Guess who we get to see three days before my birthday!?!!?!

Guess who we get to see three days before my birthday!?!!?! vvvv


Begin forwarded message:

From: LDSChurch.org
Date: November 22, 2015 at 9:20:03 PM EST
To:
Subject: Visit by Elder Holland

Our dear fellow servants,

We are pleased to inform you that the Georgia Atlanta North Mission has been invited to join the Georgia Atlanta Mission for a special meeting with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on Saturday, December 12 at the Brockett Ward chapel, located at 1947 Brockett Road, Tucker, GA.  We are all to be in our seats by 8:30 a.m., and the meeting will last until approximately 11:30 a.m.

This meeting is for full-time missionaries only (senior couples included), so please don't get member rides; just carpool with fellow missionaries.  The round trip mileage between your apartment and the Brockett Ward must be recorded, but will not count against your December mileage allocation.

The previous night at the same location, Elder Holland will be speaking to all adult female members.  Our sister missionaries are not to attend that meeting in person, but may attend the live closed circuit broadcast at the nearest stake center.

More details will be forthcoming.  Thank you as always for your dedicated service.

With love and admiration,

President and Sister Bennion

Temple visit, lots of biking, and gardening.

Hello everyone!

If I could sum up this week, it would be crazy hard and crazy awesome all at the same time. Its crazy how hard  the mission may seem at times, but when you take a step back to reflect on the tender mercies it really just helps you see how everything works out. I was talking with sister Lauritsen last night after our planning session, and we were reflecting on our week and I had just read in the book of Mormon where Nephi and his brothers were trying to get the plates from Laban and it took them three times to finally get them. And you read this all within one chapter, so it seems easier to see it from the beginning to the end of how all things worked out. And how at times I wish I could just read how things turn out in just a quick read from a chapter, but I know that The Lord knows, and we can always pray for the patience and understanding, so I guess I will just have to live with that. haha

This last Tuesday we were able to go to the temple! It was SO good. I love the temple, and missed it so much. The Atlanta temple is gorgeous! And I handled driving in Atlanta, and only got an "aggressive driving" form Tiwi once! haha.

Then on Wednesday, we helped Sister Foster clean out her garden, and she has so many cool herbs! Peppermint, spearmint, and oregano. She has walnut and pecan trees everywhere too! She taught us a lot about how to recognize edible leaves too. She's awesome. We also biked to her house, (11 miles) and then biked home. As much as I love to bike, I just feel SO unproductive because its hard to get a lot done, But we promised president we'd bike more to save miles and our area is HUGE.

We've also been praying for a family to find to help build up our branch, and we went to a potential that the Elders had started to work with and met her daughter who has a twin! And they were both interested in learning more and loved the concept of a living prophet and both wanted Books of Mormon! It was awesome, the work is truly hastening!

We also found out Last night Elder Holland is coming to The Atlanta, Georgia mission and our whole mission is invited as well! And three days before my birthday! AHH! Happy Birthday to me!

Well, I love y'all and I'm sorry this is so short! But I hope y'all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and really appreciate the time you have with your family. I'm so grateful for the family that I have, and that they know about the gospel, and that Christ's church really is here on the earth today!

Read the Book of Mormon! Its awesome!

Temple visit

We got to go to the Atlanta Temple this last Tuesday, 11/17/2015! It was amazing!

Miracles in Madison

Hey y'all!

 

Goodness, the weeks FLY.

 

So many awesome, and funny, and hard things happened this week.

 

We had a wonderful zone training this past Tuesday and it was awesome. To hear how many miracles are occurring not only here in Madison, but all over the mission! The work is truly progressing. We focused a lot on how we can really emphasize, and teach the Book of Mormon. I hope y'all are reading from it each day. My love for the Savior grows so much, and I really come to know who he Is to me as I read. Its so cool if you pray about a question before you read, and you will ALWAYS receive an answer, its awesome. Even if it isn't the exact answer you are looking for, it will be the one you need.

 

We also saw Brother Boyd this week.. and no one believes that I could ever get mad out here. But I was so frustrated with that man! We walk over and it's only 1 p.m. and he's SO drunk. We were trying to have a lesson outside with his son Darius, and he was just being a cotton headed ninny muggings! Darius told us he's grateful for it though, because he knows what not to do. I had to laugh because the last time we were over there teaching Brother Boyd says, "You need to teach that boy about the Word of Wisdom." My goodness I wanted to throw a bucket of ice cold water on that man and yell "repent!" haha.

