Sister Avery Miyahara: "We flyin' first class, up in the sky"

Ha ha ha okay I'm internally giggling/dying at the Cobb County Public Library right now as I look back at this past week! Typically I like to leave out the mundane details of the week and focus on the lessons the Spirit has taught me but well this week might just need a little bit of both because it is too good not to share! hmm...how should i do this? Well, lists it is!

Monday 2/4

Last day at the MTC :( What a mix of emotions it was! I was leaping with excitment to hit the field and wallowing in saddness to leave my friends and my teachers and glory of the MTC. We had our last lessons with Brother Barrett, Sister Lewis and Brother Elton in which I will never ever forget. Powerful and life changing just aren't enough. I'll never forgert that so sacred and personal reaffirming witness I recieved all day long that God has a plan for us, that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith did restore the fullness of the everlasting gospel and that I, wacky and selfish Avery Miyahara has been called by God to go bring His children back to Him. It was the perfect modivation to leave the MTC with the upmost confidence in myself but most importantly the true message I am to preach. Well and then we stayed up till 4am packing and laughing and pranking and dancing and eating and so on! Gosh I love those sisters! Seriously though, the best of times.

Tuesday 2/5

Tuesday...ha! oh Tuesday! We slept for an hour or so, woke up and heading to the travel offices to leave the MTC at 5am. 20+ young girls trying to wheel three enormous suitcases down the residence halls, up the stairs and across the campus at 5am just has to be the silliest thing I've ever seen. It was a hysterical struggle to say the least! We loaded up the cars, arrived at the airport and antisipated our 8:30am departure. After my happy phone calls home and as we prepared to board we hear ann announcement that our plane needed a new part of the engine and would be arrive on plane from Atlanta at 2pm and assembling the new machinery peice would take another few hours. We were told we would be hopefully leaving arounf 5pm..it was 8am.

So, what oppurtunities did God perfectly place for us all day long in the airport? MISSIONARY EXPERIENCES! It was cray, literally all 22 missionaries headed to Atlanta with me were all teaching the gospel to everyone. It was as if we were no longer in Salt Lake because everyone in that terminal weren't members. Everywhere I looked I saw missionaries teaching. In particular, one baptist couple from the south was being taught and the lady looked into my companions eyes and said "there is a light in all your eyes that I cant say I've felt before. I dont know much about your church but by that light I know I want to learn more." GAH! It was insane! She and her fiance were taught the first lesson and scheduled an appointment with the missionaries in the hometown. It wasnt a coincendence that we were stuck in terminal D all freaking day long! God knew there was work to be done!

After a fab day full of missionary talk and some glorious conversation with loved ones from home, it was time to board! God truly blesses us when we do what he wants us to do. He wanted us to plant those seeds in the hearts of those we talked to and we did our best to do that! So, how did He reward us? There were 24 people of that flight, 22 were missionaries...and Delta gave us all FIRST CLASS SEATS!! I kidd you not! Dinner was divine! However, I spent most of the flight conversing with the two wonderful flight attendants! One of which is friends with Karen and Kendall! It was the best conversation, so inspired! Oh the miracles were countless!

We arrive SO late at night! Our awesome mission president met us there and what a man he is! I have already learned loads from him and his wife! ah! I just gotta be like one day! Anyways, we (our tight bff group of 5 sisters) drove and drove to a members home that we would be spending the night. Who knew it would be a southern styled MANSION filled with the happiest most admirable family who warmly greeted us in the middle of the night?! ah! And it doesnt end! I took a shower in a bathroom fit for a queen then retired to my Queenly bed! It was our last night us 5 would spend together so obvi it called for some heart to heart bff lovin time. Man, I miss them! Onwards!

Wednesday 2/6

5:45 alarm sounded and I could smell something cooking downstairs! We go downstairs and on their massive family dining room table lay a full assortment the family's famous crepe bar! Literally everything delectable you could ever imagine was on the table! Bless that family! Fingers crossed I get to serve in their ward one day!

To the church building we went for "tranfer meeting." This was it! The chapel was packed with excited missionaries and us newbies sat in the front. The preseident and his wife addressed us and listened with such admiration! We sand "Lord, I will follow Thee" and it was so emotional and happy because it was exactly what we are were doing...following our Lord. It was announced I would be companions with Sister Swanson serving in the Lost Mountain Ward in the Powder Springs Stake. I didnt know a thing about my companion or that place but everyone was coming up to saying how lucky I was. My zone leader said "you must be doing something right to have been called to that ward!"

We arrived at our "home" aka the glorious basement under another southen styled mansion! Oh how happy I was! The family warmly welcomed us into their home to settle in and eat dinner with then. Holy crap guys, I am in the south! Let's just say everyone of my dinners since Wednesday has been a multi multi MULTI course dinner that is too good for words. So we ate, ran some errands, met some people and wraped up the crazy day!

Thursday/Friday/Saturday

PACKED days! I wont even try to fully sum up these days! All we did from 630am to 1030pm was study and teach and meet and invite and teach and talk and invite and teach and teach and meet and so forth! In the words of Notorious...it was all a bur. But it really was! I met some of the most prepared people. I know that this gospel is for everyone and just not at everytime and that God will prepare the hearts of His children to be ready to hear His gospel and I can testify that God truly does. The people God placed in our lives have been prepared for this. I cant tell you how much our hearts conneceted. What they had been longing for is what we could offer! The only and true gospel! ah! Happy day! All in all, we taught and were in everyway guided by God above because wow was it success like I never could imagine! Oh and btdubz...something to lawl over...we only had time for quick lunches:dairy queen and mcdonalds were our only options and at night we were fed to the southern standard. Let's just day the 30 minutes a day exercise regimin just might not suffice. yikes!

Sunday 2/10

I'll never forget my first sabbath day out in the field. We met so many families and invited them to church yet I really had no clue how this all missionary work stuff usually goes. I was most anxious to meet the ward family! Well, lets just say I feel i love with the ward. But the cherry on top were the 12 investigators and 7 nonactive families that were in attendance! I am so blessed to be entrusted with serving in this area. The work is absolutly going OFF THE HEEZY over here! like craaap, it's outrageous! There was the most special Spirit in that chapel on Sunday. God was present in His house of worship and it was evident to all. I sat there in between some of our new investigators, astonded by the miracles that were taking place.

The gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I have an army of butterflies in my stomach as I type that because my soul knows that it is true. I know that this is God's church. The miracles upon miracles are not a coincedence, God is hastening the work and it is truly a honor and a heavy responsibility to be apart of it. I am such a newb! I have no idea what I am doing! In no way can I confidently teach a lesson. But you know what, this isnt my work...it's our Heavenly Fathers so I know He will make it possible for me to do all He needs me to do. Through Him, I can do all things.

Wowzers that took all my time here! Sorry that was literally a novel!!! I love you! Forever!

Sister Miyahara : )