A miracle, a tow truck, and what I wish I would have said...

Yesterday was quite an eventful day.

First of all it was preparation day.  As missionaries we spend all of our time and energy doing the Lords work, but obviously we have temporal needs that need to be met.

In order to meet those needs, every Monday we have “preparation day.” 

On this day we go grocery shopping, do laundry, write emails home, etc.  

The first half of the day was nice.

I wrote an email to my family at the library, we had lunch, and we went to an antique shop nearby. It is literally one of my favorite places in the world and I scored an $8 pearl necklace and vintage post cards! We then went grocery shopping at Super Target, also one of my favorite places on the earth. It is my firm belief that everyone should have a Super Target within 10 minutes of their home. That would be a perfect world. We then had dinner with a member of our church and his mom.

It was so fun to listen to them tell the stories of all the road trips their family has taken over the years.  

All of these little details are really beside the point……...

where the day got really interesting was after dinner...

We picked up a member of our church, and we headed out to an appointment with a guy we had met a couple days ago. We knocked on his door, his father answered and couldn't understand us, because he didn't speak English, oh how I wish I could speak Spanish, but his little sister came to the door and said he wasn't home.

On the way back to our car, Sister Jorgensen remembered Danny, another guy we had met in that same apartment complex, and suggested going to see him.

A miracle happened! He opened the door!! He invited us in!!! and we had an amazing discussion about the spirit and how it is the true source of knowledge and truth. We asked Danny if he had read the Book of Mormon before, and he said that he did and that he loved it!! Halfway through our meeting with Danny, his friend Gordon joined us. Gordon listened for a while without participating and then asked what the Book of Mormon was!! We explained that it was another testament of Jesus Christ and that we read it with the Bible. Our testimonies of the Book of Mormon were then reconfirmed as Danny testified that it was not just another book, but that it really was the word of God and that prophets of God wrote it and Joseph Smith, another prophet of God, translated it. 

We were amazed to hear these words come out of Danny’s mouth.

After an amazing discussion, we left Danny and Gordon and made an appointment to return the next day. 

As we walked out to the parking lot and searched for our car we realized that it was no longer where we had parked it. My initial reaction was that the car was stolen. Not good. Then someone threw out the idea that is was probably towed. Better. We ran back to Danny’s and told him what had happened and being the saint that he is, he drove us back to a member’s home and they took us to pick up our car.

Finding the towing company that towed our car was an adventure all in itself. Once we finally got there, we thanked the nice tow truck man and offered him a Mormon.org card. We invited him to check it out, and he responded, “No, that kind of thing isn't for guys like me.”

I wonder what kind of man you have to be to not even “check out” a website or have God in your life.

I wish I would have said….. I truly believe that EVERYONE can find greater happiness from the things that they will find on Mormon.org. I truly believe that everyone has room for God in their life. There is no type of person that cannot gain blessings by accepting God and Jesus Christ in their life. I know that this is the kind of thing for “guys like you” because the gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone, regardless of age, race, sex, background or whatever you think differentiates you from others. I know we are all God’s children and that this is the” kind of thing” for everyone.

Instead of that I didn't say anything, I just thanked the nice man and wished him a good night. 

But if my car is ever towed by that man again, I will make sure to tell him, I know that a guy like him would really love the Book of Mormon, even if he doesn't know it yet!

All names have been changed in this story.....except Sister Jorgensen :)

Happy New Year!

I realize it is January third...so I am a little late, but better late than never!

It really is amazing to look back on a whole year and realize how fast it really passed by! 

I feel like so much has changed in the past year! 

I remember last year around this time I was packing up my things and moving out of my parents house for the very first time.... granted, I was only moving 45 minutes away, but it was still a big deal.  

I was so excited and so ready! 

In these past 12 months I have made so many new friends and learned so much! I'm am grateful for the experiences I have had and I am grateful to share them with you! 

Happy New year everyone!

2013 Summary 

 

January- My brother returned home from his two-year mission in Riverside California. For the first time in four years, all of my family was together again! 








I started my first semester of college at BYU-Idaho  and made many new friends!

 Spent the summer with my wonderful and crazy family!

I had the awesome opportunity to work at Jamba Juice with my brother and cousin!  

 I made the choice to serve a full-time mission! I got my call to serve in the Washington DC South mission!

Traveled a little bit, with a trip to California, Utah, and Minnesota. 

