January 26, 2015 - Kennesaw

 I'm so excited for the family history work that has been done!! That is seriously exciting!!! I can't wait to hear even more about the great treasures that are being uncovered with our family history! Keep up the AH-mazing work!! :D Also! I am super jelly that ya'll are meeting together in April! It sounds like a ton of fun!! Ya'll will have to have a blast for me and take lots of pictures! I don't want to miss a moment of it. :) This past week has been great! My companion and I had an amazing opportunity to be on a religious panel in one of the college classes here on campus. It was a little scary at first but as the class progressed it became a very comfortable and non-threatening environment. There were three Muslims, a Catholic, a soon-to-be Baptist Preacher, and a non-denominational Christian Ministry Leader there and besides the Preachers preaching it didn't really become a heated discussion. In fact it was a very enjoyable experience. It felt really good being able to clear up some misconceptions to a class of about 30 students and bear witness of our Savior. Towards the end of the panel most of the questions were directed towards us and when the class was over we were both wishing that the students didn't have to rush to their next classes so that they could come up to us and ask us more questions.
     We now have four investigators on date to be baptized for the 14th and 21st of February and the 7th and 14th of March. So basically we're going to be baptizing every week for a month!! It's so exciting! Last transfer we were given a promise from our Mission President. He said that the last two weeks of the transfer would be a golden time of finding and he promised us that if we focused on finding that we would find people ready to be baptized. Well the last two weeks of the transfer we worked really hard and were honestly a little disappointed when we weren't seeing any of the fruits of our labors, but then this new transfer hit and...boom! Tons of people to baptize! It's incredible to see D&C 82:10 be fulfilled. "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." This is the Lord's work and it is only because of Him that all of this was even possible. I am incredibly humbled and grateful for this opportunity to be a part of His work.      So this past week A, one of our investigators, challenged us to read D&C 88 because he had read it and thought it was like the best thing ever and so we decided that we would read it together as part of our comp study and let me just say...it really is like the best thing ever! :)  We've only had one comp study on it so far and we've read up until verse 32 because we've been diving so deep into this chapter. It's amazing!      Here's some brief thoughts that we discussed after reading verses 3 and 4. It reads, "3) Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John. 4) This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the celestial kingdom;".     In Preach My Gospel it states that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is "a foretaste of eternal life" and in these verses we see that it's not only a foretaste of eternal life but a foretaste of the Celestial Kingdom, in other words our home where we lived with our Father in Heaven. The reason we're so happy whenever we feel the Spirit is because it reminds our Spirits of our home. Not our earthly homes, but our Heavenly home.      We also realized that there's a reason we don't feel the Spirit super strong all the time and that's because our bodies can't physically handle it. We came to the conclusion that the reason we would have to be glorified in order to enter into the presence of God is so that our bodies can be capable of feeling the Spirit incredibly strong all.the.time.     Overall D&C 88 is an amazing chapter with so many deeper meanings. It's been a lot of fun to study!      Remember: 1. ya'll are always in my prayers and 2. I love ya'll sooooo much-oooooooooo!!!! I hope that ya'll have a blessed week!
Lots of love (from your favorite Sister Missionary),
Sister Megan Rice

The pictures above are about Sister G. She was a missionary that left the Kennesaw area this past transfer and those pictures were from our friends at the Methodist Food Pantry! :) We help them every time they do the food pantry and it's a lot of fun! Every time a Sister Missionary is transferred they take us to lunch/dinner and give us a special gift. And they also give us leftover food from the pantry. They really take care of us big time. They're the best!

January 20, 2015 - Kennesaw

  Thank you for sharing the lesson you gave in the Elder's Quorum. As a missionary I've given a lot of thought on flames and the kind of burn that we can have and I love your insight on the kinds of flames we can be. It makes me want to study it even more.
     Overall last week was a good week for us. We put one of our investigators on date and got two new investigators. The only downside was when we found out one of our top investigators was sent back to jail. He had apparently missed one of his deadlines and had to go back. When we visited him he seemed to be doing well, considering the circumstances, and one of the first things he said to us was, "When I get out I'm getting baptized". It's hard to explain how comforting that was to hear. I have trust that the Lord knows what He's doing, or in other words, I know He has a plan and I trust that He will provide a way.
     The only other surprise, besides the jail incident, was finding out that my companion would be staying another transfer. We were both very surprised and happy. I'm grateful that we get to be companions for another transfer and I can't wait to see what awaits us. We have great goals for this transfer and I believe that we can and will accomplish them, because with the Lord's help anything is possible.
     This week I have been reminded of how much our Heavenly Father cares for us individually. He hears every prayer and He answers them. I am so grateful for that knowledge. I've come to know even more that Heavenly Father has a plan and that when we trust in His timing everything will work out. It's a lot easier said than done, to trust in His plan that is, but I know the times when I have trusted in His plan I've been a lot happier. God is our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is our Savior. And the joyful message I share with all is this; that they love you.
     I love ya'll sooooooooooo much-ooooooooo!!!!!!!!! Remember that ya'll are always in my prayers. I hope that this week brings you opportunities for service. So long for now ~
Lots of love (from your favorite Sister Missionary),
Sister Megan Rice

