Sister Toomey Biking Down the Bayou: April 2016

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Crawfish, Red Beans, and Beignets

2016Apr25- I finally got to eat a crawfish

2016Apr25- Sister Crane & I

2016Apr25- we got 3 new investigators nearly in a row

2016Apr25- funny scripture in Jacob 44 because it starts with For.... It may be a funny scripture, but it means a lot!

Sister Crane and I feel so blessed to have such amazing people to teach!We went tracting on this street, and I didn't think that anyone would want to hear our message there, but we got 3 new investigators nearly in a row who are now taking our lessons. I was shocked! Also, while in one of our first return appointments, we brought the Relief Society President with us. She needed some persuading, but I felt like I should really give her effort, and she agreed to come. The investigator, S, really like the RS pres. and I think that this new approach will really increase our missionary efforts. I find that many people pray and read every day, but they don't come to church, so I think that having members come with us to our lessons, especially from the beginning, will get them to come to church and help them to stay active.

I finally got to eat a crawfish. I was a little nervous at first, but thank you to C, I got it out of it's shell and ate it. FYI, the claws taste better than the tail. hahaha. It was pretty good. I was not much of a "seafood" person before, but I am getting there. Also, red beans are good. Beignets kind of taste like one of my BYU-Idaho's roommates "ghetto donuts" haha.

I found a funny scripture in Jacob 4:4 because it starts with "For...". It may be a funny scripture, but it means a lot! It has a lot of doctrine in it concerning Hope. Hope is so important for us because it allows us to have faith in Jesus Christ and his prophets. A lot of people, here in the Bible Belt seem to already LOVE Jesus and they know that Heavenly Father exists, but they do not all know that Heavenly Father is loving and want to seem them all succeed. He is not out to get you, Satan is. And Jesus Christ shows His love for us through Prophets, who are here to guide us.

I love Y'all!
Sister Toomey

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Acting on Faith

I feel so blessed to be in such a great area! My branch consists of few (about 60), but very strong numbers! I have learned that the best lessons happen when members are present, because it really adds onto our testimonies and gets them into the branch, because we will not be there forever and the members really have to be there for them. Also, most members there are converts. The others are members who are there for either engineering or military. I really look up to these members and their strong faith. And I know that they have strong faith because they act on their beliefs, not just say they do. Acting is important because it shows their faith in God. "Faith without works is dead"

Anyways, some statics for y'all: We got 6 new investigators this week. I have come to really love tracting in Lulling. Everyone here is so nice. If they are home, they will answer the door and talk to us regardless of their religion, and we are there to increase their faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Even if they do not convert to the LDS religion, they are so important to us and we want to see them succeed.

I went on splits with the Sister Training Leaders in Kenner, which is the outskirts of New Orleans (NOLA) and it was a completely different culture!! We ask people about their lives and everyone measure their life by before/after Hurricane Katrina. I had forgotten that their part of the city was 9 ft under water at one point. I felt like Kenner was a special place, because my Daddy served in that area for 6 months on his mission :) I didn't run into anyone who recognized my last name, but one guy said that he had basically been running into Mormon missionaries since he moved there in the 70s. So I like to think that my Daddy ran into him least once :) I also "taught" a few Spanish lessons lol. I bared my testimony at the end and my STL translated for me, it was cool to see their big smiles from my testimony :)

We had a Branch Picnic, and that was a great missionary opportunity. We thought that we were going to be rained out, but we all made it and everyone brought their best-of southern cooking. Everything I had was absolutely delicious.

Anyways, life is great! The weather is perfect, I'm about to go bike down the Mississippi River with my companion, who is AMAZING! It's weird to think that she grew up only a few miles away from me, and I didn't even know her until I came to Louisiana. And here we are, in Luling, LA.

"Have a blessed day"

Sister Toomey

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

A Bus, a Train, Another Train, a Plane, a Third Train, a Small Plane, and Van later...

I made it to Louisiana!!! The MTC was wonderful and I know that I learned a lot, and it really built my confidence in teaching with the Spirit. It was seriously one of the greatest experiences of my life! I am kind of sad that I will only be able to go there once, unless I go as a senior Missionary, which would be amazing!

I left the MTC at 3:50 AM and hopped around trains until I got to the airport. I was feeling pretty good until I got on the small plane (from Houston, TX to Baton Rouge, LA) and were landing and it got a little shaky, so I started praying until I felt better haha, it worked :)

After spending a night in the mission home and meeting President Hansen and his wife, I had to say goodbye to my trio, and got a new companion. I was a little worried about how I would be able to teach with only one companion at first, but I all worked out in the end. All it takes is faith and trust in you companion (s) to know that they will be able to teach with the Spirit, and that is why you are suppose to pray for them whenever you are not teaching. It really works. And when it came time for me to teach, I prayed that they will understand and increase their faith in Jesus Christ.

We have gotten a new investigator every day since I have been here, except for the first day, but we were stuck in a Fire Stone haha.

On my second day, we (Sister Crane, a member, and I) extended C an invitation to be Baptized! She excepted!!! I was absolutely thrilled!!! Please pray for her and her family! She has a wonderful and strong testimony of the gospel!

I have had so many miracles happen daily! It has been amazing! and the people here are so nice! I now understand what southern hospitality is! The first time I went tracting, we shared the restoration, and then prayed while holding hands in the middle of the street! It was amazing!

Yesterday, on Sunday, it was branch conference and the Stake President came up to me afterwards and he told me that if we hadn't run out of time, then I would had spoke! I was surprised and very flattered! I would had loved to talk! So next time, hopefully I will be able to speak :)

I am in a 60-person branch in Luling, just south of New Orleans, and is the closest I will ever get to NO,LA without speaking Española or being an Elder haha, so this is basically my dream area :)

If you want to mail me any postcards, get info from my Mom.

Love ya!!

Sister Toomey