Sister Callista Chaffin: 7.22.2019 The Weather Outside is Frightful

Never thought I'd be in around 100 degrees and 100% humidity, and 2 seconds away from a lightening bolt, but I think we got pretty close!!

It all started on Tuesday. We were able to walk the Murray's (a family we are teaching) dog, Bently, for them! It was soo funny and such a miracle... So Sister Murray knows us pretty well and is super open to our message, brother Murray has lots of different questions but is open and enjoy us and our service to them! We were walking down the street with their dog and Brother Murray was driving home from work. (He didn't know we were walking his dog for them, only sister Murray knew). He turned around and passed us again and yelled out my "Are you stealing my dog?!?" Haha he was totally joking!🤣 too good!

We then went over there Saturday as well and He was cleaning up in the 100 degree weather and we went inside and talked to sister Murray for a bit as they were doing normal Saturday craziness things! They had so much to do on Saturday, but they stopped what they were doing and cut us 4 pieces each of watermelon and they went through the effort of finding the sunscreen and spraying some on us! They are the sweetest family! I love them with all my heart! Sister Topham and I were planning and setting goals for them and we could imagine them as soon as possible, being sealed in the temple! We want them to be sealed with all our hearts!

On Wednesday we had Zone Conference! I love President and Sister Caplin so very much! There were so many inspired words and and things learned and practiced at Zone Conference! We got to practice sharing scriptures and our question cards! There is always so many things we are to learn and practice on the mission and in our life! And I, for one, truly need that learning time and practice for sure!! That afternoon we talked about a lot of goals we wanted to have and be able to do. We have a more planned out morning and night routine figured out to better use our time!! :) That night we went to dinner out in the boonies area of our area and we started to drive there, a little early hoping that there wasn't any traffic from our apartment. God truly prompted us to go early because there was a huge fast thunderstorm and rainstorm coming through! We were driving the whole time if was pouring down rain and lightening! We were going to go on the tiny dirt road to get to their house, cause that is where we usually come from but we called her and she told us another way to get there which was such a blessing! We were traveling pretty slow, probably tops 20MPH. We kept going and suddenly their was this strike of lightening that we saw, and I felt as if we were getting shot at, but it was a crackling sound! And this was just a few split seconds after we saw the lightening! Thanks to our wonderful Father in Heaven we arrived safely and on time. We sat at the front door for a minute or 2 and we heard thundering all around us but no rain or storm right above us, just some clouds. and we sat the in the 90 degrees and humidity, admiring Gods beautiful creations nice and wet and washed off from the large amounts of rain. The sounds of the thundering around us sounded like we were in a war, or that we were at the time of the second coming of Jesus Christ. AMAZING. We got to have dinner with sister Chunn! Bishop Chunn was out for that time we had dinner, but what a sweet soul she is! She talked about a woman she is helping and sharing the gospel and her life with. She also told us the story of how her husband proposed to her, and she explained that they were sending tapes back and forth. she had sent one saying she wanted to get married. Then she didn't hear from him for a while as he was in the military, then he sent a tape saying we ought to get married... years down the road she asked what he thought of her tape she sent, he said I don't think I ever listened to it.. I wanted to listen to them in order but I was a few behind, before everything happened! What a great story and so divine and you can see hand of the Lord in their lives! They are awesome! I love them so much!

That night we had a lesson with Brother Gant! Haha! We taught him a while ago, but it seemed like there was no progress, yet he would still come to church. So we had a lesson with him at the Bristoe Battlefield and we were reading Enos in the Book of Mormon about his conversion. We were acting out the part where Enos goes into the wilderness, hunts down beasts and prays with all his heart all day and all night. He said hunting beasts? We said, yes! with a bow and arrow! He said, "A bow and arrow? Should I go get my bow and arrow?" We were like, WHAT? He said, " I have it in my trunk, let me go get it!!" I kid you not this man pulls out his bow and arrow from his truck, randomly, not knowing what we were going to talk about! This man! hahah too good! He wants to know the truth more now that he ever did before! :) We are so excited to see where things go with him!

Thursday was my year mark on a mission! We we went out for some ice cream. We talked to the people that worked there and shared our experiences with them! They weren't having the best day, not many people were coming into the shop so we stayed and talked with them and explained to them who we are! What a blessing it was to be able to talk with them! we had a lesson with Corey and Sister Gause! What a breakthrough lesson it was! I truly love them! It was a totally spirit led lesson! :) <3

Promised blessings of being faithful!

1 Nephi 17:13 "And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led."

Always love,

Sister Chaffin