 Now I am here in Virginia serving the Lord full time! I absolutely love to share the empowering message of Christ's restored gospel on the Earth, with my brothers and sisters!

“Oh the weather outside it frightful…”

A couple of Sunday mornings ago...... I was filled with excitement as I watched the first snow of the year, fall from the sky. I was filled with gratitude, because after living in Idaho for the past nine years of my life I have become accustomed to a white Christmas. But as a missionary, with the snow comes uncertainty…. I heard this rumor about Virginia that when it snows... EVERYTHING shuts down.

I really thought that it was only a rumor.  

Sunday proved me wrong.

As the snow continued to fall and we were advised not to drive on the roads, Sister Loar and I decided we would knock doors.

We knocked…

… and knocked

….. and knocked.

Surprisingly we don’t get very many doors slammed in our face, but door after door we hear something like, “Sorry, not interested” or  “No, I already have a church”.  As missionaries, our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I try to be BOLD and show people how very important this gospel is but the words never come out right.

The door that stood out to me that day, was a door with a man behind it....he was probably in his 30's and he had a southern accent. He opened the door, we introduced ourselves, and he said, "Ya'll, just go home, it's cold outside and no one wants to hear it." He then shut the door without another word, and we continued onto the next door and I hope he saw through his peep hole that we did so. I hope something stirred in his heart, and told him that somewhere there is someone who not only wants to hear what we have to say, but needs to hear what we have to say.

I wish I would have said...... . I know that what we go around sharing everyday IS IMPORTANT and that it will change your life. Maybe you feel comfortable, or satisfied with your life, but I know that no matter how much money or friends or faith you have.... none of that is as valuable as what I have come to share with you today. I would love to share it with you, and if you do not want to hear it, that is okay...but I'm not going to go home just because its cold outside and I feel discouraged. I know that what I am doing is important. I know that it is the Lords work.

Something like that.......

-Sister Eddy

What I Wish I Could Say....

As a Missionary I often miss out on opportunities to say or do something....mostly because of my fears. 

I have realized that deep down, I am an introvert. I have lots of extrovert qualities, but the root of me is an introvert. That is something I have definitely become aware of while serving a mission and knocking lots of doors. 

I have decided the best way to get over this is recognize those experiences, write them down, and be better next time!
Crazy missionary stories soon to come.....

-Sister Eddy

Stumbling

stum·ble

ˈstəmbəl/

1.a. To trip and almost fall

b. To proceed unsteadily

I have been thinking a lot about stumbling lately….

We have all stumbled once or twice in our lives. If you are anything like me, you probably stumble at least once or twice per day.

 I stumble over my feet.

 I stumble over my words.

And sometimes I stumble over curbs. 

(My sad attempt at poetry)

All joking aside, these are all physical examples of stumbling that occur on a regular basis, but the stumbling that has been on my mind is mental and spiritual stumbling. 

What causes us to stumble spiritually?

The scriptures often mention stumbling blocks.

A stumbling block is a trial or an affliction that causes us to stumble.

If we all took a moment to think of things in our lives that we would consider to be a stumbling block, I’m sure we could all jot down a significantly long list. I am not the only human that is great at finding flaws in life, right?

There are two different kinds of stumbling blocks I have identified in the scriptures.

#1 Personal stumbling blocks: Things we bring upon ourselves, that set us back and get in the way of our progression in life.

#2 Divine stumbling blocks: A trial that God allows us to come upon in order for us to learn and grow, and depending on how we deal with it, will determine whether it sets us back or not.

The hope I find in stumbling, is that stumbling is tripping and ALMOST falling. There will be stumbling blocks in our lives, but we do not have to fail or fall!  Trials will slow us down, but they will not stop us on our progression toward our hopes and dreams. We can move forward and although our stride may be unsteady, it will grow stronger as we continue forward.

I know that we were sent to this Earth to learn and to grow. 

I know there will almost always be stumbling blocks in our way. 

Life isn't easy. 

But I know also know that we can find strength in Jesus Christ. 

I know that because of His love and His infinite Atonement, we do not have to fall.

-Sister Madeline Eddy 

Let Us Give Thanks

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I thought I would share this video of random people on the streets, sharing what they are grateful for. In watching it, may we all remember what little things we are grateful for (and the big things too). I am grateful for my eternal family, my wonderful friends, the opportunity to serve a mission in beautiful Virginia, and for the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Daily

Wouldn't it be nice if we all opened our eyes to see that there is so much in our lives to be grateful for each and every day?