Perspective and Team Ups

It's amazing how much my perspective has changed in these past {almost} four months. The thing that really stuck out to me was the competing priorities. Before the mission, all I wanted to do was watch Netflix and browse Pinterest. Now when I get home, I never want to touch a T.V. remote again. There really is so much I could be doing that would be so much better for me. I always said it before, but now I really mean it. I really have the desire to read my scriptures and serve others. I want to be involved with community and with life. I don't want to watch my life pass me by anymore, I want to be a part of it. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense, but it's whatever.

So, funny story...The aunt told her less active daughter, the cousin of the lady we were teaching, that she was going to call the Apostles and report us because her niece had told us to leave her alone and we weren't. Well the niece never told us that. It sounded like she wanted to join but her aunt was stopping her. Needless to say, we aren't welcome back. But that's okay. We have two baptism dates coming up and it looks like a few more will follow {from the same family}. Sandi was baptized 4 years ago and just recently moved to be close to her daughter and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She invited her daughter Lynn to church and wanted the missionaries to start teaching them. So far we've been teaching Lynn and her husband Joe and Sandi's husband/Lynn's father Coy. Lynn and Joe's kids have been around when we teach lessons but they haven't shown much interest in learning more. The daughter-in-law Ashley did come to the church building for Women's Conference, though. We had some technical difficulties but it seems like Lynn and Ashley enjoyed the evening anyways. Hopefully Ashley will have some questions for us soon. 

This ward is amazing at doing team-ups with the sisters as well as with the elders. The whole Relief Society is on the team up calendar and it is awesome to be able to take people to our investigators so they have familiar faces at church. It also really helps with working with less active members in our ward because it builds friendships among the members. The women are always so happy to go with us wherever we have planned that day. I can tell they see the blessings that come from missionary work. {In case it's too subtle, I'm saying get involved with missionary work! It's the best! Hahaha.} Performing service really is the best way show you love others and it's the best way to grow closer to someone. I love our investigators and everyone in the ward and my companion so much because I'm serving all the time. I guess as a missionary you can't not serve. It's the best. 

Russellville is such a cute little town. I'm actually living in what they call the "Tri-cities" because it is basically three cities on top of each other. I never know when one city ends and the other begins! It reminds me a lot of Queen Creek. I love driving to the church in Russellville because it's a half hour drive with trees on all sides and a stretch of it has open fields on both sides of the highway. It's so pretty! I didn't realize how much I missed the farm fields until I saw them again. 

Time is going way too fast for me. It was just June, and now it's October. I'm hitting four months on October 11th. Crazy!! 

Sister Salmond is amazing!! We are basically the same exact person. We love pink and princesses. We have the same personality. She bursts out in song and I dance around all the time. I am so grateful to be with her this transfer. She works really hard and is such a great example to me. I'm learning so much already. Because of her pushing us to be better, we were able to reach all of our goals this week! Yay Sister Salmond!!!

We have two baptism dates coming up and it looks like a few more will follow {from the same family}. Sandi was baptized 4 years ago and just recently moved to be close to her daughter and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She invited her daughter Lynn to church and wanted the missionaries to start teaching them. So far we've been teaching Lynn and her husband Joe and Sandi's husband/Lynn's father Coy. Lynn and Joe's kids have been around when we teach lessons but they haven't shown much interest in learning more. The daughter-in-law Ashley did come to the church building for Women's Conference, though. We had some technical difficulties but it seems like Lynn and Ashley enjoyed the evening anyways. Hopefully Ashley will have some questions for us soon. 

This ward is amazing at doing team-ups with the sisters as well as with the elders. The whole Relief Society is on the team up calendar and it is awesome to be able to take people to our investigators so they have familiar faces at church. It also really helps with working with less active members in our ward because it builds friendships among the members. The women are always so happy to go with us wherever we have planned that day. I can tell they see the blessings that come from missionary work. {In case it's too subtle, I'm saying get involved with missionary work! It's the best! Hahaha.} Performing service really is the best way show you love others and it's the best way to grow closer to someone. I love our investigators and everyone in the ward and my companion so much because I'm serving all the time. I guess as a missionary you can't not serve. It's the best. 

Life is just awesome right now. If you can be a missionary, do it. It will change your life for the better!

I hope all is well!

Sister Woodard