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! 

Hello!

This week was a little different because of Christmas, but we had a great time!  Talking to Mom and Dad was great!  It was weird to talk about when I'm coming home.  Since I hit my15th month mark on Christmas, everyone seems to think I'm going home soon-- I'm not sure what's up with that! 

We spent this week with a lot of member families and battling some illness, but we're doing better now and excited for another week.  We were able to teach the restoration to a 20 year old kid named Connor who grew up Christian, converted to Judaism, and now claims to be atheist.  He and his mom are just searching for the truth and can't seem to find it.  As we were teaching I could feel how much Heavenly Father loved him and wanted to help calm his confusion.  I hope he'll take to heart the invitation to study the Book of Mormon and pray.  

I know that Heavenly Father loves all His children and that He has a plan for all of us.  I'm so grateful for the Spirit to help us know what that plan is.

This is half of Emily's mission at Zone Conference right before Christmas. Emily is in
the second row almost in the middle wearing a pink sweater and a white shirt.
(If you click on the picture it should enlarge.)

This week was a different one!  We had zone conference and got to watch Frozen (that was weird to be watching a movie, but so much fun!).  We went on exchanges with the Rockwood sisters right afterwards and had a good time.  I found out that Amber decided on Thursdaythat she wanted to be baptized on Saturday and we got permission to go!  She only lives 30 minuntes away from us, so that was exciting :)  Afterwards, President wanted us to go to his house.  One of the sisters in Rogersville had to leave this morning because she got really sick, so President asked Sis Echols to go back for the rest of the transfer (3 and half weeks).  He said he felt bad when he realized that he was taking away my companion again  (he should feel bad!) but then he promised us that he would bring us back together for Sis Echol's last transfer. So I'm going to be in Pellissippi for 7 1/2 months! That's a long time!  That also means that I'm going to spend my last transfer in a new area. That's kind of a bummer, but that's ok too.  I'm sad to see Sis Echols go, but I'm glad that I get to keep Sis Ramon and that Sis Echols is coming back! She'll get to come back for MLC too the first week in January, so that will be fun to see her.

This had definitely been a crazy week, but at the least the lows have been countered by some amazing highs.  Getting to see Amber baptized was a miracle and I'm so grateful that the Lord never gives up on His children and that she let the Spirit into her heart.  

I love you all and I hope we will feel love from our Savior and our Heavenly Father during this special time of year!

Amber's baptism

a bridge in Knoxville

Elder Renlund

The Rubix cube was part of the World's Fair in Knoxville