Halfway?!

 Mormon culture? Green Jello.  Mormon doctrine? Book of Mormon.  That's the difference summed up in an accurate nutshell, according to one interesting fellow we knocked into last week.  I had a great Thanksgiving and I hope y'all did as well.  I had 5 Thanksgiving meals.  It's a wonder I didn't die from all the food 😂.  

The first meal was actually on Wednesday, with an investigator and her friends.  Lily, the mom who surprisingly arrived at church last week, invited us last minute to a Thanksgiving dinner and wanted to introduce us to some of her friends.  We already had a dinner with a member set up but after talking with President, we decided to reschedule our current appointment and go with Lily.  We didn't formally teach anything, like we were hoping to, but we planted many, many good seeds.  Lily is such a unique character.  She is from the Philippines.  She was raised in a convent with nuns and is so open about talking religion.  I kid you not, Lily talks more than she breathes and 75% of everything she said was relating to religion, particularly us LDS folk 😉.  It was interesting to hear her comment on all of the differences she notices with Mormons versus other Christians, particularly Catholics.  I think she knows the difference between what's doctrine and what's stereotypical Mormon culture though haha.  Sometimes, it's kind of difficult to help investigators see the difference between the two.  The gospel is perfect and everlasting.  The culture is the social behavior and traditions that a united people develop on their own.  Example: funeral potatoes!  

Lily is such a wonderful lady.  The other day, she emailed us, asking about a book she got in the mail that was talking about something along the end of the world.  She asked if it was a Mormon book.  We didn't know anything about the book so we told her it might contain inaccurate information on our church and suggested she read the Book of Mormon instead.  Her reply was priceless: "I have that book and I'm trying to read it for a second time. So I'm throwing away the one I got in the mailbox. I don't want to be so confused. lol."  After the incident with Jonathan reading anti literature, this was such a surprisingly refreshing response to hear!  She is so ready to accept the gospel.  She just doesn't quite realize how prepared she is yet.

Back to Thanksgiving meals...after that first Wednesday night dinner, we had a surprising Thanksgiving breakfast of French toast with Karyn and her husband, Bill.  We dropped by to make help her make a trifle and it turned out beautifully!  We planned to go back at the end of the day but she had some impromptu Black Friday shopping to do so that visit was post-poned to Friday.  When we went back the next day, Karyn had just gotten back from a dentist surgery and was sick from the aesthetics so she enjoyed a quick bite of the trifle with us then took a nap while we took the rest of the trifle to some members who live down the street: the Patin's.  Now, before y'all think we just dropped in on some random members to eat cake with, some brief background to all this is that the Patin's are Karyn's fellow-shippers and they were originally invited to come enjoy the trifle with us the night before, before Karyn canceled because of the Black Friday shopping emergency.  We dropped by at perfect timing because they were just about to eat lunch (you guessed it: left-over Thanksgiving food) and invited us to eat with them.

Yeah.  So. Much. Thanksgiving food.  Those weren't even the main meals we ate.  Thursday also contained a huge lunch with the Bell's and the second was a dinner with the Long's...both are member families in the Old Hickory Ward.  So many leftovers!

In between all of this craziness, miracles were happening right and left.  When we were at Karyn's on Thursday morning, she asked us what kind of music we listened to and Sister Miller immediately defaulted to MOTAB as an answer.  Confession: before my mission, I really couldn't stand MOTAB.  I thought they were boring and that only older people enjoyed listening to them.  Then I started listening to them more and my opinion changed.  I grew to eventually like them.  But I would never recommend them as my first choice of music to listen to.  Right after hearing we listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, she looked them up on YouTube and listened to them.  "How Great Thou Art" began playing and a very strong stillness fell over the three of us as we listened to the song.  Karyn closes her eyes and begins singing along to the song.  She began crying and Sister Miller asked what she was feeling.  Karyn said, she couldn't quite describe it but that it was an overwhelming feeling of peace she hadn't quite felt before.  The Spirit was so strong and He made such a lasting impression on her.  

This week I hit my 9-month mark, meaning it's been nine months since I've been out in the field being a missionary.  It landed on a Wednesday, which means we had district meeting.  I baked a devil's food cake that looks like a volcano and Sister Miller got a number 9 candle.  Then the whole district sang the birthday song to me.  I requested that they all sing off key...and that turned out to be the best decision ever hahaha 😁!  I can't believe I've been out for 9 months already!  I'm already halfway through!

