Week 17 - October 26

THE LORD IS PREPARING HIS CHILDREN

Wow, this week was filled with miracles straight from God himself. If you want to read about more about this then continue reading to the end! Basically, our friend Rani is the GOAT and heaven sent. ️

Buuuut how are ya'll doing?!?! I'm gonna share my weekly highs and lows, but I would love also to hear yours! Hit me up with those emails!

HIGHS

︎ a lot of laughing this week! #laughterismedicine #laughmoreitsnotthatdeep

︎ fire lesson outside of Sam's Club with our friend Trinity and member Jaxson. I was sitting on a giant shopping cart!

︎ ward trunk or treat...got to judge the chili's!

︎ filmed refferal ads with other missionaries in the zone. With that also came a lot of editing, but I love this new calling, it's so fun!!!

︎the weather is quite perfect here! I love fall in Alabama!!!!! I actually just really love Alabama in general. Ya'll need to come visit, it's gorgeous.

︎hit a six-week high for goals in this area! 

LOWS

︎president is banning messenger! (Secretly, I am really grateful for this.) It's caused a big distraction in missionary work, so we are going to start using only Google Chats! Sorry for all you guys that I communicate with on messenger; I will now only be able to write to you through email!

︎went knocking and almost got flashed by an old man wearing the tiniest shorts you ever did see!

︎still trying to find more friends to teach!! if you know anyone in this area that needs the Gospel, lmk!

In summary, Sister Caraway and I are cookin it up and having a blast here in Hoover. #blessed

MIRACLE TIME

I wrote about Rani last Sunday but more happened this week, so here we go! On Tuesday, we had a lesson with her and asked her how praying about the Godhead went. She showed us a page full of notes and scripture references, and said she prayed and got the clear impression that they are three district beings. (Mind you, she was raised Hindu her whole life until six years ago when she became Christian). This was big stuff!! Fast forward to Sunday...we were worried she wouldn't be at church because she didn't confirm and she works crazy hours all week and barely even has time to come to church. But sure enough, she pulled through and made it just in time for the Sacrament. She said the spirit told her she needed to get out of bed and go! And another miracle...Sister Galland, my mission president's wife, was at our ward, so Rani got to sit right beside her and talk with her. After the meeting, Rani said how happy she was because the closing song was "His Eye is on the Sparrow," and she played that song for her online class devotional last week; it was like God was winking at her! 

We then had a lesson with her and Brother Lim after Sacrament meeting and WOWOWOW. You guys! Basically, she talked to us for an hour about her life story and the experiences she has been having with God and the Gospel through dreams and visions. God has been preparing her for the past 20 years with these dreams!! As she was explaining them, we, and Brother Lim, are just looking at each other in shock and amazement because she was literally explaining the spirit world, kingdoms of glory, the temple, Jesus Christ, and the covenant path. She doesn't fully realize it, but she is starting to connect the dots that her dreams are literally visions sent from God about the restored truths we believe in! Wow! It was the most special craziest thing I have witnessed. 

As we taught about the temple, she was so excited because she is the only Christian in her family, and she has a whole lineage of family members who are waiting in the spirit world to have the Gospel taught to them and have their ordinances performed. She also had a dream about that. Anywho, I told her that she needs to be a member to enter into the temple. She goes, "How do I become a member?" We told her she needs to get baptized! We extended the invitation for her to pray about baptism and she is really excited! Pray for her!!! She has already been baptized but as we explained the difference of baptism in our church, she is starting to understand and really wants this for herself. She just needs confirmation from God. 

I just love her, and she is perfect. She said how connected she feels to us because her daughter who passed away was 19. Also, at the beginning of this month she was praying for God to send her someone to bring her closer to him. She told us we are her angels. 

She is living proof that God is preparing his people. He is giving them experiences with the spirit!!! Now is the time for us to find them and them to find us! Pray for these people.

I was reading in Alma 16:16-17 last week praying that this would come to life. 

"And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—

That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, but that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God."

And lo and behold, God gifted us Rani!

ISN'T GOD JUST THE COOLEST?!! Wow, I love this Gospel so much. 

Love you all so much,

Sister Ekins ♡♡♡

Week 16 - October 19

Birthday bash + get bashed 

Greetings from my new home in Hoover! 

Wow there is a lot to tell you about this place and this new transfer...

But for starters

I ended the last day of last transfer celebrating my 20th birthday! Thank you, thank you for all of you who made it so special! Wow, I feel so loved. Between the Sisters throwing me a surprise party, to mom sending me Crumbl cookies and gifts, to saying goodbye to my favorite members, I would say it was a pretty blessed bday.

Moving back to transfers...hello! This me and my new comp, Sister Caraway! She is so cute and is the biggest Disney fan you will ever meet. She is on her last transfer on her way home to Denver, Colorado. 

Here are some pros and cons of my new area!!!

Pros:

☆ I live two minutes away from Trader Joe's (sorry mom, I know you're jealous)

☆ Got called to be a social media/referral manager! We get to make posts for the mission Instagram, film ads for referrals, and we get to work close to the people in the office! Fun stuff. 

