"Have I mentioned how much I love L lately?"
"That name tag though.... Holy cuteness."
"Seriously. I love this kid."
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Cowboy Voice
Beautiful people!
Church signs for the week:
"Are you hungry? Soul food served here"
"Christ's graduation party. You're invited"
That second one is a tad bit confusing to me. I know that the seniors just graduated from high school and all, but.....
Anyway...
It's interesting, this week has been all about the Priesthood. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, or are thinking, "Priesthood? That sounds creepy and weird..." Let me explain. The Priesthood in a nutshell is: The authority and power of God. And God gives this power to man to act in His name. Heavenly Father has allowed me to have experiences that have strengthened my testimony of Priesthood power this week. For that I am eternally grateful. I would like to share a few of those experiences with you:
-This week I was able to receive a blessing from my wonderful District Leader, Elder Jones, in which he promised me (and thus, the Lord promised me) that I was in the right place at the right time. That filled me with peace. And that night was the best sleep I have gotten in a veryyyy long time.
-Remember E, and how sick she's been? Well the blessing last week was a very spiritual experience, but this week it was magnified. We went back to check on her, and on Thursday (the day after the blessing), she was all feverish and weak and said that she felt like "the sickness was leaving her body". She woke up Friday and she was completely healed. I mean, no symptoms at all. Back to her old self. Her hair had started to grow back. She was not tired at all. It was a miracle. A miracle performed through the power of God. I'm not sure I would have believed it myself if I hadn't seen those large bald patches on her head before, and then see those same patches of skin almost grown over with hair. It was absolutely amazing. And a turning point for her and her family. Three of them attended church on Sunday, and really enjoyed themselves. The sad part is the kids are going to be living with their dad for the summer and left this morning. And so we had to say our goodbyes. And let me tell you, when 10 year old K gets tears in his eyes when he finds out that you might not be in Valdosta when he gets back? Then sometimes, you get little tears in your eyes too. I love that family sooooo much.
-The elders were able to come give a blessing of comfort to N, who has been going through a rough time, a divorce with her husband, abuse, no job, and four children. She has finally made the decision to move into a women's shelter with her children for a while. However, it is in Waycross. So we came over to help in any way we could. After the blessing, she just sat there, with her eyes closed. And when she opened them, they were filled with tears. Her four-year-old, who is always moving and making noise, had sat next to me, very quiet the entire blessing. And her baby, who had been wide awake and squirming when the blessing started, had fallen fast a sleep in a matter of moments. It was a beautiful moment, and one that I will never forget.
-We were visiting less active young single adults, and came across a young man and his grandfather, who is not a member. This old man expressed to us that he knew that our church was true, and wanted to be baptized, but he couldn't give up smoking and his health was too poor. We talked to him for quite some time on that porch, listening to his life story. And what a story it was. He is 84 years old and had been married to his wife for 62 years before she passed! When she was at the hospital, there at the end, she was really struggling. A few different pastors and preachers came and prayed over her to help her, and in his words, "They didn't do nothin." Then, his daughter called the LDS missionaries and had them come give her a blessing. He said that they "laid their hands on her and prayed for her." And he said that immediately she calmed down and a voice in his head told him that she would remain calm until it was her time. Then, he said that he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but there was no one there. As he told this story, his eyes filled with tears. And in a gruff, smoky, cowboy voice he told us that a grown man shouldn't be crying like that. "But that's the only miracle that I've ever experienced."
Being on a mission is the most amazing experience that I have ever been a part of. I am forever grateful for the amazing people I meet, the things I am able to witness, and changes I am able to see. This gospel is true. God loves His children. We are the ones that over-complicate things. It's just that simple.
Thank you for your love and prayers, they have been felt this week.
Sister Szilagyi
Church signs for the week:
"Are you hungry? Soul food served here"
"Christ's graduation party. You're invited"
That second one is a tad bit confusing to me. I know that the seniors just graduated from high school and all, but.....
Anyway...
It's interesting, this week has been all about the Priesthood. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, or are thinking, "Priesthood? That sounds creepy and weird..." Let me explain. The Priesthood in a nutshell is: The authority and power of God. And God gives this power to man to act in His name. Heavenly Father has allowed me to have experiences that have strengthened my testimony of Priesthood power this week. For that I am eternally grateful. I would like to share a few of those experiences with you:
-This week I was able to receive a blessing from my wonderful District Leader, Elder Jones, in which he promised me (and thus, the Lord promised me) that I was in the right place at the right time. That filled me with peace. And that night was the best sleep I have gotten in a veryyyy long time.
