Ruston,LA- Week #45

Good afternoon ya'll! 

Man, what a week it has been! It has been a while since I couldn't think of what to share for this group email, I usually come up with them pretty quickly! So much has happened, I don't really know where to begin! Well, I will start by saying that Sister Eaton is doing a lot better, still homesick, but she is taking it like a champ! I think this week we both missed home a little bit because of this crazy weather!! Holy cow! I have literally never seen so much rain in my life!! It rained non-stop for 3 or 4 days, so missionary work has been pretty hard because nobody wants to meet with us or want us to even try to come by because the weather was so crazy!

We also had a flood in Monroe, which is pretty close to where I am at. There is a ton of damage there, and I am SUPER grateful that the flood didn't really come over here much. We had a ward member who owns a barber shop and his workplace was covered in like an inch or two of water. He was supposed to give a talk on Sunday but I ended up doing it. he was super stressed about his shop. Also water got into the Elder's apartment but as far as damage goes that is all I know of! Our apartment is okay. We were blessed BIG time! 

Maybe some of you already know, or maybe you don't. There was a less active in our ward (Destiny) her husband Chris Horton went missing on Wednesday night in Jonesburo (which is a little town right next to me) and Destiny panicked and called us over to help comfort her because all of her family was gone. Nobody was there to help her! he was missing for a while, no body knew what happened to him but I will spare ya'll all of the details of the story, but he ended up being found. He was hanging on a tree for 19+ hours. His car got caught under a tide and flipped the car and he had like 15 seconds to get out of the car before it completely covered with water. We are so grateful that he made it home! The rescue team found him and he is doing a tons better. Here is a picture of him and his wife and their 3 month old son Maddox! 

Chris, Destiny and Maddox Horton

It was just an eye opener to me about how much God really does know us and loves us. He is in our midst through every trial and every happy time we go through. He really does hear our prayers and wants what is best for us. I love ya'll sorry this is so long!! It really isn't even a portion of my week but I figured ya'll wanted an update about the storm. Have a great week! I cannot wait to hear ya'll next time! Please send prayers to the families here in Louisiana that are suffering from the damages. Love ya'll <3

Dear mom

This week has been probably one of the hardest weeks of my mission. I have been through so much emotionally, and I just want to tell you some of my thoughts. My sweet Companion Sister Eaton is doing a lot better, but she is probably my most homesick companion I have ever had. She tells me everyday that she wants to go home, and that she doesn't belong here in the mission. It has been pretty hard! She is LITERALLY counting down the days until she can go home. She tells me everyday how many more months, days and hours she has left. ( a little exaggeration on the hours part) but it is like eternity for her. We had some pretty awful storms as you know, and some flooding and ton of water here! It has been insane, and so we have been indoors this past week and we have just had hard time because I wanted to go visit people, and while we are at home it is too easy to think about what ya'll are doing. 

Sister Eaton would tell me all the things she misses about home everyday, but she missed it so much more these past few days and it has really made me miss you a ton this week too!! I miss you so much! I love what I do, and I am grateful to be here, but some days I wish I could just hang out with you, and be with the family. Usually, I focus on the work and those that I am serving but some days it is just hard when we are stuck in the apartment and she just talks about home to me all the time! I feel like I have developed a great listening skill since I have been with her, I think she just needs somebody to love her, and hear what she has to say. We get along so well!! I really don't want her to go home! We almost get along just as well and sister kendall and I did, and I am so, so, grateful for that. We see so many blessings.

 The best news that happened is that Sister Abril told me that my investigators THOMAS AND RACHEL ARE GETTING BAPTIZED ON MARCH 26th!!! I AM SO PUMPED!! It is amazing the feeling that I have in my heart right now. I am so blessed to be a part of their lives and watch them grow. It is a tender mercy knowing that being a seed planter PAYS OFF! That is why we need to be genuine to everybody we teach and meet. Those seeds makes a difference! I love them so much! I wanted to add that to my group email, but I don't have a picture of them right now, and I want to wait until it actually happens. It is a miracle! That is my week. Also, I read a miracle in the mission by Elder Holland with Sister Eaton and it was so so good. She loved it! And I have also been praying hard for her, and I felt prompted to share an article in the ensign (march 2016) It is called "spiritual Rehabilitation" it is so good and helped us so much. You should read it! (: