Make Plans If You Want to See God Laugh

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!

I am truly humbled and feel my Saviors love right now. Sometimes as missionaries or non-missionaries, we make plans with all the best intentions thinking that's what God wants us to do. My companion and I quickly found out the hard way that we are doing the Lord's work and not our own. We are on His time frame. Here's an example of what I'm referring to. 

Last Saturday, my companion and I had set out with a full schedule. We were thinking of all the things we were going to get done and the people that we would see. Then Heavenly Father laughed at our plans and quickly did away with them.

By 3 all of our plans and our back up plans had all failed. Every single one! Not sure what to do or who to visit, we kept walking around hoping to see someone. Or anyone! But it was like it was a ghost town! No one was out or even home.

 Discouraged and trying to figure out where to go. We started walking down this street, when we FINALLY saw 3 people outside working in someone's yard. We quickly went over to them, and they agreed to talk with us the next day.

We went over and I have to say it was the best lesson we have taught since I've been out on my mission. The spirit was so strong there and they were just so excited to hear our message. Then we asked them to be baptized and they agreed!

 What was even the best part was that when I handed the Book of Mormon to one of the investigators for the first time. He just popped it open and the first thing he read was "when you are baptized you will receive eternal life." That right there just confirmed with him that he made the right choice to be baptized.

 Ever since that day he's read the assigned chapters twice and just loves the Book of Mormon. He loves how simple it is to understand and loves the stories. 

We had to have all of our plans to fail in order to find these young people. Who have been looking for the truth and how to come closer to our Heavenly Father. I know that Heavenly Father has these investigators prepared to receive our message. All we had to do was find them. 

My companion and I, realized that even though we had righteous plans for that day, they were not what God had planned. I'm so glad to have this gospel in my life, to have the Book of Mormon and to have the gift of the Holy Ghost to be a guide, protector, and a comforter. 

I have been called to do such wonderful things and I know that for the rest of my mission I will continue to see the Gospel bless people's lives. 

Well, this Saturday is Transfer calls! Not sure who will be leaving or staying. I recommend that whatever you plan on sending me should be sent out before Saturday. 

I love you all and God BLESS!!

D&C 4:3 [Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work]

Sister Jackie Elkins

I Got The Chiggers In Me!

Hello Friends and Family! 

I'm slowly starting to feel like a missionary!! This week we have 8 new investigators!! Four of those have baptismal dates!! I'm super excited to be doing this great work!! How great is my CALLING!!!

This week we had exchanges and that was more stressful then I would like it to be. I had to show the Sister Training Leader my area and the work we have been doing. Plus get evaluated at the end. Boy, was I on a stress roller coaster! I made it through and I passed on everything. With all high marks! 

Wednesday, I have personal interviews with President Shumway. I'm a bit nervous and not at the same time. Hopefully I won't say anything dumb....

Last night I finally got my first chigger bite! Alright it wasn't just 1 bite. It was 16 bites!!! Needless to say, I did not handle the situation well. I had to take a bleach bath to kill them. Because they stay on you (inside your skin!!!) and there's very few things that can kill them. Their bites are worse than mosquito bites, they itch like none other. If you scratch them, the chigger then leaves the bite and goes somewhere else on your body to suck your blood. So, it's like super-duper important NOT to itch them.  

I couldn't handle the thought that there was a tiny bug on me that I couldn't see or touch. I pretty much had a melt down and begged my companion to just chop my legs off and that I didn't need them. lol

She thought I was a little more than crazy seeing me freak out about this! But how could you not freak out!! Sister Harris says I would die if I ended up in a 3rd world country. lol 

Luckily, the bath helped and now I just have to not scratch the bites! 

Well, I love and miss you all so much!

The Church is true!

Love,

Sister Jackie Elkins

Bring on the Squirrels, Snakes, Armadillos, and the Turtles!

Hello Friends and FAMILY!! 

It's now been a whole month of being out as a missionary! Woot! Crazy how time flies! Friday, was my first Zone Conference! It was a 3 hour drive to Tulsa. It was worth it though. I learned so much about what I need to do to be that better missionary! It was nice to see all the other missionaries too! Sometimes when you’re so far from others, you forget that you’re not the only one out on a mission. lol 

We love serving others!

This week became an official Oklahoman, when I ran over an armadillo. It sadly I couldn't avoid hitting it. The roads were wet and I had a 5 second decision to make. I felt horrible about it and couldn't help cry a little about hitting the poor guy. My companion (Sister Harris) likes to refer to me a murder and tells people that I'm a killer. It's all in good fun though....I think.

 

Me and Mr. Turtle

Well, it's hot here and getting ridiculously muggy. Here it starts off as somewhat cool, then it just builds into this awesome heat that doesn't let up tell past midnight. So walking out in this awesome heat and mugginess is great character building experience. 

Another great things that comes with the heat is snakes. They are EVERYWHERE out here. I do mean EVERYWHERE!! We have to be very careful while we are out walking and always looking on the side of roads for them. We did see a snake and the first thing we did was take a picture of it. It didn't hurt us or anything. So that's awesome. 

We have two new investigators this week and one of them is a Jehovah Witness! We think it would be awesome to convert one of them. The Baptist out here are more than a little scared of us. They think we are some cult and have the devil tapped inside of us. They like to go around to member’s homes and pray for their souls. They are just so cute when they tell me I'm a Sorcerer or the devil worshiper. Good times, good times. 

Well, I'm got to run. Got to go save some souls!

Here's my address if anyone wants to send me some letters...hint, hint! 

Rt 1 box 1347  

1200 church #5 

Talihina, OK 74571

Love to all!

Sister Jackie Elkins

Running From Bees and Loving the Storms!

Howdy Family and Friends!! 

Well, I'm surviving being out here in the woods and the heat. Luckily, we have a nice breeze to cool us down a bit...We are due to have a storm Thursday to Sunday. This means that people tend to act a little more crazy than usual. Storms around here tend to be on the intense side. I think they are cool and make great journal entries. Others just don't see how great they are yet. I'm working changing that. 

Oklahoma is the place you ought to be! 

I love being a missionary! I get to talk to all kinds of people and I just love seeing how someone feels the spirit for the first time. Or finally see that Heavenly Father loves them. 

Love all God's creatures, great and small!

I had a "Fun" experience the other day. We were doing a service project in this lady's back yard. When a red wasp (they are super mean by the way) thought it would be fun to chase me. I totally lost my cool and ran in a field trying to get away from the wasp! It wouldn't leave me alone! Here I was running in a zigzag pattern (thinking that might help lose it) yelling and screaming, arms waving in the air, while my companion and the lady we were serving just watched while laughing at me. I never ran so fast in my life, ran until finally the wasp left me alone. I swear the bee's here have it out for me!!! 

 

Sister Harris is awesome!

So far no one has let it go that the newbie acts crazy when bees are around. On the bright side it makes a great conversion. 

 

Using the same book to teach someone to read, that my mom used on me!

I'm so blessed and happy to be here!! I miss everyone! 

Love you all!

Sister Elkins