-Remember E, and how sick she's been? Well the blessing last week was a very spiritual experience, but this week it was magnified. We went back to check on her, and on Thursday (the day after the blessing), she was all feverish and weak and said that she felt like "the sickness was leaving her body". She woke up Friday and she was completely healed. I mean, no symptoms at all. Back to her old self. Her hair had started to grow back. She was not tired at all. It was a miracle. A miracle performed through the power of God. I'm not sure I would have believed it myself if I hadn't seen those large bald patches on her head before, and then see those same patches of skin almost grown over with hair. It was absolutely amazing. And a turning point for her and her family. Three of them attended church on Sunday, and really enjoyed themselves. The sad part is the kids are going to be living with their dad for the summer and left this morning. And so we had to say our goodbyes. And let me tell you, when 10 year old K gets tears in his eyes when he finds out that you might not be in Valdosta when he gets back? Then sometimes, you get little tears in your eyes too. I love that family sooooo much.
-The elders were able to come give a blessing of comfort to N, who has been going through a rough time, a divorce with her husband, abuse, no job, and four children. She has finally made the decision to move into a women's shelter with her children for a while. However, it is in Waycross. So we came over to help in any way we could. After the blessing, she just sat there, with her eyes closed. And when she opened them, they were filled with tears. Her four-year-old, who is always moving and making noise, had sat next to me, very quiet the entire blessing. And her baby, who had been wide awake and squirming when the blessing started, had fallen fast a sleep in a matter of moments. It was a beautiful moment, and one that I will never forget.
-We were visiting less active young single adults, and came across a young man and his grandfather, who is not a member. This old man expressed to us that he knew that our church was true, and wanted to be baptized, but he couldn't give up smoking and his health was too poor. We talked to him for quite some time on that porch, listening to his life story. And what a story it was. He is 84 years old and had been married to his wife for 62 years before she passed! When she was at the hospital, there at the end, she was really struggling. A few different pastors and preachers came and prayed over her to help her, and in his words, "They didn't do nothin." Then, his daughter called the LDS missionaries and had them come give her a blessing. He said that they "laid their hands on her and prayed for her." And he said that immediately she calmed down and a voice in his head told him that she would remain calm until it was her time. Then, he said that he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but there was no one there. As he told this story, his eyes filled with tears. And in a gruff, smoky, cowboy voice he told us that a grown man shouldn't be crying like that. "But that's the only miracle that I've ever experienced."
Being on a mission is the most amazing experience that I have ever been a part of. I am forever grateful for the amazing people I meet, the things I am able to witness, and changes I am able to see. This gospel is true. God loves His children. We are the ones that over-complicate things. It's just that simple.
Thank you for your love and prayers, they have been felt this week.
Sister Szilagyi
In a Word: Beautiful
Well hello there wonderful people!
To begin, church signs for the week:
"Come to church, Don't wait for the hearse to bring you"
"Try Jesus, One size fits all"
Scare tactics? Appealing to the modern day consumer society? What will these churches come up with next?
Well, this week has been an interesting one. As some of you know, I haven't been feeling too well for the last transfer or so (about 6 weeks), and this week, my body wasn't having it. I've been waking up feeling nauseous and having my stomach (maybe intestines?) hurt, which has made me, as you may have guessed, extremely frustrated. Because it impacts how well I can work. And that does not make me a happier camper. Hopefully things will improve however, and I can go back to being me! I have never been one to petition prayers on my behalf, but they would be much appreciated. Because it's not just me that's hurting...
On a happier note, we've been working hard to find young adults to teach and visiting less actives to bring back to church to help our little branch grow! And it will grow! Of that I have the utmost faith :) We have already seen so many miracles!
