It's WHAT week already?

     Yeah, it's almost time for the next transfer to happen. Maybe I"ll stay maybe I"ll move. I just have a feeling that my visa is close. So our potential investigator, Bill Knight, has decided to totally drop us. His wife wants no discussion of religion whatsoever... BUT in the area book he will go and we have perhaps at least planted a seed... And it will give other people the chance to contact him! We all had a good feeling about him, but maybe something else with someone else will happen. We still are thinking of ways maybe we could get his wife in a conversation... It's a work in progress :) Cheryl is kinda hard to get into contact with. We had a scheduled appointment but she wasn't there when my companions went by, happened during exchanges so I wasn't there :( We keep trying though. I hope that we can get in soon. We met someone yesterday Ainika, and gave her a Book of Mormon. She said she would be at the library today while we were here so maybe we'll be able to talk with her some more. There are a few people that the Elders want us to go see. We stopped by yesterday and no one was home so we left a note. Going to go back later this week and see if we can get a hold of them. Best part is, no phone numbers :) Only addresses so we can't call and see if they're even home. Which is okay actually, because it gives me a chance to use some transportation called "Feet." They're very useful actually ;)

       We were able to meet some inactive members this week as well. Cora is amazing! Hasn't been active for a good many years but the Spirit in her home was great. She's a foster parent to three little kids. Cutest things ever. We drove up to her home and they all ran towards us. "PEOPEL!, Do you need Miss Cora?! Okay. We go get her!" Too cute. She went through the temple and was sealed with her husband there (George wasn't there when we visited). We asked if she would start reading the Book of Mormon again and told her that it is actually scripture and that it goes along with the Bible. She lives far away so when we go out we've already decided to get Brother Walker, the cutest old guy ever, to go out with us.

      Then we saw Candace. She's got a lot of health problems that she's trying to figure out right now and a little girl that drives her crazy haha. That kid has a lot of energy! Her sister actually lives right next to her and their parents. Crystal is looking for a reason to get back to church... She just needs a nice little invitation :). We wanted to see them all but Crystal wasn't home and neither were their parents.

They are all great people. It's hard when you know something is true and that it's really important but another person doesn't always want to act on what they feel.

       The other day we were able to teach the Relief Society lesson, which was about missionary work actually. Wonder why we were teaching? Haha. But I think it went well. We emphasized the fact that we needed the members help to get more people. We can contact all we want but it really does make a difference if they are friends with a member or are willing to be apart of the fellowshipping efforts before AND after baptism. I know it's sometimes hard to see someone and not judge them, but if they've taken the gospel in their lives we need to be more than willing to help them stick like glue to the gospel. I know that people have their own choice, but we can make the difference in if someone feels and sees what is preached.

     Cairo is smaller than Yankton... I'm not kidding, but it's an area that has so much potential and even though I don't really know what to do I'm praying for guidance every day! I hope all things are going well at home. And remember FIGUE FIRME NA FE! Stay strong in the faith :)

 

Com Amor,

Sister Irons

The South VS. The West

       Alright. So this week has been good. We are basically going around doing roster clean-up. There hasn't been much communication between the actives and the less actives so we really wanted to get in to see as many of them as we possibly could. Our goal is high, totally nuts, and yet completely possible: visit all 100 less actives before the end of our transfer (six week period). We usually drive into town and walk all over the place to see people.

       Something that I have noticed while being here is that the South is very different from basically everywhere I have been... Like very different. I'm used to a whole different kind of culture called the West :) Getting used to some things is a little bit different for me, but I love the people here so it's all good. Things are moving a little bit slow. We have been constantly trying to get back into touch with a woman we met a week ago, Chyral. She was really interested but we have either missed her/she wasn't home or she's been sick and had to cancel our meetings... My companionship is a very stubborn bunch however and are very determined to get in and see her! never put it passed a stubborn and determined companionship, whether it be elders or sisters!

Being out in the mission has helped me realize how "out-there" I need to be. I can tend to be more of a wave, say hello, and keep walking kinda person. My goal is to just walk up to people and start conversing with them. Wish me luck y'all!

