Hi!

It is really hard to know what to fit into these emails, let me tell you that. It was a crazy week - seriously, flew by. 

This week I learned that it gets so much harder to be a missionary when you love. We visit a lady, she was baptized about. I wanna say 10 years ago but hasn't been to church consistently in a really long time. She lets silly things get in the way of her living the gospel and is incredibly stubborn. She doesn't allow the Spirit to teach her things, and she knows it. We sat in her home on Tuesday and read from the Book of Mormon and she told us the same things she always tells missionaries about why she isn't doing what she knows is right. Sister V and I left unsure how to help her - what would get in to her heart and help her to change. We left her house and I just cried. It is hard to love people and to love the gospel. But it is so good. 

Peaches and Boom and Jr!! I love to talk about them. Also, Peaches is her real name. They are awesome. Each time we go they all have such sincere questions and desire to change and do better at living the gospel. And Boom had more questions this week!! He wanted to know why it was that God worked through a church, and why there could only be one true church on the Earth. We explained to Boom about the Priesthood and the need for God's authority and power to organize and teach the fullness of the gospel. He stayed and listened and talked for longer this week than he did last week. Then he said "Wow okay I'm feeling something, time to go!" and left. He is so funny - And that thing he was feeling is the Holy Ghost!! I feel like Boom is ready for the lessons. He wants to know. He sees a change in his girlfriend and in his son. However, Boom knows that living the gospel would mean a lifestyle change. That will be hard. God knows Boom and Boom's needs and it is so exciting for Sister Vuki and I to watch his heart be softened. Thank you for praying for this precious family. 

On Thursday this week we had Zone Training Meeting. We go to the Macon stake center for that. It was such a powerful and Spirit directed meeting. I left my notes at home (sorry) but we talked a lot about contacting and the Book of Mormon and how we can be more unified. President Grayson has a vision for the Georgia Macon Mission and I will share it with you next week. You really need to see the chart to understand it. So.. yeah, sorry I can't explain more in that regard. I have gained such a strong testimony that this is God's work that I am a part of. I went home after ZTM and prayed about the vision President Grayson has and received confirmation that it is right - that it is from God. I am so thankful that we are able to receive revelation - that God loves us so much that He makes His will known to us.

Georgia is like nothing I have ever experienced in any measure. I have said so many prayers on the street with strangers and we all hold hands and everybody interjects to say "Amen" and "Thank you, Jesus" and it is so awesome. Everyone here is so kind and good and really loves God. Also, fun fact, Macon has more DIFFERENT churches per square mile than anywhere else in the entire world. How crazy is that? We had a special ward council just this week that was totally missionary focused. Bishop C said that they were going to work us so hard we'd need another set of missionaries. We are pumped. Our ward mission leader is awesome. He is a convert to the church of 27 years and he has lots of excitement for getting this work going. He is good to us. Brother H told a story yesterday in gospel principles: When he was young, before he joined the church, he used to regret that he hadn't been born 2000 years earlier so as to meet an Apostle of the Lord and shake their hand. All his childhood, Brother H longed for that experience - to meet one of the Lord's special witnesses. He joined the church - the church with living Apostles and a living Prophet!! - and one day was visiting a stake conference in South Carolina on a business trip. Elder Holland was the visiting general authority at the conference and after the meeting Brother Hildebrand found himself lucky enough to shake that blessed Apostle's hand in the hallway. His childhood dream had become a reality!! 

How cool is that? I am so thankful for the organization of Christ's church - for living Apostles and a Prophet who lead and guide us under the direction of Jesus Christ. 

I haven't had any strange food yet. Squash is a big thing in the South and I love it. The hardest thing to eat so far has been Hamburger Helper - how funny is that. 

Easter was great. We got to sing in the choir. I Stand All Amazed, He Is Risen. We closed that program with I Wonder When He Comes Again and there was so much crying. I love that song. The Spirit was so strong in that meeting and the chapel was packed. Sister V and I did color eggs.  :)

Keep being good and living righteously.

Mosiah 2:41 

Love you much,

Sister Gore

Sister Gore and Sister V!

Happy Easter!

Man I love y'all

Man I love y'all.

I am here with Sister V and she is easily one of the best missionaries here. She has been in Perry 6 months already, and hits her 1 year mark this Thursday. She is so bold and her love for the people here is evident. She is Polynesian and I love training with her. 

