Hello Hello!

This has been an exciting week!  This week our ward put together a booth for a local fair that gathers thousands of people from the area.  We were able to talk to a lot of people this week and set up some appointments to visit with them and teach them more about the gospel! We're just starting to scratch the surface of all the people but we are already meeting lots of great people! 

We met with a lady in our ward who we've been trying to get to come back to church, and when we went over, she told us that her grandchildren wanted to hear the lessons!  In fact, she was going to call and cancel on us, but her granddaughter Maggie wouldn't let her.  They even came to church on Sunday!  Maggie is 9 and is so sweet! I am so excited for the chance we have to teach them :)  I love being around kids!

The Lord is pouring out so many blessings to us and giving us small miracles all the time.  Sometimes they are so hard for anyone else to understand because they are so personal to my companion and me, but I know that the Lord is so aware of us and can't wait to answer our prayers.  I'm so grateful for the gospel and for families.  It's great to know that wherever I go, I will be surrounded by my new family.  The gospel really brings people closer together!

Emily and Sister Cox went on a nature walk on Memorial Day

The Joyces got baptized this weekend!!! We've been anticipating this day for a long time and it was such a special day.  I felt the spirit so strongly throughout the whole weekend.  It was so special that their extended family was able to come out and participate in the ordinances.  They were so grateful we helped their family be baptized and come back to the gospel.  It was very sweet of them, but I know that it wasn't anything we did-- this has been the work of a lot of missionaries, and members, and prayers over the years that has allowed the Spirit to soften their hearts and be ready for this message.  They are such a wonderful family!  They are very excited to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and to continue their journey of learning and progressing in the gospel. 

We had zone conference this week which was a spiritual feast!  As I was studying the questions of the soul (chapter 5 in pmg), a question that one of our returning members had was there and I am excited to help him see how the Book of Mormon will answer his questions!  My testimony of the Book of Mormon and Preach my Gospel are growing all the time.  Both are such inspired books.  I know that they are true!

We've been trying hard to work with the members on their family mission plans more and have helped several people start their own and we will be following up with them soon.  Abingdon ward is really great! 

Thank you for all the love I felt on my birthday!  It was great to feel the love from my family and friends back home and here in the ward.  I hope you are all doing great!

Happy Mother's day!  Today is the first p-day of a new transfer and it's going to be a good one! My new companion, Sis Cox, is brand new from the MTC and is wonderful!  We are learning lots together and I love introducing her to all the wonderful people in the ward :)

We get to start our transfer off with a baptism this Saturday! The Joyce Family is getting baptized!  We are so excited for them!  Seeing the change that has come in their family has been really special. I feel blessed to be able to witness such a miracle.  I know their family and the ward has been praying for this day for a long time.

That is our most exciting news to share this week.  We have a lot of good things in the works, so with some prayers and hard work we should have some more promising investigators in the coming week!  

We had a multi-ward mental health fair this weekend and Jada came (a less active in the ward who's started to come back a few months ago, but hasn't been to church for the last little while).  She had such a good experience that she came to church too!  The ward welcomed her with open arms and she had a really good experience.  Hopefully she'll be back more regularly!

Talking to my family yesterday was so much fun!  They are such a great support and blessing to me.  I feel so blessed to have come to earth to the wonderful situation I have-- I couldn't ask for a better support group of family, extended family, and friends.  Thank you for everything! I love you all!!

Emily's birthday is May 14th.  If you want to send her a card her current address is:

19440 Midwest Circle #11

Abingdon, VA 24211

Hello!

Spring has sprung here in Abindon and it is beautiful!  The leaves are starting to bud and green is everywhere!  There is new life everywhere.

We got the transfer call this week and Sis Little is leaving Abindgon :(  We've spent a lot of this week saying good bye to people that we love.  There are so many wonderful people in this area!  I'm excited to be staying here another transfer and to be training a brand new sister.  Keep me and her in your prayers this transfer.  

We had exchanges this week and had several good things happen!  Cindy- the lady who owns the bed and breakfast we've been cleaning, fed us lunch after helping her out.  While we were eating we started talking about the gospel and she said we could teach her the lessons!  She has a several close friends who are members of the church and she has noticed the light in members' lives and she really wants that in her own life.  Meeting with her is going to be a challenge because she is so busy, but with the Lord's help, we'll be able to meet with her.

Love you lots and hope y'all are doing well!