Don't let the Hoosiers get you Down

Hello Everyone!

I would like to start off by saying HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to the best parents in the world! I love you both and hope you have a great day! Also Happy Birthday to Aunt Debbie tomorrow!

This week has been good! On Tuesday during studies, Sister Faleono and I were talking and I told her, "Don't let the Hoosiers get you down!" So we have made this our new slogan! We taught a couple new investigators this week, one of which had a very hard time believing that I was sarcastic...little does she know! It was pretty funny because the whole time I wanted to say something sassy, but my powers don't work on demand like that. So she will just have to wait until another lesson when I don't have to try to force it out!
On Friday we had to go to Linton (a small town about 45 minutes south of us) for district meeting. The Elders in our ward didn't have the car and didn't have a way down there so we got permission to take them. On our way down, we were driving on this little country road and saw a turtle crossing the road!!!!!! It was so legit! I had never seen this before, neither had the other missionaries. So the Elders made me pull over so they could catch the turtle. They brought it back to the car so we could get pictures of the turtle and then they carried Harry (the turtle) back to the forest that he was walking towards. So we got back in and headed to Linton but we got there before the missionary with the keys to the building. While we were waiting outside, that same Elder who had to get the turtle comes walking over showing us the toad he just caught! It was a very exciting morning for us!

On Sunday we had dinner at our former Bishop's house! We made homemade, personal pizza's on the grill, with watermelon (yay!), salad, veggies, and a fruit pizza for dessert! It was probably the best meal of the week! 

Yesterday for Memorial Day, we were able to go to a memorial service at this cemetery for all the fallen service men and women buried there. It was a really neat experience, at a really neat cemetery. Nicole would love this cemetery. It is named Highland Lawn Cemetery and is just beautiful! After the memorial, we went to a BBQ hosted by a member in the ward in honor of their son who died in service. It was a beautiful day, very hot, but a great day for a picnic! It was fun to be able to sit outside and enjoy the day and not have to rush off to other appointments. One of the perks of a Monday Holiday! We also saw a cool miracle yesterday when we were washing the car! We go to one of those self service car washes because it's cheaper and cleans around the bike rack. So we pull in and are about to put our quarters in when we see that the hose is already going! We were able to wash the car and didn't have to pay! It was so nice!

Well, I hope you all enjoy your last week of May! It has been a good month and am excited to see what June brings for us here in Indiana!

 I love you all! 

-Sister Abbie

1. Me and Harry the Turtle

2. Since I don't have instagram, I thought this was the next best thing!

3. Si with his sword of truth and Book of Mormon

Rockin on Knockin on a Billion Doors...

Howdy Ho Friends and Family! 

It has been another week here in crazy old Terre Haute Indiana! We haven't had anything super exciting happen this week but did enjoy hearing fun stories from the Elders about all the crazies they met this week. We didn't meet too many of the crazies but we did meet a lot of people! 

Even though we study for an hour longer now, I feel like we have more time in the day than I did before. Probably because we don't have back to back to back appointments and our lessons keep falling through. Whatever the reason may be, we have found ourselves out on the streets of Terre Haute more doing what missionaries do! Yep, we've been tracting! And to make it better, it hasn't been completely horrible! I have never been much of a tracter but this week, we have been blessed for being obedient! Blessed because both of us were able to find joy in it! Also blessed because we only had to tract in the rain once and it rained a lot this week! We didn't meet any "Golden" potentials or investigators while we were out. No one came running out when they saw us walking by begging to get baptized, however it was still enjoyable. This experience has helped me come to the conclusion that when we do what the Lord asks of us, whether it be through personal revelation or spoken from one of his representatives, he blesses us with a greater desire to do it. When we are obedient and diligent, He gives the help we need to accomplish what he's asked us to. Sound familiar? Probably because Nephi says basically the same thing in 1 Nephi 3:7. Read it, love it, apply it.

We had Zone Conferences this week up in Indy at my former chapel on Stop 11! It was fun to be back up in the old area and to see all the missionaries! We were well fed, both spiritually and physically! One of President's friends came out and spoke to us about Joseph Smith. It was such a great talk! We received a wonderful Game Plan on how we can become a more powerful missionary! It has been fun applying that to our studies and planning this past week. We were also fed some yummy Cafe Rio pork and cilantro lime dressing! For all those who know me, you know how happy that would make me! It was an all around great day! 

We had some awesome run ins with the Spirit this week! We were teaching a lesson to an investigator and she started off my giving back all the supplies we gave her and by saying that she wasn't going to become a Mormon. She still wants to meet and study the Bible but basically won't let us teach her our lessons. We continued on with what she had wanted us to share with her but it didn't feel right. It was a struggle to get the words out of my mouth. Then the member we had there with us decided to share the bible dictionary definition of Faith. She shared it and from there we were able to talk about miracles and how miracles aren't dead. God is unchanging and so therefore miracles still happen. With that logic laid out, I got the impression to bring up prophets. Since God is unchangeable and he called prophets in the Bible, then he would have them today. We ended up teaching her the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The spirit was so strong in that lesson and it was perfect. We ended up committing her one final time to sincerely pray about the prophet Joseph Smith. She asked us to give her a week to pray and check back with her to see if she got an answer. Sister Faleono and I have been praying so hard for her and are faithful that a miracle will happen with her! 

So that's been my week! Love you all and miss you! Keep looking and praying for missionary opportunities. Don't forget to be obedient and the Lord will help! 

Love,

Sister Abbie London

The computer's being slow and not connecting my camera up...which is fine because I didn't have any new pictures this week...sorry! 

Another transfer come and gone...

Hello All!!!

Happy Mothers Day and Birthday Mom!!! You are the best! Also Happy Mothers Day to any other moms reading this! 

So the exciting transfer news is.....I am staying in Terre Haute and will be training a new missionary! I am super excited!! Sister Ruth will be leaving her first area and will be moving on to new adventures. I just can't believe how fast that last transfer flew by. The longer I am out, the faster it goes by! 

So this week has been a good one. We did a lot of service, in fact all day Wednesday we were in our service clothes! It was nice to wear pants that long! We helped spring clean the church building and then on Thursday night the Boy Scouts had a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser that we helped out with. We helped set up, cook, and then talked to the various ward members and community folks that were there. We had some less-actives show up and our investigator Amanda and her dad came. It was a good night. 

We had an interesting experience last night in Brazil, interesting in a good way! It was a neat experience. A couple weeks ago the Brazil Elders asked us if we would be willing to come to a Q&A with them and their landlord's church group. We accepted but were scared that it would lead to bashing. So we went up to Brazil last night and met the Elders at their landlord's. It was a little awkward at first but was a good experience. The landlord had one rule, they could ask any question about what we believed, except why questions. So they were not allowed to ask why we believe that way. It applied to us to. It turned into a good discussion and we were able to understand each other's religions a little better. I think that is something important for everyone. If you love Christ and want to be like him, then we need to love all of his children and not judge them. That is something I have been noticing lately here. Just a thought to keep in mind.

I'll end with a comment someone made last night about how you know where Indiana is. "From Utah you go East until you smell it, then you go South until you step in it." :D Haha

I love you all and hope you have a good week! 

love,

Sister Abbie Paige

1. Terre Haute Zone...yep, we're crazy! 

2. Gotta let the stress out somehow!