WARNING. It’s gonna be a long one. Thanks for
loving (hopefully!) my madness.
MOM you completed our mission’s BofM challenge in
just over a month!!! Wow! You’re seriously the greatest mama. I love you!
BACHAN + JICHAN thank you for your sweet oranges off the tree. I cried as I
opened up that package and smelled the citrusy memories of San Jose! That was
so thoughtful. BLAKE you went to the temple! The most incredible + beautiful
place, huh? You were in my thought all Saturday. LILY, you’re Sister Checketts
tomorrow in D.C. whaaat?! So proud of you. Missions are life’s greatest
miracle. I love my Lost Mountain ward family. Sister Heinhold took us to lunch
one day and the Carnell’s the next. So much love! SO happy! Just love shout
outs all around! This week rocked.
Firstly, IT IS SNOWING. IN GEOEGIA! SNOW COMING
FROM THE SKIES!!! The low is 2 degrees today. LOL, right? immadie. Alright
anyway, we saw so many miracles in the work this week! We’ve been teaching a
man named Jonathon and he joyfully tells all that the Lord led him to His
church. As we’ve taught him with less-active team ups, they’ve come back to
church and rediscovered their testimony. Jonathon came to church on Sunday and
if I didn’t know better, I would have thought he had been a part of the ward
all his life. The members loved him in and he said it was “coming home.” Our lessons
with Jonathon teach me so much. I’ve realized that you can tell you are
teaching by the spirit that when the words that come out of your very own mouth
teach you so much and make sense like it has never before.
We had mission council at the mission home this
week and can I just day that the leadership team here in GAM blow me away. With
President and Sister Harding leading us, under the direction from Above
(obviously) (most inspired people I’ve ever known), I receive such strength and
motivation! We got to watch “Ephraim’s Rescue” and break down some of the
incredible quotes and apply them to missionary work. ITS AMAZING. If you
haven’t seen it yet, drop what you’re doing and watch it. It’s that good. I’m
trying to develop faith like Ephraim Hanks.
I had the total
privilege of serving at the Bishop’s store house. It was seriously the coolest
couple hours! To see the degree of charity exploding from the walls, it was no
question that Jesus Christ was behind this “Costco” of free food for those in
need in the metro Atlanta area. The Church is incredible! It was such so
wonderful to feel a portion of what the Savior felt as He served and loved.
Silly shenanigans. So we went to visit
Gracie, the really old lady. She’ll be turning 84 at the end of this month and
her health has been declining a lot. She loves what we teach her and knows the
church is true, but in her condition… it just makes the whole baptizing thing
hard. Anyway, we went over to check in on her and see how she was doing/ offer
a priesthood blessing to help bring her some comfort as she gets ready to pass
on to the next life. Like.. she really is dying. We read some scriptures
and talk about her life and some of her accomplishments and then she says to us
in her slow, drawn out southern accent.. “I told the Lord…. I was okay to go..”
as she says this she’s on the couch sitting and she slowly says it and moves
her head to look up. After she said it she just went quiet… eyes slightly
open.. still… OHMYGOSH NOT EVEN KIDDING YOU! WE THOUGHT SHE DIED ON US AS WE
WERE THERE! We shared a panicked look with each other and had a mini freak
out.. then whattdya know.. Miss Gracie started moving and talking again. Haha!
Oh man. We laugh about that all the time now. What do you do if that really
happened? Call 911?
Next story…we’re teaching O.J. and his sister in
law, they’re Muslim from West Africa. We’re there with a member and as we are
testifying, O.J. cuts Sister Maney off and asks me how old I am and if I was
married. He then guesses that I AM 28 YEARS OLD AND PROPOSES TO ME. Asked me if
I can be his bride! Not even kidding. The member answered for me and we quickly
clarified our purpose as missionaries. Yikes!
2014 begun with a bang! I couldn’t feel more
thankful for this marvelous time when the work is hastening and the Lord is
sending miracles full force! I love this work because it’s true and as I get to
witness it change lives for the best, and my heart gets to change too! Love you
all!
Happy are we!
Sister Avery Miyahara
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