and I moved in right next door to her. I wish I could explain the happiness that I see in her. It's a joy!

For the first time she is seeing sister missionaries today (Aug. 21) and we are invited. Brad and I are so thrilled to be here and serve her. She calls us her "grandchildren." It's a blessing to be part of her life. 

To be continued...

Written by Rachel