Some stories from this week:
- Remember the W family? They have tons of kids and a huge Mastiff named Leonard? And I love them so much? Well we hadn't been able to get in contact with them for a while, and FINALLY found out that E (the mom) has been really sick. She's been exhausted, losing hair, the works. They think it might be Lupus :( Anyway, we told her that the elders would love to come over and give her a blessing of healing and comfort, and she said she would love one. We took the elders over to see her, and it was a wonderful experience. Elder Gearheart gave her a beautiful blessing, during which L was perfectly silent. Keep in mind that L (age 2) has never been quiet in any prayer we have ever said with them. Afterwards, E looked up and said that she felt so much better. She said: "You know when you have that feeling that you're doing the right thing? Like you make a decision and it feels so right inside? Well that's how I feel right now. That warm, happy feeling." Tears began to fill her eyes, and it was in a word: beautiful.
- We were walking down the street to a referrals house and stopped because something wonderful was tickling my nostrils. That something wonderful was incense burning in a display in the front lawn of the house we were closest to, the one that had adorable little elephants on top of their mailbox. Well their garage door was open, and we look inside and see two Indian women cooking. What followed was a lovely discussion about Krishna, and India... and we left holding two carryout containers of fresh, warm, homemade Indian food. Awesome.
-So late last year, the elders baptized this boy named R, whose Mom is really less active. And his mom got really offended because of some things that weren't handled all that well, and told the elders that they couldn't come by to see him anymore. And he couldn't go to scouts anymore or church. The elders were obviously pretty sad because they love this kid. Anyway, Sister de St. Jeor, B (the new Relief Society president in our YSA branch and super rockstar), and I were visiting less actives yesterday, and stopped by to see this woman named D. Well one thing led to another, and we found ourselves inside on their couch, talking to her, her sister, and her mom. Then, we find out that the woman sitting right next to me is R's mom! What?? We taught an amazing lesson with them, and she agreed to have us come back and teach the lessons from the beginning, and to all come to church on Sunday! Miracles :)
The world is bright. Happiness abounds. God is good. And I love you all.
Sister Szilagyi
To begin, church signs for the week:
"Come to church, Don't wait for the hearse to bring you"
"Try Jesus, One size fits all"
Scare tactics? Appealing to the modern day consumer society? What will these churches come up with next?
Well, this week has been an interesting one. As some of you know, I haven't been feeling too well for the last transfer or so (about 6 weeks), and this week, my body wasn't having it. I've been waking up feeling nauseous and having my stomach (maybe intestines?) hurt, which has made me, as you may have guessed, extremely frustrated. Because it impacts how well I can work. And that does not make me a happier camper. Hopefully things will improve however, and I can go back to being me! I have never been one to petition prayers on my behalf, but they would be much appreciated. Because it's not just me that's hurting...
On a happier note, we've been working hard to find young adults to teach and visiting less actives to bring back to church to help our little branch grow! And it will grow! Of that I have the utmost faith :) We have already seen so many miracles!
Some stories from this week:
- Remember the W family? They have tons of kids and a huge Mastiff named Leonard? And I love them so much? Well we hadn't been able to get in contact with them for a while, and FINALLY found out that E (the mom) has been really sick. She's been exhausted, losing hair, the works. They think it might be Lupus :( Anyway, we told her that the elders would love to come over and give her a blessing of healing and comfort, and she said she would love one. We took the elders over to see her, and it was a wonderful experience. Elder Gearheart gave her a beautiful blessing, during which L was perfectly silent. Keep in mind that L (age 2) has never been quiet in any prayer we have ever said with them. Afterwards, E looked up and said that she felt so much better. She said: "You know when you have that feeling that you're doing the right thing? Like you make a decision and it feels so right inside? Well that's how I feel right now. That warm, happy feeling." Tears began to fill her eyes, and it was in a word: beautiful.
- We were walking down the street to a referrals house and stopped because something wonderful was tickling my nostrils. That something wonderful was incense burning in a display in the front lawn of the house we were closest to, the one that had adorable little elephants on top of their mailbox. Well their garage door was open, and we look inside and see two Indian women cooking. What followed was a lovely discussion about Krishna, and India... and we left holding two carryout containers of fresh, warm, homemade Indian food. Awesome.