Wednesday was my first full day as a missionary and we spent the whole entire thing holed up at Bishop's house because of tornadoes. Welcome to Georgia! It was kind of fun though, they are such good people and we got a lot of study and planning done. That evening Bishop had me teach him the Restoration lesson and that was an awesome experience, even just in role playing. The Spirit directed all my teaching. Bishop has only been Bishop about 3 weeks and he has so much energy. His focus is missionary work which is so awesome. I asked him how that came to be and he said that he just opened his mouth at their first ward council and missionary work came out. It was 100% directed by the Spirit. We are so thrilled to work with him and with the Perry ward.

Thursday we went and visited a lot of families. It was so awesome to see how our studies were always made relevant as we really listened to the people we met with and tried to discern their needs. We also met with this lady we call Mama. She is an older lady whose only granddaughter died in a car crash about 2 weeks ago. We go and visit with her and read the Book of Mormon with her. She is the only member of the church in her whole family and is always sharing the gospel with them! Last time we were over we read Alma 40 with her about the spirit world and Resurrection of the dead. She asked a lot of questions and said she was eager to talk to her family about where her granddaughter is. Mama's faith in Christ is so strong. She has a testimony of the Plan of Salvation and does not waver from it. 

Friday we went to Fort Valley. We met so many awesome people! First we visited the M Family. Brother and Sister M haven't been to church in a long time, but they do read from the Book of Mormon and they watched some General Conference. We talked to them about the sacrament. I love what we learn in 3 Nephi 18:4-5 about how the sacrament FILLS us. Even if we are reading our scriptures & praying & doing good, we are still empty until we have renewed our covenants with Heavenly Father. We talked about this principle and Sister M said that she felt this void in her home. Hopefully we will see change come about by this.

Then we went to check on a referral. She requested a Bible and Book of Mormon. She is so cool! She let us in right away. (Actually, everyone - EVERYONE - just says "come in" when you knock on the door, it's super chill.) We talked with her a lot about the Bible. She expressed to us her love for it but also that it is really difficult for her to understand. We taught her about the Book of Mormon. It is another testament of Jesus Christ and His gospel is found in the Book of Mormon just like the Bible. We talked to her about how the Book of Mormon is plain and simple, such that even little children can read and understand it. We read 1 Nephi 1 with her right then. She said she perfectly understood what was going on and that the story is so fascinating. She got really excited when we told her that later on in the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ comes and visits his people in the Americas. She said that she had felt something while she was reading, something good that she had never felt before. We helped her to recognize that feeling to be the Holy Ghost, witnessing to her that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. We talked about how the Holy Ghost can be her constant companion and can lead her to do right and follow Jesus Christ. Sister V and I both felt the Spirit so strong and I invited her to be baptized. She accepted! We committed her to continue reading the Book of Mormon and Bible, and showed her where Christ comes in 3 Nephi 11. We are going to see her again on Wednesday.

We went to see another family - Peaches is the mama and everyone calls her boyfriend Boom.  We are teaching their 9 yr old son, Jr. He has a baptismal date set for May 13 and we taught him and Peaches about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Boom, who had never before had any interest in sitting in on our discussions or learning about the church, ended up in the living room as we were finishing up and had questions! He shared with us that he has been baptized 3 or 4 times in other churches and we explained to him that Jr's baptism will be different because it is done by the priesthood authority of God. We talked about baptism for a few minutes before he moved on but it was so cool to see his desire grow. His heart is being softened as his little boy makes changes in his life. We only get to be in Fort Valley one day a week but I already love that day! The people are so awesome. 

Saturday was looooooong. Everything we had planned to do fell through. We did lots of knocking. We did get in to see the M family. We shared the Prince of Peace Easter video with them (it is so powerful.) They shared with us their testimony of Jesus Christ and the hope we can have through Him. Also Brother H his wife took us out for Mexican food that night. Good stuff. 

Sunday was so good. As a missionary, you worship so differently on the Sabbath. No resting, really. Just lots to do. Sacrament meeting was awesome. I needed so badly to partake of the Sacrament and receive strength from that ordinance. I am so thankful for the covenants I made at baptism and that I can always be forgiven of my sins and made stronger. All the testimonies were centered on Jesus Christ. The Perry ward is good and strong. I love them and they all carry such a light about them because they are dedicated servants in the Lord's kingdom. Sister Vuki and I got to go to ward choir, too. We are singing He Is Risen and I Wonder When He Comes Again. Tear jerkers, both of 'em.

