The Blaze Has Begun

It's been another great week in Paragould. "The blaze has begun" -Sis

Hall. First of all, Thanksgiving in the south is no joke y'all. The

people here in Arkansas do a couple of things exceptionally well: cook

and eat. The Mayfield's invited us to their family thanksgiving meal

in Oak Grove on Thursday. They had two big tables full of food and

desserts. Sister Mayfield's daughter made some candied sweet potatoes

and I think it became my new favorite food. It was Kathy's birthday on

Thursday, so after lunch at the Mayfield's we headed over to her

place. We brought her a big plate of food from lunch (because we knew

she didn't have anyone to eat with) and a birthday card. She LOVED it.

We are blessed to have so many opportunities to serve in sweet and

simple ways. I think spending some time with her probably meant more

than the card or food did. After seeing Kathy we went over to a less

active couple's home for dinner. After dinner we had a lesson about

the word of wisdom. It really wasn't going well at first. The wife

just didn't understand that the word of wisdom is a commandment and

that not drinking coffee is a part of it. As we talked I just kept

praying for a miracle and for understanding. Heavenly Father answers

prayers. Suddenly, everything just clicked for her. She said "well

that's a pretty simple thing to do when He has done everything for

us". I felt the spirit so strongly as she testified to us of that

truth. She asked us to throw away all of her coffee and tea. Sister

Hall has been so sick this week. She took some of her cough medicine

before studies on Saturday and she was faded haha. She was looking

down at her watch and tapping it for 20 minutes. Then when our

personal study ended she told me she saw a man in the corner and that

she couldn't lift her pen up off of her notebook because it was a

magnet. I about fell out of my chair from laughing so hard and sent

her to bed. Although this week was crazy with Sister Hall being sick

and other random circumstances we still saw countless miracles. The

highlight of the week had to be Sunday morning when Kathy entered the

waters of baptism and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was such

a good day. After she was baptized she yelled "YAY" (which expressed

mine and Sister Hall's feelings well). We have grown to love Kathy

like a sis and seeing her become the newest member of the Paragould

branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder-Day Saints was a really

special experience. To top it off, we sang "The Spirit of God" in

sacrament meeting. The spirit was SO strong and it was a personal

blessing to me. I had been asking Heavenly Father some questions

through out the week and the answers came as my heart burned. An

overwhelming sense of peace and assurance came as well. "And I will

pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may

abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world

cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye

know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not

leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:16-18).

Side note, I read a scripture about karma the other day. Alma 41:15,

"For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be

restored".

"This Christmas season, follow the example of Jesus Christ and

#LIGHTtheWORLD. Visit Mormon.org for simple ideas to share His light

through service during the month