Best time of my life! She is from Stirling.

A day with Sister Bithell!

Hi Y'all, I know I say this every week, but so much has happened since last Monday. Once again, the Lord continues to have His hand in the work here. Our Thursday afternoon and evening plans weren't falling into place and we were getting frustrated. We made several phone calls and were not getting far. Finally we got on are knees and asked the Lord what he needed us to do. Once we finished praying we sat on are knees for a moment and the phone ran. It was a returning member. She says, "Want to get together." Us "yes!" Her "When" Us "right now?" Her "okay" Us "we'll start walking" her "I'll come pick you up." Us "THANK-YOU!" She ended up taking us to her daughters home, who isn't a member. She was in the middle of a stressful situation and we were able to pray with her and share a message with her about the hope of the Gospel. It was a miracle. 

Saturday night Sister Borja and I were tracting and no one was giving us the time of day. I was struggling a bit with it, but kept my head up and looked forward. Someone would listen. We knocked on another door and an old woman let us right in and she needed us right at that moment. She needed to know that God hadn't abandoned her. Another miracle. God always provides a way. I'm learning that that way is always a little more than we sometimes think. The extra mile. 

I was able to go on an exchange with Sister Quilty on Tuesday. Best time of my life! She is from Stirling. For 24 hours I felt like I was in Southern Alberta. I'd say, "Country 95" and she'd say, "Mayor Magrath Drive" and I'd say "Lethbridge Hurricanes." haha and we went on and on, we both had a great time and we worked hard and saw a lot of miracles. 

Saturday I was able to go on an exchange with Sister Bithell, another best time of my life! I love her sooooo much!! She is one of my very best friends. I'll be naming one of my girls after her, let's put it that way! It was great to be with her again. We worked hard and had a lot of fun. We were able to talk about Texarkana. I love that place! We were also able to phone Amy. We needed it and she needed it. Please keep her and her family in y'alls prayers. 

Yesterday we were able to go out with are ward mission leader and present the ward mission plan to a few of the members. Our ward mission leader is amazing. He reminds me of Alan Wiley, and he grew up on a ranch in Tennessee. He's a doer, and a finisher. Just the right person for the job. I've learned a lot from him. 

I love y'all. Thank you for all y'alls support, prayers, and letters. It means a lot to me. We're so blessed to have the scriptures in our lives.

Sister Hartley 

 O'Canada 

Sister Quilty

With Sister Quilty

Look how close the road is to the water

A day with Sister Bithell!

I'm not in Jackson anymore

Boy is that subject title the truth! Sorry I'm just emailing now. I got to be quick. I got transferred. I'm now in the Bay St. Louis area. I am on the coast! Now I've seen both ends of the mission! Are apartment is 3 miles from the ocean. My companion is named Sister Borja (pronounced Borha). She is from Paraguay. She goes home in 4 weeks so I have a lot to learn about the area and the sisters in are stewardship (one of which is from Stirling and knows Beth, and also Sister Bithell and my grandaughter! and Sister Brown my MTC companion!). Anyways I love it here. Today was my first official day and it was the best. I've been having Deja vu all day. I feel really impressed that I am supposed to be here. It is a totally different world than the other areas I have served in. I can't believe I'm so close to the ocean. It is crazy! We drove over a long bridge today right over the ocean! It is crazy! Almost everyone we talked with today made a reference to Katrina and how it affected them. We see evidence of the damage in some areas. My district is great. It's just us and a set of elders. We also both serve in the Waveland ward. The are awesome, hardworking elders, and we seem to have a lot in common. Ones from a ranch and rodeos so I was telling him about Nat and stuff. Anyways we are super busy and working hard serving the Lord. I'm starting to feel old. I was on the transfer van and out of 9 sisters I was the oldest serving sister. Where did the time go? So crazy. A lot of missionaries in the mission that have influenced me went home this transfer. It was hard to see them go. I don't think we realized how big of an influence we have on people. I learned so much from them and they changed my mission. Anyways I better get going. Love y'all! 

We were so busy we worked right through lunch.

 The Jackson Zone Sisters.

Hey y'all. Another great week here in good ol' Jackson. If y'all haven't read this talk I'd invite you to read it. I've lost count the number of times I've listened to it.