 

We also have been meeting with Johny this week, and we've been able to take our stellar member, Brenda who lives at the Madison home with us! She loves getting out of that place, and she brings such a strong spirit. Johny sang amazing grace with us and then we talked to him about the law of Chastity when his girlfriend Dawn wasn't there. We found out quite a few things about his situation that are going to delay his baptism. I just wanted to cry right then and there. Johny is so prepared, and the hurdles he has our hard to go around. And I know that its all in Heavenly Fathers timing, but I just want Johny to be written down in the church already! He's such a solid, good guy! And when he's at church he has so many friends and loves being there! It's so amazing to see. So please keep Johny in your prayers!

 

Will is going to be baptized on December 5th! We are so stoked for him, he's super quiet with us usually, but this past lesson he really opened up and it was so much fun! the member family he is marrying into our the Davis's, and they had us over for dinner the other night. It's kind of a big deal, because this family is very picky about who they invite over for dinner and they've recently become less active. They made empanada's that were fried instead of baked and they were SO good, and they also made cream cheese baked apples! They also had theyre Aunt there who has become very Anti about the church, and she usually stays away from the missionaries, but by the end of the night she kept saying we were her favorite! It was awesome! We'll definitely be working with her.

 

I just love it here. The work really is progressing here in the south and its so awesome to be a part of. Sister Gerard was talking to me the other day about how many miracles we've both been seeing in our areas and its just so humbling to know that Heavenly Father doesn't need us to be missionaries, but oh how much WE need to be missionaries. Her trainer, and my grandma Jennie Moon e-mailed and asked, Why did Heavenly Father call you to be a missionary? I thought about it for a long while that day.. and my answer was different than what I would answer now. That's what makes being a missionary truly awesome, you're constantly receiving answers, revelation and guidance. And it isn't just because I'm here on a mission, but it's because I'm learning to turn to my Savior and Heavenly Father for the things that I need. It's so easy in the world now to turn to things that don't really make us. I remember when I was in need of help I'd turn to google. or text a friend. When I was bored I'd go run or watch Netflix. I feel bad that I was compelled to turn to my Heavenly Father and the scriptures more out here, but now that I've truly been able to learn and see WHY they are the only options out here, its because they are the things we truly need.

 

I was reading a talk called, "The light of Hope" this morning, and it asked, "As you review the last year or the last ten years, what is the best day you remember?" I at first was thinking of some of my hiking days when I went to Glacier National Park, or my first time through the temple, or the day I was able to have my family there to say goodbye to them before I left here knowing how much Trust I had in Heavenly Father, and those are all SO good. But then it said, "A person without hope centered in Christ may choose a day that was simply fun or easy. But the best day may really have been when life's events forced you to your knees to communicate with you Father with new intent; it may have been a day that wasn't convenient or even happy, but you have became a bigger, better person when you faced a problem with courage."  I can now look back at the things I've gone through so far out here, and I've definitely been through some hard, growing periods. It seems like each transfer I was put into an even harder, take me out of my comfort zone position. But They really were where I learned how much strength and happiness come from turning to our Heavenly Father, and gaining the peace, and courage and strength that come from him and our Savior.

 

I have a huge favor to ask! Will y'all please share one conference talk that you have really come to love, and have felt Heavenly Father talk to you through it? Please just share what talk it was, and a brief explanation why! Please, and thank you!

 

I hope y'all have a blessed rest of your week, and turn to your Heavenly Father more when life gets rough, or boring or you need help! And even just to say thanks, those are the prayers that strengthen us most. 

 

I love Madison, I love Georgia, I love peaches..

Hello friends and family!

 

I have to share with y'all the cooooolest story!!!

So Johny had an FHE lesson with us at the Fossum families casa, and it was so awesome! We talked with him about baptism and the priesthood power, and at first he kept talking about how he had already been baptized and "saved" a long time ago. So we really had to just ask him if he knew the book of Mormon was true.. he said he did. So we told him that the same way he got his answer about the Book of Mormon being true, would be the same way he needed to ask if the priesthood power was only found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. So we told him to pray about it. Well the next day Johny calls us and tells us THE coolest story! His girlfriend Dawn was going through some of their old boxes, and finds a well marked up Book of Mormon! Johny had never seen it before, nor even had heard about the church before. Right as he opens it, he turns to Moroni 10:3-5. Reads it, and calls us to tell us he knows that he needs to be baptized and that its all true!! AHH!! wahooo!! I know that God answers our prayers, and I know that he can answer them in some pretty cools ways, just like Johny had!! He has stopped smoking, and now we just have to overcome the chastity hurdle because Dawn and him are living together right now, and its almost forced because they financially can only make it paying for one hotel room with both of their funds combined. So please keep them in your prayers! He will be getting baptized on the 28th of November! :)

 

We also helped a recent convert in our branch named Sister Foster clean her house the other day, that lady is a hoarder! It's crazy! haha. We helped take all of the boxes from a corner in her house and we had to basically just tell her everything we took from there was going to goodwill, and then she showed us all these other boxes through out her house that she didn't want to get rid of, so she put them in the corner we had just cleaned out. Luckily we fit about twenty boxes in our car, and were able to take them to goodwill. Hopefully we can keep helping her clean so that we can finally get rid of all her boxes!

