Week 6... JAX Beaches

HELLLOOOO EVERYBODY!!!

This week has been interesting! Good interesting! I really like bullet points soooo I think I'll do that!!

FIRST: There was a really creepy guy at the library. He wanted our emails and told us he had A LOT of issues. We tried to help him... buuuut... it seemed as if he wanted to overthrow the government rather than come unto Christ. Which is fine. Still weird. *shudder*

-We are teaching a lady named Ratavia! I thought her name was Raptavia... like off of Fiddler on the Roof and called her that for a good 2 days. Awwkard. Well she is African American and has two little black boys!!! THEY ARE SO FREAKING CUTE I JUST WANT TO KIDNAP THEM. I also want to stay on my mission so I have restrained myself. Savanah would die if she saw them.
We just talked about praying and God and stuff! She is really nice! I am excited to see where things go with her!

-Had a zone conference!! It was super good! 8 hours of puuure spiriutal goodness!

-It got really, really cold here on Tuesday... it was like 50 degrees!!! AHH! So cold!! hahahaha. But really.. It was freezing. Humid cold = not fun. it = colllldd.

-So Sis Joseph and I had a really good companion inventory. I had a pretty good meltdown and cried for like 2 hours because Satan is a really bologna head and yahh. It was soooo good though. And much needed. Our companionship is getting stronger everyday and I just love her to death. :)

-So basically all we do all day every day is visit people. Or try to. Nobody is ever home. EVER. Like.. I think 3 people answered their door this past week. It is actually really funny and Sis Joseph and I just laaaugh and laugh and it all! I love it! :) We also renamed Ponte Vedra "Jericho" cause of all the gated communities. We are working on making those walls tuuumble down!! haha! Get it?

-We had a lesson with Natalie!!! Which was super great! Then we found out she was reading stuff about Joseph Smith that was suuper untrue. Which was... terrible. *sigh* But we were able to clear up most of it and we are going to the family history center this week with her! Super excited! :)

-So Sis Joseph and I were street contacting and we were talking to this Lady while she was trying to catch her dogs and juuuust as we were about to ask her some soul penetrating question about God and what not her dog runs out into the middle of the street and GETS HIT BY A CAR RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR FACES. It was terrifying!! And she just sat there and screamed and Sis J and I were like... uhhhh.................. awkward... The dog was fine. The old man who hit the dog was pretty shaken up. The lady was very angry and stomped inside. The end. haha. Street contacting = fuuuun ;)

-OH. So... pray for my apartment to have thicker walls. Please. *cry* I was just rudely awoken by the heathens next door breaking the law of chastity. Noooo biggie. That said.. I am so beyond scarred. We had the Elders give our apartment a blessing and it feels so much better! I love the priesthood! :)

-I finally finished the Book of Mormon!!! BEST FEELING EVER. I prayed about it and did just what Moroni asked.. and I got an answer. Such a sweet, gentle assurance from the spirit. It was incredible. The Book of Mormon is true! The Church is true! AH! I just love it alll! It's so amazing!! If you haven't read the Book of Mormon... read it. It will change your life! If you have read it.. read it again! :)

-This past week Satan was working overtime on both Sister Joseph and I. We managed to stay pretty positive about our lack of success (not from lack of trying). But last night we just felt something wasn't right with our spirits. It was really weird. I have never had low self-confidence before but yesterday it was like a constant struggle between me and the adversary. He would not leave me alone and it was driving me crazy. Last night Sister Joseph fell apart and cried that she had been feeling the exact same way as I have. It was crazy! And the spirit sooo strongly told both of us to get priesthood blessings because there was something bad with both of us. Needless to say.. We both got priesthood blessings from our ward mission leader. It was sooo powerful. He cried. We cried. His wife cried. All the tears. The spirit was so strong and I literally felt something leave and my whole countenance changed. Amazing. I love the priesthood so much. Satan is real and powerful. But the power of the Lord will ALWAYS overcome that. I felt as if Christ himself was giving me a hug. It was amazing.

-The church is true! :)

-Well, I believe that is all for this week! Regardless of how stupid Satan is..and how we don't have much success... I am absolutely LOVING it out here. I love my mission. I love it i love it i love it!!! I would rather be no where else. The Lord has strengthened me so much it's amazing. It's weird to think that I am still 19 year old Alyssa... Changing peoples lives.. Still so weird to think about but I am doing it because the Lord is helping me.

Thank you for everything! I enjoy getting to hear from all of you!!! :)

Have a blessed week, ya'll!

Love, Sis Chamberlain :)