If you're able to y'all should listen to him give it, his voice is powerful. Neat thing as well, Elder Hugh B. Brown married Charles Ora Card's daughter.

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=111

We've seen many miracles this week. Tuesday we were on exchanges. I was in our area and for some reason Tuesday morning I was really stressed out. I was trying to hide it because we were on exchanges. I didn't want the sister I was with to see me flustered. Some appointments were falling through, we were trying to get members to come out with us, and we had planned to spend the majority of our day on foot so we could talk with everyone. I was worried we were going to run out of things to do because our appointments weren't super solid. I decided to push it aside and have more faith. We set out and none of the people we had planned to see that morning where there, but we talked with everyone, and tracted,   We were so busy we worked right through lunch. That afternoon we were out walking trying to locate a referral and we stopped to talk to this older couple walking out of there driveway to go for a walk. When they saw  us walking towards them they said that we were filled with light. We showed them a picture of the Salt Lake temple and talked about forever families and it really interested them. We set a time to see them the next day. When we went back the lady began to tell us she wasn't interested, but Sister Kennard being the bold missionary that she is  wasn't taking no for an answer. We ended up teaching her and are seeing her again tonight with Sister McDonough.

After we talked with them we needed to book it back to the car because we were late for our next appointment. While we were half running I saw a man by his truck and before we could say anything he says, "Sisters! I'm a member!" Turns out his family just moved in so we got there contact info and are excited to see them. The appointment we had planned fell through so the member that was with us took us to see a lady on her visiting list that was less active. She was home to so we got to talk to her for a minute. All in all the day turned out perfectly and I really enjoyed my time with the sister I was with. We both gained a stronger testimony of talking with everyone and walking as often as we can.

Sister Kennard and I also had a powerful tracting experience. We knocked on a door and no one was there so we went to the next door.  A car then pulled up in the driveway of the house we had just knocked on. We went back and knocked again and a man answered and he was prepared to receive the Book of Mormon and we had a powerful lesson with him.

I'm grateful for the experiences I've had this week. Transfers are next week so I'll be emailing on Tuesday. I have no idea what will happen. I could easily stay, and easily go. I'll do whatever I'm asked.

I love y'all and thank-you for all the support and prayers.

 funny quote we heard from a member

Lunch with my favorite ladies

Trusting My All in Your Tender Care

What a week. I feel like I say that every week. But really every week is crazy. We do so much. It's great. Saturday I was on an exchange with Sister Ridge and we witnessed a miracle! We were teaching someone we tracted into and his phone ran during the lesson. He answers it and says, "I'm going to have to call you back, I'm right in the middle of being converted to Mormonism." That was Saturday, he came to church yesterday, and he has a baptism date!

While on the exchange we were trying a few people and ended up talking to this man named Tommie out in his yard. He looked and talked exactly like Jared Christenson! He had a dog with him and he was pretty hyper. He kept trying to give us the dog because he was loosing his patience with him. He finally put a leash on him and puts it over the hitch at the back of his truck, the dog just runs crazy as far as his leash will allow, Tommie than makes motion to get in his truck saying he'll run it out of him. My face must have been priceless because he got a good laugh out of it.

We went to the Jackson Branch yesterday. I love it there. Love it love it love it. Such amazing people. They have changed my life. I am grateful I am serving here.

Sister Kennard and I continue to work and do are very best. The Lord takes his work seriously, we must do the same.

Love y'all

Sister Hartley

ps, Sister Meek emailed me and said she met Katie at a fireside. Small world.

Give said the little stream, give oh give, give oh give

Many mighty miracles have been manifested this week here in Jackson. With the guidance of the spirit Sister Kennard and I have been led to those who need help. God truly answers prayers through people. God trusts us, we must trust Him. 

Tuesday Sister Kennard and I set out on foot, boy was it ever cold. I know I'm from Alberta and should be used to the cold, but the humidity is a whole different cold. We walked and walked, and knocked and knocked, and no answer. My head was slowing starting to hang down when I looked up the street to see a family pull up in a nearby driveway. "That's the family." Sister Kennard mustered under her breath. We knocked on their door with faith, and we were invited in. We shared the Book of Mormon, and he accepted it, asking the best questions. One family, that was all we found, but it was the right family. It was all we needed. 

