Hello everyone!

Hello everyone!

Well happy birthday to Josh this week also! I hope you had an awesome

day old man😉 haha.

Okay so this week was hard. I'm not going to lie. There was a lot of

stuff that went down that will take too long to tell so I apologize in

advance for the shortness of this weeks email, but I don't really have

the time to right a novel today!

Well we got transfer calls this week and Sister Jolley and I are both

staying! But the weird thing is that this last week two Elders just

randomly showed up to our apartment with a mattress....like what the

heck?? Usually when they do that it means that you're going to be in a

trio. But we have received no such calls from president.

Well we didn't teach many lessons this week. But we had some fun

experiences. First of all we got to spend a little bit of time with

one of my favorite families in our Ward. Their names are the Bernard

family and I just love them to death. They have four of the most well

behaved beautiful little children you've ever seen. And they just

recently had their fourth baby. So we dropped off some cookies for

them to congratulate them on their newest member of the family. And

then later as we were walking down the street they invited us in to

spend a few minutes with them during their family home evening and to

read the scriptures with them. They are just the sweetest family. And

it is so easy to feel the spirit in their home. I just love them

because they are such a wonderful example of living the gospel. And if

anyone really knows me then you know that I just love babies! Even

though I couldn't hold their brand new baby girl at least we got to

see her. And it's amazing the spirit that a brand new baby brings into

a home.

Then later in the week we had another Zone goal of talking to 10

people a day and inviting them all to do something. But here is one

thing that I have come to learn about Medford...a lot of people are

very closed off the the missionaries. People know who we are and they

intentionally avoid us. Or mock us and make fun of us, or just being

flat out mean to us. Suffice it to say I've learned a lot this week

about persecution. Just one example, so we were just walking down main

st in Medford and we were walking past this brand new restaurant that

everyone loves call the Pop Shop. Well as we are walking past I see a

man and his little son sitting on a bench. As we draw closer I smiled

and said hello to the man and asked him how his day was going. He

looked up at me with this look of scorn and said "it was going great

until just now." Oooh I can't even describe to you how I felt at that

moment. Amy, wanted to smear his ice cream all over his face for being

so rude...but Sister Callaway knew better. And I knew what the Savior

would do in that moment so I just took it. I invited him to do

something and he just said "move along, you're wasting my time." I

smile and said "have a great day sir." And walked away. I didn't

understand why he had to be so rude but at least I invited him to

learn about the Restored Gospel and even though he said know at least

I fulfilled my purpose as a missionary. Oh and also a member told us

this the other day when we were having dinner with them that

apparently there is a Medford Township Facebook page and she told us

that recently she had seen someone post something on there that said

"The Mormon Missionaries are coming! Everybody get inside and hide!"

My first thought was "well at least we are known around here!" But

then it just made me sad because the harsh reality is that so many

peoples hearts are so hardened here. But that's okay because we are

still finding people! Holding appointments is another thing but

finding people we are doing that!

We also got bible bashed again this week. And yet again this man was

attacking The Book of Mormon. When the day after we had district

meeting and it was on receiving revelation through The Book of Mormon.

As we discussed it I realized that through reading the bible know and

understand what the savior did for us but that through also reading

The Book of Mormon we know and understand why he did it for us. And

specifically how it pertains to us individually and how it changes us.

And how we are saved through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

I know can honestly say that I know without a doubt that The Book of

Mormon is true. And that because of it I have come to know my Heavenly

Father and Jesus Christ personally. Which relationship I am so

grateful for and don't know what I would do without. It is my solemn

testimony that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in reality live as

glorified and perfect login beings.

Sorry this one is so short this week but I love you all and will talk

to you next week!

Xoxo

~Sister Amy Callaway~