I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

January 28, 2019

Alabama is freezing but you better believe we still bike! because miracles happen!!

Hello all y'all lovely people!!! 

This week has been incredible!! So many miracles my heart just can't take it!! I love being a missionary!!! 

Yesterday was truly one of the best days of my mission!! For the past few weeks people haven't been coming  to church and I was so sad because I literally live for church! especially the Sacrament! Can't survive without it!! So I was so sad that no one was coming!! But yesterday while we were singing the opening Hymn, THREE PEOPLE CAME!!!! 

I don't think my heart has ever felt so much joy before!! The greatest thing is seeing someone come closer to the Lord for the first time. Whether it is reading the Book of Mormon, praying or coming to church! It is so incredible to see God's Children coming to Him. It is the best thing about being a missionary and wow was my heart full to see them come!! 

Alabama is so beautiful! 

One was named Joanna! She is amazing!! We met her on monday tracting. I love to knock doors its my favorite thing and I felt so strongly that we needed to go tracking in Hanceville which is like 20 minutes away. So we drove out there and It kinds sounds funny to drive somewhere just to knock doors but I knew we needed to. Sure enough the last house we knocked on was Joanns! She is stinkin adorable and we were able to make an appointment. We came on Thursday, taught the restoration and invited her to read the Book of Mormon and come to church! AND SHE CAME ON SUNDAY!!! It was a miracle! Literally Golden!! We talked with her forever in the parking lot and answered all her questions! She had done research but went to lds.org to do it!! literally I can't get over how amazing she is and how God truly is in the details of our lives! 

Heather came back from her mission in Cali on Wednesday and so she just hangs out with us all day! She is amazing and it made me realized how fast missions go!! 

We helped our neighbor move and she gave us a bunch of things!! we gave them to so many people we are teaching haha and we were able to give her a Book of Mormon! Miracles!! 

The other one that came was Josh! He has had some pretty hard trials in his life! We talked to him after church and he was so happy! Said it was the first time he has felt the spirit in years!! He wants to come every week and already made friends with so many members! We told him about mutual and he wants his girls to come!! We gave him a Book of Mormon and he apologized because he said its going to take him a few weeks to read it because he sometimes stutters! At this point I literally couldn't contain my joy and was smiling SO BIG!! I was like "Josh that will be amazing if you read it in a few weeks!! please do that!" We are going over tomorrow to teach the restoration!! I'm so pumped he is so prepared!!! 

Love Sister Bodily!!!

During the Sacrament I was just looking at these amazing people, members and our new friends that came, and I was thinking back to all the hard times the past few weeks. I was so grateful for every single hardship and trail! In that moment I realized my Savior delivered me, brought me so much more JOY! It was so worth the pain and struggle because the JOY that came after over powered it all! 

I was thinking about Almas conversion story, from the Book of Mormon, and then I opened up mine right to it! It says 

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

Sis bodily and I are getting soooo good at cooking haha

That is what Jesus Christ gives us! This PROMISED HOPE, that no matter what you're going through, the trials at hand, HE WILL DELIVER YOU! And you will realize that the JOY that is coming is so much greater than any pain you've faced! It might take days, weeks, months or even years and with Christ you will be able to make it!! 

Then me and sis bodily because I love her so stinkin much!!

I love my Savior!! He means everything to me!! I love being a missionary!! I love the south so much, i'm highly considering moving here forever (sorry mom haha) I just love these people more than I ever thought possible! I was writing to my mission president today and just started crying in the library! I never not want to be a missionary!! I'm so honored to serve my Savior!! I love all of y'all so much!!! Keep moving forward and know that Christ is there.

have a blessed week! 

-Sister Schultz!!