       This work is true. I know that I'm here in Cairo for a reason and I know that as I go about doing what I should i will be able to do what is needed.

 

Love you all!

 

Sister Irons

Hello from Georgia..

Alrighty y'all,

   Love being able to say that and it be totally normal. For anyone that didn't know I"ve been reassigned to the Tallahassee Florida Mission until I get me visa. My first area is in Cario, GA. Great huh? It's a small place that has a branch of about 20 members with 100-120 on role. Met pretty much everyone yesterday at church. Everyone seems really nice. The Elders were able to have an investigator, BJ and his son Landon, come and they seemed really great.

It's kinda weird and a little bit hard not being in Brazil right now, but I know I'm here for a reason and can't wait to go meet all the amazing people that we get to :)

 

If you'd like to write me a letter my new address is:

Sister Samantha Irons

247 Hinson Rd.

Cairo, GA 39828

Week # 5 And there is some EXCITING NEWS!!!

Sister Irons has been temporarily re-assigned to the Tallahassee, FL Mission. She will be leaving the Provo MTC on September 17th and head to Florida. 

Mailing address update coming soon!

Week #4 Another day in the Neighborhood

Dear All,
Got your picture of you and Carter at the ocean! Looked like you two were having a blast. Sounds like it was all great fun too. He looks bigger... Guess that's what they do when you feed them huh?! 

Also received all your letters and Dear Elders! Looky at who knows her stuff! Sister Marriage and Family Counselor. Carter will be fine, he'll be great! The kid is the happiest darn thing that I have ever seen in my life, I've got a lot of faith in y'all :) 

So news!!!! I don't need to get up at 5:30 anymore!!! Schedule change and now all the Brazilians are on the regular schedule and can actually GET UP at 6:30. It is FABULOUS. I get to feel like I'm sleeping in every day now. Today is a mini P-Day so we did laundry and get to email (obviously). But for the next couple of weeks (ALMOST TIME!!!) I'll send things on Fridays. So You get two emails from me this week, yay!!  

So there is an experience that I wanna share with you that I've had these ppast few days.

There was a lot going on at home before I left on my mission. Everyone has there different trials and handles them in their own different ways. For the first few weeks I didn't feel like I had any time to actually think about anything except what I was teaching (anyone having been in the MTC, y'all know exactly what i"m talking about!). 

While in the MTC there are two things that you hear CONSTANTLY. 1) This mission is NOT about you, forget yourself and go to work. 2) Trust the Lord. The mission is a hard time, but we're on the Lord's side and He wants to help us. Give HIm all your worries and problems (because even though most of the time you're thinking about your investigators let's face it, we still sometimes think about the things we need to improve on and try to deal with the problems we have).

The past few weeks I've pondered on some things that happened before I came and was having a hard time with it. I usually can just pick up the phone and talk it out with mom or dad but hey it's the mission you can't do that! Which is fine but I wasn't really listening to the counsel given to me and totally stretching forth my hand to receive the help Christ could, and I know would, provide.

This last Sunday a lot of things helped me out but the one that I'd like to emphasize is Trust in The Lord. I was thinking about the blessing I had received before I had been in the MTC and the one I had received while being here. EVERY SINGLE one has said "Trust in the Lord, hold out your hand to Him and LET HIM help you." As you very well know I am stubborn and was all like yeahhhhh, okay sure. I told myself that I could do it myself... Cute right? I had to pull down my stubbornness and realize that the relationship we have with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is an absolutely amazing one. He knows what we go through but we have to ask for help and can't just assume that since He knows that He'll do something. Having the faith that He'll help you and humbling yourself to realize that this, whatever this may be for anyone, is something in that we need the help of the Lord.

I think in the last three/four days the lesson/spiritual thought/gooy feeling/whatever you want to call it is this; ONE other person knows EXACTLY how you are feeling. When you're sick, tired, exhausted, sad, frustrated, happy, confused, stressed, and all other emotions you can think of, Jesus Christ. It's the hardest lesson I've learned so far, and I know there will be a lot more harder things in the field and throughout life. 

