The Chickens are Loose!

Random thought #2: Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Hello friends!! Hope everyone had a splendid week last week!

This week has been a good one! It was a busy one. We have transfers coming up in less than two weeks. I cannot believe another transfer has come and gone. By the end of this transfer I will have been out on my mission for 6 months! That is just crazy to me. I honestly just feel like I got out here!

A couple neat things happened this week.

This last week we weren't finding too much success and people were kind of grumpy. We had a hard time trying to spread the gospel and even share short little messages with those around us. People were being pretty brutal with us. Normally I am pretty good at shaking it off and going to the next door, but on this one particular day some things people said to me were really getting to me. I was beginning to get discouraged and having a little bit of fire, I wanted to fight back with these people, but I knew the Savior would not respond in that way. On one particular doorstep I sat and listened as a lady ridiculed me and told me my beliefs were nothing but lies. I kindly smiled and walked away. I remember looking at Sister Schauers and we were both thinking-- we can't take this anymore! Right when I was having my moment of weakness the words of Elder Holland came to my mind in a talk he gave to missionaries and all disciples in training. He said, "When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life." I thought to myself with the Savior's help I can get through this. I can find the light at the end of the tunnel. I said a prayer to help us find someone who was prepared, someone who would be kind to us, and someone who would recognize us as servants of the Lord. It was the very end of the day. We had a few minutes left before we were to return home. We ended up knocking on a door. We were looking pretty ragged after a long day in the hot and humid Ohio sun. We knocked and out came a sweet lady who was so sweet and kind from the moment she stepped out onto her porch. She explained to us how she is a cancer survivor and how the Lord has helped her so much in her life. I can't remember what we said, in fact I know we didn't say much, but our prayers were answered as she recognized us immediately as servants of the Lord. She spoke to us with tears in her eyes and thanked us for the service we do. She said, "I wish my own daughters were more like you." As we walked away the last thing she said to us was how beautiful we were. I looked at Sister Schauers and she looked at me. We were filthy, sweaty, and exhausted, but this tender hearted lady saw us for who we were on the inside. She looked at us as the Savior would. She did not care about our outward appearance.  She looked and saw us for who we were underneath all of that.

Last night we also had another cool experience. At our dinner appointment, a member in our congregation shared with us how sometimes in life Heavenly Father will take us to Point A, in order for us to reach point B. Right after the dinner appointment we went out to do some tracting. We tracted a street named Oak....nothing. So we went to a street named Fair...nothing again. We decided to wander over to a completely different street that we didn't even have written in our plans and see what we could find there. The very first door we tried on this particular street we found someone who was interested in hearing more about the restored gospel. It was a tender mercy. Sometimes the Lord will push us to see how far we will go. Sometimes we have to go to point A, and maybe even Point B, to eventually get to point C. We are taught in the scriptures that we receive no witness until after the trial of our faith. How true that statement is. Whatever your trial is, keep pushing! After the trial comes the miracles if we are willing to endure and show the Lord that we will keep fighting.

In church yesterday the four of us Sister Missionaries were able to sing the song Joseph Smith's First Prayer. We hadn't practiced much and I was a little nervous about singing in front of the congregation and singing Acappella. As we started to sing, the spirit filled the room and took over. Instead of singing, I felt like I was bearing simple testimony of our beloved Prophet Joseph Smith. I was emotional as we powerfully sang the last verse and I looked into the audience and  looked into the eyes of our investigators in attendance. I am forever grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and the legacy he left. I am grateful he was so diligent and he would not doubt the things he knew to be true. He is an incredible example, an example we should all strive to be more like.

The funny story of the week goes as follows: Sister Schauers and I were out in the country planting some strawberries in a beautiful garden. Well this farm had chickens and somehow the gate to the garden was left open and before we knew it there were 8 chickens running around the garden. Picture this, two city girls that somehow have to find a way to get these chickens out of the garden. So I pick up the rake and start chasing them around. Those little suckers are hard to catch. They are stubborn little things! Sister Schauers and I are running around completely clueless trying to get them out. One of them started to fly and scared Sister Schauers half to death. 

Needless to say, we accomplished the task and successfully got them all out, but it was no easy task.

At the Zoo today with the Morgan Family--So Fun!

Well I love you guys mucho! This gospel is amazing. It is happiness!!

Love Sister Mathis