Pay it forward!!

October 15, 2018

Pay it forward!!

Hello Hello Hello!!!

Another week come and gone!! I feel like I was just barely emailing all of you! Time is the strangest thing haha!! This week has been a roller coaster for sure!! Some really good days and some pretty rough days. But I'm just enjoying the ride and trying to make the most of every situation! This week it also rained A LOT!!!! Virginia rain is nothing like Utah rain. When it rains here, it RAINS!! We were tracting during the crazy storm so we ran to a members house and she gave us some towels to dry off for a few minutes! We looked like we just jumped in a swimming pool haha!

PAYING IT FORWARD

So last Monday evening we went out to dinner to a place called Mason Dixon Cafe. Its the cutest little place and the food was really yummy!! When it was time to pay for our food the waitress said that we didn't owe her anything because someone already paid for us. A cute little couple paid for our meal. Sadly they had already left so we didn't get to tell them thank you!! But we were so grateful!! That was just a reminder that there are so many nice people out there! We decided we needed to pay it forward somehow. So the next day we went through the McDonald's drive through to get some smoothies. We took a Book of Mormon and wrote our testimonies in the front and highlighted our favorite verse. Then we payed for the car behind us in the drive through and had the cashier give them the Book of Mormon. The lady yelled thank you out the window and looked so so happy. Who knows if anything will come from giving her the Book of Mormon but we definitely made her day!!

ANGELIQUE

This week the most incredible thing happened!! We haven't been able to talk to Angelique in a few weeks because her life has just been a mess. Everything has been going wrong and she has been way too busy for us to ever go over and talk with her. On Thursday during our weekly planning session we were thinking that it might be time to just stop teaching her and give her some time to get her life in order. On Saturday morning she called us and asked if we would come over for a few minutes. We said of course and rearranged our day to make time to go over there. When we got there and sat down in her living room she said "the reason I wanted you two to come over today is because i'm ready to get baptized!!". AHHHHHH we are so excited for her!! She has been put on date many times before but she's never been 100% committed to it. She went on to tell us that she asked God for a confirmation that this is what she is supposed to be doing. She had so many incredible things happen in the last week that were a direct answer to her question. She even came to church yesterday. She was pretty late but she said the reason she was late was because she was having car troubles but nothing was going to stop her from getting to church. Something has really changed in her and this time we know she is really going to get baptized!! The date she has picked is October 27th! I just love Angelique!!

BLITZ WITH SISTER RAY

This week we did a blitz in the Elders area because they need some help finding people to teach. A blitz is when all the missionaries in our district go tract in their area for a few hours. I got to be with Sister Ray and it was so fun!! I've missed her haha!! We found some way cool people too!! We found a man named Steve, his wife just passed away and he's really struggling. He still has young kids at home and he's not sure how he will move forward. We gave him a Book of Mormon and told him that it truly will bless his life and help him find so much peace. Hopefully the Elders will get to continue teaching him and help him through this trial he is going through. We also met a man named Stewart. He was very nice and pretty excited about a copy of the Book of Mormon. We also talked to a few other cool people and i'm glad we were able to help the Elders out a little bit!

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT

"When you feel overwhelmed by expectations and challenges, do not fight the battle alone. Follow the example of small children, and drop to your knees in prayer. Jesus Christ has commanded us, "look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." Doubt, fear, and worry indicate we have taken all of life's burdens and anxieties on ourselves. When plagued by thoughts that you are inadequate, confidently say "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me". Then as you cheerfully do all things that lie in your power, you can rest assured that the Lord will do the remainder and things will work out all right." -Anthony D. Perkins. This week there have been many moments where I just had to turn it completely over to the Lord. The words from a blessing my dad gave me the day I left for my mission have continually come into my head, he told me that "at times I would need to depend on my Savior minute by minute". I'm so grateful for a loving Savior who has atoned for each and every one of us to give us countless second chances, comfort us in times of need and give us peace during the good times and the hard times. Never forget how much the Savior loves YOU!

Thanks for all the Love and support! I love you all so so much!! Have the best week!!

❤Sister Stringham❤