Monday: P-day. A day of rest... sort of. And getting ready for the coming week. Shopping, emailing, cleaning. That kind of stuff. Then once it hits 6 o'clock, or 5 in the case of this past Monday, it is off to lessons and missionary work! We had FHE with the less-active and recent convert families and some of the other families that just want to come. Everyone is welcome! It is a great night! The Sisters are in charge of the lesson, the host family ( it switches each week) provides a light dinner, and then there is socializing. We taught about service and how we each can do something. We referenced the Women's Conference and had a great lesson. All together a great day!
Tuesday: The day we had planned for Bobbie (our elderly,struggling, stubborn investigator with a baptism date) We planned a church tour, had a member ready to come and assist with touring and testimony. We thought we had cared for every possible opposition there could be. (lack of ride> planned a member to pick her up. Might get tired walking> planned to grab her walker/chair. etc) Then Bobbie called to say that the coming storm was making her hip hurt so she was unable to come. Despite our persistent but gentle begging, she still resisted and said she would call us when she could meet. She kindly asked us not to call her. She would call us. 
Satan is working hard.
We also planned to see Bill and Rose. They have two adopted children who are the real reason we visit. The children, a brother and sister from Mexico, are VERY eager to come to church. The one time I met them, they asked five times in the space of the 30 minutes we were there when they could come to Primary! Bill, a retired Marine, has no desire to join, but fully supports and encourages us meeting with his kids. Rose on the other hand... is very against it. She feels we are trying to tempt her children and lead them away into satanic practices. This greatly complicates things. We called to meet with them and Bill said we would have to just drop by. When we did drop by however, Rose was waiting for us in the front yard, ready to drive us away. Again, Satan is working overtime.
It only makes me want to work harder though so... get ready Satan. We have the power of the Lord on our side!
Wednesday: A day of meetings. Or so it should have been. Wednesday is usually the day we have District Meeting. Since it is usually in Vicksburg, we have to plan 1.5 hours for travel and 2 hours for the meeting. It is at 1 so it takes up the 12 to 4 block. We finish studying, training and then eat lunch and take off. That didn't happen this week. Our District leader got emergency transferred for some unknown reason. (sort of unknown. He had a flirting thing goin on with Sister Carter at the beginning of the transfer that has been developing... but we don't actually know what happened) Anyways, that made it so we couldn't have District meeting due to lack of a District leader to lead said District meeting. We ended up visiting some of the former and potential investigators we found in the area book. Great resource. The people we planned either shut the door in our face, had moved, or told us they weren't interested in the church. they had found God. And on top of it all, I experienced my first fire ant bite. Now I know why they are called fire ants. 
Thursday: A day full of service. We had service at the Mississippi Food Network. I was in charge of putting the boxed milk into the boxes. Sounds easy enough right? Nope. When it is on a conveyor belt that is moving and you are having to work around several other people, it gets real complicated real fast. I was lifting the 35 pound boxes full of boxes of milk, throwing on to my arm and grabbing out two quart sized boxes at once. By the end, I was sweaty (it was 90* and humid and i was lifting boxes over and over for 3 hours) and my whole body was sore. I now have bruises on my arms from the boxes hitting into them as I forcefully thrust them onto my arm. but hey, my arms look more toned now. There is always an upside. 
After MFN, we went to help a woman we met on Tuesday. Her name is Annie and she is a hoarder. She wanted us to vacuum her floor, but you could actually see the floor... I ended up just pushing the vacuum around within a 1" square. Annie said the floor looked better than it ever had. 
Thursday wasn't so bad as far as opposition, but I was definitely worn out and not feeling like being a missionary by 7 pm.
Friday: Weekly planning day! We spent 5 hours trying to plan, discuss, reevaluate, re plan, and then discuss again. For each of our investigators. 1 with a baptismal date, 3 progressing, 7 that could become progressing with one more visit, and 4 other investigators. It is a tiring process. After we had evaluated where each person was, then we planned numbers and put names next to each goal as to how we were going to accomplish that goal. We called members for potential member presence in lessons. Scheduled appointments. Then ended with a long prayer asking for help with each goal and person. Then we went out and tracted until 7. No one was really having it. we met a couple very strong Baptists that tried to convince us to join THEIR church.
