There's so much to be thankful for

Good day to y'all!

Lots of wonderful things are happening here in the Loganville area. We are finding a lot of success. I am feeling more and more like a missionary...something I haven't felt in a few months. It is great to have things to do and people to teach. We are currently working with a lot of wonderful people that I am beginning to love and cherish.

1. Scott and Anny: This couple is truly amazing. They heard about the church through some member friends. I'm not sure how long they've been taking the discussions, but they are what we call "golden". They know the church is true and have the desire to be baptized. They come to church every week they are able, and get there on their own, with no persuasion from the missionaries. We went over to see them a couple of days ago, and part way through talking with them, Scott leaves the room and comes back with his own Quad (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price). He has already read through the Book of Mormon, and is now half way through the Doctrine and Covenants. And of course he is also reading the Bible. He loves learning new things. He talks a lot about baptism. The only thing holding him back is his smoking problem. We gave him a "Stop Smoking Program" and he plans on starting that up soon. This week when we see them we plan on setting a baptismal date. They are wonderful people!

2. The S family: This family is also amazing. They all have a baptismal date-November 25th. But due to the father being hospitalized this past week, we have to move it back. We are going to be meeting with them tonight and I am excited. They know the church is true and also have the desire to do what is right and be baptized. Unfortunately, this trial is making it difficult for that to happen right now. We are hoping that Jimmy starts to get better and that he will stay well enough to go to church, complete the lessons, be baptized, and continue on. He is a great guy.

3. Crystal and Amber: A member of the ward gave Crystal as a referral. She was attending a non-denominational church, but due to a mistake on the Pastor's part the church broke apart and led Crystal and Amber to search for a more family-oriented church. They know that our church is very family-oriented, so Crystal contacted her sister and her sister contacted us. We went over and taught the Restoration, and the lesson went well. They both believed everything that was taught, and they accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon. I am really excited for this teaching process. Both of these women are really sweet.

We usually don't have a problem finding people to visit, because I remember a lot of people from the last time I was here that I have really been wanting to get back in contact with. We have a list of people that I still want to go see, and we are trying to get through that list. Hopefully some of our former investigators will become current investigators. I really do love the people here. The ward is very helpful. When we are not out teaching investigators, we are in teaching the members. The great thing about this ward is that they make sure we have a dinner every night, which means we also get to know the members and we get to teach them as well. It helps to keep the teaching skills up. I was really losing them in my last area, due to a lack of people to teach.

On Wednesday we had Zone Conference, which was great! I learned a lot of really great things that will hopefully help me and my companion in the work. Mostly tips on finding people to teach. I am learning that I really need to start opening up and talking to EVERYONE that the Lord places in our path. When an appointment fails, there is a reason for it. All of those times we feel like we are being boggled down by "inconveniences", I need to take a look and see what opportunities the Lord is giving me to open my mouth, and share the gospel. This work is difficult, and was never meant to be easy. I am constantly learning new things, and am constantly growing. It may not be in a way that I want. In fact, it usually is in a way that I hate. But I am learning that it is for my good. The problem I have that I am trying to work through is that I know when there is something I am supposed to learn. When a trial comes my way, I know it is the Lord testing me and giving it to me as a learning experience. The problem comes when I choose to delay the growth. My last area is a good example of that. I think I learned about half of what I was supposed to. Good thing Heavenly Father doesn't give up on us. He will never ever give up on one of His children, because of the infinite love He has for each of them. That is something I am grateful for.

I hope y'all have a very happy Thanksgiving, and don't forget to take time to really think about the things you have been blessed with. I am personally thankful for all of my family and friends who support me and what I'm doing. It means a lot. But above all, I am thankful for my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ, who give me the strength to do this work each and every day.



I love y'all,

Sister Taylor