Referrals

It has been a pretty good week.

We there was a crazy lightening storm a few nights, and there was a flash of lightening almost every second for like ten minutes straight. The tornado warning sirens were going off and we didn't get the call for lockdown until after the worst had stopped.

I figured out a new way to get referrals, and it works on most people, but they have to have a sense of humor. Idk why, but for some reason, I thought that I was suppose to be super serious, non-jokester person, and there is a time and a place for being like that, but I have figured out that at least here in my area of Louisiana, that everyone here loves to laugh. Sister Crane made someone laugh, and after we asked him if there was anyone who he thought would be interested in our message, he referred his own wife! I thought it was pretty awesome. So I have been trying to make people laugh ever since, to show that we really are human and are not just "recruiting" people to increase our numbers. So, out referrals have skyrocketed in the past few day, and this will definitely help us find people who are ready to change their life and commit to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I finally got to go into the Baton Rouge temple!! It was beautiful!!

Sister Toomey

2016May23- crazy lightening storm

2016May23- Baton Rouge Temple

2016May23-Sister Crane & I

Chalk

I dodged a bullet and I get to spend another transfer (6 weeks) in Luling in Sister Crane! I love this area!! Yesterday, we bought chalk and went to the park underneath the bridge. On a busy side walk we wrote, "Where am I from?...Why am I here?...Where am I going?...Mormon.org...and our phone number" in hopes that it gets people thinking about these questions of the soul. If any of you want to know the answers to these questions, please email me!

We had 3 of our investigators come to church this week! When the walked in, I nearly jumped out of my seat out of pure joy and happiness!!!!!

We got attacked by terminates!!! I had never seen so many in my life. They came out at night, as we were right next to the Mississippi river and near swamps. They swarmed like bees around a hive! Luckily they don't bite. We had to run through it to get back to the car. The locals say that they only last about 3 weeks, but the worst is over.

President Hinkley once said, "get on your knees and pray, then get on your feet and work." I know that I you truly ask God for help, then the Savior, who created all things, will help you if you put in your full effort and really work toward it.

Love Y'all1

Sister Toomey

2016May17- Park Chalk Contacting

2016May17- The Bridge to New Orleans at twilight

2016May17- The Bridge to New Orleans at twilight (2)

2016May17- Found an old car (maybe it was a go-kart) while tracting

2016May17- My District

The Pepper Palace Challenge

This has been an exciting week! 

It started on P-Day and we went to downtown New Orleans and went to the Pepper Palace, which is literally a store dedicated to hot sauce. Every missionary in the New Orleans zone has to take try the hottest of all sauces. I tried the smallest amount possible on a tortilla chip and my mouth only burned for 1-2 minutes thank you to the chip that absorbed the heat. Then we went to the French Market across the street and had fun. 

The STL's (Sister Training Leaders) were sick, so I was an STL for a day and got to go to MLC (Missionary Leadership Conference) which is only for leaders in the mission so that we can spread the council from the Mission President (who got some from a Seventy) to the rest of the missionaries in the Zone. It was really exciting. I've been working on my "Celestial timing" by waking up a little earlier than 6:30am (FYI, this is only necessary for young missionaries, and is NOT a requirement for baptism). It's a work in progress, but it is so worth it!

We have been working on getting more Member-present lessons. and it is fun, and it makes the lesson even better every time because we will only be there for so long, before it is just them and the members. 

We had 13 COCKROACHES magically appear in our apartment. My companion joking tells everyone that I am the "Cockroach Wrangler" because I would rather catch them than let crawl under my bed. The first one we caught was about 3 inches long and looked more like a small mouse that wouldn't die. We spent the next 2 hours catching the other 12 cockroaches. We were later told that whenever it rains (this was after the near-flooding) that the sewers get high and the cockroaches crawl up the pipes, and then through our bathtub drain. So we started to cover our drains and I have only seen 2 roaches since and Sister Crane kills them. 

We went to a Baptist "Bible Study" this week with an investigator. It was very interesting, but I learned that other missionaries from other faith are 'spreading the word'  like us. Even though they do not have the full gospel, they are still acting on the truth that they do know and sometimes they don't learn the full gospel because they are happy where they are and do not know of the happiness that they could have if they could have if they pondered and prayed with a sincere heart and really wanted to know the truth. 

I got to Skype my Mommy on Mommy's Day! It was exciting to see her and Hannah! It made me want to work even harder so that families can be together FOREVER! and I want everyone to have that same opportunity that I have been given to be with my family forever :) to find out more, please go to  https://www.mormon.org/values/family or email me :)

Love Y'all!
Sister Toomey

 

 

Hurricane Season: Lock Down

I find that life is full of ups and downs, but it makes the ups more enjoyable and then it makes you appreciate it even more. 

This week has been crazy! But I love how our work is slowly paying off. We were on Lock down for 2 days. I thought it was just flash floods and really bad lightening. We were in church and we thought that lightening hit our small building, but it didn't luckily. I later found out that there were tornado warnings. We were out with a member visiting people, and as we were driving, it felt like were were in a car wash. I never knew the reason for the highest setting on windshield wipers until now. I also found out that Luling is below sea level and people can only build houses here because of the wonderful pumps that pump out all of the water. 

Despite all that, the people here are amazing! We found K, and later this week, committed him to BAPTISM! I am stoked! 

Pictures: Just a friendly reminder for all y'all. "Thou Shalt Not Kill." These signs are everywhere. Also, notice Mary. Mary statues are everywhere, and it means that they are Catholic. 

A beautiful lake that was formed after the rainstorm. 

Sister Toomey

2016May2- reminder for all y'all. Thou Shalt Not Kill. These signs are everywhere. Also, notice Mary statues

2016May2- beautiful lake that was formed after the rainstorm

Crawfish, Red Beans, and Beignets

2016Apr25- I finally got to eat a crawfish

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

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

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

Sister Toomey

Classic MTC departing picture with Mommy and Hannah

My first compaions Sister Hyer and Sister Uibel. We are all lefties from Utah

Once again, a classic missionary photo in front of the huge world map!!

The other district in our zone lead us on a clever scavenger hunt Easter morning in the MTC!

Me and my companions in front of the Provo Temple!

The sisters in my district!!

The sisters in my small zone!

THE District

I found Sister Landeen!

My Main Teachers

My Teachers

DISTRICT PICTURE!!!

The Small Plane to Baton Rouge!

The Small Plane to Baton Rouge view!

Meeting The Mission President and his wife for the first time in the airport