Week 20... JAX Beaches

Hello!!!

So this week has been lovely!!!

I don't have a lot of time to write this so I’m gonna be super speedy Gonzales over here!!

-We hooked Natalie up with internet and the gospel library!!! Let’s try and see her evil boyfriend stop her from receiving spiritual goodness now!!! MUAHAHA!!! She is doing really well.. She basically taught the restoration to her son. Not a big deal. She is just sharing the gospel just liiike meeeee :) :) I love her.

-The young women had a pinewood derby. Best idea ever. It was fun to watch and to help out with.

-So last Sunday we met these people and made a deal with them that if we go to their church.. they will come to our church!! So on Thursday we make out way to their church and we have nooo idea what to expect. It's called eleven22 and its a Christian non-denominational church... annnnd it was sorta like a rock concert. hahaha. I was trying so hard not to laugh. It was so funny to me for some reason. But I had a lot of fun!!! They sounded a lot like Coldplay. I laughed when I realized this was church for them!!! It is so interesting how they played it so you would feeeeeel something. It was like an artificial spirit!! The last half of it the pastor cracked jokes and actually had a really good message about overcoming trials through Christ. But towards the end they had an opportunity if you wanted to go up to the front and pray. As I was watching all these people pour their hearts out to God I was filled with so much love for everyone in that room. It was overwhelming to the point of tears. They all had such a strong desire to know God and to strengthen their relationship with Christ and this has been their only way of doing it. Which is wonderful that they have this but I just wanted to hug all of them!!!? And to tell them that there is a God and that he loves them sooooo much!! Just like Alma says.. "O that I were an Angel"... I can definitely relate. The spirit was there but it wasn't the full spirit. It just strengthened my testimony of the gospel even more and made me have even more of a desire to share it with everyone I see. They all deserve to KNOW that there is a God and that they can overcome anything through Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to have this knowledge!!

-We almost got into a bible bash with a Jehovah’s Witness. That was.. Riveting. But then I killed it when I started just nodding my head and saying "uh huh... yeah! That’s interesting you believe that!" haha!! He gave up and left because we wouldn’t bible bash back. :)

-Today we went hiking in a national preserve called Guana!!! It was breathtakingly beautiful!!! I saw an alligator!!! And baby alligators!! And almost got attacked by the momma!!! haha!! Good times. Florida is definitely growing on me. I love it so so so so much. It is so beautiful. I don't know if I’m going to be able to leave.... They will have to drag me on the plane. Haha.

Well I love you all so much!!! Thank you for everything!!!!! Keep Shining!!! :)

Love, Sister Chamberlain :)

Week 19... JAX Beaches

Hello everybody!!!

Well, transfers were this week and I am staying in JAX beach for another 6 weeks!!! Whooohooohoo!! It's going to be really traumatic when they finally rip me away from this place. But I am so happy I get to stay another transfer! This transfer is gonna be gooood. I can feel it. ;).

Well, not much has happened this week! That I can remember... Haha I think my memory is getting worse.
I can't even remember what I had for breakfast.. 0.o..

So any who.. We were able to teach Alice our new investigator the restoration!! That was super awesome!! It was so good to finally teach a lesson!!!! I realized how much I love teaching. I looove teaching. I love people. I love listening to their lives and hearing about their beliefs. It is truly fascinating. I never thought I could love this much. It's like this place in my heart opened up that I didn't even know existed and it's just the greatest!!!

There's my soap box.

So it was about time for me to have another emotional breakdown this week. So I did!! Yay!!! It's funny how satan can get you for the same thing over and over again. Mine just happens to be he makes me sorta forget who I am and  what I'm good at and I feel all sorts of inadequate and then I freak out and go on a huge soul search which usually ends up with me crying large amounts of tears. Haha. It's a vicious cycle. I'm glad I have a loving companion who puts me back
together. :). So there's that..... I know ya' ll wanted to know my emotional drama going on. I must be like my sister... HAHA. just kidding chels!!!!!! You know I'm jealous of your mad blogging skills. (But seriously... You are so talented. If I was as talented as you and had a missionary blog.. All of Florida would flock to the baptismal font )

So it was Valentine’s day this past week!!! Which means absolutely nothing for a missionary!!!! YAY FOR WORTHLESS HOLIDAYS!!!! It meant something to our neighbors though. They were up. All. Night. Long. For. Two. Nights. Needless to say.. I got terrible sleep this week. I ended up moving to our front room to sleep on the recliner (which isn't as comfy as it seems) to get away from all that. 