☆ There's a piano in my apartment #blessed

☆ It is so beautiful here and the ward members are amazing! 

☆ There's a lot more finding opportunities and places to go since we in the big city now!

Cons:

☆ Talking to and finding people is a lot different here #getrejected #allthetime

☆ Got bashed by a son and his mom two different times lol

☆ The work here is much slower. This has been hard for me to get used to because I am quite the go-getter like my mother and I like to stay on top of things haha. 

☆ We are a car sharing area, which means we get to walk half the day. Other than it slowing down--the work, this one is actually a pro...I need the exercise.

Overall I am so hyped for this new transfer! Sister Carraway is super motivated cause it's her last transfer and I'm motivated to pick up speed with the work here in Hoover. It's gonna be gooooood. Shoutout to all my people back in Northport, though, cause I miss you!!!

MIRACLE TIME️

Two days before transfers, Sister Caraway and her comp got a call from a member all the way out in Utah saying she had someone for them to teach. She said her name is Rani and she moved to the states from India about 6 years ago. Well, fast forward to transfers, Sister Caraway and I call up Rani and get to know her and her story. She found Christianity after being Buddhist all her life and then facing a ton of trials that led her to turn to God. Her daughter passed away, she divorced her husband, her family abandoned her, she works seven days a week, the adversary was telling her to go back to sleep and not come to sacrament meeting...and yet somehow SHE CAME TO CHURCH. This was our first time meeting her in person, and when I tell you this woman is being PREPARED BY GOD, wow she is SO ELECT. She is searching for the truth. And God was able to lead her to us through her online therapist all the way out in utah. #goldenrefferal #thankyoubecky Anways, Rani's story and testimony is beautiful and I feel privileged to be working with her. Pray for her that she can come to know that what we are teaching her is true. It is evident that God has been speaking to her a lot recently; now, she is connecting the dots and can hopefully find a place where she belongs and know what is true.

Spiritual thought for you this week is to CHOOSE JOY. 

There was a lot of change this transfer. I could have chosen to complain, reminisce on my old area, or wish things were a different way. But no, you can choose to FIND JOY IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST. My circumstances may not be the same, but my love for Jesus Christ is the same. And thank goodness I can ALWAYS have His spirit to be with me to help lift, guide, and comfort me. He stays the same. And when I choose Him and He is my focus and my why, life is pretty darn great. 

Joy is a choice! Go choose it today. Because it's not always going to choose you.

Your favorite,

Sister Ekins ♡

Week 15 - October 12

Hurricanes, Hoover, and Half-naked men

Don't worry everyone, I did indeed make it through hurricane Isais 2026.

I've never been in a hurricane before so that was kinda fun. It honestly was nothing too crazy for our area, just some light wind and rain. My roomies and I made a fun music video while we were in lockdown.

Transfer news was yesterday...I am going to Hoover with Sister CarrawayI am so sad to leave my baby and my baby area but we sure had some good memories, and I am so beyond blessed to have been in this ward and be her first comp in the field. Training was a lot but it also taught me a LOT. This past transfer was kinda crazy, but I wouldn't change it! Not only did I watch Sister Pinegar grow, but I watched myself grow. 

Most of all, my testimony grew. Of the healing power of Jesus Christ and submitting yourself to Him. He brings joy and healing when you love, submit, and forget yourself. I wrote about that in my last email, but I literally was able to witness that!

As of the third part of the title...you'll just have to go to my google photos and watch the video for yourself.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

Zone conference!!! Best day of the transfer cause we got to listen to our amazing mission president and his wife speak. Our focus for this transfer is listening and teaching like the Savior did by asking inspired questions.

Lots of laughter with Sister Pinegar

A Southern Baptist bought us lunch (?!)

Spanish sisters that we ward share with had a baptism! Yay Florencio!

Sat down and taught a couple people at McDonald's and Wendy's. You wouldn't believe how much of our finding is going from restaurant to restaurant ha.

Made a rap for a friend we are teaching, and he hit us back with actual raps he wrote. So cool!!!

The RAIN!!

LOWS:

Alabama lost to Georgia :(

Feeling a bit discouraged from the adversary hitting our super cool friends. It almost makes the work feel impossible. But I just have to keep remembering the Lord always wins and this is His work!

I'm leaving Northport!

As sad as I am to leave, I am so ready for this change and can't wait to see what work we can get done in Hoover! If anything, I am just beyond excited to learn from and serve next to President and Sister Galland.

I hope ya'll enjoy your week! Next email you get will be from a 20 year old.

All my love,

Sister Ekinssss ♡♡♡

People you can pray for:

- Kemoriah: 16-year-old girl we met after feeling prompted to knock in her neighborhood. She was talking to her friends a couple days earlier about wanting to get closer to God.

- Shonda: has a husband, 5-year-old son, and crazy busy life, but keeps running into the missionaries and knows she needs to come to our church.

- Tre: Minister Matthew's grandson who LOVES reading the Book of Mormon. We literally watched his countenance change as he read it.

- Ken: we finally dropped him but he is still coming to church! 

- James: we invited him to church one pday at waffle house and he unexpectedly showed up last week and wants to come again!

Let me know if I can pray for you!!