Marissa In Mississippi

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

I've seen lots of miracles this week.

We will get to them in just a sec!

I haven't had the opportunity to introduce you to my new companion yet!

Everyone meet.... Sister McGregor :)

She is from Illinois, 19 years old, dog lover, and was adopted by her family when she was a baby, as well as her twin!

She loves the gospel and has such a spunky bubbly attitude that people love.

WELL let me tell you about my week.

Michael is a member of the church that has been away for a while. He contacted us early this week and said that his girlfriend wanted to take the missionary lessons! So we were able to meet with them and start teaching Megan.

Tears came to her eyes as we taught her about the Plan of Salvation... the question of "where is my grandma" had been weighing heavily on her heart this week.

I was so excited to share my testimony of a loving Christ that has provided a way for us to make it back to our Heavenly Home.

Later that day, we were traveling around to all our different appointments.

Well... everyone that we had set up appointments with missed them! I was getting frustrated.

Then I hear someone yell

"HEY YALL I WANNA BIBLE STUDY WIT-CHU."

So we met this guy "Andre" he is very gangster haha... but we had a good conversation and told him we would love to do a bible study with him if he would be willing to also experiment on his faith and we asked if we could teach him about the book of mormon as well, and how it goes right along with everything in the bible, and we could show him how it does!

He said okay and we went back later on in the week! unfortunately he wasn't home when he said he would be, but we are hoping that we can meet up with him again soon.

That night, we were helping the Thomas family make thanksgiving dinner. I got my hair braided and I don't think it's a very cute style on me, but I have to tell you a story of something amazing!

We all had to run to the dollar store to get some last minute things for cooking.

Turns out Sister Thomas knew someone at the store that works there and the lady was telling us that the dollar store had gotten broken into last night and that she was held at gunpoint and saw he life flash before her eyes!
Well right there she asked me to pray for her in the store, and in the middle of dollar general, I felt the Lord's peace for this poor heartbroken woman! It was a cool moment for me, and I really know that there are people all around us that need us just at the right moments.

Thanksgiving was wonderful! We ate with the Thomas family and had a real southern cooked meal complete with greens, smoked ham, a deep fried turkey, and banana pudding.

We had dessert at the Waters home, and they are so wonderful. They feed us every Tuesday and they also have a ton of chickens so they are always giving us eggs!

I actually really missed my family and was feeling pretty homesick! I know that I was missed too though, but I really was grateful for the awesome family I have. I am really blessed to have a family that will support me as a missionary and I really can't wait to see everyone when I come home.

by the way......... mark your calenders, i come home MAY 5. :D

one of the biggest miracles this week I have to tell you about may indeed be one of the biggest miracles I have heard on my mission.

We have been teaching Marionna, Michael and Tommy for a couple months now - i think i sent home a picture a couple weeks ago...

anyways, they are some of my favorite investigators.

their aunt - bessie - was in a really bad car accident a couple weeks ago and she has been brain-dead, and comatose since then.
they called all the family together because they were going to pull the plug, but Sister Cannon (the grandma) really felt inspired that bessie needed a priesthood blessing before they did so.

Bessie received a blessing from the Elders serving in Jackson and the next day, she opened her eyes. :)

The day after that she was remembering everything and everyone and talking..... she asked the doctor "can i have your pants because i am ready to go home"

every bone should have been broken in her body, yet the next day she was up walking!

A true priesthood miracle has touched that family's life FOREVER and it really strengthened their testimonies that the priesthood is real. The same power that Jesus Christ used to raise the dead, and heal the sick is held by worth members in Jesus Christ's true and living church today!

I really do know that the priesthood is real and am grateful that the long apostasy that occurred after Christ and all the apostles were killed has ENDED

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I got the best package ever this week from my family! Mom sent me a package of pumpkin spice muffins and Sister McGregor and I have eaten all of them already! haha!

Well the weather here is holding up pretty nice and I am a little cold since my coat and sweaters got stolen, but ah, alas is life. I am thankful that my friend Ashley in the ward let me borrow one of her coats! I thought this manatee mailbox was pretty sweet.

I also had fun straightening Sister McGregors hair.

I am so grateful for the wonderful things and miracles that I get to see everyday as a servant of the Lord!
I am grateful I get to be training Sister McGregor and I am grateful for all my precious companions who have taught me so much! I love them!

I am grateful for my family and friends that support me wherever I go...

and I am MOST GRATEFUL for..... the reason I am here!

A noble and great cause in declaring the good news to the world of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

I hope that all of us may choose a "gift to the savior" something that we can sacrifice to help us focus on the reason not only for the season, but the reason for EVERYTHING! I would love to hear what your "gifts to the savior" are because I want some inspiration!

THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU ALL.

<3 Sister Brown <3