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
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