Letter #20

Hey Family. How ya'll doin?? Whats been happenin lately?? Anythin EXCITIN? Do I sound like I gots a southern drawl? HA HA.. I prolly do. My english is gettin horrible sorry to say. It's these gosh darn kentucky accents.. They really get to ya. Sounds like BBALL SEASON is well uNDeR Way.. I miss watchin ya'll play. I can't wait for this time next year. I WON"T MISS A GAME I PROMISE. haha.. Hows tater and Alvin doin?
MOM - I bet you're doin great in schooL. Keep up the good hard work. It does pay off.
This week has been really rough. haha. Not gonna lie. I know I had to have a hard week for a reason. BUT I learned a lot. I will be stayin here iN Kentucky for Thanksgivin and CHristmas with my Sister Crockett. I am pretty excited. We teach some very powerful lessons where you can feel the spirit. I can't believe
half the things I say in the lessons. It's like someone is talkin through me. IT's AWESOME! This Thanksgiving we are going over to some members house for Lunch. We don't get fed here. Like maybe once a month do me and my comp get fed by members, but when we do.. guess what it usually always is.. REFRIED BEANS!! I don't know what it is but the south is in love with beans and cornbread. I think I've had it like 20 times. I will never eat another bowl of beans for as long as I live after my mission.. haha SORRY.So it looke like Ronnie still wants to be taught by our mission leader brother
johnson. I felt so bad family. Ronnie gave me this pic of the temple and I kept it and hung it in the bathroom. I know that me and my companion made the right decision by stopping our visits. But really it does make ya feel kinda bad. BUT ANWYAS...
This week was rough fam. There is a recent convert who comes out with us a lot and on saturday she must have been having a bad day. She got really mad at me. She verbally attacked me. She told me that I wasn't a very good person and I don't listen to peoples problems and I just don't care about people. She told me
that I never call her to "chat". and I am slacking as a missionary. MAN talk about wanna go give my mom and dad a hug and make everything okay. It was really hard. I basically just smilied at her while she was getting angry with me and told her my purpose as a missionary. My purpose is to invite others to come unto christ and I am not on a mission to hang out and gossip with her. I told her that Heavenly Father sent me here for a reason to tough peoples lives and I only listen to the spirit and work the VERY HARDEST that I can. I smiled at her and told her I loved her. She didn't like it. and took me and my companion home. (we were on our way to a lesson).
Man I felt like I was fightin with my best friend. I am really close to this member and I can tell her anything. This member has been through a really hard life. She is very lonely and depressed and is a recent convert of like 3 months. She really really depends on me and my companion. I know that the spirit that we bring is something that she depends on in her life. It was really hard on me family. I really just broke down crying to my companion later that night and thought "why". This member didn't come to church the next day. I felt it was my fault. I then prayed to heavenly father and through the spirit I KNEW That I did the right thing. It isn't the missionaries job to fellowship the members. It is the Members. They aren't doing it and it's really hard on the missionaries. We won't be here forever ya know? I know that this member might be mad for awhile at me. But I know that later she'll realize that I can't call her everyday to see how she is doing and that there are other souls our there waiting to here the message of the restoration. I know I told her the right things. I love her
and I'll always be there for her, but I can't hang out with her EVERYDAY! It was really good experience. I really now understand my purpose. I know there is a medium that I gotta find. BUT I remember Elder Bednars talk about how he had 2 missionaries come over to his house to just "HANG OUT" and Elder Bednar new that they weren't workin hard enough just by that. I don't wanna be one of those missionaries yA knKOW?? I mean I still have fun on my mission and I AM CRAZY.. BUt I know when the time is to work. : ) SOrry I just like ramble sometime family..
Welll I hope all is well. I MISS YOU SO MUCH.. I get to talk to all ya'll in like 6 weeks and I am so lookin forward to it... MOM - i"ll email you somethin that I need. Hope all is well.. Love you'ns!! (they always say that in the south.. it means you guys).. HAHA..have a great week!

LOVE SISTER FURNISS