 

I also have terrific news! Sister Lauritsen and I will both be staying in Madison this next transfer! I'm not really going to temple square.. haha. This will be my first time having a companion longer than six weeks, and we are both stoked! We get along so well, and it's amazing to see her growth as a missionary. I learn so much from her each day!

 

Yesterday I went on an exchange with our STL Sister Johns who's serving in the Greensboro area, right next door, but she's also in our branch! And it was so much fun. WE were caught in the cold rain most of the day, and all our appointments fell through, but we met so many awesome potentials, and taught two really powerful lessons. I also got to stay in their house! Yes, these sisters have an adorable little house right next to the Oconee river, and it feels just like a cabin! I love it. I will live in a cabin as my first home I've decided. But as her and I were talking, I just felt like I was the scum of the earth and I could be doing far more.. and then RIGHT after saying this, Elder Burrows, our zone leader calls and asks Sister Johns if he can speak with me. He asks some questions about Johny and the lessons he's been taught and then says, " Sister Cunningham, I just want to let you know that I'm really impressed with how hard you've been working in Madison, President Bennion specifically told me you were there to help things get going,  thanks for all you do." It was such a cool tender mercy, and I felt so much love from Heavenly Father. Its been so cool to white wash, and to train! To see the growth from the first day, until now! I've learned SO much and I've truly been able to see just how strong the atonement can work in each of us. I know that our Heavenly Father knows our potential, and that's why he gives us the exact challenges we face. He knows we can handle it, and at the end we should be asking, "please give me more." I'm so grateful for the trials I've faced because they've allowed me to grow. As much as I do love them though, I'm so grateful I will be staying here with Sister Lauritsen!! No hard companion for me yet, I'm hoping that the day will never come. (knock on wood) haha.

 

 

There's also a scripture I'd love to share with y'all, Mormon 2:26.. "nevertheless, the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren."

Don't ever let yourselves lose the spirit. We can always have the Holy Ghost with us, ALWAYS. Heavenly Father has promised that it always will be with us, as we do his will. And his will gives us power, it gives us strength. The things of Satan are weak. They are always fleeting and never lasting. But everything Heavenly Father has promised us is eternal.

 

I love Madison, I love Georgia, I love peaches.. I love the letters and packages and e-mails from y'all. Thank you so much. I love my Heavenly Father, and my savior. I love learning about The saviors life and always striving to become like him, because "his way, is the path that leads to happiness in this life, and in the life to come."

 

Y'all are the best! I love y'all!

 

Have a blessed day!!

-- Sister Cunningham

To effectively serve others, we must see them through a parent's eyes, Through Heavenly Father's eyes

Hello Family& Friends!

 

This week has been THE best! But who am I kidding? Every week has been awesome.

I am going to strive to keep my emails shorter and share with y'all the miracles and the spiritual experiences!

 

We have two new investigators we are teaching, Will and Quita! Will is dating a member here In Madison, and watched General Conference with her and wants to know more! We had an awesome Lesson with him this Wednesday and he was able to come to Church this Sunday! WAHOO! And Quita has met with missionaries before, but after a certain set of missionaries left, they lost contact with her and just never stopped in again to see her. Luckily we had tracted a neighborhood, and did ONE more door and it was hers! We had a lesson with her this Thursday and she was STELLAR! She requested a Book of Mormon and really loved what we had to say about the Family. she ultimately just wants to do the will Of our Heavenly Father to bless her family. Its so awesome! We have a lesson with her this Thursday again. We have been seeing so many miracles this past week, with finding new people to teach, we have been fasting and praying for this and we are so grateful that we are able to see the blessings from us working so  hard to find.

