Week 46: Live a Great Story

What a week! We found this cute little family this week! Maria, Roberto and Mia and the grandmother, Mary! They are so open to everything we talked about! When we gave Maria a chapter to read about prayer and and faith, she started to cry. I love her so much already! <3 <3

We found this one guy who had, in the past yelled at the missionaries and then he said he was just having a bad day and he wanted them to come back but they never did... so we sent off his address to the missionaries in his area! That was kinda cool!

We had an awesome dinner with Aric, the recent convert in the YSA ward, and the Young family! Oh how I love those people! :) We had the best time ever, talking about different things and relating them all to the gospel!

We were able to ride our bikes some more this week. It was a bit rainy so there wasn't much time that we could ride on them! We had an Awesome finding council with our mission President--what a great time that was! He truly taught us how to be bold and how to show that we truly are Representatives of Jesus Christ to others that we come into contact with! :)

We had dinner with the family from the congregation and they said they invited some of their non-member friends over for dinner as well! It was amazing! Their kids sang "I am a Child of God" for them and we were able to read some of the Book of Mormon with them and discuss how God is our loving Heavenly Father and about praying to Him sincerely, and we invited them all to take a time to pray sincerely to their Father in Heaven! And they were totally willing! Afterward, they were staring at the Book of Mormon and the mother of the member family wanted to give it to her! What an awesome time it was for all of us!

Alma 5:12-15 :)

12 "And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.

13 And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved. 

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

15 Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?"

Sorry for the short email! 

Keep loving! <3

Sister Chaffin

Week 45: Ever been chased by a lady pushing a stroller?

So, since we got bikes last week, we have been taking advantage of using them and being outside more. Which is, more or less, better. Between a car and a bike combined you can get a lot done, more efficiently! It gets kind of weird when you see people that you had a deep or long conversation with, going for a walk as you're out in the neighborhood... And sometime can get scary if they were at your throat.

Well we didn't have people at our throats, but there was one door we knocked on and there was a grandma, a mom and a baby and they came out and talked to us. The grandma, was very strong in her beliefs and she was determined that what she was saying was the most correct thing and that we were wrong. We politely concentrated on the positives and the things we truly agree with. We politely all agreed to disagree and we went on our way. They wouldn't let us give them a pamphlet or a card, but that was okay because we all have the ability to choose. 

We biked over to a completely different little neighborhood that was close by and it was a couple of hours later, we start heading back to the car, going back to the area that this family was at, and the mom was walking her baby in a stroller... she said a friendly "Hey Ladies!" And we said hello and went on our way. Sister Minaker looked back and she was chasing us!... (she never knew we were on bikes, so the fact that we saw her at all was divine). 

But, we were kind of scared because of what had happened before... so we tried to lose her and she continued to run pretty fast to catch up to us.  Good thing it looked like she ran often and was in shape.. haha! But we stopped to talk to someone that we had talked to in the past. We turned around and she was right there!  She said, "Hey ladies I talked to my husband and he has some questions for you. If you can come back and talk to him for a bit that would be awesome!" 

And she left... so we ended up going back and talked to him! He had some really good questions needing to be answered. And concerned about getting an answer, it did sound like he got those questions from different internet sites telling him info about the church and everything. But, we gave him a plan of Salvation pamphlet and a card to download the Book of Mormon! And we are visiting them again this week. WHAT THE HECK!? Why can't we have people run after us like that all the time? Hahaha there was such a strong spirit of love at their home that second time! 

This scripture that I found is not very accurate or nearly as serious as what happened but I thought it relates a little bit... (Haha!)

"..Yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." - 1 Nephi 1:20

Sorry for the short email, but this week was too fun with our bikes, so many miracles, and cool experiences!

Always love,

Sister Chaffin

Week 44: Joy of Heart Attacking💙

What a great week we have had! The gospel is so sweet and so pure. I love the love that we are able to give and the love that comes from the gospel! 

Tuesday: We had an awesome district council about being diligent! It all starts with our desire and our willingness to do something, and it will be done! 