We had a lesson planned for Cheryl, a middle aged woman that lives in our neighborhood. Sister Snow, a returned missionary, came with us. We planned to re teach her the Restoration since the last time she was taught about it she couldn't get past the fact that there are modern day prophets. Our plans changed when we went into the lesson and we ended up talking and testifying about the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong that all three of us, Sister Fa'ulao, Sister Snow, and I couldn't keep from crying at times. It was an amazing lesson! Cheryll, despite feeling the Spirit and saying that she knew what we were saying was true, said she was going to stick with what she had. As a last stitch effort to have her commit to just read the Book of Mormon, we had her read the last paragraph of the Introduction. She sat there for a good 2 minutes just thinking and nodding. then she said "that is amazing. But i think what I have now is good enough"
It was hard not to shake her and tell her just to read it and then it would all be okay! there is a quote that Sister Fa'ulao told me once. She said that there will people that will feel the Spirit and the truth of our message, but will still choose to ignore it. Cheryl is one of those people.
Saturday: An amazing day of spiritual growth! General Conference was absolutely amazing! Everything that was said was an answer to a question or concern that I had. I am so grateful that we have the opportunity to hear of the Lord's words through His prophets and apostles. Elder Donald L. Hallstrom's talk really helped me after the rough week that I had. He said "when difficult things happen to us, what is our immediate response?... it should be peace at the knowledge of the divine truth that we are children of God." Really stood out to me. I will work on "leaning on the Saviour" more rather than just feeling anger, sadness, or a sense of injustice at failure.
Elder Kevin R. Duncan's talk on forgiveness also stood out to me. Grandma and Grandpa Lindberg have been on my mind lately. I have struggled with forgiving them truly and fully for their actions and stubborness that have caused them to miss out on more than a decade of my life. Elder Duncan's words about using the healing ointment of the Atonement helped me to understand that i need to just let it go. He said " An unforgiving heart harbors so much unnecessary pain. may we apply the healing ointment of the Saviour's Atonement." "Leave justice to me. that will I care for. But let peace be with you." As I immediately offered a silent prayer of forgiveness of MY stubborness, and then for a softened heart and forgiveness for them, I felt peace. I know that they may never desire to get over whatever they are harboring, but I have done my part. I will leave justice and the rest to Him.
Conference was truly amazing!
Sunday: More amazing Conference! I couldn't help but cry as Bonnie L. Oscarson spoke about the temple and the blessings of eternity contained within. I know that Families ARE forever. I know that I WILL see all of my family again! I love what she said about the blessing this church is. "Our membership in the gospel is a gift of immeasurable value" It truly is!
D. Todd Christopherson's talk about fathers made me tear up a little in gratitude for MY fathers, both my amazingly wonderful earthly father and my eternally divine Heavenly Father. I am greatly blessed to call both of them "Father"
Dieter F. Uchtdorf's remarks on rescue was AMAZING! "The sheep is worthy of divine rescue simply because it is loved." 
So amazing.
"Obedience is not the process of bending and changing into something we are not, it is the process of becoming something we have potential to become."
And my all time favorite "He sees you worthy of rescue"
Gerrit W. Gong answered two of my questions I went into Conference looking for answers to. "How can I strengthen my relationship with the Saviour?" and "How can I recognize His hand in my daily service?" The Lord answers our prayers people. Truly He does.
I don't even know what to say about Elder Holland's talk because it was so amazing there are no words. I just leave you with these words, "Sanctify yourself. For tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." "Heaven is cheering you on. Today. Tomorrow. And forever!"
I wanted to let y'all know how grateful I am for everything that I had in Utah. I truly took for granted that I could see a temple, or sometimes two temples, on the horizon. I miss the ability I had to visit the temple whenever I wanted. I now am stuck waiting for 18 months to again be able to feel the peace and serenity of that holy House of the Lord.
I lacked the appreciation for the closeness of the Distribution Center. One of the sisters in our ward told us the other day about how when she went on a road trip to Utah, she visited every temple and then went to the Distribution Center and spent hundreds of dollars.
I miss seeing an LDS church on nearly every corner. Now they are replaced by Baptist, Catholic, Methodist and Pentecostal meeting houses.
Appreciate these blessings. You don't truly appreciate what you have until it's gone.
I know this church is true! I know that though there is opposition to the work I am doing, like Dallin H. Oaks said "There must needs be opposition in all things.. for opposition promotes us to achieve all that The Father desires of us to become." The very one that is opposing us as we work for the salvation of souls is the very one that made that salvation possible by being the opposition to God's Plan. Without opposition, there would be no need for agency, and thus God's Plan would have lacked the very thing that made it so amazing, the ability to choose. As Elder Oaks said "The Lord does not make it EASY, but He does make it POSSIBLE."
I am working hard out here in the ever hotter Mississippi. I am trying my hardest to work and not melt.
Here is a poem that i love:
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