 

The other day we were at Brenda's, she is the one who lives in the assisted living center that we visit twice a week..  ( I love that place, I'm gonna "grand" nap all of them. haha) and her roommate Jill just started to cry as I hugged her and told her how pretty she looked that day. She has been having such bad stomach pains and I just couldn't help but cry. Jill has been there for a long time, and she suffers from major depression and hardly has visitors. I just couldn't stop thinking of her. That Saturday we went to visit with them again, and we asked Jill to sit in our message, I felt impressed to sing a Childs prayer" and I never feel prompted to sing.. y'all have heard my voice. haha but as we all sang she started to cry and was so happy! We then offered to clip their toe nails and paint them.. ( let me tell you, those nails were long *gag*) but we love them and so it just made it that much easier and their nail clippings were flying all over. eww eww eww. hahaa

But at church on Sunday Brenda leans over and says, "child, my nails feel so much better. Thank ya sugaa." I love her.

I love this gospel, and I love being here. I love that I don't need to be qualified before I come out here. I just need to have a sincere desire to help everyone come closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior. I know that Heavenly Father has worked with my desire, and my faith in him to help me be the hands for his children. I'm so grateful he asks us to be his hands! I have never felt so much love from my Heavenly Father than as I see it by helping his children. I know he loves all of us so much.

 

I invite y'all to read or watch the talk, "home, family and personal enrichment" in the October 1999 General Conference! I just read that this morning as I was studying for our next lesson with Quita this Thursday and I loved the story of the birds she shares. I know that our homes our where we can build our Faith on Christ. Where we can truly feel safe, loved and closer to our Heavenly Father. It all comes down to how you're building your home. I hope we can all strive to make our homes a place to feel the spirit, and to feel closer to our Heavenly Father!

 

"to effectively serve others, we must see them through a parent's eyes, Through Heavenly Father's eyes."

 

Dale G. Renlund

 

Have a blessed week! Love y'all!

 

Love, Sister Cunningham

Cotton fields, rain, and sunsets

Hey Y'all!

It's so sad that every time I go to write this email I have to rack my brain to remember everything! I truly need to repent and write in my journal more. haha

This week has been so, so good though! The weather has been so perfect! It gets so chilly at night though, in the lower forties usually and then it reaches about eighty degrees during the day!

On Tuesday we were able to have dinner with the Williams family who recently moved into the Ward from Utah! They are so cute! They are a young couple who both studied at BYU and have three adorable kids. Emmerson is four and he is so stinkin cute! He loves watching football with his dad and he would explain each of the games he had watched with his dad and he would laugh so hard and then say, "they just kept bumping, and bumping each other until they fell down!" and then his mom told us during the football games he would stand up right against the tv and run with them across the screen! haha He was so much fun. And their little girl Rachel was really shy at first, but by the end of the night she was talking and laughing so much! She started to cry as we left. Its so much fun getting to know all of the amazing branch members here. Sister Williams came with us after dinner to visit a recent convert, who sadly stood us up.. But in the car ride there and back we were able to hear about her conversion story and the desire she has to share the gospel with her neighbor! I love members who are so missionary minded, and see the desire to share the gospel with everyone! I encourage y'all to find more people for the missionaries, its so amazing the miracles you can see as members refer you to their friends. They already have friends who can help them with their transition into the gospel, and it helps us focus more on teaching than finding! :)

We have so many potentials here in Madison, some from three or four years ago that haven't been followed up with, so we've been going to so many! And have seen so many miracles! We were tracting this one neighborhood, and we see this big group of teenage guys just standing around and talking, so we walk up and start to get to know them, when one says, "Hey! You're the Mormons huh? I've been to your church a few times!" We asked him why he stopped going, and he said he moved! So we got his number and information and he told us to come back and teach him. This prepared souls name is Darius and he's awesome. Well after meeting Darius we felt impressed to stop by brother Boyds house, Im sorry I don't remember if I've told y'all about him, but he recently just got out of jail and the elders who were here before let us know how much he wanted to change his life around and get back to church. Well we haven't been able to see him since getting here, but that night we were finally able to meet him! He's shorter than me, and just the cutest little thing! haha he's in his fifties, and just a really funny guy. He told us his son was in town and he was excited for that, and we talked to him a little bit about his desire to start going back to church. Soon after we talked about the atonement for a little bit, we ask him if his son is a member, and he says, "No way! That kid needs Jesus but I don't think he has any desires to go to church." Well soon after, a car pulls up, out comes Brother Boyds son.. and its DARIUS! Definitely no coincidence. We are so excited to start teaching Darius, so not only can he enjoy the blessings of the gospel, but he can also help his dad out with getting his life back where it needs to be!

