TRANSFERS TODAY.

I left G-town and Sister S today after only 12 weeks.

This will be brief but hopefully informative. We just barely made it to AIKEN, SC. We being Sister F and I! She is from Kentucky, has been out 6 weeks longer than I have, and is seriously so focused and close to the Lord.

Also - Sister O got transferred and is in my zone so we'll get to see each other because I was also called to serve as a Sister Training Leader in the North Augusta Zone... So I like.. Go to Mission Leader Conference in Macon monthly and conduct exchanges with the Sisters and I don't really know what else but I'm so excited!

Also feeling just pretty inadequate, just a healthy amount, at everything the Lord has trusted me with. We are white-washing in so.. we don't know anything and haven't been home yet today wherever that is and wow. Round two, anyone?

Feeling humble today.

Also, if you hadn't already heard but I'm sure you have, Elder Stevenson had to reschedule because apparently it "snowed" in Atlanta. So. He's hopefully rescheduling sometime next year.

We are emailing from a library so there won't be any pictures this week either because there doesn't appear to be a place to put my SD card? Sorry about that. 

Jesus Christ lives. The Book of Mormon is true. God has a perfect plan and loves us completely and is in the details of our lives.

Have a wonderful week!!

Thank you for your prayers and faith.

Yours,

Sister Gore

Sister Gore and her new companion on transfer day 

Dear all,

Short letter this week, we are running around trying to finish things today. It's week 6/6 for this transfer! And we are headed to Macon on Friday and we're busy and happy.

Here's a spiritual thought:

When Jesus was told that Lazarus had been sick, He did not leave where he had been to go to Lazarus in Bethany, but waited another 2 days. When Christ did arrive, Lazarus had been dead 4 days and both Mary and Martha mourned, saying that if Jesus had been there, Lazarus would not have died. Though Mary and Martha were both faith-filled women, I am sure that they wondered at their Lord's timing. However, Jesus tells his disciples, "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe" (John 11:15). God's ways are higher than our own. His plan is perfect. He understands us and our circumstances and will always see that our needs our met in the timing that is best. God answers prayers in His way and in His time so that we might have faith-promoting experiences that humble and bless us and help us on our way home to God.

-Sister Gore

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving was fun! We played flag football with the ward which was awesome. We drew the plan of salvation in some parks with chalk. We had dinner with the Elders and an awesome member family and some of the Elder's investigators. At one point on Thanksgiving Sister S and I were in a dollar store - we needed frosting to finish the cake we made for Elder D's birthday. We were standing in line to check out and this tall black man comes into the store and says, "Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Now you'll have to excuse me everybody, I've got chitlin juice on me!". If you're not aware.. chitlins are pig intestines. Ew. Normal day in the South.

Okay so last week I told you about the part-member family that wants to be baptized. We got to see them this week and they are seriously amazing.  The dad had his finger cut off by a machine at work and then.. couldn't work and I don't know why there wasn't some kind of workers comp to help him out or what happened with that but he and his wife and their 2 daughters found themselves living in a hotel for like 6 months with no car and only odd jobs here and there to sustain them. Eventually they sent their daughters away to grandmas house to try and get things going. He started getting more stable jobs and right now he's working at an ironworks place for decent pay. But he works 12 hours a day and works every other weekend and they still don't have a car and so he walks 45 minutes there and back. They now finally have a trailer. And when they first got to the trailer they literally only had 1 suitcase and they sat on the suitcase and prayed so hard. and they've been blessed with furniture given to them or found really cheap and they'll probably be able to move their girls back in before Christmas and they found a car for really cheap. They are so incredibly humble and thankful and the dad has such a strong testimony of the gospel. It is awesome to have him in lessons because he brings the spirit like nothing else. They have so much faith and know that God allowed them to have their trials and carried them through to the other side. They want to come to church and learn the gospel and be baptized because they are thankful and aware of their Heavenly Father and want their family to be stronger. We are just amazed and so thankful for their goodness. 

On Demeber 9th from 9am - noon we will be gathered as an entire mission in Macon, GA because  Elder Gary E Stevenson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles along with Elder Lynn G Robbins of the Seventy and Elder Fred Parker our Area Seventy will be coming to visit! So we're having a way last minute conference as missionaries and we could not be more excited! First because we get another round of instruction from the Lord's representatives and also because the whole mission will be together! Something that wouldn't happen otherwise. 

