This has been a really long week for
me and my companion. We have had a lot of trials. I have been slightly sick since
I got to Ohio, and my companion got sick as well. So, we have been trying to get
better while working. On Wednesday, my companion got so bad that we ended up staying
in the apartment all day. But we are feeling much better now.
I have been dealing with a lot of personal
things as well. Things that I can look back on now and know that they are just trivial
in the whole scheme of things.
But I digress. My companion's name is
Sister Savage. We live in an apartment in Oxford. There are only us in this area
and our area is HUGE!!!! We can drive about 30 miles out from Oxford in one direction
and then turn around and have to come back. But our area is extremely big. Mostly
because the outlying areas are farmers, so there is a lot of space in between houses.
The area is green, sooooo green. There are tons of rolling hills here that one day
I will ride my motorcycle over. I can't believe how beautiful this area is. I need
to take some pictures of it. The branch we meet with is pretty small. There are
about 60 people that meet each week, at the most. A lot of the work that we do is
with the part-member families and the less-actives. We really don't have an actual
investigator right now. But we did meet with a family that has a 9 year old daughter
that hasn't been baptized. Sister Savage and I are both in love with those girls
in that family. The 9-year-old's name is Sally, and her 4 year old sister is Betty.
Their family is from Ghana. I cannot express the beauty of them. They are so innocent
and they have such a Christ-like purity and wonder about them. When scriptures talk
about being like Children, these are the kind of children they refer to.
Oxford is a college town. Miami University
is here. We have been told that when the students come back, the whole town just
goes crazy. There are probably at least 10000 students attending. There are 30 resident
halls and 7000 students there alone. And most of them are freshmen and sophomores.
Any way, they drink and party like no one's business. So we aren't allowed on the
main drag, called High Street, after 5:00 on weekends. But they say that the students
are good to teach. We are allowed on campus.
One of the other things that we get to
do is volunteer at the local food pantry. We both loved it there. The people are
great, and there is a really nice atmosphere there. We have been wondering if the
Elders ever tried to teach the people what it is we do. They know we serve, but
they don't quite know what else it is we do. They had a lot of questions for us,
mostly about the logistics of a mission. But we are excited to go back there.
Ya know the phrase, "Good night,
sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite,"? Well, here that is a genuine concern.
Bedbugs are a problem in Cincinnati. Not as much here, but a real problem. Don't
stay in a cheap hotel in Cinci. But the first night, Sister Porter told us about
bedbugs, and I was freaking out a little. I hate bugs.
On the topic of things I hate, I hate
onions and peppers. I have eaten a whole lot, for me, of both here. Ga-ross! But
I lived and am here to talk about it now.
Well, that's about all there is to say
so far. But I love it here. I know that I am doing the Lord's work. The hardest
part about this week has been pretty big. My cousin, who was on a mission in Rapid
City, passed away on Saturday randomly. But I have had some really good feelings
that I am still supposed to be here and what I am doing is the right thing. I know
that God has a plan for all of us and that when we trust him, we are able to do
all things. It's hard for me here, but I know that Thomas will be with me. The Lord
doesn't do anything for nothing. Thomas has a great and marvelous work on the other
side, and I have a great and marvelous work to do here. Satan is trying to stop
me, and he is trying hard. But when we are on the Lord's errand, fear tactics are
going to be useless. I know that my Redeemer lives, and is there to support me.
I KNOW this. No doubt, no confusion. And I am praying that I will be able to share
that with as many people as possible.
Keep praying for the missionaries. We
need all the heavenly help we can get. I love you all, and am praying for you. Keep
strong, and know that God is great and is there for you.
Love, Sister Worthen.
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