I am so grateful to be able to know and teach both Karyn and Lily and for the wonderful Spirit who accompanies this work.  I'm thankful to be a servant of the Lord and to be in the front row seats of the miraculous change the Atonement brings to people's lives.  I know that my Redeemer lives and my love for our Father in Heaven has expanded so much in the past 9 months.  I love this gospel and I love the people here.  I'm thankful for my family and friends and the support from everyone I've received in serving a mission.  

I love y'all and I'll see you next week!

Sister Ririe

Talk It, Walk it, Chalk it!

Hello again, everyone!

It's starting to get cold here!  Yesterday, for the first time since April, I wore one of my coats all day.  Thankfully all of the trees and plants are still very colorful.  There are so many vibrant shades of green, yellow, orange and red everywhere!  I'm still soaking it all in before most the leaves fall. 💨

The week began fantastically.  We met with both Jonathan and Kyle, on Monday and Tuesday nights and had amazing lessons with them.  For a little bit of a background, Jonathan is an investigator who has been interested in the church and meeting with missionaries for about a year.  He has struggled with Word of Wisdom problems, his whole life and has had some difficulty keeping his commitments.  But he truly wants to repent and change.  

During our second meeting with Jonathan, he had a friend over, named Kyle.  Kyle is literally one of the coolest humans on this planet, ever!  Let me just give you an example of his coolness:  we were talking about priesthood blessings one night and Jonathan had a lot of reservations towards receiving one.  He said he thought they were weird and unnatural, like an exorcising a demon or something.  Then Kyle, who's not a member, who knows absolutely nothing about priesthood blessings and has only spoken to us for a total of 2 minutes, pipes up in defense of priesthood blessings and tells Jonathan he should have more of an open mind!  There have been several instances like that.  Kyle has helped Jonathan understand the more about the Book of Mormon and exercising faith.  He keeps his commitments, and pushes Jonathan to do so as well!!  When we are struggling to try and help Jonathan overcome his reservations, questions and doubts about things like Joseph Smith and the validity of the Book of Mormon, Kyle will say something like, "Well, Jonathan, think of it like this..." and then he'll bring up a simple but profound analogy that somehow makes complete sense to Jonathan, and Jonathan will accept that answer, because it came from his best friend.  

On Tuesday, the Spirit was so strongly present in the lesson we had with them.  Both Jonathan and Kyle, especially Kyle, opened up about how they are not happy where they are at with their current relationship with God.  Sister Miller asked Kyle, "What can we do to strengthen our relationship with God?" and Kyle proceeded to create his own commitment, to pray everyday.  He then looked at Jonathan and prodded at him, "What about you, Buddy?  What are you gonna do?"  Jonathan committed to pray every day as well.  We offered to help, by sending a text reminder everyday...and they've been keeping it!!  I am so, so, so excited to continue teaching them both.

Changing topics: Elder Montgomery also employed our services in retrieving some more new Malibu's!  Driving new cars is always so fun.  One thing I noticed though, is that they don't have CD players.  Are CDs too old fashioned now?!  I remember when cassette players were still a thing!  I feel old.

Also this week, a member, Sister Smartt, called us and asked to take our picture for a newspaper article the Church is writing for the Book of Mormon play, which is coming to Nashville soon.  📰 (Brother Smartt is the head of the public affairs committee for the church, or something like that). She is BFFs with the Kovach's, a part-member family who we've been trying to see all of last transfer but haven't been able to meet because they just had a baby!  Miracle: Sister Smartt wanted a picture of missionaries teaching an investigator a lesson but we had no one we knew who'd be comfortable with that so Sister Smartt called up Sister Kovach and basically set up that lesson for us!  It was a wonderful introduction and a great set up for us to schedule more lessons with them in the future.

On Saturday, we had the wonderful experience of everyone we had planned to see, cancel on us. Everyone.  We made some calls and texts in the morning to confirm appointments and set some meetings up but they all fell through so we literally had no plans for the whole day, until 7pm.  It inspired us to be a bit creative in our finding activity and we decided to go to the park in the afternoon and chalk up several inspiring and spiritual messages on the pathways.  It was really fun and we saw some passersby curiously reading the drawings as they strolled or biked along the pavement.  Missionary work does not have to be (nor should it be) limited to tracting or formal teaching.  I'm so thankful and happy that I was able to use my creative talents and gifts to help spread the light of the gospel in various ways.

