We're fixin' to go laser-tagging!

June 16, 2008

So for P-day today we are going laser-tagging--this will be about the third time in the last 6 weeks that we have gone. It's this place in the ward/area below ours, and the elders down there have have been teaching the ladies that own this place, so they let us come laser-tag for free. It's so much fun! We go with our whole district, so only 8 missionaries playing usually, but it's really fun! They also have DDR and a Wii with all the wii games; we played wii mario kart last time too, in between laser-tagging rounds. It's really fun, but that area is getting white-washed (both missionaries are being transferred from the area, 2 new ones come in) this next transfer (starts tomorrow), so our connection to the laser-tag place may be gone now... oh well. :)
As for missionary work, things are going well. Our amazing investigator family, the Campbells, are doing sooo well. They just absolutely love church, they love the BOM, and we set a baptismal date with them last tues. So they are getting baptized on June 28, and we are sooo excited for them! The exciting thing is that I'll still be out here when they can get sealed in a year, so I can go to that! But in our lesson last tues., we just read 3 nephi 11 all together, with them and the Wagners, and talked about it, and then after, they were talking about how before they started reading the BOM (weeks ago), they were expecting something totally new, like Greek whatever..., but that it's really not anything new (from the Bible) and it's even easier to understand. Love them! Shannon (the mom) came down from Nashville (about 30 min. north), where they are staying, on saturday and brought her kids to the stake primary activity, and they came to church again yesterday and their 2 oldest kids sang in the primary choir for Father's day, and they are just so great! The only problem is that they aren't planning on staying in our ward, cuz they want lots of land to have a farm and be self-sufficient, but they say if they find something here, they'll stay, so pray that they will find some good, affordable land here in our ward. :)
Heather and Junior are progressing with reading the BOM and learing more, but we have come to kindof a few large obstacles, all of which are major addictions, one of which (smoking) she doesn't want to give up yet. We were going to start her on the quit-smoking-in-7-days program the other day, and I asked her if she even wanted to quit, and she said no, not right now, and I said, "You know you can't get baptized if you still smoke, right?" and she said yeah. So that's partly where we're at with her. She still wants to get baptized, but it probably won't be on June 28 like we planned. So we are praying for her to have the desire to quit smoking. If you all could pray for that too, that would be great!
Our other progressing investigator, Jackie, is so great. We just love her! She came to church again yesterday, in another cute hat. :) We are going to set a baptismal date with her hopefully on thurs, if that's what we should do.
So today we start a new transfer and Sister Arnell and I are staying together in this area. She goes home at the end of this transfer, it's her last one, which means I'll more than likely stay at least one more transfer after that, so I'll be here in the Carnton ward in Franklin, TN for at least 3 more months probably. Just FYI. :)
Something we've done a lot of since I got out here that I've never talked about in my emails is Family Mission Plans. We call them "Feed My Sheeps" and it's something that the stake has asked every family to have, is a family mission plan, because the stake has one and the wards are each supposed to have one, so they want all the families to have one too, naturally. So what we do is basically give a lesson at dinner when we eat with members (most nights), or just when we go over to a member's house to do this; we talk about how fear is the biggest obstacle in sharing the gospel, and how to overcome it; we usually share D&C 6:23, 26-27 and talk about how we don't need to fear to do good, because anytime we do anything good, like missionary work, something good will always come of it. Always. We may not see they results right away or ever, but eventually something good WILL come. And the good may be in our own testimony growing. So there's no need to fear in sharing the gospel. And if it's a fear in losing a friend, think of it this way (my comp put it nicely): if you don't share the gospel with them, you may lose them as a friend eternally, y'know? But we do a little lesson like that, and with some other scriptures about how if you still fear, we need to love them because "perfect love casteth out all fear" (Romans something), and to have that love for someone, we need to pray for it "with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love" (Moroni 7:47 i think). Anyway, then we give them a paper that has spaces for their family mission plan goal and a date to complete it (because a goal with out a date will probably never get accomplished, we need a deadline), and then lines to write down any missionary experiences anyone in that family ever has. They're supposed to jot them down so that they can see how Heavenly Father really is blessing them with missionary experiences that they are (hopefully) praying for.
So anyway, I challenge all of you families out there that read this (especially my siblings and parents) to have a family mission plan, and set a goal that will fit you, and that will make you stretch a little. Like giving out a BOM by the end of the month, or the end of July, or inviting someone to church by such-and-such a date, or if just telling people what church you go to is scary, make that a goal, so bring up the church in conversation. It's amazing what happens when members are involved. So follow Elder Bednar's council and open you mouths and find people for the missionaries to teach, because missionary work is so much more successful when members are involved. I can testify of that. Then that person (or people) already has a friend in the church and a great fellowshipper (very essential).
Anyway, I love and miss you all!
Love, Sister Melissa Gurr
FRIENDS: Just a note, I just realized this week that I'm only supposed to get direct emails from family, so when you email me (please keep emailing, I love it!!), email it to camillemerkley@gmail.com (my sister), and she can forward them to me. Thanks guys! (Thanks Camille! :))
Rosanna, how's Steve doing? Mom mentioned he's still not all well. I'm praying for him. And how are your eyes? I'm very curious! Can you see perfectly after all?
Dad, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!! Did you get my card? I hoped you would get it on Sat., but it doesn't sound like you did. I hope it was a great day, you deserve it!
And Happy birthday to Rachel Kerr!! I can't believe she's one!
To my other siblings--you still there? Sally? Joe? Peter? Lindsay? Camille, you've sent me letters recently, so you're okay for now...:) Sal, I love that you think of me when you send forwards and all, but I would love even more to know how you guys are doing... (plus, I can't go to other websites, like was listed on that last forward, sorry) ;) I love you! How are you guys? How's your kitty? How's school Joe? And Peter and lindsay, I've been hearing all about you moving, so I'll give you some slack. :) But how's Texas?
Mom and Dad, i'll try to write you today or soon to answer your questions more. Thank you for you letters this week, they were MUCH appreciated!!! And yes, my allergies are currently under control. I haven't needed an Allegra for about a couple weeks or so, so that's been nice. I inhaled watermelon yesterday and almost died though. But I'm okay. :)