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!!