Monday, December 14, 2015

I'm going to a pretty "sweet" area, I almost tripped on the apostle, and "Twenty One" hahah

WOW!
This week has been SO, SO good!
 
This Tuesday we had a wonderful zone training where President Bennion really put a focus on the Book of Mormon. Our Zone Leader Elder Burrows talked about how in the Japan Mission it was really hard to give away Books of Mormon because they really didn't understand how important they were. So the missionaries started to wrap the Books of Mormon in a white, silk handkerchief, which in Japanese culture, is a sign of upmost respect, and reverence. They would then see just how valuable it was by the way they presented it to them and the numbers of those who took them and cherished them increased greatly! But I thought of my own reverence to the scriptures. How am I showing the people here in Georgia how much I love the Book of Mormon by the way I outwardly treat them.
 
ALSO! cool miracle this week, Sister Lauritsen and I decided not to go to one of the streets we had planned and went to the street next to it. We both felt like we needed to be there and realized why so soon! The second house we knocked on we started talking to this guy outside and just did some getting to know you questions and I asked if he had family around here and he said, "Yes, in Rutledge!" I have never asked this question before in my life on the mission because who the heck will I know in a town I've barely been to? he said, "Claudia Reckter is my mama." Sister Lauritsen and I just stare open mouthed! Claudia Reckter was one of the members we had found that we had no idea she had lived in the area and were looking for her records! He was very interested in the Mormon church even though he is now part of the "born again" religion! Oh wow. SO COOL! Definitely no coincidence we were on that street, and that I asked that question! 
 
This Thursday we also went to go see our Recent Convert Sister Foster. This lady is hilarious and so fun! She gets SO lonely though, and then will start smoking so we've been trying to visit with her twice a week. So on Thursday we made some wreaths with her out of tree twigs and pinecones! It was awesome. And we talked to her about Elder Holland coming the next day, and she got so excited. Her daughter who is a non-member came and she was like, " Kimberely! An apostle of the LORD is coming! You need to come with me to listen to him." haha she's a rockstar!
 
Then on Friday we weekly planned, and then drove to Greensboro to meet Sister Johns and Sister Nuusa and we drove up to Athens to eat at Olive Garden before we went to the stake center to watch the Broadcast of Elder Holland speak to all the woman. It was amazing. One of my favorite things he said was, "God loves broken things." It takes broken clouds to nourish the earth, it takes broken ground to grow the wheat and it takes broken wheat to make the bread. Although at times we may have broken hearts over loss, over lost children, over our weaknesses, over things that Won't go right, think of the savior. He went through every broken heart, and he endured it well. He always kept his will to the Father, he always did what was best out of his love for Him. I love the account in Mark 4,
 
"37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
 
The Savior was so tired, he was even sleeping through a storm on a rockety boat. And The apostles had the nerve to ask the question, "Carest thou not that we perish?" And instead of an eye roll, the savior lovingly walks up to calm the sea.
WHY? '
Because he loves them. And He is always doing the will of the Father. Even through his tired state. He may have had a broken heart a little, to see the lack of Faith of his apostles, after all he has sin thus far in his journeying through helping the people and seeing how they are far from our Heavenly Father. But a broken heart is even more of an excuse to look to our Father in Heaven, and to his Son. Those two are they ONLY sources we should be looking for to strengthen us and repair our broken hearts. I promise that as you do so, the Lord will repair all broken hearts, as it says in Revelations 21,
 
" 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

After that wonderful meeting with all the women in Athens, we drove to Brasleton! Where my mama (Sister Gerard) And my good friend sister Felton from the MTC are serving! We spent the night there, and they even surprised me with some balloons, confetti and cupcakes for my Birthday! Those sweet ladies. It was so much fun! That next morning we all drove together to Tucker, Georgia to go and see Elder Holland live! IT was amazing! This would be the only time that we would ever see our whole mission together at one time too, since our zone conferences are now only with two other zones rather than the whole mission. The Atlanta, Georgia mission was also there! They were a fun bunch too. And then as Elder Holland came we all had the opportunity to go and shake his hand! Well, Sister Johns had her purse lying out in the middle of the line and my shoe caught on it and I almost feel on the poor guy! haha he grabbed my arm and said, "oh dear! Don't trip sweetheart!" haha! I then told him my name, and that I was from the great Mesquite, Nevada and he got all wide-eyed and said, " Mesquite! Not too many people are from there! That's great!" haha. Super sweet, and such a power house. His talk hit home and answered all of the questions of the soul. One of them was, " Are you a progressing investigator to the Lord?" Super thought provoking. I hope you can say you are progressing as much as we expect others to.

ALSO! BIG NEWS! I'm leaving Madison!! :( It was crazy though! A week ago I just knew I was leaving, and I even guessed to the sugar hill zone! I have wanted to serve there since getting here though just because the name was so cute! haha I know ridiculous, but I am super pumped! I will miss Madison so much, but Heavenly Father has always blessed me with calm, and " That's where i'm supposed to be" confirmations each transfer! And I will be getting a new sister named Sister Mitchelle! She's been out as long as sister Lauritsen and is SUPER cute! I am stoked! Sister Lauritsen will be staying here and her companion is the hilarious sister Robinson! I am so excited for her, they will continue to further the work here in Madison!
I don't know my new address yet so PLEASE don't send me anything this week to this address until I let you know my new one!

ALSO! I'll be twenty one tomorrow & Packing like crazy haha!! AHHH! SO weird. Brailee..  I can't forget the vine.. "twenty one. " haha

I love y'all so much!!! Have such a great week and know that I love you each so much, and y'all are always in my prayers.

Love Sister Cunningham

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