#LIGHTTHEWORLD

As some of you might know, the Church's Christmas initiative this year is #LightTheWorld. If you're unfamiliar, the initiative is a powerful way to focus on Jesus Christ during Christmas. Our Savior led a life full of service and love for others. December 1-25 we can be the light of the world as we serve just as Jesus Christ did. Each day leading up to Christmas a teaching of the Savior is featured, along with realistic applications for our own lives. Each day there is a new video to watch. I know that this initiative is inspired! Go and watch the video and download your calendars and take this challenge to look outside of yourself and do good. 

Get started here: https://www.mormon.org/ 

Then take it one further - share it with others! Tell your family, your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, all your followers on Instagram and friends on Facebook, use it in your visiting and home teaching, and involve your family and friends in the service you do. Use this as an opportunity to share your beliefs and love for Jesus Christ!

Yours,

Sis Gore

The plan of salvation in chalk

This week we helped with 2 moves which was so fun. And awesome to see a ward pull together even last minute. And that the church really provides an immediate support network.

Last Sunday, November 12, a lady  called the church and asked that missionaries come by. We didn't think too much of this - last time missionaries were requested from the church it was for a good bible bash in the McDonald parking lot and sometimes people are just funny! We tried the address a couple times but no one answered. The note had said to try after 6 so that's what we've been doing but we also felt like Saturday is probably different rules in regard to time. We stopped by on Saturday and met her husband. He is a member of the church, but hasn't attended in several years. Also his address had changed so we would've been looking for him in the wrong place if they hadn't called. He said that he wants to come back to church and his wife wants to be baptized! We are seeing them this week on Friday night. 

We had a lesson with a woman  this week. Early in her life she began to ask questions of her pastor in regard to what they believed and why she believed it. Because of her questioning, she was labeled as a blasphemer and banned from the church. Since then, she has not ceased her search for a religion that she can call her own. She picks a religion and studies it and practices it. And is looking for something that her family can build on, despite awful experiences with church early in her life. I was so impressed with persistence and the hope that she clings to. I love finding people like H who have not closed themselves off to their Father in Heaven, but rather move forward and cling to the faith they do have. I know that the restored gospel is the answer to Heather's search. We are excited to help her progress. We were also thrilled to be able to explain to Heather that questions - sincere, truth-seeking questions - are more than welcome. 

While tracting this week we met a lady named K. Her and her husband are searching for an Episcopalian church to attend but she was super willing to talk to us and we had an awesome conversation about the church and were able to leave her a Book of Mormon! I love the Book of Mormon. I try to focus on giving them away every day and it makes me happy.  I know that the Lord is pleased with our best efforts and I love when those efforts include putting more of the word of God into the hands of people yet unaware of the great wealth of knowledge given to the world in the past 200 years.

Okay funny story - sometimes we come across Vivint doorbells or skybell doorbells where the people can see you and hear you and talk to you from your phone. Usually they are kind of frustration because people choose to stay inside and tell us no through the doorbell rather than come to the door and at least have some kind of positive exchange. This week we literally MADE A RETURN APPOINTMENT THROUGH A VIVINT DOORBELL WITH A FAMILY THAT IS OUT OF TOWN AND WANTS TO LEARN MORE.  We just laughed and I felt grateful for technology. 

This past week it was Sunday at about 7pm. We had one hour left of proselyting time because we were headed to watch the face to face devotional at 8pm. We had planned to go and try a  family and then walk around their neighborhood. The family wasn't open to having visits so we hit the street! We met a lady who gave us paw patrol cupcakes so that was cool but no one who wanted us to come back. Last door of the night and we met a man named John. John and his wife have 2 kids - one 3 and one 3 weeks. John has lots of LDS family and spent time with a cousin who served a mission in the area while he was a missionary.. if that sentence made sense. Anyways, John was so kind and open and we are going to see their family the week after Thanksgiving. Talk about a Sunday night miracle. 

We were able to go to a Relief Society gratitude dinner this week. One of the women who spoke shared her firm belief that gratitude is the single most important way to be happy in this life. And that there is a difference between saying thank you and being thankful. Of all the incredible blessings God has given us, the matchless gift of His divine Son is the greatest. I am thankful for Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on behalf of each of us. And I am thankful for an Eternal Father who loved us enough to sacrifice His son. I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real - I have experienced it's healing and changing power. Please use this incredible and infinite gift daily. Call upon the Lord for strength to resist temptation- for comfort- for the ability to do more- for forgiveness- for the ability to forgive- for desires to do good continually. I know that this process of daily repentance brings great peace and knowledge that we indeed are on the correct path Home.

Be strong and of a good courage.

-Sister Gore