We had a lesson with our recent convert, Aric. What an amazing lesson we had! Nothing in the world can replace his knowledge! He is so smart, my goodness! Never in my life, except for Brother Bertoldo, have I tried teaching someone so smart, who recently had just receive the gospel themselves. I fail every time. They end up teaching me further! The teacher is usually a learner too!! So many great lessons! We also had a lesson with sister Gause. she is so close to baptism and to continuing her journey closer to her Heavenly Father! 

Wednesday: we saw sister Theoret in our leasing office and she was talking about a few things and the spirit told me to share Doctrine and Covenants 121 with her and she started to talk apart as I read it to her. She asked "How did you know sister? How did you know?" Some of the coolest things happen with her! So many different connections that God shows his hand in every single part of her life! She teaches me so much of patient perseverance and staying happy through trials!

We then had a lesson with sister Alessi! We had texted her inquiring if today at 2pm would work and we got no reply, so we went any way. We got there and she was sitting on the porch! What perfect timing! She said that she was meaning to text us back, but she had just woken up from a nap! So we walked inside and talked for a little bit and read scriptures about the resurrection! What a beautiful spirit that was there! I love that woman so much! I look up to her very much, she has no idea! One of the toughest and positive woman I know! 

We had dinner with a sister in our ward that is awesome and made gluten-free fried chicken! So awesome! And soo good! I need all her recipes Haha!

We went and visited sister Lopez and got there at the perfect time, right when they were getting home. We helped her download the Book of Mormon in Spanish, and Oh my goodness! It was so cool! She was so enlightened and listened to the whole first chapter of us just sitting there waiting till she was finishing and listening as well! Wow, it was literally the best day!  We were able to see a lot the amazing women that we love so much!!  

Another person we were able to see was sister Markanich! We were able to talk a little bit about the scriptures and doctrine. It's a long time coming with her, she is married to a member so she has gone through a lot of different missionaries. But she is so loving and so giving to her children and grandchildren!

Thursday: Zone Conference was a great time to get some more confidence and learn from other missionaries in this to find more and better and unique ways! Sister Minaker and I did a cool duet of "Where Can I Turn For Peace?" I was so grateful that it all worked out so well, what a blessing! We had a lesson that night with Farshid and a woman from the ward and talked about sincere prayer! A prayer that is not sincere is less likely to be answered! If you want to know an answer and you are searching, you are more likely to get an answer because God sees your diligence and faith! 

Friday: we made a ton of Hearts for Sister Murray, sister Alessi, sister Markanich (for her birthday), and sister Roberts! We did a "heart attack" to the majority of them this weekend! Heart attacking is the coolest thing you are able to do as a missionary. It is so unique and can be personalized to them with cute scriptures and motivational quotes! It helps them know that someone truly cares for them and all that they do, and that God is truly aware of them!

Saturday: we were able to see sister Markanich again and heart attacked her door with a happy birthday sign!! :)  She said that no one has ever done anything like that for her!! And she wasn't able to do much for her birthday because of circumstances! 

Sunday: We had sister Gause and sister Murray and her kids come to church! We had a dinner with this fine family and their new niece wouldn't stop laughing at her grandma, it was the cutest thing ever, we were all cracking up for a solid 6 minutes! Hahaha! They gave us a referral for one of their friends and we went over and checked on someone across the street and he had met with missionaries in the past and he has read half of the Book of Mormon as he is working out. He makes his own race cars! Soo cool! He's like #1 in the world or at least in this certain competition in Georgia that is pretty serious! He's willing to have us over more and talk more! He wouldn't give us his number to set up a time but that's okay! We then met this guy and he was really interested in learning that we have a living modern prophet!

Life is great
God is even Greater
His love is all encompassing 
And I couldn't be more grateful for being here!

Never stop Loving,
Sister Chaffin 

Ghanaian woman that gave us jalafa rice!
Her name is Margaret

We all had the same MTC teacher! Brother Kohler!

New pass along cards

Guacamole fixings

Heart attack❤❤

Birthday heart attack

We got bikes!

