"I told my kids it goes God, Mamma, Mamma, Mamma, Mamma, then Dad."

Hey Yall!

I know! What a shocker?!?!? 3 weekly emails in 3 weeks....what is going on!?!?! Well there is just too much going on that needs to be told. Sorry! :)

This week was hard! But great of course. Saturday was a rough day! When I say rough I mean rough....like 5 straight hours of NO ONE wanting to listen to us or being home. NO ONE.....

Literally with no ideas left and no energy to keep pushing through we had a bible and Book of Mormon referral to deliver. We said a pleading prayer with Heavenly Father saying please just let this guy be home and please let us be able to teach him something. We knocked on his door and Praise the Lord this man was home! And even more amazing he wanted to listen to what we had to say!!! He was telling us how he always told his kids who came in order of importance in life(see subject heading to find out). We left almost in tears of joy and exhaustion. We got in the car and just gave a prayer of thanks to Heavenly Father and then went home completely wiped out.

Thursday we attempted biking.....I will attach the before and after.....

Well we started out very excited. About a half mile down the road Sister Ogden's tire went flat. We were right in front of a gymnastics studio and surprisingly they had a bike pump. Thank Heavens! Then we continued on and no one was home....then we got lost in the neighborhood we were in and decided to head back since it was starting to get dark. Well let's just say that it was a lot more of an incline than we thought. It was extremely hard hah...or maybe it was just because I am super out of shape! To make it even better it started to rain! I got up to a point where I could stop to take a break and when trying to get off my skirt got caught and me and my bike went down. HAH! I will be taking a break from biking for awhile. What makes this story greater than it already is was a member had drove past us, but we thought she didn't see us. When we got back to our apartment she called us and asked if we made it back okay. She said by the time she realized it was us she had passed us and hurried home to see if her husband was home with his truck. When we got off the phone, Sister Ogden being her cute self said,"Well my prayer was answered! I prayed asking that a member would drive by and see us." I said, " Sister Ogden you need to say more specific prayers!"

Lessons to be learned: 

1)Don't bike in a skirt

2) God has a sense of humor

3) Specific prayers bring specific blessings

On a closing matter. I got to sit where Nicholas Sparks sat and wrote the NOTEBOOK! I am not lying! He used to live in this neighborhood called Neely Farms that is right by the church and a man we are teaching told us what house he used to live in and met him at a book signing and Mr. Sparks said that the Notebook was written at this pond in the middle of the neighborhood. Seriously love being in South Carolina!

Well I hope yall have a great week!

Love,

Sister Rice

I Know I Only Sent An Email Last Week But..

I had to tell you about my new companion!

Her name is Sister Ogden and she is from Meridian Idaho. She is the sweetest thing ever and an amazingly strong individual. 

We were on our way over to a dinner appointment and she has some problems with like all foods so she was really nervous. I was saying that they were super nice and would definitely understand. I even tried to make her feel better by telling her that I was even a l;little nervous because this lady was making shepherds pie and not the way my mom makes it at all. Well when we got to the house she said a prayer before we went in and said, "Please up them understand and let me make a sandwich, and please help sister Rice like the food even though it isn't like her moms and that she still can enjoy it." Haha it made me smile and I have started to realize that all her prayers are very real like that and random. It's cute and makes it a memorable prayer and definitely not repetitive. 

Also we tried to make an apple pie for a family in the ward to return their pie pan back full.....well....see picture below for how that went hahahaha

Anyways we definitely have seen a lot of miracles here and are having lots of success. 

We have two people on date to be baptized that will most likely be getting baptized in August. 

Elsa and Juan are doing great and Juan will be receiving the priesthood this next week so that he can pass the sacrament! When we went and saw them earlier this week they had showed us this paper where they had written down their family home evening they had done. I thought it was awesome that they planned it out and really took action. They are such a great example of what it means to be truly and fully converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I hope each of you think of a way this week you can become more truly converted to the Savior and His teachings. Whatever that looks like for you, whether it be spending less time on social media, going and helping a friend/neighbor, reading scriptures, or praying. I know that as each of you evaluate your life and find something that needs improvement, as you turn to the Savior, He will help you improve and be better. 

Hope all is well!

Love,

Sister Rice​

Have Yall Ever Seen A Heinz 57????

Now I know yall are probably thinking, "Yes Sister Rice....we have definitely seen a bottle of ketchup and probably have used it a thousand times."

Well I am here to tell you ketchup is not the only thing called Heinz 57! Apparently it can be used for other things like dogs.

We volunteer at a nursing home every Wednesday and I was asking the lady in charge what her fourth of July plans were and she told us that she was going to try to make sure her dog doesn't get scared. I asked what kind of dog she had and she replied, "Oh she's a Heinz 57." I was like what????? She then explained that she was a mutt and that people call mutts Heinz 57 dogs because if you have ever looked at the ingredients its a whole bunch of everything! It gave us a pretty good laugh!

Sorry this is a long one but it is worth the read!!!

It has been a pretty busy week and we have had an amazing week!

We had a baptism on Saturday for Juan and Elsa....now let me tell you their story!