I feel... Not green. Conference was so awesome to watch right before leaving the MTC and I just felt that all the talks were about being "all in". I loved Elder Sabin's talk in particular. He said that if we ever get tired of walking, we can always run. He encouraged us to let go of the world and hang on to eternity. I told President Grayson in our first interview that I wanted to be all in. I want to work hard, and give all my time and energy and heart to God as I serve in the Georgia Macon Mission. It is the only way to see miracles and to account to the Lord that I am about His work, His way. I lived that way this week. I did not allow myself to be reserved, but was bold in sharing my testimony of the restored gospel and of Jesus Christ. It is scary. It is hard. I never have problems falling asleep at night. And I love it. I know that this is God's work. I feel so privileged to be allowed to assist Him in it. I have so much to learn and there is so much work to be done in Perry but I am grateful that I am not shy. If I will open my mouth, the Spirit will fill it with what needs to be said to invite others unto Christ.

The weather has been perfect this week, seriously beautiful. No humidity yet, either. But give it a week. GA is so green, seriously stunning always. I am always tired, and I miss you. Everything is new and the East is so vastly different from the West and I really love my family.

I am so pumped for Easter this week. Today I started reading in Matthew 21 and in Luke and in Mark and in John. By Easter I will have read those four accounts of Christ's last few days of ministry, suffering in the garden, crucifixion, and Resurrection. I am so thankful for my Savior and for His selfless and loving sacrifice. He won victories for each of us that we could not have won for ourselves. Center your lives on Christ. Strive to become as He is.

Anyways I think that's all. 

Stay safe and happy. 

Love,

Sister Gore

With Pres.and Sis Grayson

Welcome to Perry!

Sister Gore & Sister V

Study!

MTC: The Final Countdown

Hi!

This week was really hard physically and really powerful spiritually. I got way sick on Monday. Sinus congestion, totally laid out. I had to go back to the residence at like 6. I slept for 11 hours. #blest. But I'm still sick!! On Saturday! I have a hacking cough and my nose is super runny. There's just no time to rest and allow my body to catch up. I guess I could've taken something but I didn't feel like I could. It's okay though.

This week in class I learned the coolest thing about repentance. Alma teaches Heleman in Alma 37:9, "their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer." Read it again. Repentance brings us to a knowledge of God and causes us to rejoice! "A true testimony of the Savior is a true testimony of repentance." I know that repentance is a joyful process. When we are able to overcome our carnal state and withstand temptation, God rejoices with us. Be better daily. Bring forth fruit meet for repentance. Follow the example of Jesus Christ. Turn to Him and away from the things of the world. Nothing can bring you more peace.

I leave the MTC early Monday morning and I can hardly believe that. It feels like only a day has gone by. Already, I am becoming a "new creature in Christ". Being here has been so transformational. For one, I learned to shoot hoops. But most importantly I learned about the character of Christ. One of our teachers asked us to evaluate how we taught in our first week to how we taught this last week. Huge difference! In the beginning I remember being so concerned with myself. How did I do that? Was I okay? How can I teach that better? Two weeks later and the questions have changed: Did I follow promptings of the Spirit? Did my investigator feel the Spirit? Did they build their faith in Christ? Do they have a desire to repent? I am learning to turn outward and focus on others. My studying has become a desperate search for what my investigators need to learn and feel. It is so powerful and fills me with love for whomever I am teaching. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love being able to testify of Him and His restored church constantly.

Friday was a crazy day. In-Field Orientation. AKA. 8 hour meeting. And it was so fun. I learned so much about how to really be a successful missionary. I think that thing that stuck out to me the most was the workshop about my attitude and belief as a missionary. I always hear about "greenie fire" in relation to brand new missionaries. I 110% reject this notion. I'm gonna have greenie fire my whole mission. (You laugh now. Wait and see.) Setting high expectations for myself, my companion, the ward I'm in, and my investigators will make me a more effective missionary.  If we have faith in Christ we can do all things which are expedient in Him. I'm just so pumped to be in GA and to love the people there and meet everyone and tell everyone about God's kingdom on the Earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.

Also. I had a little epiphany. We were asked to think about what our message is as missionaries  and how we would explain it briefly. I came up with these 10 words: God wants His children back through Jesus Christ's restored gospel. How cool is that? I love the words of Christ as found in 3 Nephi, "20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. 21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;" Live the gospel. Consider on the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God. We know the things that we must do. As
you do them, God will bless you so richly in this life and in the eternities.

Headed to conference soon - SO PUMPED. Love you so much. Learn lots today. Go and receive revelation. The Lord loves you and the church is true.

Yours,
Sister Gore 💙 💙 💙

Emma MTC Blossoms

MTC District

District Jump - Emma the Organizer ;)

MTC Zone