Week 43: Trials Are Like Chemotherapy

There was a Woman, Sariah, in my last area who was going through very strong doses of Chemotherapy and would drive her self to the doctors and drive home and to get groceries before and after each session of the stage 4 of Chemotherapy. Sister Kay and I happened to find her trying to walk up the stairs with her groceries one step at a time to get to her Apartment. Sister Kay was basically picking her up and helping her up the flight of stairs. This woman could barely talk with out having to take a wheezing breath in every other word. All that she desired was her daughter to stay in school.

I share this story because in the Bible study yesterday the teacher was asking the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?". The night before Sister Minaker and I asked the same question.... WHY? Shouldn't God give you the most blessings if you are the most obedient?  No, of course not. God has sent us here on earth to become as he is. We hear of Jesus Christ's mortal experience. He was perfect, yet... "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not... But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Mosiah 14:3,7). I know that Jesus Christ is the Mediator of all of our struggles and joy's in life. 

The answer to the question of "Why do bad things happen to good people?" is simple, that God loves us. He loves us enough to let us struggle and learn for ourselves. He loves us enough to give us the help just enough to keep going.  Sometimes we never realize the grace and love and help we receive from God. He is molding us into eternal Mothers and Fathers. The worst things happen to the best people. He has so much more in store for each of us! The challenge is seeing everyone of that potential.

We met this family, the Alessi's. All 3 children have special needs. Imagine not knowing if one of your children will wake up in the morning! 

Now thank God for making it possible for you to wake up every morning and do the things that you are able to do! Thank your Father in Heaven today, every hour, of the blessings you have!

Now the question is, how are you and I going to show and give that love, just as God has given and shown us?

This week was Beautiful. We helped the Murray's clean their kitchen. She had so many questions about the church that she naturally had! She asked, "Can I lend the Book of Mormon??" we said " Of course, you can have one!" She is planning to be at church next Sunday! :) 

We found a tiny little mouse pass out and die in a gas station parking lot because of the the 100 degree  weather.... it is funny to watch the series of event happen in your life. How many mice died that day? 

The funniest thing happen, well I wouldn't say funny but HUGE miracle because one of us almost got Lyme disease... We had a dinner earlier in the week where the family moved from Seattle less than a year ago and she was talking about how many bugs are in Virginia unlike Seattle. Shes started to talk about ticks and how she is so afraid of them, which sister Minaker and I are as well, cause they can be scary! A few days after that conversation, sister Minaker was telling me how she was debating whether or not to tell this sister that she got a tick last year. We laughed as we walked through a few moderately short patches of grass. Sister MInaker thinking I would get a tick as I walk through one more patch of grass than she did. we knock a door to check on someone. we are walking back to the car and she felt something on her ankle. she gets in the car, I go behind the car to back her out of the parking spot and then get in when she is all the backed. She then pulls over, puts her hazards on and picks up her foot to see whats on her ankle, and to our surprise, it was a little tick!!! She had thought before hand that nothing was really on her ankle, but then the spirit told her differently and told her to look at her ankle! Good thing she followed that spirit and got it just in time to take it out with out much effort at all. In the car, there isn't much to contain a tick with... we had a plastic sheet protector for some baptismal calendars we had so I slipped that out and she popped it in there! now that is contained, we needed to have it contained with out us holding it, so we went to a members house real quick to get a zip lock bag! 

Thankfully neither of us got Lyme disease and the tick is in tick heaven! :)

We finally were able to contact, and have dinner with this family that is a part member and part Jewish family! President Caplin's dad converted from Judaism to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints so we had dinner and a lesson with the President and sister Caplin with this little family. They had so much in common, it was unbelievable! 

God is so intimately involved with out lives, if only we could see all that he does!

Hymn 129- "Where Can I Turn For Peace"
"Where, when my aching grows,
Where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?Who, who can understand?
He, only One.

He answers privately,
Reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind,
Love without end."

Love constantly,
Sister Chaffin

Sister Minaker's eye

My Eye