This Saturday we decided to just go through all of the potentials that lived right next door to us and there are so many! They're mostly trailer parks and apartment complexes. We taught five people a four minute restoration, handed out 5 book of Mormons and invited someone to be baptized who excitedly said yes and told us to come back soon! That never happens. Then we receive a text from out of the blue form a potential who had been taught by the missionaries before,saying, "can yall bring me one of those Mormon books please." OF COURSE! So we've been so grateful to have been able to see so many miracles this week, 

I saved the best for last, This Saturday we stopped by Johny's home.. its really a hit and miss with him because he works weird hours and he doesn't have a phone. We finally were able to catch him and see that he's been reading from the Book of Mormon! He sadly is being evicted from his home this week :( So we are just praying that he will stay in the Madison area. But we asked him if he'd be able to make it to church and he said he couldn't promise, but he would try his best! Well Sacrament starts, and we see that all of the Greensboro sisters investigators were attending and it was so awesome! But sadly no Johny, well ten minutes later, Johny sits right by us and says," y'all didn't think I would come again huh?" haha. Hes so awesome! He even participated a ton in gospel principles and said that when we had stopped by Saturday he was having a rough day and was praying to know what God wanted him to do and then we showed up inviting him to church! He said that he loved the feelings he felt at church and he felt like it was really God's church! AHH! I am so stinkin happy for Johny! And that we were able to knock on his door a few weeks ago. I know that whether Johny stays here in Madison or goes elsewhere, the Lord will make sure the missionaries find him.

I love Madison! It is so beautiful here, and the members are just AWESOME! The Manning family in the Greensboro branch had a crab leg dinner with us and the Greensboro sisters last night, and we sat around the fire and bore our testimonies of the savior, it was so spiritual.

I hope I stay here for the rest of my mission, haha. But I have a feeling that Sister Lauritsen may be step trained here, because she is seriously awesome! I love her, and shes become one of my best friends. And She's such a solid missionary, to see the love that she has for the gospel, and to share it with others has strengthened my testimony.

I invite y"all to Ponder Mosiah 18:30, where it says" 30 And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer;" And reflect on the moment you came to know of Our Savior, Jesus Christ. Who is he to you?

I want to share my testimony of the Savior, I know that he is my favorite example. To see the way he loved, the way he cared. He truly loved everyone, and showed everyone how much he loved them. He talked, the talk and walked the walk. He gave the one thing our heavenly Father doesn't have, our will. And we can see how truly blessed and happy he was with doing that. Not only because he loved Heavenly Father, but he loved every single one of us he was doing it for. He is my best friend, as he succors me and carries me. White washing Madison is hard! Training an awesome greenie is really hard, talking to some scary looking people can be a bit intimidating. But the Savior knows exactly how to comfort me when doing it, he knows the tender mercies I need to help remind me of that. I 'm so grateful for all that I've learned about the Savior this past week as I've made it my goal to internalize all that I do with the thought, This is HIS work. This is what HE would do. I promise as you choose to do things in the way the savior would, you will be able to comfort more people, you will be able to be happier in knowing that you are doing what Heavenly Father would have you do!

I love y'all so much! I would LOVE to hear each of your testimonies of the Savior through out the week! But if you don't send them to me, at least write them in your journal. Make the time to reflect on all the things he has personally done for you. I promise it will help you to see all that he has done, and also the things you may have not noticed before.

My scripture to ponderize this week is: Omni verse 26, " 26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."

Have an amazing week y'all! I love you and Father does too.

"I learned in my life that we don’t need to be “more” of anything to start to become the person God intended us to become.
God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust in the Lord."
 -elder dieter f. uchtdorf

Sister Cunningham

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Sunset over cotton field

Second Area: Madison New Companion Sister Lauritsen

Hey lovely people! 

So this week was so good! Madison is a pretty big area, so we were able to drive through more of it, and it is so pretty here. It's the perfect time to be here with fall coming around the corner, the trees are gorgeous and the weather is perfect for biking! 

Sister Lauritsen and I decided to bike most of Tuesday where the weather was perfect, and she hadn't broken in her new bike yet. 19 miles folks. We're convinced we'd be able to endure the iron man while preaching the good word. And during that bike ride we were able to meet a lady named Cat! She's a bus driver who works with one of the members here in Madison ( Hoyt Smith) that man is a gem by the way, I'll tell you more about him later. But cat has actually been given the first lesson and a Book of Mormon before and said it seemed a bit too crazy. So we told her that if she truly read from it and prayed about it she would receive an answer. She said she would and that we were welcome back anytime! It was so neat! So were excited to go back and visit her. 