"Words are often as important as experience, because words make experience last." -Willie Morris. 

Love y'all so much. You're support and prayers strengthen me each day. Alma 36:3

Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah.

Mississippi Girl

 No yuppie business

A lot of learning curves happened this week. It was made more clear to me that I truly am in the bible belt. We should never have an "expired testimony" as Elder Taylor puts it. We really have to always strengthen are testimony and be consistently renewing it. I've made a goal to get to know the bible more, my knowledge of it has tripled since the beginning of my mission, but it needs to deepen further. I also need to gain a renewed testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I've seen far to much the effects that happen when we get "comfortable."

Sister Kennard and I worked a lot this week with the Jackson branch. I love these people so much, they have changed the way I look at life, and they have taught me that the good life is putting others before yourself. I wish y'all could meet these people. They are amazing. I sent home the pictures from fishing. Boy was that ever a great time. It was just what I needed. We truly need moderation in all things. It felt so good to fish. Sister Michelle is the lady that took us. We've made a deal, she took us fishing last Monday, and I'll be teaching her piano today. God gave us talents to share with others.

Yesterday we were tracting and we ran into a lady from Clinton. We were showing her a Restoration pamphlet and she said that someone at her work was reading the same pamphlet and she told her that that weekend she would find some people who would have a great impact on her life. She made the connection that we were those people. God truly answers prayers, and he truly is mindful of us.

I love y'all. God truly is are Father, and Christ is our advocate.

Sister Hartley.

Southernism: We went to visit some less actives in the branch and the sister that took us out made a little "happy" for each of them. By that she means a little goody bag. Down here their called happies. I like it.

Fishin' in beautiful Mississippi

These sisters went home last transfer. Miss them!

Fishin' in good Ol' Mississippi

Humble to Prepare, Confident to Perform

Reunited after 14 months

Well this week was crazy just like all the rest! I'm loving serving with Sister Kennard. As President puts it, "you two are two peas from the same pod." True indeed! Sister Kennard just came from serving in Texarkana (she took my place when I got transferred.) So now it's the Wake Village sisters serving in Jackson. It is fun to get caught 

up on all the good things happening in Texar. Sister Kennard and I were in the MTC together and haven't seen each other since. Who would have known that 14 months later we would be companions. We are very much a like, minus the fact that she's sweeter than sweet. I've noticed that my past companions have all been extremely sweet. I think President may be hinting that I need to be a little sweeter??!? She's pretty nervous to be a STL so I've been telling her all the things Sister Jones told me. It was pretty funny, we sat down the other day to plan out exchanges and I found myself talking like Sister Jones. Oh and at district meeting I totally acted like her to. We were setting district goals for January and are district leader kept looking at me and saying, "Oh wait Sister Hartley is thinking about something.." And I found myself saying to Sister Kennard the other day, "I just need to ponder this for a bit." All the things that Sister Jones did. I miss her a lot, but I'm so glad she is home with her family.

I'm excited that Elder Zwick is coming to Melissa's mission. He came here in October and I loved it!

Sister McDonough said something awhile back that stuck me, and I am now gaining a testimony of. She says that the spirit is always stronger when you sacrifice. We had MLC this past week. Sister Kennard and I are very blessed because we don't have to drive a long distance to get to it. Lots of missionaries have to drive 3-5 hours to get to it. It is really nice because we get more time to work in are area. On Friday we have a sisters meeting then all the zone leaders come and we have dinner and another meeting. The sisters meeting got done early. Sister Kennard and I decided to go out and tract before dinner instead of staying at the mission home. Well we were out we were able to find, teach, and commit someone to be baptism, as well as place a Book of Mormon, and talk to almost everyone on the street we felt impressed to go to. It was amazing. It really prepared us to be open to the spirit for the meeting that night. "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven."

The Alhalteh's are an amazing family in the Madison ward. They were sealed on Saturday in the Baton Rouge temple! They had us over on my birthday. (they have two other kids at BYU Idaho.

Sister Jones last day of tracting (it poured)