Mormon 3:22 Goodbye Sister T

Wow.This week was a whirlwind. I feel like I am on a rollercoaster right now!

So the sister we had with us went home on wednesday. It was pretty sad to see her leave her mission, but she will continue to do great things. I learned a lot from her :)

On tuesday we walked tori and her friends dogs, and came inside to see Tori's two children sitting down at the table. We sat down and taught them the restoration with tori bearing testimony along side of us!

Her daughter who is 23 asked a lot of questions. The lesson went so well and we were so excited to have finally met her daughter and teach her! We set up a return appointment :)

Sadly, opposition set in and she cancelled... but we are keeping the faith. Someday all of her family will be members! I know it.

This week was sister Tarwater's last week as a full time missionary, and we saw so many miracles. We found so many new investigators and made a lot of return appointments. Sadly most of the people we had taught and were set with a date for baptism dropped off of the face of the earth, especially K :( God is great, he has blessed us with many more people to teach. There is never an end to an area. God has people who are prepared everywhere we go, and we will continue to find them by talking to everyone and following the spirit!

Tori got her temple recommend this week! And so did Kyle down in nagshead! I am grateful for my mission every single day.

We had a great opportunity to see some doors finally open. Sister Tarwater has been here for 11  months, and I for 6. For the past 8 months we have spent a lot of prayers, thoughts, and door knocking on this specific house. We have both felt so strongly that the people are prepared for the gospel. The husband is a member, but was only active for 2 years when he was a child, so he really doesn't know anything about the church. We have met the wife a couple times, and this time she let us in! the night was a scary one... severe lightening and thunderstorms, and even TORNADOES. we were out working hard, and sherrie felt bad for us so she let us in and let us teach her :) her husband who i had never met came downstairs, they grabbed the book of mormon we left with them and we taught the restoration. he was taking notes!  she said she was intrigued and wanted to learn more! not bad coming from the granddaughter of a southern baptist preacher!

We are super excited.

Sister Ts last day yesterday was an amazing one. We found 2 new investigators who were outside, one has the cutest little 4 year old daughter who sung for us :)

It is super hard saying goodbye to someone who has easily become one of my best friends. Sister Tarwater has taught me so much, and I know God put us together for a reason. I am a better person because of her.

I am sure y'all are wondering about transfers...

Funny story about this one.

A while ago president baker asked us for suggestions on 3 sisters who could be sister training leaders. I have a sheet of the missionaries in our mission, and I was looking through it and this specific sister kept coming to mind. I have never met her but she wouldn't leave my mind. A couple days later I had the strongest feeling she was going to be my companion. I felt really at peace about it. Well, President Baker called on Saturday to tell me my new companion here in great Bridge is Sister Griffin, the same sister I had expected. He called another set of sister training leaders in Norfolk, so now we are just the sister training leaders for 2 zones instead of 4.That leaves so much more time to be in our own area! I am so excited for the miracles that will take place!

I have been very nervous for this coming transfer... being without sister tarwater will be a big change, but God is so good. He has been blessing me with his spirit in more abundance this past week. I am filled with his peace and I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Have a wonderful week!

I am grateful every day for this choice I have made to serve God. My testimony and faith grows every single day. I love our Savior with all of my heart and I know there is power in choosing Christ.

I also love talking to strangers. 

xoxox

sister snow

Happy Easter!!

Chelsea is definitely flying home on July 22.  She would love to see  you all there



So this week has been very interesting to say the least. I told y'all last week that we have another sister with us. She has been with us since last Monday. I will spare the details, but President has put her with us so we can show her the joy in missionary work and help to change her mind about going home. I don't think I have ever been so tired before in my life! Did I say that last week??
We had a great week despite the many hurdles that have come our way. We found many new investigators, something we have been struggling with a lot this transfer.
Some things I will highlight :
Met a guy named J while we were contacting a referral. He was standing outside smoking so we went up and started to talk to him. He wasn't too interested at first, but as we spoke with the spirit, it touched his heart and he opened up. He told us how he moved here from New Jersey to get away from the bad scene and to change his life. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and how it will fill his life with peace. He agreed to a return appointment. So we come back the next day... he answers and says today isn't a good day, so naturally we read the scriptures with him on his door step and have a lesson and set up another return apt. At this point I want to say he's flaky and we will move on to someone who wants this in their life and will make time... but we all feel we need to be PERSISTENT and FOLLOW UP (Elder Ballard conference talk reference of course ) so we knock on the door again for our 3rd appointment and J lets us in. We walk in and there are 4 men inside all moving around chairs so they can sit in with us. At first I thought I was going to get jumped. This easily became one of my favorite moments on my mission. We only had about 15 minutes and we said the opening prayer and I grab the Book of Mormon and start explaining it, testifying and the spirit is INCREDIBLE. Us three little white girls sitting in an apartment teaching big guys about Jesus Christ. One was on the floor, others in chairs around us, they kept saying, "Wow that's amazing." And "I want to read this book right now" and as we were setting up a return apt, one guy says how long is the apt. We told him 45 minutes and he said that wasn't enough time. Haha that is not usually a typical reaction! He told us that this opened up his eyes to want to learn more.
I love being a missionary.