-So late last year, the elders baptized this boy named R, whose Mom is really less active. And his mom got really offended because of some things that weren't handled all that well, and told the elders that they couldn't come by to see him anymore. And he couldn't go to scouts anymore or church. The elders were obviously pretty sad because they love this kid. Anyway, Sister de St. Jeor, B (the new Relief Society president in our YSA branch and super rockstar), and I were visiting less actives yesterday, and stopped by to see this woman named D. Well one thing led to another, and we found ourselves inside on their couch, talking to her, her sister, and her mom. Then, we find out that the woman sitting right next to me is R's mom! What?? We taught an amazing lesson with them, and she agreed to have us come back and teach the lessons from the beginning, and to all come to church on Sunday! Miracles :)
The world is bright. Happiness abounds. God is good. And I love you all.
Sister Szilagyi
No Caption Necessary
"No caption necessary"
Sister Szilagyi, C, and Sister de St. Jeor at C's baptism
Super Fly
Hello family and friends!
It was so wonderful to skype with my family yesterday. Modern technology is amazing. So many beautiful people. I wasn't able to do it last week, but since yesterday was Mother's Day, I just wanted to publicly announce that I have the most amazing mother on planet earth. It's just a fact. She is my everything, and I love her to the moon and back. All that I have, I owe to my wonderful mother.
This week: C was baptized!! It was so wonderful. I have to tell y'all a quick story that I hope you enjoy:
So C comes into the church with her hair in a black doo-rag and we tell her that she's going to have to take that off. To which she responds that she's not getting her hair wet. And I tell her that she really can't wear a black doo-rag during her baptism. So she says, "Fine, guess I'm not getting baptized them!" So much sass. So much. So sometimes you have to get creative. So we did the only logical thing, we fashioned a doo-rag out of a plastic bag and a white slip. And let me tell you, if she didn't look SUPER fly. It was fantastic. I have included pictures of C pre white doo-rag. You'll just have to imagine it.
Hmm... other news? I got a cavity filled at President Robinson's dental office. Which was super great because now my tooth doesn't hurt. Not super great? The fact that half my face/mouth was numb and we had to go to teach the gospel to people. At one point I said "appropriate" and just spit all over the place. Attractive.
Oh and I'm staying in Valdosta for at least another 6 weeks! Which means I will be spending over 7 months here. Pretty nuts. But man oh man, do I love it here. I could spend my whole mission here and be a happy camper. I love this city, and I love the people even more.
I'm sorry this is so short. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your continuous love and support. I love you all very much, but never forget, He loves you much more than I ever can. And that is remarkable.
Sister Szilagyi
It was so wonderful to skype with my family yesterday. Modern technology is amazing. So many beautiful people. I wasn't able to do it last week, but since yesterday was Mother's Day, I just wanted to publicly announce that I have the most amazing mother on planet earth. It's just a fact. She is my everything, and I love her to the moon and back. All that I have, I owe to my wonderful mother.
This week: C was baptized!! It was so wonderful. I have to tell y'all a quick story that I hope you enjoy:
So C comes into the church with her hair in a black doo-rag and we tell her that she's going to have to take that off. To which she responds that she's not getting her hair wet. And I tell her that she really can't wear a black doo-rag during her baptism. So she says, "Fine, guess I'm not getting baptized them!" So much sass. So much. So sometimes you have to get creative. So we did the only logical thing, we fashioned a doo-rag out of a plastic bag and a white slip. And let me tell you, if she didn't look SUPER fly. It was fantastic. I have included pictures of C pre white doo-rag. You'll just have to imagine it.
Hmm... other news? I got a cavity filled at President Robinson's dental office. Which was super great because now my tooth doesn't hurt. Not super great? The fact that half my face/mouth was numb and we had to go to teach the gospel to people. At one point I said "appropriate" and just spit all over the place. Attractive.
Oh and I'm staying in Valdosta for at least another 6 weeks! Which means I will be spending over 7 months here. Pretty nuts. But man oh man, do I love it here. I could spend my whole mission here and be a happy camper. I love this city, and I love the people even more.
I'm sorry this is so short. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your continuous love and support. I love you all very much, but never forget, He loves you much more than I ever can. And that is remarkable.
Sister Szilagyi
Monday, May 5, 2014
Fire Alarms and Apartments
"Tifton West Zone :)"
"The 4-pack and President Cottle & his wife when they came to our apartment to fix our fire alarm, and then he broke it even more.... I love those two."