Then this last Wednesday we had a zone training and I was able to go and see my mama! (Sister Gerard) I'm so grateful she's in my zone! It's cool to be in a new zone and see all of the different missionaries in the  this zone Training they really stressed the importance of teaching the sacrament. So we role played a lot and my testimony of the sacrament has truly strengthened SO much! We went to visit a recent convert named sister Chapman the other night and she was talking about how much she's been emphasizing the sacrament to her children, and she said, " we all need hat bread and water if I miss it, I'm wishing we had a sacrament on a Monday. "Haha she's awesome, and it was awesome to hear her say just how much we really do need to take that time to recommit for a new week. To promise to not only remember our savior, but "we DO always remember him." The key word is do, e need to do the things that will help us remember him. Our we praying night and day? Our we truly reading the scriptures Looking for direction? Our we trying to be like our savior? If not, we truly do all need that bread and water, and luckily the atonement is for everyone, haha cause we all know we need it. 

Then on Thursday, let's just say this was a super eventful day. We had talked with the assistants the night before, and elder gosar and I thought it would be way fun if we challenged each other to invite someone to be baptized the next day! I said of course, and so sister Lauritsen and I truly went looking for an opportunity to invite someone. We found quite a few potentials that were pretty interested, but neither of us felt prompted to invite, and then we had to run home to grab some more Books of Mormon, and I changed my purse so I could fit more of them. Well the phone was on top and we were driving out and we saw an older lady walking with a ton of groceries, so we run out of the car and all of the stuff in my bag falls out and I hurriedly grab everything, and go and help this lady. Well we talked to her about the gospel a little bit and she said she couldn't see why she couldn't listen to such kind people and told us to come to her house sometime, and then we happily get in the car. We drive to a street and I see this man walking, and I promise I don't try to racially profile, but this guy had tattoos everywhere and long dreads and I just knew he was the one I needed to talk to , and invite to be baptized, shared with him the restoration, have him a Book of Mormon and invited him to be baptized if he came to know these things were true as he prayed and asked God. He said yes! We have a return appointment with him this week! It was so awesome. We went to the car to text our ward mission leader just to give him a miracle to hear about, and can't find the phone anywhere. We decided to drive home and look all over, finally we think to pray and remember the incident where everything fell out of my purse, run over to where we had parked the car and see the shattered phone everywhere. I seriously felt so bad! Plus we had no we of communicating with anyone, so we drove to the ward mission leaders house, brother fossum and he luckily has a random spare cell phone we could use! We call the mission office and they basically just laugh and say, " you're the fifth one to break their phone this week. " oh man, haha well we were clear over in Rutledge at this point and I feel the prompting to go and see a less active, and this guy is awesome! He was in need of some spiritually uplifting and was in need of a prayer for his injured leg! Heavenly father definitely knew we needed the phone to break to get us over there. 

Then on Friday we were tracting after planning and we go to a potentials home, and find out he's moved but the new family that was living there was super interested in hearing more about the gospel! And then there was another potential on that same street who didn't live there anymore, but a man named Johny did! And Johny is just awesome. Super sweet guy about in his thirties, trying to find a job. He listened as we gave him the first lesson and said that he can see why we need a prophet today, we read Moroni 10:3-5 with him and really emphasized the power of praying to know, and that God will always answer a sincere heart. He said he would read from the book of Mormon and even come to church! It just seemed way to good to be true, with how hard it is to get investigators to church. Well on Sunday the services had started and we couldn't see Johny, well ten minutes later Johny walks in and sits right next to president Monson (our branch president, pretty cool name right) and stays for two hours and really enjoyed it!! The coolest thing about the meeting too was they emphasized pray and Moroni 10:3-5! It was so neat and definitely Heavenly Fathers hand in that. He even told us to definitely come back and see him this week!! Oh man, It was awesome.  It's such a blessing to see the Lords work and be an instrument for his work. Y'all can be just as cool, and invite a friend to church this Sunday too! So I challenge y'all to do that. 

I just wanted to share something I just realized during my personal study the other day on the Christ like attribute Charity. I've talked about Valerie with y'all. she was an investigator from my last area Dacula. She is my favorite!! But I realized, when I first met her, I had a hard time really loving her Like I do now. She was a total stranger. But as I truly prayed, studied and served her, I began to feel like I had known her my whole life and I truly just wanted her to enjoy all the blessings of the gospel so much that I prayed so much for her and her family through out the day. It was just amazing to see how Heavenly Father truly blesses us to be like his son, and develop his attributes as we pray and work for them! 