We had dinner with Ms.T and had some really amazing experiences with her. She is so wonderful. I cannot even explain to y'all my love for her. She is amazing-going through SO much right now and she just happily moves on and serves others. We taught her about the restoration and we promised her before we taught that names and faces would come to mind of who is ready for her to make an invitation to, and as we followed up after, she said there are too many faces to be able to keep track. So I hand her a sticky note and she starts writing all these names down! One name.. Billy jo she wrote and then erased a couple times, until finally she gasped and said, "I don't know why I keep writing this name down! I don't know a Bil-oh my goodness. He is deceased."
She is so in tune to the spirit and to the other side of the veil. We all knew that night that her family member Billy Jo is waiting to have his temple work done.
It was remarkable.
S who was scheduled for baptism lost his job this week so he was been MIA.
So has K. she decided to leave for Florida this week and not tell us, or answer the phone. So she isn't going to make her date this week....
Please pray for K.

Easter Sunday was honestly just like another Sunday. Holidays like Easter and Christmas do not feel so much as a holiday to me, because everyday I get to carry the Easter spirit with me as I teach others about the hope of the atonement. We did get to play with chickens.. So that was a bonus.
The weeks seem to be rushing by even faster. This is sister Tarwater's last week. We are not talking about that though... I am so devastated. I love that woman. She has changed my life. 6 months with a companion is a long time, and I have been SO lucky to have learned so much from her.
I am learning every single day how powerful the Book of Mormon is and how that is a key component of our conversion. As we study from the scriptures and preach my gospel, we will be able to learn what Heavenly Father wants of us, and we will feel ourselves desire to repent and work harder to become like the savior.
I know that Christ's power gives us the ability to change. We all have weaknesses, some are in our faces more than others, but as we turn to Christ and are yoked with him, our load will be easier to bare.  I want to hear about your studies in preach my gospel!!!
Have a BLESSED week!!
xoxox sister Snow

chicken chasing

He is Stronger

Dearest Family,
Momma, Dad, and Chan... I hope you are having so  much fun in Nicaragualalaiaajwe (Nicaragua). And that you are being SAFE and giving those Nica people book of mormons ;) I met a couple people from there this week when I was an hermana for the day! Catch a wave for me Chan. hahah jk I'm a poser.
This week was one of the most tiring weeks of my mission. and life. We had so many exchanges to go on, and with sisters who are really struggling. Sister Tarwater and I have not been together for more than two days. It's been crazy!
Remember me talking about Tori, and how her 12 year old son doesn't know that she is baptized because of legal stuff and she is wanting to wait to introduce him to the church until they move to Wisconsin?? Well, we had a miracle this week: we are teaching him. He came to church!!
Started off monday night, we had a FHE with the Bishop and Tori was invited. We invited her to invite him. She said no, but then sent us a text 1 min after saying, "Something is nudging me to invite him. We'll be there at 7." THE SPIRIT!!!! She is so good and diligent and following promptings!!!  Her son said the FHE was the best part of his day and he loves mormons. scoreee.
Tuesday was exchange #1. We saw so many people here in Great Bridge and had many miracles, taught a new investigator who is basically LDS and told us to not to get discouraged because of rejections and just know you are planting seeds. Hahaha.  Taught S the Word of Wisdom-it was a toughy. He loves making his beer. The spirit was strong though and he committed to work on it and pray about it.
Exchanged back the next day, had some time to weekly plan, then saw one of my favorite less active members! Had a very uplifting, spiritual lesson with her. I love teaching the gospel SO much. I wish I had time to go into details!!  Then exchanged again and drove down to NAGSHEAD WHAT WHAATTTTT. I was an hermana. We had two exchanges there, and I don't know what is going on... but I taught and understood almost everything that was going on! All I can say is the gift of tongues= REAL. It was a real testimony booster of how amazing the Holy Ghost really is.
Got back to Greatbridge and we were sooo exhausted. I don't think I have ever prayed so hard in my life for energy, positivity, and strength. God is so amazing to have sent his Son down to Earth to suffer for us individually, so that we can have strength when we cannot imagine taking one step further. He is there with us every step of the way. I KNOW this is true, It happened to me this entire week.
Friday was a very tough day. The sisters that we were with are really struggling, and so we had the blessing of lifting them up. It is amazing to me how every exchange I have been on, God provides specific people to be placed in our path, or specific situations that are just what these sisters need to be able to grow in confidence and in their testimonies. The second we got to Great Bridge we went to contact a referral from Ms. T (she's given us like 10!!  So CONVERTED!!!! )with and we brought Ms. T along with us while the woman was cutting T's sons's hair, we started teaching her. The woman said she really connected with the sister's conversion story and agreed to meet with us. It was just what this sister needed. God knows us so perfectly, and he knows his children so perfectly! He really is involved in the smallest fabrics of our lives.
K is getting baptized the 26 now...Keep Miss K in your prayers.
We recieved a call this morning from President Baker... he wants us to take another sister with us and be in a trio for the rest of this transfer. I am humbled by how much Heavenly Father trusts me and apparently knows that I can handle this! I am excited! More people to love :)
I know with all of my heart that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is stronger than all stumbling blocks that are in our way, be it anxiety, negative thoughts, agency of others... Christ has the power to overcome it all. We just need to let him.
LOVE Y'ALLL SO MUCHHHHH!!!!
Have an amazing week!!
xoxox
Sister Snow!!
Guess who is coming here May 3?!?!? ELDER BEDNAR!!!! SO EXCITING!!! It is going to be a combined mission conference with RICHMOND!! I get to see my old mission and friends!!  CANT WAIT!!