January 12, 2015 - Kennesaw

It really warms my heart, receiving your emails each week. I love ya'll so much. I really do. It's so good to see Jess! She looks sooo good! Let her know that I miss that beautiful face of hers so much!! <3 I'm glad to know that everyone is doing well and that you're staying busy! I hope the weather will be good for ya'll soon so that it won't be as painful for mom. Also, I'm so glad that you saw "Meet the Mormons", that's the coolest that the Church is playing it at the Visitor's Center in Salt Lake! I hope a lot of people will see it. As for the scripture your thoughts in its application to me you sent - thank you so much! If you only knew how much it means to me. :) 

Scripture: Ether 12:37 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father.

     Overall this past week has been great, now that the students are back, we've been teaching up a storm and contacting a ton! It honestly feels great to be busy. :) Though, what I really want to tell you about is our miracle from yesterday. After Church on Sunday my companion and I met up with one of our investigators, A, before the CES Fireside last night. To give a quick summary of Andrew he is kind and yet sarcastic. He cares and yet he doesn't. He knows the Church is true but he struggles a lot because sometimes he forgets the good, and well I don't blame him because frankly his life is not and has not been easy.

    Recently he realized that he doesn't know the basics of the Gospel as well as he would like to, so my companion and I decided to review the lessons starting at the beginning with Lesson 1. We had this great idea to have a role play of sorts at the end of our lesson - one of us would be "the investigator", the other a "member present" and A would be "the missionary". We were really excited about it and couldn't wait to begin!

     When we finally met with A we began by talking about God, who He is, and why we're so important to Him and so far it was going well. Then we began to talk about A's relationship with God, not realizing that we had just opened up a big can of worms.... Our conversation that was once easy-going and pleasant turned into a heated discussion with a lot of sorrow, on our part. It wasn't easy and by the end I honestly didn't know what to do so we did what we were planning on; we prayed and walked over to the devotional. What happened next changed the feeling of that night. 

     We watched the devotional given by Brother Randall L. Ridd and literally everything he spoke about was what we had discussed with A. To give an example of how cool this was, we had talked about the time when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and in the devotional a clip was played of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. That's just one example... literally the whole talk was that way!! It was truly incredible. Even with A's adhd, he payed close attention the entire time. The entire time. That talk was meant for A. When the devotional was over A said he had a lot to think about and wanted to meet up today, which is a super good sign.

     I am so grateful that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. I'm grateful for the knowledge that we are His literal children. He loves everyone, no matter who they are and I am grateful to share this joyful message with all. He lives. I know it. 

     I love ya'll sooooooooooo much-ooooooooooooooo!!!!!! Remember that. Also remember that ya'll are always in my prayers. Ya'll are the best! I hope ya'll have a wonderful week!

Lots of love (from your favorite Sister Missionary),

Sister Megan Rice

January 5, 2015 - Kennesaw

This past week we've been doing a lot of tracting and finding less-actives. We visited about 15 less-actives in two days and of those 15 only 1 of them hadn't moved away or gotten married. Although it was a little disappointing it was worth it because we were able to update a lot of people on the ward directory. As for our tracting experiences, I know that, Heavenly Father has been blessing not only my companion and I, but the other missionaries serving in the areas where we were tracting. We met so many wonderful people. 

     One of the wonderful people we met was S. S was baptized by Martin Luther King Jr., she is an opera singer, and ever since she was little she has wanted to join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. When we first knocked on her door S was friendly, but as we began to talk with her a little more our conversation turned from a friendly conversation into a mini-lesson. We talked about many things mainly consisting of the Book of Mormon, God's love for His children, and serving our fellow brothers and sisters. By the end of our conversation she was very desirous to have a copy of the Book of Mormon and to learn more. In fact, if there was a "golden investigator" column in our goals she would have been in it.

     By the end of our conversation we were so excited to pass her off to the other Sisters serving in the home ward, but as we talked further we found out that she lives in Michigan and was visiting her daughter and grandchildren for the holidays. It was a little sad knowing that in the future when she was being taught that we couldn't follow up with her and see how she was progressing, but it was comforting to know that this really is the Lord's work and that nothing can stop it, not even location. I felt peace in knowing that there are missionaries almost everywhere, including Michigan, and that we had met Sherry for a reason. I have no doubt about that. I am so grateful to have met her.

     Another miracle we had while tracting was with three 9th graders. As we were tracting one evening we came across a house with no lights on and no car(s) in the driveway. It was getting dark, we were almost done, and could fit in about one to two more houses before we had to leave for our dinner appointment so when we saw this house we decided to move on and knock on homes that seemed more likely to have people in them, but just as we decided to keep going something told us to go back, so we followed. 

     When we first knocked on the door there was nothing but silence. We waited, but still nothing, so we knocked again. All of sudden we heard footsteps and suddenly the door opened. All we saw was this girl hiding behind the door and her two friends waiting kind of in the background of the room. Suddenly, one of them walked forward and began talking with us, a little caught off-guard we began to reassure them that we were missionaries sharing a message of peace and joy. 

