You would think I am in Kentucky or something...

"Or something," as my dad would always say growing up.. Haha

I don't have much time today, we are headed out to Corbin, KY to go hiking with the sisters out there! I think Cumberland Falls? It sounded fun so we are going! Every p-day seems to be the same so we are switching things up! 

We have been finding and finding and finding some more [people to teach] and we have found some awesome families! We are so excited! 

On Wednesday we were able to teach our friend, Billy! We are starting over from the beginning with him so he can gain the sure foundation! It is a difficult sacrifice to give up what you know for something better! Changing your mindset is even harder. I can only imagine the push and pull he is feeling. Satan is pulling him one direction and the Holy Ghost is gently encouraging him to come to the right side. It all boils down to if the Book of Mormon is true. Honestly. Of all things, we must have a foundation of and in the Book of Mormon and everything else will fall into place! Everyone has the bible. The Book of Mormon is what sets us apart! It is was makes us different. It is the convincing evidence! 

Our district had interviews this week too! It is always so good to see president and sister Brough! I just love them so much! :) they are a wonderful influence! President is so kind and sister Brough gives an outpouring of love! They are two of the goofiest people I know. I can't get enough of them! President and sister Brough extended to us one of the coolest commitments I have ever been given. All the missionaries in the mission were given four colored pencils and a new copy of the Book of Mormon. We all committed to mark 1. References to Christ 2. Christ's doctrine 3. Christ's attributes and 4. Christ's words said by him or his prophets. It is awesome! The entire Book of Mormon will be Christ coded and I like to call it! I am planning on finishing it in a few months at about 8 pages a day! (What the young women always challenged us to do over the summer.) We then went out to eat with the sisters at a mediocre cafe. We are trying to eat at all of the local shops before this transfer ends! We have acquired a list! Tackli it one Friday at a time with the cute Corbin sisters! 

Friday. I was so thrown off because we normally have district meeting and it felt like a Saturday, but it wasn't... Luckily, we had dinner with the stettlers to look forward to! I love the Stettler's so much. They are truly incredible people. I have adopted them as family. Brother stettler is just a character. We get along so well. He picks on me, I pick on him, it is a mutual picking on. It works perfectly. He is so knowledgeable and intelligent as well. I look up to him a lot! His wife is equally as incredible as well! She is the hound women's president of the branch now too! 

Saturday rolled around and it was a long day.. But we had appointments back to back (finally, again!) and it was so wonderful! We picked up a new investigator, a headquarters referral, Rhonda! She is rad! Rhonda has a so,I'd Christian background and talked to missionaries about 20 years ago. She then moved to Kentucky and lost touch with them. Two months ago, she requested a bible and the two cutest sisters in Somerset hand delivered it to her! That is how we found ms. Rhonda! She set a baptismal date and we have high hopes for her and her family! :)

Nothing huge or exponential happened this week, but it sure was full of tender mercies. For example: we got a call from a woman coming out of the temple on Tuesday with another woman's information and asking us to contact this woman. We couldn't figure out the lady's name on our voicemail, but we called Sheila, the woman whose information we were left with. Sister Schultz and I were extremely excited thinking we were handed a new investigator! Sheila answered the phone and was so thrilled to hear it was the missionaries, beyond excited! She went on to tell us how she had lost touch with the missionaries and the branch (and her life story) and that she had been calling numbers she had for the past two years with no luck. She finally got ahold of the Temple and the woman who ended up calling us. Long story short, we found a lost member! It is these kind of tender mercies that are just incredible. To see the Lord's hand in how she found us and how we ultimately got to meet her! We were able to visit Sister warhorse in the hospital on Saturday and get to know her! It was amazing!

A note from the Sunday school lesson on work and self reliance: 

"IN all forms of work, missionary work, marriage, real life jobs that bring in money, you want to enjoy it. That doesn't mean that you won't have some righteous anger or disappointment or discouragement, but overall, when you look back, it is enjoyable and rewarding." -brother stettler 

Work is essential to each of us for growth, character development, and many satisfactions that the idle never know.- gp manual

false doctrine heard this week:

-man created God in their image (see Genesis 1:27-28 for truth)

I am seriously convinced that Kentucky is still in the great apostasy. The stuff we hear. Satan is the master of confusion. 