"This is the apartment complex/projects that I'm always talking about. And see that boy raising his hand? That's T. And I am going to kidnap T. I am going to kidnap him because I love his guts so much and I can't even describe my love for him in words."
Little Glowball
Hello all you wonderful people!
The weeks here keep getting crazier & crazier, and better & better. Maybe that's just how missionary work goes... and I'm LOVING IT.
Some church signs for you lovely people:
"If you life's going to waste, let God recycle you"
AND
"Exposure to the Son prevents burning"
YES. So great. Let that second one sink in for a minute. Love these things.
What happened this week? Let me see...
-We taught a lesson to 4 Jehovah's witnesses... that was a fun one.
-A woman that we're teaching, named B, calls Sister de St. Jeor and I "Georgia and Sizzler"
-Everyone we talk about the atonement with? Yeah, it changes their lives. Seriously.
AND.... C decided to be baptized this Saturday!!! Oh man, let me tell you. I think that is the happiest that I've ever felt. Seriously. We were over at her house like usual, and she had just gone bowling with the YSA the night before and had had a great time. So, we are talking and I say: "C, I know you always joke around that you're going to be baptized on my last week in Valdosta, and you know about transfers and how they are 6 weeks long? Well, next week is week 6, and I have been in Valdosta for 5 months, and even though I'm training Sister de St. Jeor, there's a 50/50 chance I may be leaving... And C, if I'm not here to see you get baptized, I'm going to cry my eyes out."
To which she quickly responded: "Well you don't have to worry about that, because I'm getting baptized on Saturday."
And I freaked out, and I was so happy I thought I was going to pass out. And I hugged that girl so hard. I'm sending a picture so that you can see the moment. We had to take pictures.
So background on C: she's the one that we've been working with for a while now. She's the one that decided to push up her own baptismal date because she wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. She first met the missionaries 3 years ago, and we're the third set of missionaries to teach her. And boy oh boy, it's been a bumpy road. But so absolutely worth it. She stood up this Sunday in our very first YSA branch Sacrament meeting and Testimony meeting and bore her testimony. She stood up in front of our small group of about 15 (all sitting in the choir seats) and told us how she knew that this was the true church, the one that she's been looking for her whole life. And how much we've helped her. This week, she called me her "little glowball". I'm not sure what that means, but I think it means that I'm enthusiastic...? :) The point is, that I KNOW with every fiber of my being that one of the main reasons I was sent to Valdosta was to find C. And I know that she knows that. And I am just as happy as a clam. It doesn't get better than this people. Seriously. There is nothing that brings greater joy than being able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with someone, they accept it and want to learn everything, and they begin to change. They start talking about how they "feel different" and they are starting to lose their desire to send. And it's miraculous and only happens through Him. How very blessed I am.
As far as the new YSA branch, we are absolutely loving it! We are few but MIGHTY!! And there is so much work to be done here! We are blessed to have solid YSA's and solid recent converts that are excited about sharing the gospel and building up the branch. Tomorrow, Sister de St. Jeor and I are going to do a FHE lesson with the branch members about missionary work and brainstorming goals for what we want the branch to become and how we are going to work together to achieve those goals. We are blessed to have the wonderful support of President Robinson and his enthusiastic counselors, and I honestly cannot wait for the miracles. They have already begun.
No matter how difficult life seems to be, the atonement of Jesus Christ can relieve any pain, any insecurity, any hardship. And no matter what questions you have, about ANYTHING, your Heavenly Father can and will answer them. Pray today. Ask God a specific question. Take your question to the source of all truth and knowledge. Because when we ask specific questions, He gives us specific answers. Of this I can promise you. I love you all.
Sister Szilagyi
The weeks here keep getting crazier & crazier, and better & better. Maybe that's just how missionary work goes... and I'm LOVING IT.
Some church signs for you lovely people:
"If you life's going to waste, let God recycle you"
AND
"Exposure to the Son prevents burning"
YES. So great. Let that second one sink in for a minute. Love these things.
What happened this week? Let me see...
-We taught a lesson to 4 Jehovah's witnesses... that was a fun one.
-A woman that we're teaching, named B, calls Sister de St. Jeor and I "Georgia and Sizzler"
-Everyone we talk about the atonement with? Yeah, it changes their lives. Seriously.