Saturday night was the Roadshow for the Nashville stake.  I remember doing the roadshow when I was in YW:). Roadshow always has such fun and unique memories with it.  All of the wards of the Nashville stake crowded into the stake center...our building...so the cultural hall was packed! This roadshow was especially fun to watch because I knew so many of the wards and people participating in the event...Old Hickory, Sunset, Green Hills, YSA, and Bellevue!  Oh my goodness, it was such a joy to see so many Bellevue members again!!!  It was a wonderful surprise reunion and I got to hug/handshake several of my favorite people that night, like the Perez's and the Epperson's. 🤗

I am so great full to be a missionary, to build and share my testimony everyday and to talk to so many people.  I'm especially grateful for the Spirit which is carried with me and testifies of gospel truths to those I meet, and I'm also thankful for the fun creative ways my companion and I spread light to the people in this community.

Sister Ririe

On Saturday afternoon, we decided to change up our finding
routine and go crazy with the chalk in the park.

Starvation is not even an option here.  The members feed us even when dinner appointents are cancelled.
This is a wonderful Korean soup and wontons that were dropped off, Sunday night.
It may not look like it, but those bowls were huge!!

Fall News (Nov 7)

Whoa.  October flew by so fast.  I can't believe we're already into November.  I'm seeing Christmas decor up in the stores and on some houses already.  

Hello!  

Fall colors are still everywhere and I'm enjoying every bit of warmth we still have before it gets cold.  🍃🍂🍁

Transfers information: both Sister Miller and I are staying in the area!  Phew.  I wasn't ready to leave this place quite yet.  There's still a lot of work to do around here.

Last Monday, we went window shopping around Nolensville and stopped by an Amish food mill.  Well, on Tuesday, we were driving back through Nolensville, after helping Sister Boardman with her curtain rods again, and Sister Miller had a random craving for an Amish chicken salad sandwich.  We pulled over so that she could satisfy her craving.  Whilst there, a woman named Julie, whom we'd seen and talked to on Monday, was working behind the register so we talked with her as Sister Miller was buying her chicken salad mix and Amish bread.  The conversation quickly turned towards church and Julie told us that she'd actually just moved back to Nashville, 4 days ago, and she's Episcopalian but she's looking for another church right now.  She was really interested in finding something that has a strong and supportive women's group (ding ding ding - Relief Society!) and found interest the opportunity to share her own testimony with others, rather than listen to a preacher each Sunday, give the same sermon over and over again.  We invited her to come visit our church and said she would, if not this week, then next.  Well, she didn't show up yesterday, so we're hoping that she'll make it next week.

Meanwhile, all is going well, here in Nashville.  I gave a talk last week in sacrament meeting, about member missionary work.  I ended up speaking for 10 minutes, rather than my planned, 5-6. The more experiences I accumulate in giving talks or trainings, the more I find I accidentally go over the time allotment I'm given.  It's a problem I didn't think I'd ever have to work on!

Love y'all!

Sister Ririe

P.S. Shout out to Jackson for turning 12 and receiving the Priesthood...congrats!  (Btw, you're growing up way too fast!  I remember pushing you down the street in a stroller!)

👻 Happy Halloween! 🎃

👻 Happy Halloween! 🎃

President Stone swapped our p-day time today.  We got to work and proselyte from 10am to 1pm and P-day is from 1-9pm but be inside by 6pm.  They don't want us missionaries being out at dark during Halloween.  That's just a formula for trouble!  We were in the middle of the Nolensville town when P-day starred this afternoon so we spent the day window shopping at antique stores and looking at the different Amish foods and furniture shops.  We also went to Goodwill and did a little bit of actual shopping.  Consequence of the store being located in the Brentwood area where most people are really rich and privileged is that we saw tons of really nice things for super cheap prices.  Tender mercies hee hee! 😄

This week has gone by so quickly!  We started the week off going to ThriftSmart to see if we could volunteer at the ESL classes.  We found success!  They are thrilled to have more volunteers and it turns out that hardly any of the people to come to the classes are Spanish speakers.  Many are from Middle Eastern countries and speak languages like Arabic, Turkish and Farsi.  It was a really cool experience to be able to help out these people who are trying their best to grasp a difficult language like English.  

On Wednesday, we got to do one of the coolest service projects ever: drive a group of brand new 2017 Chevy Malibu's to the mission office.  It was so fun.  While waiting for the cars to be ready, the mission office suggested we hop in one of the blue convertibles that was on display and take pictures.  Sister Miller and I joke that we got to be Sister APs for that afternoon!!!

