Love everyone.
Sister McElderry
P.S. Send letters. Some love in the mail box would be appreciated!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Short Letter - June 24th
Can't write much today. We had interviews today with President McDonough and my companion has to go to the doctor, so our time is cut short.
Friday, June 20, 2014
June 10th Letter
Hey yall!
I am typing this while tornado sirens are going off outside. We are at the tiny local library and I have just a few minutes to write you guys!
First things first: I love my new companion Sister Kelly. She's from Salt Lake City, Utah (surprise, surprise) but she is super sweet! She has bright red hair and she is going home in two transfers. I will probably be her last companion! She has only been here in Richton for 6 weeks so she really didn't know the area when I got here. We spent a lot of time lost out on the dirt roads this last week. Thankfully we have a JEEP because we have to go off-roading a lot! An example of how small this town is and how everyone is related to each other, we got lost on the way to the church (40 minutes away) and stopped to ask for directions. We went up to some people sitting in rocking chairs on the porch in front of their log cabin house and were asking them for directions. We eventually made it to the church just in time for our meeting. On Sunday everyone in the branch knew about us getting lost because they were all related to the person we were talking to. In fact, one of the members saw us talking to their cousin because they were fishing in a pond next door. Anyway, they have nicknamed us "Columbus" because "ya thought ya knew exactly where ya was, but ya were actually really lost" like Columbus was.
The people are all really old and cute. They have super thick accents and were born and raised in this town. In fact, they have retired in the exact house they were raised in themselves! Their kids buy double wide trailers and move right down the dirt road from their parents! Because everyone is related and it takes 30 minutes for us to drive between appointments, we spent our first week trying to find everyone and figure out their family trees. I had several mini panic attacks my first couple of days here because I had no idea what we were going to do with ourselves. It's an easy area to get discouraged in and give up on the work. I called President McDonough multiple times to just talk with him and understand WHY I'm here! I told him that he sent me to a foreign country because the food is weird, I can't understand anyone, and the bugs are huge! We had a good laugh about that. Basically he told me that he put me here to determine whether or not this area will stay open, or if they are going to pull missionaries out. We spent equal parts of the last week visiting members and getting lost. It was really stressful but we can laugh about it now! We have kind of figured out what we are doing since then and are really happy to put all of our energy in to a direction! We're going to work on getting to know the people really well and get their less active family back to church. So tons of reactivating! President told us that the work here is "one of a kind" and "not like missionary work we have done anywhere else."
Some more highlights about Richton:
-The bugs are HUGE and plentiful!
-The people here are very sweet and kind. They feed us multiple FEASTS a day! I can honestly say I have gained 5 pounds in just one week. Then they give us leftovers to put in our refrigerator! We usually don't eat the left overs because we're still full from the night before! We come home at the end of the day and just lay on the couch and describe how much food we ate and how badly our stomachs hurt. Some local food favorites: fried green tomatoes. homemade mac n' cheese. fried chicken. various varieties of tater tot casserole. creamed corn. homegrown turnip greens. homegrown squash. Black eyed peas. Fresh tomatoes from the garden (my favorite) And pies and cakes galore!
-We wake up each morning to a rooster crowing.
-I heard a member use the word "renege" at church on Sunday. (Dad, I thought of you!)
Anyway, I'm fat and happy down here! I experienced some severe culture shock, but I'm fitting right in here! They can't say my name so I'm "Sister Mac!" and they love that I am from Arkansas.
I've learned how important it is to consistently live the gospel. It's so sad to hear the remorse these members feel because they didn't teach their kids to live the gospel. It's really disheartening to feel the lack of hope in these members as they watch their branch die. We're going to restore it and get this area going! I want to come back and visit this branch in 10 years and see how much it has grown. We just have to stop it from declining first!
I love you guys and love hearing from you! Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!
Sister Mac- from Arkansas
P.S. President McDonough called and said that I've been advised to be reassigned here to the Mississippi Jackson Mission. The wait is over! I will not be going to Brazil during my mission.
June 3rd letter - transfer
Hey everybody!
I just wante to send a quick email and let you all know that I got transferred today! I'm in Sand Hill, Mississippi. It's close to Hattiesburg. I haven't been there yet, but from what I hear it's a small country town. We have a branch of about 20 people on a good Sunday. Knocking doors is illegal in town, so there isn't a direct way to meet people to teach. The members are all really old and the area is kind of struggling! I don't know what President wants me to do there but I'll figure it out! I was so sad to leave Clinton. I LOVED those people.
I have mentioned a woman named Danielle Jackson multiple times in my emails. She works for a less active man named Brother Kynerd. I just LOVE those people. I was so sad to leave them. Danielle cares for Brother Kynerds handicapped sister, Carol. She has a disorder that should have taken her life by the time she was 5, but she has lived to be 65 years old! She is a miracle and a ray of sunshine to everyone who meets her. I realized the other day that I would have never met Danielle or Brother Kynerd if Carol had not continued living and I had gone to Brazil. I was touched by the knowledge that there are no coincidences. As much as I pray and desire for certain things to happen, I know that Heavenly Father's vision and plans for me are so much bigger than I can imagine! It was such a blessing to work with those people and to touch their lives with the gospel.