AND.... C decided to be baptized this Saturday!!! Oh man, let me tell you. I think that is the happiest that I've ever felt. Seriously. We were over at her house like usual, and she had just gone bowling with the YSA the night before and had had a great time. So, we are talking and I say: "C, I know you always joke around that you're going to be baptized on my last week in Valdosta, and you know about transfers and how they are 6 weeks long? Well, next week is week 6, and I have been in Valdosta for 5 months, and even though I'm training Sister de St. Jeor, there's a 50/50 chance I may be leaving... And C, if I'm not here to see you get baptized, I'm going to cry my eyes out."
To which she quickly responded: "Well you don't have to worry about that, because I'm getting baptized on Saturday."
And I freaked out, and I was so happy I thought I was going to pass out. And I hugged that girl so hard. I'm sending a picture so that you can see the moment. We had to take pictures.
So background on C: she's the one that we've been working with for a while now. She's the one that decided to push up her own baptismal date because she wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. She first met the missionaries 3 years ago, and we're the third set of missionaries to teach her. And boy oh boy, it's been a bumpy road. But so absolutely worth it. She stood up this Sunday in our very first YSA branch Sacrament meeting and Testimony meeting and bore her testimony. She stood up in front of our small group of about 15 (all sitting in the choir seats) and told us how she knew that this was the true church, the one that she's been looking for her whole life. And how much we've helped her. This week, she called me her "little glowball". I'm not sure what that means, but I think it means that I'm enthusiastic...? :) The point is, that I KNOW with every fiber of my being that one of the main reasons I was sent to Valdosta was to find C. And I know that she knows that. And I am just as happy as a clam. It doesn't get better than this people. Seriously. There is nothing that brings greater joy than being able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with someone, they accept it and want to learn everything, and they begin to change. They start talking about how they "feel different" and they are starting to lose their desire to send. And it's miraculous and only happens through Him. How very blessed I am.
As far as the new YSA branch, we are absolutely loving it! We are few but MIGHTY!! And there is so much work to be done here! We are blessed to have solid YSA's and solid recent converts that are excited about sharing the gospel and building up the branch. Tomorrow, Sister de St. Jeor and I are going to do a FHE lesson with the branch members about missionary work and brainstorming goals for what we want the branch to become and how we are going to work together to achieve those goals. We are blessed to have the wonderful support of President Robinson and his enthusiastic counselors, and I honestly cannot wait for the miracles. They have already begun.
No matter how difficult life seems to be, the atonement of Jesus Christ can relieve any pain, any insecurity, any hardship. And no matter what questions you have, about ANYTHING, your Heavenly Father can and will answer them. Pray today. Ask God a specific question. Take your question to the source of all truth and knowledge. Because when we ask specific questions, He gives us specific answers. Of this I can promise you. I love you all.
Sister Szilagyi
"C and I. I LOVE THIS GIRL."
Basket Case
This week I received emails from various friends who are on missions all over the world that began with the words: WHAT A WEEK.
And boy, I don't know what Heavenly Father was doing up there, but I guess we all had that kind of week, because WHAT A WEEK.
I'm not even quite sure where to begin... I guess I'll start off by saying that the two wards (congregations) that meet in Valdosta have been combined into one ward! And..... they created a Young Single Adult Branch! And guess which missionaries are assigned to that branch? Well, you're looking at them! (Well I guess you're looking at my words, and I guess only one half of the missionaries haha, but...) Sister de St. Jeor and I are officially the new YSA missionaries in Valdosta! President and Sister Cottle (my mission president and his wife) happened to stop by our ward on Sunday and witness all of the changes that were happening. The amazing part was that they had no idea this was going on, but had just felt like they should stop by our ward on the way up to Macon. Anyway, after sacrament meeting, we had a quick impromptu meeting with the 4 sets of missionaries. President told us that he had had no idea that this was going on and had no time to think about what the changes should be. And then he quickly turned to me and Sister de St. Jeor and told that we would be the new YSA missionaries. To which Sister Cottle said, "Wow! That's the fastest inspiration he's ever received!"
I have no idea what this really means for our missionary work, or how this is going to change my daily life, but I know things will change! But I am so excited, seriously excited! I have wanted to work in a Young Single Adult ward/branch since I started my mission, and I can't wait for many mighty miracles to come from this!
