Howdy from Woodville, TX- a lovely little town out in the country w/ lots of hills and trees. It's pretty exciting in the fact that it's the closest to Beaumont that I've served yet. It's even more exciting in the fact that I've been assigned back w/ Sister Mapa!!! For anyone who needs a refresher- she was my amazingly fabulous companion while serving in Baytown. We're so shocked and excited to be serving together again. She only has 3 months left and we're hoping to be together that long... but we'll see what happens!
Last Monday morning, Sister Hatch and I went to a volunteer appreciation lunch at the Neighborhood Center where we volunteer twice a month. It was really fun and they fed us yummy homemade burgers and gave us certificates of appreciation. Good times. That afternoon we got to see M* V*and give her a second Spanish Book of Mormon so she and R* could each have their own. She was very happy to see us. We also taught a lesson to L* M*... while she was drunk. It was actually pretty effective, which surprised me. It will be more effective to teach her when she's not drunk though.
Tuesday we got up bright and early to go to the temple w/ all the missionaries in our zone. It was so wonderful to be there and learn and feel the Spirit- SO uplifting! We all went out to lunch and then headed back to Pasadena for a service project. All the missionaries in our zone were supposed to go help assemble bikes at the place we've helped out at a few times. We were bummed that the bike people ended up not being there and we didn't get to do it.
After that I headed back to Baytown w/ Sis. Wallace on exchanges. We were able to visit w/ the P* family (the son J* was baptized on my birthday) which was way good, because they're still having a rough time as a family and Sis. Wallace hadn't even been able to get in to see them since she's been in Baytown (ever since I left). We also got to go teach a woman named K* who is getting baptized next month. When the sister gave the Law of Chastity pamphlet to read in preparation for our lesson, she expressed concern that this was going to be a tough commandment for her to keep. Sis. Wallace apparently assured her saying something like, "That's ok- we're bringing in an expert." Haha- I do seem to teach the Law of Chastity every time I visit Baytown, and I do happen to love teaching it. It's something I have a strong testimony of and strong feelings about. The lesson went very well and K* is committed to keeping the law of chastity. I think it's pretty hilarious that I'm considered an expert on the topic.
Wednesday morning Sis. Wallace and I went to teach a young man named K*. We taught him about the Restoration and the Spirit was strong. We commited him to be baptized on Dec. 11th. I had so much fun and learned so much teaching w/ Sis. Wallace. We went back to LaPorte to switch back w/ our companions and we pulled into the Shell Station to sort some things out when we got off the freeway. We saw someone sitting in the windshield repair tent where our recent convert H* used to work and thought it might be H*. So we went over and realized it wasn't him as we got closer, but decided to talk to the man anyways, because we're missionaries and that's what we do. His name is T* and he was very interested in talking w/ us and accepted a Book of Mormon and Restoration pamphlet and set up a return appt. w/ us. He also was H*'s boss who I'd heard lots about previously. He'd been out of town for awhile and didn't know what had happened to H*. (we hadn't seen or heard from him in weeks either) We got back in the car to go meet up w/ our companions only to pass Homer and his cousin 2 minutes later. We pulled over and went to talk to him. He said he'd been reading his Bible and praying the day before and thinking about us. We told him T* wanted to talk to him, and later that day H* got his job back. He also has been in contact w/ us since and wants to come back to church and such... so pretty much a miracle.
Sis. Hatch and I ate lunch after we switched back. (Sister C* W* made us some nummy sandwiches and snacks- I'm going to miss that woman!) We then went to try some potential investigators. We finally got in to see a 17 yr. old girl named V* T*. We taught her the Restoration and committed her to baptism on Dec. 10th. Woot! It was really cool. We had a good lesson w/ C* and the girls that night too.
Thursday we spent most of the day w/ Sister A* S*. It was SO fun. She made a bunch of cookies and we bagged them up all cute and put cards w/ them and then set out to visit several less-active members and some investigators. Those that we didn't get to see still got a back of cookies and a card on their door. We got in to see Sister S* S* who we hadn't been able to see for awhile and we had a great visit w/ her. Sis. S* took us to Wendy's for lunch. Around 3, she dropped us back at our apt. and we went to go visit T*. We had a good visit w/ him and taught him more about the Book of Mormon. He committed to come to church, but didn't make it Sunday. (H* said he'll try come Sunday and get T* to come w/ him though- good stuff for both of them!) We went back to the apt. to work on weekly planning and Sis. S* picked us back up at 5. We went to dinner w/ her and her daughter S* at Souper Salad before visiting some more people. We got to visit Sis. T* S* and her family. Her daughter, J* really hit it off w/ S*, and we're really excited about that connection. We had a really great lesson w/ T*. We also got to see M* V* again for a little bit as well as Sis. J* B*. The cookie visits were a pretty great success!
That night was really rough w/ the stomach flu starting sometime in the middle of the night (likely food poisoning from dinner). It was SO bad, but I'll spare this public audience the details. We missed District Meeting because of it, but the Elders came over and gave me a very powerful Priesthood blessing. We were able to go out that afternoon and try potential investigators and make it to our dinner appt. w/ the fabulous R* family. By that night though, I was coming down w/ a horrible cold type thing though, so we had to head in after dinner so I could go to bed.
Saturday we went and helped Sis. S* stain/varnish her arbor. I thought I was feeling better... but that ended up kind of wiping me out. It was very productive though and she fed us yummy lunch. That afternoon we were able to visit w/ some less active members we hadn't seen for awhile and that was really productive. When we came in for dinner, I had a pretty good fever so we stayed in for the evening and finished the weekly planning we hadn't finished earlier in the week. We got transfer calls that night and found out I was being transferred.
Sunday we pretty much just had church and meetings. Lots of members were pretty emotional about me being transferred, and I will miss them very much as well. I think the most entertaining comment was from Sis. M* who announced to the whole Relief Society that she was sad that all her sons were married and none of them could marry me. I love Pasadena 2nd ward and just like my other areas, they'll always have a piece of my heart. That evening we had dinner w/ the B* family- a feast as usual. It took a lot of time (and energy- especially for me being sick!) to get packed, but we got it all together eventually and got to bed by 11.
I'm SO EXCITED to be here in Woodville w/ Sis. Mapa. Miracles are going to happen. I love you all!!! The church is true!! The Lord loves you all and so do I!!!!
*~Sister Pilmer~*
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