Monday, December 2, 2013

Christmas in Columbus

November 25, 2013
 
 
Howdy family! How are y'all? This week was incredible! MIRACLES! Thanks for the presents! I loved them so much! Okay and how did y'all choose the most perfect Hallmark cards? Tear Jerkers for sure! (Okay I cried)  So Monday night sister Vogel and Sister Gomez straight up surprised me for exchanges and birthday fun!
Reunited never felt so good.
So now I celebrated it with three people that I dearly love, and they decorated the whole room with streamers and balloons. Sister Peschke made me a cake, the Spicer's threw a little party and made the cutest cupcake looking cake, and even an investigator got me a cake that said "Happy Birthday Sister Case!" My district, members of the branch, and even investigators and less actives texted me! (oh and birthdays on the mish are the best because people let you in. Like we would try to schedule appointments with people and then they would say no.... So we'd text back "but it's Sister Cases' birthday!" And then they would let us come over.) The elders gave me a super cute present, and then my district surprised me with stuff too. Like, I'm too loved.  Best. Birthday. Ever.
Sister Peschke
OH Yeah
Thank you Tanya
Birthday Box
Babe's Birthday Shirt


 District meeting I had to train. Yikes! "how can you be bold without being overbearing?" LOVE. That's what the Spirit told me. I talked about if we truly love those we're teaching, then we can be as bold as we want because they know we care, and want what's best for them. It was an incredible experience preparing for it.
I'm back to myself again! I'm confident and just so happy!
2Nephi 17-35 really did the trick. I was doing my personal study and when I read that it really stuck. There is no reason for me to feel sad or alone, BECAUSE I CAN DO HARD THINGS!  I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me! This past week I haven't been keeping to my positive game.  I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There is no reason for me to be upset about anything! Heavenly Father is having me go through experiences so I can learn and grow from them. ~Ether 12:27~
I am a daughter of God. I must walk tall and be strong and always remember who I am.... And that I can pray any time anywhere always!
(plus these parts say "oh my heart" so naturally Heavenly Father knew I needed this little pick me up) It also helped that when I was on exchanges, I had the feeling that I needed to pretend as if I was training. It really helped me to know that,  I can do this as I rely on the spirit.


11-22 is Sister Dumont and I's BFF day. Our lucky numbers put together. We've been making video diaries, so stay tuned for that! And OMH  it S***ED on Thursday! Minor murder scream when I walked out of the members home.
Then we went to the Columbus stroll! Straight up Christmas time and you walk around and get buckets on free food from the stores and we passed out nativity cards.
The Relief Society had a gingerbread making party and Shirley ( a less active) came and brought her daughter!  Her husband is super Catholic so she doesn't come to church or read the book of Mormon EVER, because she doesn't want him to get upset. So, miracle that she came and so did our investigators Bubba and Val. We need to work on our branch being more welcoming when we bring people because they totally ignored them. So when the missionaries bring people PLEASE BE THEIR FRIEND OR AT LEAST SAY HOWDY!

We taught a Jehovah witness! He came to the Peschke's and sister Peschke said "Sisters, you have a visitor." The four of us (because of the exchanges) came down the stairs and talked to him. He said "can I leave you this pamphlet?" "SURE, if we can leave YOU  something!" So now John has a Book of Mormon and a Plan of Salvation pamphlet!


I LOVE THE PEOPLE WE ARE TEACHING!!! Sylvia, Emily, and Cree. Sylvia is 29 and the mother of Emily(11) and Cree (17 months) Sylvia isn't a member and yet pays tithing. Like one week she couldn't come to church but she still had us stop by to get her tithing and she signs up to bring things to the branch parties. She loves testing Heavenly Father and trying out what we say and gaining her own testimony, and she loves to ask questions! Miracle--- we had been constantly asking her when we could teach the law of chastity, because she wanted to learn it without Emily first and she kept dodging the question. THEN OUT OF THE BLUE, she text us asking if we can come over tonight to teach it while Emily is at activity days. (1st off. WHAAT?? Go Emily) well, it just so happens that we are eating dinner at the branch mission leader's house that night! So she comes along with us and we're able to have a member present lesson! (thank heavens, because Sylvia asked some questions that we truly couldn't answer #innocent. You really do learn something new every day.. Ha..ha..) They have been taught forever and are finally set for baptism! January 11!  Even though they could get baptized now. We've taught them everything!
We will bake things, like I am now a pro at cheesecake and the other night we had a movie night and watched the Testaments. Emily and I have our own handshake. Buds for life. We went to her basketball game and I pulled some Mamma Case cheers. Like, I was the loudest one in the gym because NO ONE was doing anything. Pretty soon I learned the rest of the girls names and was cheering for my new maroon team. You would have been proud mom.