I feel about 1.0000 times better now and I feel like I've grown so much ( I know only four weeks, think about how I'll be when I get back!). 

I absolutely love this gospel and I know things will work out how they need to, the journey there just get's pretty crazy.

Anyways that's what I have to say. Love you and I can't wait to email you again, on Friday :)

Te-Amo,

Sister Irons

Week #3 of Sister Irons' Adventure in the Provo MTC!

All,

   It's another week at the MTC and everything seems to be mushing together like days just kinda slide into the next haha. Still learning a lot. While I'm still working hard on the language I'm learning that I need to focus on gospel teachings as well. It makes tings easier to mix together when I've got a Portuguese PMG, BOM, and Bible to read along with your English one :) As always the language is beautiful! Learned how to say "I want" something. Which, let's face it, is great. I want to go to the bathroom is probably one of the top three most important phrases to know in another language. Say it with enough ergency and I'm sure someone will get that I'm gunna go, and go right then! Haha. Sang in sacrament meeting this past Sunday with the girls from my district. Did a great job on Come Thou Fount. Plus we only decided to learn it and practice it 12 hrs before haha. All went well.

Eduardo, one of our investigators, is really taking the gospel. Takes in what we have to say and is eger to learn more every time. Want to ask him a lot of questions and get to know him a little bit more but ya know the language block is problematic. I completely testify that the spirit makes up for what we may lack in language communication though. He knows what we want to say and have the investigator feel the way the spirit makes people feel :)

Landon, our other investigator... For this guy I really wish I was fluent. He's done a lot and just needs to understand that nothing cannot be forgiven. Always trying to find something that I could say tohelp him see that. He's had a total 180 turn around in the past year and has the ability to be so much. They weren't kidding when forgiving yourself was really hard. I know that I just wish I could help him. It's hard to relay that message when you aren't fluent in their native lang... AH! But love them both and like I said the spirit can do much more than we can so we both try to go in and teach by the spirit and not just with the spirit.

Keep writing because I love y'all and love hearing what's up.

Love you,

Sister Irons

Week #2 at Provo!

Kim and Co.,

hello there! So the shift key isn't always wanting to work so this while thing may be kinda mushed together :) (oddly enough it'll let me make smiley faces ).... So Miss Kim, you're going to be a fantastic YW leader. I mean for real Irma. i'm sure all will be great, you've got a sweet, strong spirit that those girls probably need a little of. 

life in the mtc is definitely not slowing down! Haha. we got our first investigator to commit to baptism, boo-yeah, that spirit works great. now my companion, sister stone, and i are working with two new investigators. one of them, Landon, i can see has the most amazing spirit but he's been through some rough patches in his life. he's changed a lot of things but he needs to feel loved. i have a pretty strong feeling that after we first taught him it was for a reason. the same things that Landon needs to hear are those same ones that i need to hear and accept, long story but the lord works in ways that we don't expect. our other investigator's name is Eduardo and we haven't met him yet but i'm excited and a little nervous. he used to be atheist and within the past year has come to believe in god and wants to do his work.... i just hope that doesn't mean he's a JW or something.... that could be kinda hard lol. 

Since everyone here that is going to Brazil is waiting for their visas they don't really have room for us so we have to be up and ready by 6:30 to get breakfast.... and we eat dinner at like 4. it's kinda insane but i love it anyway. this is the place where i'm supposed to be and the lord never let's met forget it. my district is amazing. along with letters from you and home we've been helping everyone with everything. plus we laugh a lot. i was so terrified that they would all be totally immature or overly serious, turns out they're a great mix of in between lol.

tell me about the peaches! i wish i was able to have some. i miss the summers when we made jam and canned peaches. tell me how my nephew is doing and how life is going :) One of my best friends from school is reporting tomorrow to Mexico mtc and i'm super excited for her. makes me so happy. this work is great, tell Brock not to give up, I'm learning how important his calling is for us missionaries. anywho, the language is still coming but I'm not freaking out like i was my first week. I'll get it and when I do I'll be rocking Salvador, Brazil ;)

Love you all,

Irma Irons