SUP.
Well it was a good week as usual! It is actually hard to have a bad week as a missionary because there are just too many blessings.. so I can't even complain. Except the snow.. that can go. hahah that is the only thing I can complain about, and only because we get SO MUCH SNOW it is unlike anything I have ever seen.
Last Monday night it literally snowed almost a foot... so we decided to go out and snow shovel for people. So we go to this older lady named Kathy's house and we start shoveling.. and it was actually really hard because the snow was so heavy.. or maybe I am just a wimp. Either way. So we are working for like 30 minutes... when a snow plow shows up. (Here in Ohio they get so much snow that people will pay someone to come with a plow truck and plow their driveways... but we didn't think/know that Kathy had one) so this guy pulls up and says ""What are you doing" and I was like...... uh "Shoveling snow" and he said "Why would you do that?" and I said "To be nice?" and he looks at us and says "No you are not. No one does that. People don't just shovel a driveway to be nice. That does not happen." And I was like well buddy we are living proof. He was literally speechless. And then he plowed the driveway in 3 minutes.. and we watched all our hard work go to waste haha... it was a classic. So then he drove a different house.. and we stalked him so we could talk to him and tell him about how we are missionaries and about the church. SO even though the shoveling was for nothing we got to meet this guy and talk to him so it was so worth it! God helps us find people in interesting ways sometimes.
Then we spent 2 hours shoveling a different house... and by the end the piles on the side of the driveway were as tall as I was. I wish I would have taken a picture. It was unreal. So you could say that after that little adventure we have permanent back problems. But it was fun. Then we went and saw Gentonda, which was exciting as always. She didn't recite any famous speeches this time though so that was a disappointment. Then Tuesday night okay it was SO COOL. So do you remember Ed? Let me refresh your memory. So we met him eh a month or so ago... we were tracting and no one was talking to us and I was about to lose my mind (I know you can't lose what you never had but anyways) and I prayed that we would find someone who would at least talk to us.. and then BAM next house we met Ed and taught him about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon! So we went back... and He answered the door and said "I'll be right back let me go get my Book of Mormon" and we were basically doing a celebratory dance on the porch because that meant he had been reading it. AND HE HAS! He is far too! And he is really liking it. And it was crazy because I restarted the Book of Mormon like 2 weeks ago.. and I was at the exact same place as Him so I had just read all that he had so I was able to answer his questions way better than I normally would have been able to. Tender mercy! And he said he can't wait to read more and we are meeting with him tomorrow! PUMPED. It was great.
Then we went to this guy named Brother Jeffery, and he got baptized about a year ago. He lived out in the boonies. And I will include a picture of him. He is classic. He is one of the funniest guys probably ever. He was the one that gave us a speech saying "Fear will put you in a ditch" or "Stop Wearyin" I can't remember if I told you that story hopefully I did. Anyways long story short it he is a hoot. And we took a young high school aged girl with us.. and it was definitely interesting. He loves to talk.. so he started telling us lots of stories.. and was giving us relationship advice.. and he was giving us way too much information about his past relationships and we were trying to change the subject and it was just a wreck. Poor girl that came with us may potentially be scared for life. But I really feel bad for Brother Jeffery. He has a lot of hard things going on and he told us yesterday that he was having a horrible day when we went.. his exact words were "I was 10 feet under having the worst day.. and when you left I was up in the sky. You really brightened my day" So even though it was one of the weirdest visits of my mission.. it really helped him and I am grateful for that!
Wednesday we had zone conference with the Mission President. It was great! It is always good to get more training and get remotivated about the work that we are doing!
Friday we had a training meeting at the Johnson Home. It was great! I love (well I don't love the story it is really sad but you can learn a lot) the story of Joesph Smith getting tarred and feathered and almost killed. It is really sad to be where it happened and to hear what they did to him.. but also so inspiring. I think of this young man who was willing to go through so much in order to serve God and others. He knew what was the truth, and even though people were literally trying to kill him, he never gave up. I also think it is really interesting because he was doing so much good, and these hard things happened to him. I think that sometimes we think that if we are doing good things than bad things shouldn't/won't happen to us. But they will. It doesn't mean God doesn't love us or that we are doing things wrong. It is just a chance for us to become closer to God and learn more how to humble ourselves and rely on him. I have experienced this a lot on my mission when things don't work out. There is always something I need to learn.. and even though I may be disappointed or depressed at the time.. I am also so grateful for the opportunities I have to grow closer to Him.
We went and visited the Lawleys.. it was good as usual! Joan had surgery this week so we went over to try to help her with stuff. And okay this was actually the scariest thing ever. So she takes us into this "doll room" and I am not kidding there were at least over 200 dolls in there. Just walls and shelves full of doll... everywhere. And some of them were the creepiest things I have ever seen in my life. So I was trying to pretend that it was really cool.. but secretly I was just creeped out by all of these old broken big scary possessed dolls staring at me.. and then the song "Tiptoe by the window.. through the garden" started playing on the tv in the other room and that song scares me more than anything in the world.. and for a minute I thought I was in a scary movie. This is totally unrelated to missionary work, but I am just happy I survived that experience. I would rather face a gang than a room of scary dolls haha.
Anyways I shared a story from the Book of Mormon with her and she loved it! It is SO cool to see her heart soften towards the Book of Mormon compared to when we first met her and she told us she would never read our book. She said "This teaches what the Bible does" and I was like EXACTLY it helps clarify the Bible and teach us about Christ. She is starting to understand it and I am so excited! Also she is just so funny because she loves us so much. Her son came while we were there.. and she was like "These are my sisters! They are here on their missions and we are their sponsor family" hahah I was like what are you talking about Joan.. but hey it is nice to be loved!
Saturday we had exchanges.. so I went with Sister Oliver to her area. So I was up in Chardon, Middlefield, and Burton. It was out in the boonies.. and there were tons of Amish people! It was cool to see them all over in their little buggies and stuff. And we stopped at the gas station and they were in their using the bathroom... so I am just trying to figure if they were rebels or if they are allowed to use public restrooms haha. It was fun to see a different area and mix it up for a day! But I really like the area I am in and I am super glad that I am serving here right now. All the appointments she had scheduled fell through.. so we got to do some tracting! Which is always fun. One lady banged on the window while we were walking up and shooed us away.. it is funny that sometimes people act like we are dogs or something.
Then we visited this lady who had been meeting with the missionaries.. and it was insane. She said that she knows it is all true.. and that our church is the way to make it back to live with Heavenly Father.. but she doesn't want to. She was smoking while we were talking to her (and I was sorta focused on not having an asthma attack haha) but she said she is content with being addicted to smoking and living in a bad apartment. It sorta broke my heart because I have never in my life met someone who knows that they have so much more potential.. but they just don't want to become better. Hopefully someday she will have a change of heart.
And yeah that basically sums up my week. This next week is going to be great. We are starting to teach these two kids that want to get baptized!! So we will be getting them ready for that! I am dyin of excitement.
But I have to get going.. I hope that you have a wonderful week! Happy March! Maybe spring will come.... eh probably not but it really wouldn't hurt to pray that it does. I love you all and I love this Gospel! Being a missionary is the best and I couldn't be happier that I get to spend this time of my life doing the Lord's work. Nothing is more satisfying or important. And nothing is greater than the miracles I get to see everyday. I am so blessed. Thanks for all your support!
Love Cassidy
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