Oh my. This weekend. I feel like I could just pass out from all of the spiritual feasting I've done. Very overwhelming. It's really strange having general conference so late here.... The first session is at 12 and that just threw me for a loop.. The sessions were amazing and I loved every minute of it.
BUT I love it here in Gainesville! Everyone is so easy to talk to and I haven't had anyone be extremely rude yet or tell me that they're praying for my soul. I do miss the prayers though. The branch is great and even though I haven't met half of them they seem really great. We have some great people here and we have seen some massive miracles already. I'll share one!
Yesterday (Sunday) we got a text from a less active sister asking us to come see her (part one of the miracle. That NEVER happens. We usually have to hunt them down). We had general conference so we told her that we would come over after conference. So we got to her apartment and she was having some serious inner turmoil and roommate drama. It was not good and she had been sick for about a month. They couldn't figure it out and she was pretty sick of being sick. So I did what I learned from Sister Jeromchek, offer to arrange for a priesthood for them. So I did. She said that she thought it would be a nice thing, but she couldn't use her apartment. So we texted the nearest priesthood older and then got up to see if we could use a member's apartment who lived in the building across from her, which the less active had no idea about. As we got up to go the Elder we had just texted was pulling out from the building. We flagged him down and asked him if he could give her a blessing. He said of course and then we turned to go find the member and she was out walking back to her apartment after leaving a note on her car. Her anti-Mormon roommate was going to be gone all night, so we were able to use her apartment. The tender mercies of the Lord ARE REAL. There is no such thing as coincidence. It was such a testimony builder for all who were there.
So there is my story! That was real life, y'all! So my companion is Sister Bowers and she is from Idaho and Utah.. like me! She moved at the same time too! She came out with Sister Jeromchek and she has been here for her whole mission. She is a REAAAAALLY hard worker and she loves all things sports. She has a strong testimony and she is just so wonderful.
Here in Gainesville the bugs really like to bite me. I currently have 22 bug bites just on my ankles. One ankle has gotten so bad it has swollen... WHAT IS MY BODY DOING?!?! Stop it!... just kidding. I want to live.
We have been challenged to read the Book of Mormon as a mission in 90 days and I have really loved it. They have been asking us to share miracles about Book of Mormon reading with our investigators, but I'm an investigator too so I'll share one of my recent moments. The whole Book of Mormon is effected by one person's stinky attitude. Oh, Laman. He had so many opportunities to choose to have a positive attitude, but he never did. His stinky attitude even took down the people around him i.e. Lemuel and all of their posterity. His negative attitude was compounded on by the fact that he couldn't look forward. There is a part that I find extremely applicable to me at a lot of times in my life. Laman and Lemuel (probably mostly Lemuel since he seems to be the ring leader of this operation) says that if Nephi and Lehi wouldn't have led them into the wilderness that he might have been happy (1 Nephi 17:21). Well guess what, Laman. You have the makings to be happy NOW. God had just led them through the wilderness, helped them obtain the plates, blessed them with food, and protected their families. What isn't there to be happy about NOW? He was just so stuck on what he had and the things of the world. The things that really matter come with us, they won't be left behind. That's why families are forever. I know that sometimes I forget to be happy now. I forget to have a positive attitude. I have been blessed so much by Heavenly Father and going back home, having a previous companion, or going back to a previous area won't make life better. I make life better. So I'm going to choose to make things fantastic.
I KNOW that the Book of Mormon can, and does, change lives. Every day it changes mine a little bit more. That's what happens when it's the word of God.
Hope you all have a great week!!
love,
Sister Perkes
P.S. In case any of you were wondering I am in a car SHARE, so I only have to ride bikes every other week. I can live with that.
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