Well my first week down south has been, well interesting! I am slowly adjusting to everything. It is such a big change! I love it though. My companions are awesome, we already talk about getting together after our missions. They are so good and I'm learning a ton from them.
Lousiana is beautiful! Folks down here say, "ya'll" every other word, and we address those older then as "Miss Paula" or "Yes Ma'm" or "Yes Sir." It is really nice. In a week it has rained twice. I'm glad for my rain coat.
We have the wonderful opportunity of tracting for 7 hours each week. I'll be honest, I wasn't thrilled at first, but honestly it isn't so bad. Folks down here love to talk about religion so tracting gets pretty fun! I've said numerous "grace" holding hands on doorsteps! Once we were leaving a house while tracting, and we hear the lady shout, "Praise the Lord, Holy Jesus thank-you for those young ladies!" It was awesome. So many folks of other faiths tell us that they respect us for what we are doing.
We have a baptism date scheduled for the end of this month. I'm excited for it and hope they continue to progress. We went to go do service at a church and the minister inspired me! Her name is Cathy. She is so passionate about our Savior and serving him. I wish everyone had the passion she had for God. I just love her, she's so inspiring.
We were tracting the other day and got talking to some men on a porch (everyone here sits on there porches). Anyways we make small talk and then keep walking up the street. Then my two companions stop dead in there tracks, look at each other, and say, "I feel like we are supposed to go back." We turn around and sure enough the spirit was strong and I just know he's one of those prepared to here the gospel!
Another time we were tracting, and we got talking to this other guy standing on his porch. He had a beer in his hand and when we walked up and said we were missionaries he immedietly put his beer down and had a good converstation with us. We were def in the right place at the right time.
Another time tracting we knocked on a door and turns out this family had just had a death in the family. We were able to pray with them and they told us that, "we were in the right place at the right time" it was so neat. The lord truly works through the spirit.
Yes yet another time we were tracting and ended up in the 89 yr old ladies house. She pretty much told us her life story, it started with, "I was six when I started workin for the white folks." I could hardly understand her, but she was the sweetest lady. When we left she says, "you babies are so cute!" I was the last one to stand up and she looks right at me and says, "Oh Baby you are to cute!" It was awesome! She loved my boots, I told her she need to buy some of her own and take a night out on the town! haha
Last story, we tracted into an old Baptist named James. He wanted to tell us a thing or two about the bible. He said that the bible contained truth from God and we were to always listen to truth! He went on and on and finally cut him off (you have to do that in the south) told him about the restoration, bore my testimony, and shoved a Book of Mormon in his hand and told him he better read it! He looked at me and said, "Ya, I'm going to read this!" It was the best. His home was so oldschool and "Jazzy" He had a picture of himself on his shelf in his navy uniform. My was he a handsome fella.
Church is good here. I love all the members. They are so good to us. I love being a missionary. I have a lot of work to do and things to get right, but I know that the Lord will help me though them!
Love you all!
Sister Hartley
Scripture: 2 Nephi 29:8
Southernism: We saw this on a car yesterday: "Do you follow Jesus this close?" hahah
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