Hello Family!

So the weather has been kind of crazy this week!   Everyone warned us that a "big storm" was coming Monday, and when we were out grocery shopping we started to get some freezing rain and got a text telling us not to be driving.  So we headed home and camped out there for the rest of the day.  It started to snow later that day and we woke up with a bunch of snow everywhere!  (Well, a bunch of snow for Tennessee!).  Here the snow turns to ice which makes it different from back home.  We had an inch of ice all over our car yesterday.  But we had to make it out so we could go hear Elder Christofferson! He was delayed a lot and we had to cut our meeting short, but it was still really neat. Learning from an apostle of the Lord is always a special opportunity.  One thing he said was, "The Lord leads this church.  He's a very active leader of this church.  Take it from someone who knows."  

All of our lessons this last week (except for 2) were with members. It was a lot of fun to be working with the members a lot more this week.  It's been fun to work with the people in Hardin Valley in addition to the Pellissippi ward.  People are making progress!   It's exciting!! 

Sorry I don't have time to write much this week.  Know that I love you!  Hope you had a safe trip to California, tell Aunt Doris that I love her and that I'm praying for her!  Hope you have fun playing ping pong!  Joseph, hope you get feeling better!  Happy Birthday!  

Love y'all!   

ice covered trees

petting a beautiful horse

the Sharp family

Dear Family and Friends,

This week we got the privilege of having the mission department from Salt Lake City come out and train us on Thursday!  It was neat to see a little bit more of the big picture and be reminded of the importance of this work and to learn ways we can share the gospel better.  That same day we were able to meet with our stake president and talk about missionary work in the stake with him.  He was a convert when he was in his 20s and he said that he's still in touch with those missionaries today.  Even though individually we play a small role, everyone's best efforts to live and share the gospel can make a huge impact. 

I'm grateful for the simplicity of the gospel and for the power of the Book of Mormon.  As I've been studying it everyday, I feel the power that it brings!  I know it is true and contains the fullness of the gospel!

Sister Ramon's mom made these dresses for Emily and her companions

Cracker Barrel -  a quinessential southern affair

delicious crepes

Hello everyone!  We were blessed with some nice weather this week!  It's hard to believe that it's January/February when it's sunny and in the 60s!  However, it's snowing right now so that probably makes up for it ;)  

I learned a lot from this 10 year old girl I met this week named Manuela.  Her mother is a member, but Manuela's never been baptized.  Two weeks ago, she came to church with a friend who was staying with their family.  Then when the next Sunday rolled around, Manuela said that she wanted to go to church again.  So the mom calls up her ex mother in law and asks her to take Manuela to church and they've been the last two Sundays!  We went over and taught Manuela the restoration this week and though she was a little shy at first, she warmed up to us and began to ask us good questions about what we were sharing with her.  She wants to know what makes our church different from the other churches around and has a desire to find out what church she should join.  She believes that prophets are important and that we need a prophet today.  She committed to read from the Book of Mormon and ask God if it was true.  What a special little girl!  We sat by her at church and another little girl came and grabbed her and said, "let's go to primary!" So off they went. We found out after sacrament meeting that her grandmother hasn't been active in the church for years.  I think it's so neat to see how someone only 10 years old is influencing her whole family for the better!  Then again, a 14 year old boy's prayer changed the world.  It's incredible what the Lord can do with those who are have a humble and sincere desire to follow Christ!

I'm so grateful for this gospel and for the strengthening power of the Atonement in our lives.  I know that this is the only way we can find true and lasting peace for now and eternity! 

Sister Ramon (from Micronesia) is so excited to see snow!

Hello Everyone! 

We had a fun week!  On Tuesday we exchanged with the Rockwood Sisters and I always have a great time with Sis Benge!  The three of us (me, Sis Benge, Sis Ramon) were able to teach together so powerfully and had great experiences together.  It was neat :)  We were so blessed this week to find 9 new people to teach!  We are hopeful that they will continue to meet with us and that we can help them progress. 

This picture is with Elder Thomas who knew Jon in the MTC!  Such a small world!  (Do you like my new shirt?  it says "I run like a girl try and keep up" I love it!)

This picture is at transfers with my two mission daughters Sis Cox and Sis Ramon :)  I love these two! 

Sorry we didn't write on Monday or Tuesday-- we were on exchanges w ith our sisters and they had emailed on Monday so you get to hear from me today!  Hope you weren't too worried!  It's SO good having Sister Echols back!  And guess what?  Sis Little is living in our house now!  It's so fun to see her again!  It was almost a year ago when we served together in Abingdon, and it's fun to see what a wonderful person she is again :)  She is helping her companion so much!  

We had a lot of fun with Aunt Betsy-- it was so sweet of her to have us over for breakfast on Monday.  I'm so grateful for the chance I have to see her as often as I do!  

We had zone training meeting today and Sis Echols and I got to do a training at that.  We were training about vision, goals, and plans.  I love talking about goal setting and we had a lot of fun.  Afterwards we played volleyball as a zone and I have gotten a lot better at it in the last 6 months!  I need to play on an intermural team when I get home to keep up my skills ;)  Yesterday on exchanges we were able to find 5 new investigators.  That NEVER happens!  It was such a blessing!! We were able to teach quite a few lessons too and taught in unity even though the three of us had only been together for the day.  It's amazing how the spirit helps us as we are doing the Lord's work!  

Love you all so much!!! 

Emily with Sister Echols

I love to see pictures of my children playing the piano:)

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a really good one!  We've been able to have several members come out with us this week which always makes a big difference.  It helps the Spirit be so much stronger in our lessons having another voice to testify of the truth!  I love the members in our ward so much and I'm happy I get to stay with them another six weeks :)  I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave this ward!

We had Mission Leadership Council this week so I got to see a lot of dear friends.  I always enjoy getting together to discuss what we can do to help our friends in the mission.  President Griffin is always helping us strive to reach our full potential and to help those in our circle of influence come closer to Christ.  It's neat to have this opportunity to serve in another way.  

This week I've been trying to pray more specifically.  It's been so neat to see how Heavenly Father has answered those prayers.  Some of them are little things, but some of them are a lot bigger.  One of our investigators we've been meeting with on and off for the last 6 months has never read from the Book of Mormon.  But this week, he told us that he's been reading AND praying!  Such a miracle!  He and his family are doing things at their own pace, but they are definitely progressing as they have been coming to Sacrament each week and are working on marriage plans.

I know this is the Lord's work and that He answers our prayers!  

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy New Year!  I always enjoy a new beginning-- a time to relect on what's happened and what's to come! It was fun to go to ward council yesterday and feel the renewed excitement and enthusiasm they have to help the ward continue to move forward and help further the Lord's work in this little corner of the vineyard right here in the Pellissippi ward.  I'm excited for the part my companion and I will play. 

Yesterday we had so many people at church!  For investigators, we had Travis and Felicia and their kids Gabe and Isis who came for Sacrament meeting. Bethany- David's wife came for Sunday School and Sacrament meeting.  For not so active members, the Marshalls came along with Julie Kennedy! We've been inviting Julie to church since August. With the new time at 10:30, I think a lof of people are more willing to come :)

We had a neat opportunity to teach this week a little unexpectedly.  A man came to fix our laundry room (it flooded last P-Day) and he could tell that we were missionaries (the name tag, the picutres of Christ kind of give it away).  Before he left I invited him to church.  He said he just moved and was looking for a new church.  It's great how the Lord puts people in our paths!