This week was a bit of a frustrating one with our current investigators... People just kept cancelling on us or no-showing us, and so I said, alright.... if y'all don't want to talk to us, we'll go find some people that do! So we spent most of the week talking to as many people as we could and sharing the message of Jesus Christ! And it actually ended up being pretty great! Because although you can't control others agency or actions, you CAN control your own. And I have the choice over what attitude I want to have, and how hard I am going to work, and that's that.
Some snapshots from my week:
-Church sign: "Don't give up, Moses was a basket case too" YES
-I bid $50 (of other people's money) on a scrumptious pound cake at the cake auction the ward had to raise money for Boy Scout Camp. And let me tell you, it was worth every penny. We've had it for pretty much every meal since. I promise I also eat fruits and vegetables.
-The song that my mom and I sang at my "farewell"? Well, it had been stuck in my head for over a week and I could not remember all of the lyrics, and it was driving me crazy. Well, guess who sent me a letter with all of the lyrics printed inside? The forever amazing Sister Tryon. Tender mercies. I love that woman.
-A family just moved into the ward whose mom grew up in Kirkland 1st Ward! We know the same people! So awesome. Her name is Sister Moore, and I can't remember her first name but I'll tell you next week if I remember...
-It is just a tad bit toasty/muggy down here.... I may or may not have sweated through my skirt the other day. Too much information? Maybe. The truth? Absolutely.
I love you all!
Smile, you are a beautiful child of God.
-Sister Szilagyi
And boy, I don't know what Heavenly Father was doing up there, but I guess we all had that kind of week, because WHAT A WEEK.
I'm not even quite sure where to begin... I guess I'll start off by saying that the two wards (congregations) that meet in Valdosta have been combined into one ward! And..... they created a Young Single Adult Branch! And guess which missionaries are assigned to that branch? Well, you're looking at them! (Well I guess you're looking at my words, and I guess only one half of the missionaries haha, but...) Sister de St. Jeor and I are officially the new YSA missionaries in Valdosta! President and Sister Cottle (my mission president and his wife) happened to stop by our ward on Sunday and witness all of the changes that were happening. The amazing part was that they had no idea this was going on, but had just felt like they should stop by our ward on the way up to Macon. Anyway, after sacrament meeting, we had a quick impromptu meeting with the 4 sets of missionaries. President told us that he had had no idea that this was going on and had no time to think about what the changes should be. And then he quickly turned to me and Sister de St. Jeor and told that we would be the new YSA missionaries. To which Sister Cottle said, "Wow! That's the fastest inspiration he's ever received!"
I have no idea what this really means for our missionary work, or how this is going to change my daily life, but I know things will change! But I am so excited, seriously excited! I have wanted to work in a Young Single Adult ward/branch since I started my mission, and I can't wait for many mighty miracles to come from this!
This week was a bit of a frustrating one with our current investigators... People just kept cancelling on us or no-showing us, and so I said, alright.... if y'all don't want to talk to us, we'll go find some people that do! So we spent most of the week talking to as many people as we could and sharing the message of Jesus Christ! And it actually ended up being pretty great! Because although you can't control others agency or actions, you CAN control your own. And I have the choice over what attitude I want to have, and how hard I am going to work, and that's that.
Some snapshots from my week:
-Church sign: "Don't give up, Moses was a basket case too" YES
-I bid $50 (of other people's money) on a scrumptious pound cake at the cake auction the ward had to raise money for Boy Scout Camp. And let me tell you, it was worth every penny. We've had it for pretty much every meal since. I promise I also eat fruits and vegetables.
-The song that my mom and I sang at my "farewell"? Well, it had been stuck in my head for over a week and I could not remember all of the lyrics, and it was driving me crazy. Well, guess who sent me a letter with all of the lyrics printed inside? The forever amazing Sister Tryon. Tender mercies. I love that woman.
-A family just moved into the ward whose mom grew up in Kirkland 1st Ward! We know the same people! So awesome. Her name is Sister Moore, and I can't remember her first name but I'll tell you next week if I remember...
-It is just a tad bit toasty/muggy down here.... I may or may not have sweated through my skirt the other day. Too much information? Maybe. The truth? Absolutely.
I love you all!
Smile, you are a beautiful child of God.
-Sister Szilagyi
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