Finding adventure: we tracked down a potential investigator named Jimmy, who we've had in our area book since we arrived to the area.  We find the home that belongs to his address and walk up his steep driveway.  When knocking on the door, we hear loud voices singing from inside and wonder if we're knocking into a band that is practicing (it wouldn't be my first time). The door opens and long story short, Jimmy invites us in to listen to one of his co-workers sing some songs.  It turns out that Jimmy is a music producer and we got to listen to both Jimmy and a guy named Ryan Counts have a mini jam session.  We were only going to listen to one song but then they started playing and we instantly became a captive audience.  Ryan recently signed a contract with Sony Records so the songs we listened to might possibly be on the radio in the future.  Basically...we got to meet a To-Be Famous county star singer and he graciously pulled out a chair and sang a few of his songs for us before they were released.  It. was. awesome.  Not just the sheer experience itself but the actual music as well.  But back to the missionary work side of it all: we aren't sure how interested Jimmy really is but we're planning to go back and try to catch him when he and his wife aren't working.

We met a less active sister, Sister Boardman.  She is 86 years old and one of the spunkiest people I've met!  We went over with her home teachers to do some service for her.  We helped put up curtain rods whilst listening to her life's story.  She joined the air force when she was 23, married and then divorced, and had to work and raise 4 young kids on her own.  She told us that when she moved to across the country to Arizona, she arrived with 4 kids and $2.50 in her pocket and not another penny to her name.  She is such a fun lady and we're really excited to go back to finish doing service for her this week.

On Friday, we took a mini road trip to Bellevue!  Sister Miller served there after I left and taught a woman named Karen, who was shortly after, baptized.  We recently discovered that Karen and her kids have been struggling in coming to church and so President granted us permission to not only call her but go over and visit her.  It was a good visit and it was surreal to be driving around the familiar streets and shops of Bellevue again.  I remembered exactly where everything was and it was like I'd only been gone for a week.  Oh the nostalgia! 🤗

Oh goodness...there's still more from this week I could write about!  I'm having a great time out here and I'm learning so much more than I could have ever expected.  I love y'all and hope you have a great Halloween!

Sister Ririe

Service (For the Living and the Dead) (Oct 24)

Hello, once again!

This week, we've been volunteering at a store called ThriftSmart.  It's like a Goodwill or DI, and we've started regularly helping out over there, so that we can do some community service during some of the hours of the week which are hard to fill.  It's been a fun experience.  I certainly don't miss the retail world and it kind of feels like I'm an employee at a clothing store but I know that no effort is wasted and I am planting good seeds with everyone.  While at ThriftSmart, we saw an advertisement for ESL classes and we're hoping to get involved with that as well in the near future!  Service is fun.  It opens doors and provides many blessings for both those being served and those who are serving.

At church yesterday, one of the wards had their primary program.  It was fantastic to watch and the kids did an amazing job.  The Spirit was very strong during that hour as well.  Kids have such simple and powerful testimonies.  I also saw President Stone and his family too!  I don't think I mentioned this yet, but I'm serving in President's home ward!  It's kind of fun and also a little pressuring.  Sister Miller and I joke that one day we should go knock on their door when tracting:)

One of our investigators, Wanda, came to a family history and genealogy event the Nashville Stake was hosting, on Saturday.  It was a wonderful event and she really liked it.  I learned some things from it as well.  It's fascinating how Asian cultures like China and Japan, heavily emphasize honoring the elderly and one's ancestors.  Many people have family history and genealogy work completed that goes back for several centuries.  My companion and I were discussing this and we think that at some point in the past, those people had the knowledge of the gospel that pertains to temple and ordinance work for the dead but over time, that knowledge became lost.

I'm so grateful that a full knowledge of the gospel has been restored to the earth today and that I have the opportunity to share that knowledge with everyone.  This email has been a bit scattered!  Y'all take care!

Sister Ririe

Sister Ririe

Faith Removes Mountains (Oct 17)

Hey y'all!

I don't really have a whole lot to talk about, but we had Zone Conference this Friday and it lasted all day.  We had to be at the church for car inspections by 8am and we didn't leave until 4:30pm.  The Conference was so good though...President Stone went over some more mission rules and we learned more about working with members and inviting people to be baptized sooner.  We are supposed to try and invite people to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized during the 1st lesson!  If I weren't on a mission myself, I'd say that's crazy and way too soon.  But I've seen it work and I've done it myself.  The Lord really is in charge of this work.

After Zone Conference, we went on exchanges with the STLs.  Sister Miller stayed in our area with Sister Woodruff (who apparently used to serve in the Sunset Ward in the past!) and I went with Sister Matheson to the Green Hills area.  I love Nashville!  I was so happy to be back downtown.  We went with a recent convert named Pam to a lesson and the person we were expecting to meet with was t home but someone else was so we ended up teaching her instead! It was a wonderful experience and blessing to hear Pam give her passionate testimony of the Book of Mormon.  Sister Matheson and I surprisingly had many things in common as well, like knowing the piano, organ, and dancing for many years when we were younger.  The exchange was really fun and I was able to learn a lot.  