Quote of the week: "I seriously sat there and thought for a couple minutes 'God, why didn't you send me two ugly Mormon girls?' And then I got to thinking and I realized ive never met an ugly Mormon." -BRother Billy

"True religion and true science work hand in hand." -brother George

Don't forget: rattlesnake is of high value, extremely expensive meat. Squirrel eyes are a delicacy. (Well, you would think I am in Kentucky or something!)

From my Studies this week: I felt this was extremely interesting. We are teaching a woman who believes people are born homosexual and they don't have a choice about it. I don't feel this way simply because that completely goes against God's plan. He would never, ever, set one of His children up to fail, and homosexuality puts a wrench in the plan.  We all have our own struggles and trials in this life, but we can all overcome them. I then came across this quote as I was studying something completely different, but it applies perfectly. Take it at what you will!

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that, regardless of a person's susceptibility or tendency, we have an obligation to exercise our agency to overcome our personal weaknesses:

"Perhaps these persons, as the saying goes, were 'born that way.' But what does that mean? Does it mean that persons with susceptibilities or strong tendencies have no choice, no free agency in these matters? Our doctrine teaches us otherwise. Regardless of a person's susceptibility or tendency, his will is unfettered. His free agency is unqualified. It is his freedom that is impaired. … We are all responsible for the exercise of our free agency.

"… Most of us are born with thorns in the flesh, some more visible, some more serious than others. We all seem to have susceptibilities to one disorder or another, but whatever our susceptibilities, we have the will and the power to control our thoughts and our actions. This must be so. God has said that he holds us accountable for what we do and what we think, so our thoughts and actions must be controllable by our agency. Once we have reached the age or condition of accountability, the claim 'I was born that way' does not excuse actions or thoughts that fail to conform to the commandments of God. We need to learn how to live so that a weakness that is mortal will not prevent us from achieving the goal that is eternal."

Happy Thanskgiving!

10 things I am grateful for:

10-tiwi's that work properly

Last night, in 30 degree weather, our tiwi decided not to 'wake up' and we were 15 miles from home... It was a good time.

9- elder Bailey who always helps me with the tiwi

Since we can't drive home without the tiwi on, elder Bailey is there to help us out. We got in on after 7 minutes. Literally two miles down the road, the gas light came on. I couldn't help but laugh. 

8- knowledge and inspiration

I love learning and I especially love learning with the spirit. There is so much more to everything with the spirit! I love gaining knowledge and great treasures, even hidden treasures! (See d&c 89:18-21)

7- the spirit and promptings

There is nothing better than feeling the spirit and the warmth that comes from it!

6- my mission family

These people of the GKLM are amazing! I am so grateful for them and their love for me! 

5- love

Pure Christlike love is all anyone needs! (Read 1 Nephi 8, 11-12) it is the most desirable! 

4- my companion, who is amazing

This girl, sister Schultz. She is wonderful and a godsend. I aM blessed  to have her powerful testimony in my life! 

3- my family who supports me with all they've got

Enough said, I have the best family out there! Love you mom and dad! (And Jeffrey and Daniel too!) 

2- the gospel

There is nothing more precious to me than the knowledge I have of the fullness of the everlasting gospel! 

1- my Savior and His Holy Atonement 

Simply put, without this eternal gift, we would all be nothing. I am eternally grateful for my Savior! 

Have you counted your blessings recently?

I know that Jesus is the Christ, my lord and savior. I know that He lives and loves me too! I know that the Book of Mormon testifies of him or his atonement on every single page! I know that God is a God of miracles! I love this work so much! I am grateful for this once in eternity opportunity! 

So much glorious gospel love from Somerset, KY,

Sister Hannah

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