Treats for the Sis Exchanges and training leader duties

Rearrange the apartment time

Sunrise testimony mtg and beach run in OBX

How Awesome was Conference?!

I have included the questions that were asked by the reporter:

why are you on a mish
have you felt any danger
what do you believe
what drew you to this church
what do you want the public to know about the church and you as missionaries

chelsea wrote, "I was nervous and then it got better. In the interview it just felt like a normal lesson but we were with the assistans and mission president... oh my old bishop was there and he kept hugging me! So awkward! He told me I'm his long lost daughter and asked me to marry his son in Australia.
hahaha

I answered all of them i think
Begin forwarded message:

This week went by way to quickly! honestly it terrifies me how quickly the time is going by... the days are quickly turning to weeks and the weeks into months.
This week we has two exchanges back to back and an interview with the Virginian Pilot. Our interviewer is a roman catholic man who saw two missionaries riding by on their bikes a couple weeks ago and remembered a couple years back when two elders were shot and one was killed in the area. He was baffeled at how after this, no more reports on missionaries have been mentioned. So he wanted to change this. We had a conference call with salt lake and the representatives gave us tips on how to answer questions and areas to avoid. They told us not to try and convert the reporter... first question in all four of us  missionaries had explained the restoration and bore our testimonies. It was fun :) the interview was a very fun expereince, we had the opportunity to tell the whole coastal side of virginia what we want them to know about us missionaries, how our service has been, and why we came on missions. The article should be in the newspaper and online by the end of this month! hopefully i didnt ruin the name of the church! kidddinggggg

One of the exchanges I was on this week was in Norfolk, my first area! i had the blessing of seeing some less actives we used to work with, all my heart, soul and prayers going towards there behalf a year ago. It is amazing that bond that the gospel of Jesus Christ creates. Once you have learned to love as Christ does, there is no turning back.

This week we found a couple new investigators, and we have been working so hard every single day. Missionary work is such an adventure everyday... We seek for people to teach all day everyday. From knocking doors, to scheduled appointments, lessons at members, and even walking to people chillin in their garage having a litle kick back, and having a 30 minutes discussion on the Book of Mormon! I couldn't be happier!  It is tempting to get discouraged at times, but with the Lord on our side we can not lose.
We had some powerful lessons this week as well. We taught the smiths again, and it was the most amazing lesson yet. The smiths are/were very closed off and were taking the lessons so they can know what their daughter believes. the more we havebeen teaching them, and bringing the spirit into their home, the more they are changing. Slowly but SURELY. A couple lessons ago brother smith was upset because he had been praying for an answer to a personal question and the scriptures he had read were broad. We encouraged him to keep reading and praying, that the answer will come.  well this time bro smith says "remember how i was upset that my prayer wasnt answered? well i found my answer." I learned through reading the book of mormon and from opening his heart to the spirit, that he needs to focus on others more. he experienced a complete change of heart. Before, he told us that when he read the book of mormon he felt like God was telling him "hes good where hes at." but now everytime he reads the book of mormon he sees how much he needs to improve on. this has shown me how powerful the book of mormon is. it really does CHANGE hearts.

HOW AMAZING WAS GENERAL CONFERENCE?!?!?!??!?!! it came at the perfect time. Life is stressful and feels overwhelming at times, but how lucky are we to be regrounded by the words of our leaders who are chosen by God?
I recieved so many answers to my questions, and i know that the real change doesnt take place until we apply it and ACT, are persistant, and follow up.
Hope everyone enjoyed listening to conference, and has a wonderful week.
arise and respond in love and kindness!!!
xoxox
sister snow