Val and Carlos are set for 12.13.13  Bubba (Carlos) is in the fifth grade and such a teddy bear. Val is his grandma and they love coming to activities. I love them so much! Bubba will be an amazing missionary someday.

GJet (georgette) is a hoot and a holler. She's this sassy short  woman.  Sister Gomez and Sister Dumont  started teaching her so it's been about four months. She's now listening to the book of Mormon CDs. The elders gave her son a blessing because he might need surgery. We LOVE going to her house.
 
Joan has been taught forever and is set for 2-22-13. She's ready. We just need to help her find a new job so she can come to church every Sunday
 

JMillz (Joyce Miller) is a less active. Oh my heart. 70 and cray to the cray. No really -- one time we were laughing and I jokingly say” Joyce you're crazy!” And then she says “you bet I am! And never forget it!” She tells us all the time that she wishes the nuthouse would come take her away.  Sometimes she talks to herself. Oh in her ringtone is boom boom Pow by black eyed peas.  I straight up die every time her phone rings. She finally came to church on Sunday! She was sassy and not wanting to come in so I was sassy back and I won. She had a lovely time at church. She really just needs a friend who will listen to her for hours… and hours… and hours, oh and a few more hours after that.
 
Cheryl and Wayne! We had our first lesson with them yesterday and they are now set for January 4th 2013! Like the first vision and committing them to baptism just rolled off my tongue!  Wayne has a bunch of health problems but it will all be good. Cheryl is Val’s sister. We met her through Val and have been giving her service by helping set up a fence . SERVICE TRACTING ,  what uppp it worrkkks!
 

Like I'm about to cry as I tell you about Tanya, Tara, and Barb.  They bring me JOY!  We met Tanya through Bro. Varra the very first week here, and had dinner and gave her a BOM.  She said she wants to grow closer to God.  Well PURRFECCT!  Week after week she was busy. Well, I used the good ol’ “But it's my birthday!” and she let us in!  She made us this huge meal at 3:00 in the afternoon, plus we ate the cutest little cake that she got me.  We're straight up best friends.  She's 33 and told us that she's not going to wait on her mom to come talk to us anymore (we were never able to meet up because her mom lives with her and wants them to listen together) but she was now doing this for herself.  Well, we go to Bro. Varra’s for dinner with Sylvia, Emily & Cree, and text Tanya to come over --- so she does and brings along her friend Tara. We're talking to Tara about her religion and her church, and next thing I know I'm Miss Sassy McPhee telling her to come to OUR  church -- and she totally agrees. We give her a BOM and set up a time to meet up. THEN.  (Oh my heart) We have a lesson w/ four investigators at once that don't know each other, and they all become buds and are planning a bowling day. We taught about the Book of Mormon and the intro and Sylvia bore her testimony on the Holy Ghost and it was an amazing experience.  The love I have for each of those people is ridiculous!
 
On Saturday Tanya made prime rib and told us to stop by. Tara was there and they were just so excited to see us.  We talked forever and laughed lots and Barb’s mom came out!  Tara read up to Mosiah 27 in 24 hours.  LIKE WHAT?  She and Tanya were reading it all day.  We sang them a bunch of songs and the Spirit was so strong.  Tanya was crying!  We then taught Barb about the BOM and she accepted Moroni's challenge.   Then she asked us, “What will happen when I die?” and the Spirit totally just led the way and I knew what to say and wasn't nervous. Those three are supposed to get baptized.  We taught Tara how to pray that night, and Tanya texted us later asking if she could pray next week. They are so prepared it’s not even funny.  Tanya would be the best RS president ever. They're ready.
 
This week is transfers so we've cried a lot.  30+ new missionaries are headed our way [the biggest group the Nebraska Omaha mission has ever had!].  Sister Vogel and Sister Gomez said the chances of both of us training were very likely . . .  What?!  I'm at complete peace with transfers because I have total trust in Heavenly Father that he will do what's best and help us be the best missionaries we can be.  I love being a missionary.

 
                                                Love always,
                                    Sister Case  J
 
P.S.  SEE ya in one month! (Skype date)


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