One of my favorite quotes to share with people, is by Bishop Richard C. Edgley, about faith: "When the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast a devil out as they had just witnessed the Savior do, Jesus answered, 'If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove' (Matthew 17:20). I have never witnessed the removal of an actual mountain. But because of faith, I have seen a mountain of doubt and despair removed and replaced with hope and optimism. Because of faith, I have personally witnessed a mountain of sin replaced with repentance and forgiveness. And because of faith, I have personally witnessed a mountain of pain replaced with peace, hope, and gratitude. Yes, I have seen mountains removed."

I absolutely love that quote.  Faith is the first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Faith and Charity are the foundation of everything in the gospel and they enable us to access the power and blessings of heaven.  This gospel is not here just to make our lives better, it is to change us into better people!  And this time as a missionary has helped me gain a testimony of change through faith and repentance.

Lots of love,

Sister Ririe

A Marvelous Work and a Wonder (October 10)

This week, we were able to go to the Nashville Temple! (Which is actually in Franklin). It's been over 7 1/2 months since I've been able to go to a temple.  The Nashville temple is incredibly small.  It is so cute!  I hope that one day, they will renovate it and make it bigger.  There was such a wonderful, peaceful feeling in the temple, especially the celestial room.  The whole experience reminded me of the time when I used to work at the Boise temple before coming on my mission.  And to top that experience off, David Archuleta decided to slip into the endowment session as well.  All of the sister missionaries were talking about it afterward.  It was funny.

We also saw Suzanne this week.  She is the family friend of Robyn and Louis, who own the creepy house I talked about tracting into last week.  We did some service for her by moving some heavy boxes around her apartment and other small odd jobs.  She asked us to throw away a leftover box of old books and when we looked at the books, we saw that they were a set of 

Harvard Classics!  She was going to just toss them out because they'd been in a house fire and smelled smoky.  They are some pretty cool old books.  Sister Miller asked for them Suzanne happily gave them to us.  So now, Sister Miller has 23 old Harvard classic books sitting in a box, waiting to be shipped home.  I flipped through the books and found some really cool old things, like an old train ticket and a post card.  The various small blessings one receives when serving others!  Suzanne took us to dinner at Longhorn steakhouse afterward and we invited her to come to church on Sunday.  She was planning to come but then backed out last minute due to other commitments with grandkids.  

On Sunday, we were finally able to meet the members of the Sunset and Old Hickory wards!  There are so many families and names and faces to remember!  It'll take me a while to get them all down.  The members are so wonderful.  I'm also kind of excited and nervous because President Stone and his family are in the Old Hickory ward!  The members here love sister missionaries.  One little girl came up to us yesterday and said that she'd been praying for 

Sister missionaries to come to her ward and our arrival was an answer to her prayers.  I am excited to work with the people here to encourage and help them in their member missionary work.  

We actually received two referrals yesterday.  One of which, is from the bishop.  We had dinner with Bishop Facer and his wife last night.  Whilst conversing, he asked us if we had any plans on Wednesday night.  We told him we didn't have any set plans, which was great because he proceeded to tell us that earlier that day, a man came up to him and asked to speak with him.  The man told Bishop Facer that he had a dream 25 years ago that he was ill or injured and that a boy came up to him, touched him, and he was all healed.  Many years later, he received a back injury which prevented him from working for a long time so he was laid off his job.  He asked for help from his Mosque but they said they could not do anything for him.  He then had the same dream again.  The boy looked exactly the same.  He touched the man's back and healed him.  When the man asked the boy who he was, the boy answered and said, "I am Jesus Christ."  The man went back to the doctor and told him he'd been healed.  The doctor re-examined him and said that he was indeed healed.  Now, the man is searching to find out who Jesus Christ is.  Of all the many Christian churches he could have gone to, he came to ours.  It's so fascinating.  Bishop told us the man said he was just driving along, looking for a church and saw our building and was drawn to it, and went in...and we happened to be there, having our services.  And so...we now have an appointment to see him on Wednesday.  I hope he actually shows up.  Like...whoa!  What an amazing miracle to be a part of!  This is the kind of thing you hear about in the Ensign or read in books or hear about from cool RM stories.  This is so surreal!  It is such a testament that God is in charge of this marvelous work and a wonder and I am abundantly blessed to serve in a small part of His vineyard.

I hope y'all have a blessed week:)
Sister Ririe