& I have my new scripture to ponderize this week, 

Alma 29:10 

10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

I love this scripture, it's so true. Until we truly help others understand the blessings of the gospel and help them live it and come closer to our Heavenly Father, that's when we truly see the blessings from it in our own lives. I've seen this so much on my mission, and I'm so grateful for all the Lord has blessed me with and that I do know that his church is restored,and how blessed I am to live at a time where I can live it, and share it! 

I love y'all so much! And I know Heavenly Father does too. 

I challenge y'all to find a new scripture to ponderize this week. And to invite someone to church. Whether it's a non member, or someone you haven't seen for a while, or its yourself. I promise the blessings of partaking of the sacrament will strengthen you to be your best self through out the week, and help you recognize all of the many blessings Heavenly Father has given you! 

Love : sister Cunningham 

The Red Ford Truck

Hey y'all!

It's crazy how fast the days and weeks go, and everything that happens
seems to blend together so I'll try and remember all that's happened
this week!

On Tuesday after district meeting we decided we were going to bike
with how many miles we had shot this month, so we drove to sister
Enows( a less active we visit often) and visited with her. Holy cow,
sister Enow is so dang strong, she's lost her husband, quit her job so
she could start going back to school so she could support herself and
her three boys, and recently had a tick bite that they didn't catch
very fast enough so she's going through all of these crazy side
effects from it! I can't imagine. And where it's been trial after
trial you can see how much of a toll it's taken on her, but she will
just say, " I don't know what Heavenly Father needs me to learn, but I
know he's teaching me as I go through all of this." Wow. She's so
awesome. I wish I could be as strong as sister Enow, her trust in the
Lord is so admirable.

Well after sister Enows visit, we rode over to another less active who
lives with her active father brother Merrill. He was the only one
home, and we were so happy to get to talk with him. He recently found
out he has bone marrow cancer and it's really started to take an
effect on him recently. We were bringing over a primary program
invitation to them, and as soon as he saw it he started to tear up..
He said last week was the first time he had missed a sacrament in
thirty four years... And he was so scared he wouldn't be able to make
it to the primary program. He started to talk about how much little
kids helped him feel of gods love, and how much he hoped he'd be able
to attend. Yesterday during the primary program we noticed him sitting
on the bench with tears in his eyes as he waved to us. It just made me
so grateful that he wanted to be there so much, and was able to come,
and he really understood the importance of the sacrament. President
has been asking us to practice our own four minute lesson on the
sacrament this past week, and I've just really felt how powerful it
really is each Sunday. It's really the only ordinance we can do for
ourselves more than once, and we get to do it every seven days! How
awesome right? Y'all get your butts to sacrament! ;) haha.

Well, this is the sketchy part of that day, sister russell and I
planned to tract this street about two miles away from our car, so we
rode over and knocked on a house and met this racist, cat lady. Don't
get me wrong, she was so kind and definitely a loved daughter of God.
But I have never met someone that racist here yet, and her cats were
all over!! And she knew all of their names! I thought that was pretty
cool. Well her and I were having a pretty good conversation about what
she had thought about the Book of Mormon, ( she had met some elders a
few years back) and sister russell was Really quiet, a lot more than
usual and she kept watching the road. Well we told her we'd come by
again to help her clean her yard and started to walk to the next house
when sister russell said, "sister Cunningham, there's been a little
red ford truck driving by this house really slowly, the whole time we
were standing at that door. " I hurriedly said, we need to leave. As
soon as we started toward our bikes that were locked up, we see the
red truck slowly driving into someone's driveway and starting to turn
around to drive back out, heading in our direction! There's no one
outside, and sister russell is more pee wee than I, so we probably
wouldn't beat him in an arm wrestle, so we start to knock on a door
close by to see if we can get some help, or just get someone else with
us. No one was answering their doors, and then we couldn't see where
the truck had gone, so we calmly said a prayer and called our district
leader elder ward, and he just said to hurry and get on our bikes and
get on the busy street and bike to the car and call him as soon as we
got there. We were able to get to the car safely, and didn't see the
truck at all anymore. But I am not gonna lie, I was so scared! But as
soon as we said a prayer I knew we'd be okay and we just prayed for
that man and hoped his intentions was just lookin out for the cat lady
we were talkin too. Haha

And then this past Saturday we had a lesson with Valerie, and read
from the Book of Mormon with her and it was so, so good! I love that
lady so stinkin much, I've adopted her as another grandma. Valerie my
Jamaican grandma.haha I told her the news that Sister a Russell and I
would both be training new greenies this transfer, so one of us would
be leaving. She said, " what!? Why do they do that!? I love you girls!
Tell them no! You have to watch me get baptized!" Haha I promised her
that we'd write her and keep in touch, and that the lord trusts his
missionaries and will always send her amazing ones to help her! It's
so awesome how close you become to people so quickly, I love it here
in Dacula so much!!