A couple months ago we were trying to find some people who haven't been to church in awhile and then down the street our area book said there was some people that used to be taught by missionaries. We went to the house looking for the members first and when they opened up the door, Elsa answered. We asked for the people and she said they were working. She then explained that she doesn't speak English. I asked what her name was and then it clicked that Elsa was the woman that we were going to see next down the street. Somehow the addresses got put in wrong because Elsa is actually the mom of the two boys we were looking for. So in my very very very little Spanish I know I was able to tell her we would come back next Lunes(Monday) with someone who could translate. All she said was Si. Well we got busy and we decided to schedule a lesson with another person who was progressing really well and I said that we would just go see her another time because she probably didn't understand what we said and we aren't sure how interested she was. Heavenly Father had different plans. Monday came and our lesson was cancelled, but we had already had our ride on their way and she so happened to speak Spanish! I was like well its a long shot but we dont have anything else to do. When we got to Elsa's she totally remembered we were coming and let us right in! What happened next I will never forget. We walked in and I saw on her fire place a plaque of the plan of salvation drawn out by some missionaries, and another plaque that said, "Las Familias Son Eternas". Which means families are eternal...just in case any one couldn't figure that out. I was like who is this woman!??! As we got to know her she began to tell us that 8 years ago her boys got baptized and her and Juan couldn't because they weren't married and then when they finally were able to get married, the Spanish branch dissolved and the boys were very upset and stopped going to church, one of them was even trying to leave for a mission but just stopped the whole process. Elsa and Juan really wanted to get baptized but they were waiting for their sons to come back to church to baptize them. I explained to Elsa that she can't wait for other people and needed to worry about her own salvation. I testified that as much as I love my family, those who choose not to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ are not going to hold me back from making covenants with my Heavenly Father. As much as they love me, I know Heavenly Father loves me way more, and as much as I love them, I love my Heavenly Father way more. He has asked us to make covenants with Him and thats what we need to do. She was crying and I was crying....every one was crying. After that we started meeting with her and Juan regularly and last Saturday they finally were baptized after waiting 8 years! One of their first missionaries came back to baptize them! The spirit was so strong and it was so amazing! Everything was in Spanish and we even sang with some members in Spanish for a musical number. Sister Tucker painted an outline of the Columbia temple and wrote "est." under it. We explained that when they are sealed they can add the date! On Sunday they received the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was such a sweet experience for me to watch them walk up to the front together holding hands and supporting each other in this decision. They are amazing examples of what faith looks like! These are the moments you live for and why you share the gospel! No matter if you are a full time missionary, a mom, a grandpa, a high school student, or surrounded by other members. This gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives! It changes the course of an entire family and generations to come. It does so because we are promised as we live the principles of the gospel are families are strengthened and blessed. God wants us on His covenant path! As President Nelson said, " Now, to each member of the Church I say: Keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere... Now, if you have stepped off the path, may I invite you with all the hope in my heart to please come back. Whatever your concerns, whatever your challenges, there is a place for you in this, the Lord's Church. You and generations yet unborn will be blessed by your actions now to return to the covenant path."

In other news....transfers are this Thursday. I will be staying in Simpsonville and will be training a new missionary again. I am sad to see Sister Christensen and Tucker go but I am so glad I am staying and training again. I pleaded with Heavenly Father and President Innes for about the last month to not move me yet. I am not done here. 

Well hope yall have a great week!

Love,

Sister Rice

Grandma DO NOT READ THIS EMAIL!!!

Seriously Grandma...if you opened this please don't read it! I am warning you now it talks about something you hate so DON'T READ IT! I will send you your own weekly email. haha

Okay so those that know me well are probably not going to believe this story but I swear IT HAPPENED. I wish I would have gotten a picture but I was too freaked out by the time I realized what was going on that the last thing on my mind was a picture for proof. 

So it all starts out on Friday where we were helping this family move. They were leaving that day and didn't realize how much stuff they still had to get out of their house, so I was upstairs cleaning the laundry room closet out. I had cleared out all the cleaning supplies and last thing on this shelf was a backpack. I grabbed the backpack and it was surprisingly heavy...it didn't look like anything was really in it. Luckily I am not a nosy person and just plopped the backpack down instead of opening it up or this story might be a little more intense haha. So I finished what I was doing and put the backpack on to carry it downstairs to ask where it needs to go. I walked up to the member and said, " Hey where do you want this backpack?" Next thing I know he gets this big smile on his face and while starting to laugh he says, " OH! That's my snake! I didn't think anyone would move the bag." I instantly froze in terror! Luckily he quickly grabbed it off my back and as soon as he did I ran outside screaming, trying not to pass out. I hate snakes! Absolutely terrified of them! And this wasn't any snake. It was a huge BOA CONSTRICTOR people!!!! ON MY BACK! ALL THE WAY DOWNSTAIRS ACROSS THE HOUSE! First off who has a pet snake that big??? And second WHO KEEPS A SNAKE IN A LAUNDRY ROOM CLOSET IN A STINKIN BACKPACK!???!??! He got a good laugh about it and I said well now you will never forget me and I sure won't ever forget you guys. Too bad I didn't have a picture for proof.

Anyways later that day we got to go up to girls camp for testimony meeting. It was so much fun! There was this girl there that has been coming to church with a member for awhile and isn't a member. She shared her testimony and it was so fun watching her get the courage to do so. It reminded me a lot of my first year at girls camp and how strong I felt the Spirit testifying of truth. She shared the same thing in her testimony how she knows this church is true and has really learned how to recognize the Spirit. Afterwards I went and talked to her and told her my experience and she told me how she wants to get baptized and how her mom just gave her permission to do so. We are now going to be teaching her!!!! MIRACLE OF THE WEEK!

We have had a busy week and it has gone by super fast! I love it here so much and with transfers coming up I have been begging President to keep me here longer....I guess next week we will find out if he listens to my request haha. 

We have been working hard and staying busy. This week we had 5 people who we are teaching come to church and this next Saturday we have a baptism for two of those 5! And it will be in all Spanish....we will be singing a hymn is Spanish....not alone(We all know I can't sing).

Well God is great. I love being a missionary. The gospel of Jesus Christ is restored in it's fullness and is the only way to have true joy. Mormon.org is a great way to get questions you have answered about the church!

LOVE YALL

-Sister Rice