Overall, we really kicked butt in Clinton this last transfer. We worked really hard to get the members pumped and ready to do missionary work themselves. We had members setting personal goals for missionary work in their families. Last night we followed up on a couple who were reading from Preach My Gospel in preparation to find someone to share the gospel with. They even role played with each other! It broke my heart to leave just when everything started to get going. But that's how missionary work goes! I think my mission is going to be full of assists. I don't think I'll ever really get to see the fruits of my labors. I'm grateful to have met so many wonderful and talented people though. I changed and grew a lot in Clinton. I'm realizing more and more that I'm not the same person I was a year ago. I'm a better missionary and a more faithful person all around. Sand Hill is really going to push me to change and grow more. The Lord has been preparing me for this! It's going to be great!
Because the area is small and weird, I probably will not be able to email consistently. If I do, it will probably be on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from now on. I don't really know yet. Anyway, say a pray for me and my work here, then trust that the Lord is providing for me! I know I'm here for a reason, and I'll find that reason!
Love,
Sister McElderry
June 3rd letter - transfer
Hey everybody!
I just wante to send a quick email and let you all know that I got transferred today! I'm in Sand Hill, Mississippi. It's close to Hattiesburg. I haven't been there yet, but from what I hear it's a small country town. We have a branch of about 20 people on a good Sunday. Knocking doors is illegal in town, so there isn't a direct way to meet people to teach. The members are all really old and the area is kind of struggling! I don't know what President wants me to do there but I'll figure it out! I was so sad to leave Clinton. I LOVED those people.
I have mentioned a woman named Danielle Jackson multiple times in my emails. She works for a less active man named Brother Kynerd. I just LOVE those people. I was so sad to leave them. Danielle cares for Brother Kynerds handicapped sister, Carol. She has a disorder that should have taken her life by the time she was 5, but she has lived to be 65 years old! She is a miracle and a ray of sunshine to everyone who meets her. I realized the other day that I would have never met Danielle or Brother Kynerd if Carol had not continued living and I had gone to Brazil. I was touched by the knowledge that there are no coincidences. As much as I pray and desire for certain things to happen, I know that Heavenly Father's vision and plans for me are so much bigger than I can imagine! It was such a blessing to work with those people and to touch their lives with the gospel.
Overall, we really kicked butt in Clinton this last transfer. We worked really hard to get the members pumped and ready to do missionary work themselves. We had members setting personal goals for missionary work in their families. Last night we followed up on a couple who were reading from Preach My Gospel in preparation to find someone to share the gospel with. They even role played with each other! It broke my heart to leave just when everything started to get going. But that's how missionary work goes! I think my mission is going to be full of assists. I don't think I'll ever really get to see the fruits of my labors. I'm grateful to have met so many wonderful and talented people though. I changed and grew a lot in Clinton. I'm realizing more and more that I'm not the same person I was a year ago. I'm a better missionary and a more faithful person all around. Sand Hill is really going to push me to change and grow more. The Lord has been preparing me for this! It's going to be great!
Because the area is small and weird, I probably will not be able to email consistently. If I do, it will probably be on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from now on. I don't really know yet. Anyway, say a pray for me and my work here, then trust that the Lord is providing for me! I know I'm here for a reason, and I'll find that reason!
Love,
Sister McElderry
May 26th letter
Hey everybody!
We've had a pretty fun week! One of my companions got "stripe throat." Sister Hansen couldn't say "strep." It was pretty cute. But her being sick wasn't. We struggled to do work because she was super sick. But we did manage to put on a musical fireside again and had lots of people show up! We worked really hard but it was worth it!
I am now the proud owner of an old bike that was left in the mission home! It's a rusty old boys bike, but I hike my skirt up and ride it like a champ! It is horribly hot and I am sunburned and we look absolutely ridiculous, but it's fun! I have included a picture of me and my companion on a bike day. It was pretty miserable.
Transfers are next week and we found out that our area is getting split up. We're giving the scary Jackson part to some new elders. We're moving apartments and will lose some people that we have been working with, but it's exciting to share the work even more missionaries!
Today we celebrated Memorial Day by going to an old Civil War site here in Vicksburg, Mississippi. I believe I included a picture of that too.
On a more serious note, Danielle Jackson told us that she wants to get baptized! She also told us that she wants to go with the ward on their up coming temple trip! I'm torn because I want to get transferred, but I don't want to at the same time. I would love to see Danielle's process through to the finish, but I don't know if that will happen!
Anyway, I'm happy and healthy. I'm enjoying the work!
Enjoy your memorial day weekend!
Love,
Sister McElderry
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