Sister Clayton and I tagged along with Sister Cockrell and Sister Faasavalu this week to teach Phyl.
Just a little background info on Phyl - The missionaries found her the end of July sitting on a bench waiting for her daughter to finish shopping at Kohl's. Our sweet Sisters Cockrell and Faasavalu were there because they were with a member who needed to stop and shop also.
The sisters struck up a conversation with Phyl and ended up visiting for about 20-30 minutes. Phyl has been having regular lessons and coming to church ever since and has been reading the Book of Mormon faithfully. Phyl's husband passed away a few years ago and I was told that when she was taught about temples and eternal families her heart was so full that she just couldn't speak. Eternal life and eternal families are truly the greatest gift Heavenly Father can give us. Seeing it through the eyes of a new convert makes me have a renewed sense of awe and gratitude.
Her baptism date is set for October 11.
Just a little background info on Phyl - The missionaries found her the end of July sitting on a bench waiting for her daughter to finish shopping at Kohl's. Our sweet Sisters Cockrell and Faasavalu were there because they were with a member who needed to stop and shop also.
The sisters struck up a conversation with Phyl and ended up visiting for about 20-30 minutes. Phyl has been having regular lessons and coming to church ever since and has been reading the Book of Mormon faithfully. Phyl's husband passed away a few years ago and I was told that when she was taught about temples and eternal families her heart was so full that she just couldn't speak. Eternal life and eternal families are truly the greatest gift Heavenly Father can give us. Seeing it through the eyes of a new convert makes me have a renewed sense of awe and gratitude.
Her baptism date is set for October 11.
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| Sisters Merrell, Cockrell, Faasavalu, and Clayton on our way home after teaching Phyl |
Sister Clayton and I were included in the lesson planning session to teach Phyl about the law of tithing. During the planning, I shared my tithing story, and it was decided that it would be part of the lesson. When the time was right I told Phyl my story:
Earlier in my life my husband and I, along with three children, lived in Amarillo, Texas. Rod, my husband, was working as an intern there when an opportunity to finish that internship in Utah came. We decided to move to Utah. We had very little money, just enough to pay the rent and bills, but we did have four months to earn the extra we would need to move. I began really pinching pennies, cooking everything from scratch, sewing for people, babysiting, etc. One month before the moving date, an unexpected bill came and took everything we had saved. Our savings account was back to zero. For the first time I was tempted to not pay my tithing, thinking that we really needed that money for the move, and we could pay it back later. But I knew paying tithing was the right thing to do, so we did pay our tithing and prayed for the Lord's help.
Earlier in my life my husband and I, along with three children, lived in Amarillo, Texas. Rod, my husband, was working as an intern there when an opportunity to finish that internship in Utah came. We decided to move to Utah. We had very little money, just enough to pay the rent and bills, but we did have four months to earn the extra we would need to move. I began really pinching pennies, cooking everything from scratch, sewing for people, babysiting, etc. One month before the moving date, an unexpected bill came and took everything we had saved. Our savings account was back to zero. For the first time I was tempted to not pay my tithing, thinking that we really needed that money for the move, and we could pay it back later. But I knew paying tithing was the right thing to do, so we did pay our tithing and prayed for the Lord's help.
The Lord heard our prayers. Rod was given an opportunity to earn money while working at the hospital, which was unheard of. Some good person sent us some cash anonymously. The truck rental company did not have the size of truck we had ordered, so we had to take a smaller, less-expensive one. It was smaller than the truck we moved to Texas in. I remember thinking that our things will never fit in that small truck, but they did. Everything fit, except the baby crib mattress. It was okay because Trent had outgrown it, and we wouldn't be needing one for a while.
Rod had to stay behind in Amarillo to finished the internship, so Grandpa and Grandma Merrell came to help me and the kids move. When the move was over and I drove the moving truck into my Mom and Dad's driveway, I had a quarter left in my pocket. The Lord blessed us with everything we needed to move and a little to spare.
Rod had to stay behind in Amarillo to finished the internship, so Grandpa and Grandma Merrell came to help me and the kids move. When the move was over and I drove the moving truck into my Mom and Dad's driveway, I had a quarter left in my pocket. The Lord blessed us with everything we needed to move and a little to spare.