Which brings me to my next bit of news... The aps called this morning
to let us know that Sister Russell and I would both be training fresh
new missionaries and her new trainee will be staying here in Dacula,
and I'll be transferred with my new trainee to Maddison!! It's in the
Athens zone, which is where sister russell had served with sister
Barnard ( the one who was in the car accident) her first transfer!
It's also the zone where sister Gerard is serving as an STL! So I'll
be able to go on exchanges with her! Ahh! I am so stinkin excited, i
will miss Dacula so much, but I prayed that when transfers came I
would feel good and confident in wherever I was placed and so I really
do feel so good about Maddison! Sister russell said I'll probably be
the minority, and theirs some sketchy places! So that's awesome! I'm
not pee wee enough to not be able to handle anything, with the lords
help of course! Haha. I know that white washing, and training after
only three months is pretty crazy, but I'm just reminded that I can do
all things through Christ who strengthens me. But really though,
without him I'd be a mess!


I hope y'all can go and read elder uchtdorfs talk from the general
women's meeting.. Female or not! He taught a parable that was really
encouraging, it's called, " a summer with great aunt rose"  and in the
talk he gave a parable and in the parable he showed a painting that
highlighted the message.

09/14/2015

How are y'all?!
Thanks so much for the fun updates and pins from Pinterest!! I
seriously love them so much! Please continue to send me fun things, it
makes my companions day too.
Things have been getting SO good, I have learned so much fun this transfer.
My companion struggles, she just is at that point where it's harder
for her to stay here then leave her sometimes, and so sometimes I just
tell her let's sit in the car and talk for a minute. We did that
yesterday And it was amazing, I was just telling her that I loved her,
and then I seriously felt this overwhelming feeling of just love and
care that was beyond my own capacity, and I just knew it was Heavenly
Father! It was incredible! I just started to cry.. And then she
expressed how she felt so bad she had started being disobedient a
little on when she'd get up and go to bed.. And I just started to bear
my testimony on the power of repentance. It was amazing!! I knew
repentance was real, but it wasn't until I truly shared how I felt the
atonement truly is just Heavenly Father and the savior enabling us to
draw closer to them, even when we start to turn away. It was amazing!
And it just makes me so incredibly happy I chose to come here. I
receive so much revelation, and really have started to see that my
tender mercies are when I see someone feel the spirit, that is the
greatest thing to see and feel. I can't express how grateful I am to
have this gospel in my life, and to know you all have testimonies and
support me full heartedly out here.

Yesterday we had a missionary council with our ward missionary at his
home. He was goi g to give sister Russell a blessing, and before he
gave it he just sat down with her and talked with her for a long
while, and when we were driving home, sister Russell told me he had
said I had grown SO much in this transfer. I don't know if I ever
really expressed my struggles with sister Gerard, cause she was
amazing! I loved her, but I really was just in her shadow. She taught
me HOW to do things, but never really let me do any of it. She did the
majority of the talking, she told me all about the families,
investigators and everything, she drove. She started most of the door
approaches. It wasn't until the last weeks I started to really open up
more, but when Sister Russell came, I was basically having to talk to
everyone, plan everything, tell her everything, teach all the lessons.
I think I cried every single day for a long while.. Hardest thing I
had ever done. I felt so inadequate and satan wasn't helping. But now,
I can see just how much the savior has strengthened me! It's so
amazing!! I have no problem doing anything, and just honestly love it!
Some days are really hard, but not everyday is perfect anywhere in
this life. I just can't express how much his comment meant the world
to me, I needed to hear that I was improving.
Thank you so much for your love and support!! I love and miss you all
so much, I wish you guys could have been here yesterday!! There was NO
humidity, and the weather was in the seventies!! It was so beautiful,
and the trees are starting to change colors!! Heavenly Father knew how
much I'd love it here :)
I'll keep sending pictures!! Isn't that shared album on iCloud amazing!?!? :)

P.s. This is a lot to ask. And I understand if the answer is no, but
there's a lady who sales lularoe here,and she gives all the
missionaries discounts on ALL of the clothes. And there's only two
dresses that I just LOVE! Would you hate to put any money into my
zooms bank account!? I feel so bad asking, but I will only probably be
here for two more weeks because I think I,l be transferred so this is
like my only chance!

I love you!! Thank you for all y'all do!!
Continue to read your scriptures and say your prayers!! Those two
things are such blessing gas in this life!!
Love, sister Cunningham!!