Sister Avery Miyahara: Hurrah for new beginnings and a trip to the ER 9/3/2013

Hello! Glorious sweet family and friends of mine! I’m so beyond thrilled to tell you that I’ve been transferred to Peachtree City, Georgia in the White Water ward. My precious new companion, Sister Green is from Orem and we have opened a new sisters area in the “model area” (so everyone has been telling me). Why? Because the entire Georgia Atlanta Mission Presidency live in this ward so it is expected to be the “model area.” Talk about pressure! Geesh, tell me about it. The missionaries serving in this ward are the Fayetteville zone leaders (who totally rock) and another set of stellar sisters who have been killing it here! So it’s exciting because we are walking into a ward that is already hustling with missionary work! And guess who is my new Sister Training Leader companion? SISTER KACIE JEAN RALEY!!!!! We will be over 12 companionships of sisters. We live in the “hood” of Peachtree City hahaha so they call it…it’s the “rougher” part of town. Considering that everyone here are pro athletes, CEOs and rappers, the “rougher” area isn’t so bad. It’s the coolest thing actually, everyone drives golf carts here. Like there are golf cart lanes everywhere! It’s hysterical. I live in another world; and I love it. The day we arrived the ward delivered bags and bags and bags of things to fill our new apartment. I’m talking everything: plungers, lamps, air fresheners, all kitchen supplies, towels, blankets, food, soap, rugs, cleaning supplies, everything! Again... “model ward.” They so generously served us without having even met us! That is true Christ like charity.

Oh yeah let me not forget to mention I had to a little freak accident this week that may or may not have ended up in the ER but don’t you worry one sec, I am tooootally fine! So only this crap happens to people like me…and Nicole Hawkins (if you’re reading this out there in Argentina, I love you forevermore). So I’m standing in the grocery store line at Krogers and my big heavy leather purse is on my right side. There is a big metal buckle that latches my thick strap to the bag. So out of nowhere the bucket unlatches, my heavy bag shoots downward and that big metal buckle whacks me straight in the eye. It was possibly the funniest thing that anyone has ever seen in their life. Sweet sister missionary is happily standing in line to purchase her peaches and oatmeal and BAM she’s taken out!! And then I blacked out and my face swelled up and I could see out of my right eye and I was laughing in hysterics. We had planned to meet the zone leaders at the church so we carried on with our plans and when they saw me they kinda freaked out a little, made some valid Asian jokes, gave me a priesthood blessings and urged me to go to the ER. I was quite reluctant. How silly! I surely was not going to check myself into the ER with a poked eye. Buuut they convinced me and ends up I had/have a mild concussion and all these contusions around my eye…just a fancy word or a black eye. But no worries at all! I’m more than okay.

Yesterday was Labor (for the Lord) Day J We switched our P-days (hence we writing today) and went to work yesterday. I knew this day was going to be a day of miracles. We had zero teaching pool, being that we opened a new area and no missionary wants to give up their precious investigators so our goal was to work harder than ever and faithfully find individuals and families to teach and bring to the Fold! I was so excited I could hardly sleep on Sunday night. Yep, I’ve become that missionary and I’m so proud of it! Anyways, so we wake up, studied really hard, prayed even harder and went out to our apartment complex.

Miracle after miracle after miracle occurred. In only a few hours we had found 9 new investigators to teach, offered kneeling prayers on countless apartment floors, filled up our planners for this week, invited many to be baptized and even found a precious family who accepted to be baptized on September 21^st. I’ve never felt such fierce desire to work so hard. Not knowing a thing about really anything, except my testimony of course, I’m having to work so hard. And I want to work so hard. I want so badly to fulfill my purpose here. There is no time to dilly dally and try to get acquainted with the area and the ward! I refuse to slow down the work here in White Water. I know that with absolute faith in the Savior, we can do all things. I love being here; I love being obedient and diligent; I love my companion and the sisters here; I love the fact that each day I can represent the Lord and preach His gospel.

All my love,

Sister Avery