     Although a little rocky at first, our meeting turned into a very special visit. We talked about many things, mainly the Plan of Happiness and by the end of our conversation/lesson each of the girls really wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon. Again I knew that we met those girls for a reason, even though we won't be able to teach them I am confident in the other Sisters and in the Lord. 

     Thank you for your thought on Helaman 5:12 .It is such a powerful scripture, especially now, as the world is getting darker and the dawn of the coming of our Savior is getting closer. I am so very grateful for that foundation! Thank you for building me on it. :) 

     I am so grateful for the opportunity to do the Lord's work and to experience the joyful fruits that come from helping others. It's truly the greatest. I hope that as this new week begins and the new year commences that each of us can remember the great work that we have been blessed to participate in. I love ya'll sooooooooooo much-oooooooooooo!!!! Remember that ya'll are always in my prayers. I'm so proud of you, I believe in you, and most importantly the Lord believes in you. I hope ya'll have the best week!

Lots of love (from your favorite Sister Missionary),

Sister Megan Rice 

December 29, 2014 - Kennesaw

  It was so wonderful to see both of ya'll and to hear your voices. It warmed my heart and is one of my most treasured moments. Honestly, seeing your faces and hearing your voices truly made this Christmas very special; one that I won't forget. I love ya'll so much and am blessed to be a part of our family. Thank you for making my Christmas so special! 

     As our investigators come back from the Christmas Break we can't wait to teach and meet with them in person. I feel like I only caught a glimpse of the work on campus and I am really looking forward to when campus will be open and people will be back. 

     This past week was wonderful, although almost all of our investigators were gone for the Holidays we were able to make a lot of progress with a few of our investigators and had some wonderful blessings with less-actives. One of the blessings we had was texting the wrong member for our dinner appointment. It turns out that we had texted a less-active that neither of us really knew about. She had been hoping that we could meet with her but was scared to contact us because she didn't know us. When we visited with her, we discovered that she was very receptive and open. It's amazing how the Lord works. The experience we had reminds me of the story shared by Elder Bednar in a talk he gave. When Elder Bednar was a missionary serving in Germany he recalled a time when he gave a visiting apostle, Elder Packer, and his wife German money for a train back to Berlin. At the time Elder Bednar thought nothing of his small act, but what he didn't know is that his small act saved Elder Packer's wife from being forced to stay in Communist ruled Germany. You can read more about this story if you type in "The 20-Mark Note" in LDS.org. :)

     Our actions, no matter how small, determine destiny. I am so grateful we were able to be instruments in the Lord's hands at that time. I am so grateful to be a missionary, and it's my hope that I may always be an instrument in His hands. I hope you have a wonderful week, filled with peace and joy. Remember I love ya'll soooooooooooooo much-oooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

Lots of love (from your favorite Sister Missionary),

Sister Megan Rice

December 22, 2014 - Kennesaw

Wow. Can you believe it's already Christmas?!! Time...it's crazy! Speaking of time, so much has happened with ya'll since last week!!! I mean...WOW! I am soooo excited for what lies ahead in our family!! :D     The people I've met and am working with truly are special people! They are each so beautiful and I really and truly have been blessed to know them. It also really means a lot to me when you talked about seeds, because I know that your statement is true and it's reassuring to know that you feel that way too! It's comforting. :) Also Preach My Gospel is wonderful, I'm glad you're enjoying it's use!!     Going to the Temple this past week was wonderful! One of the hardest adjustments to make when I came on my mission was not being able to attend the Temple every week. It was so wonderful to be able to go to the Temple again. In honesty, it.just.felt.good. It was like I was home again. :)      This past week it's been a little hard to contact on campus because most everyone is gone. But what was amazing is that even though there were so few people on campus, we contacted a lot more than we were expecting and we taught a lot of people too. It just goes to show that Heavenly Father blesses us when we're willing and ready to work and that He will always provide a way.      Today I studied "Which Way Do You Face" by Elder Lynn G. Robbins. It was a very good reminder to me of the things I need to work on. I hope that Heavenly Father will help me to be able to have true courage as described by C.S. Lewis when he said, “Courage is … the form of every virtue at the testing point. … Pilate was merciful till it became risky."     I hope that ya'll have the BEST.WEEK.EVER! Remember ya'll are always in my prayers! I love ya'll soooooooooo much-oooooooooooooooo!!!!
Lots of love (from your favorite Sister Missionary),Sister Megan Rice


P.S. To answer your questions...
1. The move went really well! We used our car to move things.
2. Most of the Sisters in my mission never use our bikes..... so the chances of me ever using it are slim *knock on wood* ;)
3. Here in Georgia they're saying that we're going to have the worst winter compared the past 5 years and mind you last winter Georgia had what was locally called as "The Snow-pocalypse". And boy you better believe we can feel the weather preparing for a bad winter, but all is well! We have warm clothes and we can always layer up! :)