Surviving the Physical Whirlwinds With the Scriptures

The only way to start this letter is to say that I feel I am more qualified to say that I have survived a tornado. All of yesterday was stormy and when we went home to our tin box it just got worse. Finally a member told us there was a tornado watch for Copiah county which then turned into a tornado warning which then signaled the tornado siren to go off at about 11:45pm. She drove and picked us up and took us to her house to spend the night. Sister Baker was freaking out. I was calm until the sirens went off but according to Sister Baker she couldn't tell that my insides were in a knot. Sister Rosenauer said they test the tornado sirens every Tuesday back home in Iowa. As soon as Emily (member) cleared her kids onto the couch so we could use their beds, Sister Rosenauer rolled up and promptly fell asleep. It was tougher for Sister Baker and I to sleep. Eventually I got up and grabbed my scriptures and a flashlight and read John 14. Verse 27 always gives me peace and last night verse 18 did, too. "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you." By about 12:30am or so I finally made it back to sleep and slept till the morning to find the power out and everyone safe and sound. When Emily dropped us back home, the power was back on and it appeared as though nothing had happened.

I absolutely loved conference. Some things I noticed: a lot about family history, standing up for your faith, use the full name of the church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, missionaries resist resistance, spiritual whirlwinds are worse than physical whirlwinds, have gratitude in your heart, love others with charity. I forgot my study journal with all my notes or I would tell you more and the speakers. I'll try to next week. We stayed most of both days at the church watching with the elders. Sunday morning was a lot of fun though because a couple families in the branch have a brunch tradition before the Sunday Morning session. Such good food! Other than that session it was pretty empty.

Between sessions on Saturday we visited a member who recently had surgery. And afterward traveled to Crystal Springs and finally got to see where our Branch President lives (his wife is gone during the week so we couldn't have gone in before). It was so good to visit with her, Sister Miller always makes me smile. She and her husband have only been members for 2 years and yet are such strong members, they both inspire me.

This has been a crazy week. With some parts that I always want to remember and some parts that I would love to forget. That's mission life. Luckily I haven't experienced yet what it feels like to be pelted with mashed potatoes like that one sister missionary Elder Holland described, but I do understand "resisting resistance." During a bad tracting experiencing on Friday, I almost fell but jumped on asking my companions to help distract me. Unfortunately Sister Baker had to use talk about "Doctor Who" (one of our favorite shows) to distract me but it worked. Later on when we faced scary dogs, we prayed for protection and our prayer was answered, we didn't see the dogs again--though we heard them--as we walked away and back to our bikes. The hand of the Lord has definitely been in the work this week.

Just one more General Conference before I get home. Haha, This next six months will be great. Mom, I'm going to need another Ensign. :)

Love you all so much! Happy Easter in 2 weeks. Transfers will be the Tuesday afterward.

Survivor Sister Stewart

 Smile :)

  I love looking at old gravestones. We explored this cemetery in Crystal Springs.

 Tracting with dogs again. I fell behind taking pictures of a run-down house hidden in the trees.

 Stuck behind the train while walking back to our car.

 Dancing to "Break Every Chain" with some investigators who taught us the first time we met them. Sister Rosenauer was really good.

Ready to tract. We parked our bikes on a bridge because I couldn't find any other place our locks would fit. 

Elder Burt (I served with him in Shreveport) was in the Orem Institute choir Saturday afternoon session. 

When we woke up this morning, this was the most damage we saw. The basketball hoop just narrowly missed Brother Martin's truck.