Curse you Valentine’s day!!!!!!  Oh! On Valentine’s day we did help out watching the primary kids while their parents were having a nice dinner.

Remind me to never have kids.

That was hands down the most stressful part of my mission so far.. Haha... K.. So maybe not.. But it was pure chaos. I don't know whose idea it was to put the sisters in charge but good heavens.  That said... I actually had a really fun time haha. Kids are crazy... But so am I. So it works out. :)

And that was basically my week!!!! Super cool huh?!

Well.. I hope y' all had a great week! I sure do love you bunches and bunches!!! Thank you for all your prayers and loves and everything!!!!

Keep smilin!!!! :)

Love, Sister Chamberlain
Sent from my iPad (hehehe.... Awesome right???)

P.s. Forgot to put this in my email, but we made a deal with these people that if they come to our church we will go to theirs... It's a southern baptist sort of church... Hahaha it'll be awesome.  

Well after this transfer I'll only have 7 left!!! *cries* it's funny how I'm becoming more accustomed to mission life and forgetting about normal life... Haha. I'm gonna come home sooooo weird.. Be prepared. ;) it's okay. It's just something I have to overcome. Christ has really been the ultimate source of strength and comfort. Because even though I may not know who I am at the moment... He does. And I trust that he will lead me where I need to go. :) tell dad I was thinking about the Abrahamic covenant during studies today and did some research about my Ephraim lineage. Holy cow. It is so awesome, I hardly feel worthy of any of those wonderful blessings but I'm so beyond thankful that I get to be out here fulfilling my call. It is such a wonderful privilege to be here. :) it's funny we've both been thinking about the same thing.   

Have a beautiful week!!! You'll be in my prayers :) 

I love you!!!!!!! 

 

Week 18... JAX Beaches

Well Hello there!!! Another week goes by!!! Crazy!

This week has been c r a a z y ! All the crazies.

We had zone conference this week and received our glorious i Pads.

*pause for dramatic effect*

Yeah. i Pads.

Now.. I've never owned an Apple product in my life. So when I got my iPad I kinda just stared at it. And held it. Afraid to drop it. Afraid to breathe on it. It was like I was holding a BABY.

Granted, it is an amazing tool. Our whole area book/planner is on it!! It's gonna take a while to get used to it but it will certainly hold us a lot more accountable which is fantastic!!! :)

I seriously feel so classy when people have a question and I’m all

*flips out iPad*  "I can answer that question of yours with a thought provoking Mormon message that will probably make you cry"

BOOM. Baptism.

K. Maybe not... B u u t,  they are going to be wonderful!

That awkward moment when Natalie's son thinks you’re "hot". *sigh*

Apparently my neighbors hear me singing in the shower.

At first I was embarrassed... but then I thought..

LET THEM HEAR.

MAYBE THEY WILL FEEL THE SPIRIT WHILE LISTENING TO MY MELODIOUS TONES BOUNCING OFF THE SHOWER WALLS AND BEG TO BE BAPTIZED.

That’s right. I share the gospel even when I'm in the shower. (when I’m not singing show tunes that is... couuughh)

I feel like caps just capture how I’m feeling so much better than normal letters. Sorry if it’s a little bit much. But at the same time... I’M NOT THAT SORRY.

HEY!!!!

Guess who found an investigator?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

The Spirit.

Guess who followed a spiritual prompting!?!??!

A ward member..

But guess who gets to teach a lesson,tonight?!?!?!?!

THIS SISTER!! Woot.

More details to come. :)

In short, member missionaries are the greatest.

Any of you who haven't had the missionaries over with a nonmember friend.. Shame on you! Member missionary work is soo important!! That is my challenge for you this week. And plus, I knowww the missionaries would greatly appreciate it. :)

Oh. We found Natalie!!! HOORAY! She was in a good place getting help. :) Yay for miracles.

So many miracles.

Every day is a miracle.

Don't forget that!

I love you all to pieces!!! I hope y'all have a wonderful Valentines day! Thanks for everything! Talk to you next week :)

Love, Sister Chamberlain :)