When I told Phyl this story, she just smiled and nodded. When I finished she said that she has paid tithing all her life. She shared her sweet tithing story of how the Lord poured out blessings on her and her family. When her husband was diagnosed with cancer and couldn't work anymore, she was blessed with a new, better-paying job that she wasn't even qualified for and also blessed with unexpected money from a co-worker that paid for her husband's radiation treatments. Phyl already had a testimony of tithing!
I'm planning to go to Phyl's baptism. All her family will be there which includes eight older brothers, a daughter, and a granddaughter. She told us that her brothers support her and look to her as the leader even though she is youngest. I hope there will be more baptisms.
When the missionaries asked her about her copy of the Book of Mormon, she confessed that it wasn't the one they had given her. She had given that one to a friend. :)
We were invited to a cemetery cleanup day at the Antioch Baptist Church. We worked in the "servant" (slave) section where the graves were unmarked. The goal was for each volunteer to clear the tops of three graves. The graves could be identified by the sunken earth. After the cleanup each grave would be marked with a wooden white cross made by a local scout. We along with the missionaries in our district and a number of other people pulled weeds and vines and hoed and raked until it began to look nice.
Donna Hann, the woman in charge, took Rod and me on a tour of the neighboring baptist church. The original chapel was built in 1829. Donna showed us the place where the "servants" (slaves) would climb up a ladder to attend church from the balcony. She told us that there was a 5 foot file filled with information about the people buried in the cemetery and how precious it was to her. I told her how our church preserves records by digitizing, transcribing and making them available for people to find their ancestors. She was very interested in learning more and invited us to a meeting at her church. I'm going to have to do some checking with local church leaders to know what is available here.
We spent two days at the food bank and had more good conversations with more people we've never met before. On Friday we were asked to go to the Peachtree Meeting House to help with a service project. To our surprise we learned that one of the agencies picking up food at the MidWest Food Bank this week needed to use our meeting house for distribution. His church building was in use that day.I'm planning to go to Phyl's baptism. All her family will be there which includes eight older brothers, a daughter, and a granddaughter. She told us that her brothers support her and look to her as the leader even though she is youngest. I hope there will be more baptisms.
When the missionaries asked her about her copy of the Book of Mormon, she confessed that it wasn't the one they had given her. She had given that one to a friend. :)
We were invited to a cemetery cleanup day at the Antioch Baptist Church. We worked in the "servant" (slave) section where the graves were unmarked. The goal was for each volunteer to clear the tops of three graves. The graves could be identified by the sunken earth. After the cleanup each grave would be marked with a wooden white cross made by a local scout. We along with the missionaries in our district and a number of other people pulled weeds and vines and hoed and raked until it began to look nice.
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| Cleanup at the Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery Servant Section |
Donna Hann, the woman in charge, took Rod and me on a tour of the neighboring baptist church. The original chapel was built in 1829. Donna showed us the place where the "servants" (slaves) would climb up a ladder to attend church from the balcony. She told us that there was a 5 foot file filled with information about the people buried in the cemetery and how precious it was to her. I told her how our church preserves records by digitizing, transcribing and making them available for people to find their ancestors. She was very interested in learning more and invited us to a meeting at her church. I'm going to have to do some checking with local church leaders to know what is available here.
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| Elder Merrell |
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| Sister Merrell finishing up |
We set up tables and began sorting food into piles for people to pick up. It was so delightful to see the actual people that some of the food goes to. The sisters and elders helped carry the food to their vehicles.
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| Sorting food for needy people in the area at the Peachtree Meeting House Unknown ward member, Sisters William, Toole, Hart, Elder Crook, and Sister Nebeker |
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| Sister Williams, Toole, Hart, unknown, and Elder Crook |
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| Sisters William, unknown, Sisters Hart, Toole, Nebeker, Elder Crook, Elder Merrell, Sister Clayton |
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| Elder Inskeep |
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| Our crew: Sisters Hart, Williams, Toole, Nebeker, Clayton, Elder & Siser Merrell, Elders Inskeep and Crook |
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| Morning Mist on the way to the MidWest Food Bank, Redwine Road Photo taken while traveling in our car. |
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| The sun is just coming up on the way to the Food Bank |
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