Missions are tough stuff....April Fools, they are awesome :)

So guess what? Missions are hard. Apparently Marion is a particularly tough area too. Not only is it a common stop for drug lords and gangsters (heroine is Marion's economy) but the people here just do not want to hear the Gospel. Well that's just too dang bad for them because I'm going to give it to them whether they want it or not...of course I'll do it in the most loving way...haha.

The Marion Branch is tiny. There are about 400 members...that's right, it may seem like I'm contradicting myself right now but hang on and give me a chance to explain...there are 400 members in Marion but only about 30 show up for church every Sunday so it's still just a little branch. In fact, Marion Branch is one of the oldest Branches in church history. Elder L. Tom Perry served his mission in Ohio and he said that if Marion Branch ever became a Ward, he'd come back to do it himself. But apparently there is a curse on Marion. My District Leader told me a story about the early Mormon Pioneers coming through Marion to go West and there was this mob that came and attacked them and in the chaos a little boy was trampled under a wagon. So the father of that little boy "dusted his shoes off" at Marion and cursed it so the church would never grow here. Well, guess what? I have two investigators getting baptized this coming Saturday that would beg to differ. The church will always grow where there is faith and determination. It's hard..it really is, but faith comes before miracles.

So there is a CiCi's pizza place here and the owners are less active members but they are still super sweet and let us eat there for free. It's awesome. I'm totally going to get fat while I'm here so I'm grateful I'm not spending my entire mission in the U.S. I'm going to be grateful to walk or bike everywhere in Denmark.

Unfortunately, I don't really have much to say about new investigators because we really haven't had a chance to teach them. All our appointments with them fell through and that was a big disappointment. But it happens and so you just buck up and get a knocking. Knock and it shall be opened unto you....most of the time. Other times people spend 40 minutes scolding you and you try to listen and talk to them but it's hard cause they refuse to open their door but they still are determine to talk to you.

So Easter was great here. We ate breakfast at the Titensors. I love the Titensors!

Not only do they come with us to appointments that fall through but they also stop by the post office and pick up packages from my family that my father tells them to get ;) (love you Far). They are an amazing family and then we had dinner at the Detillion's. They are also great and Sister Detillion's name is Diana so everyone was calling her Diana and that threw me for a loop. She knows a lady in the ward in the area next to ours that is from Denmark! so she is going to try to set something up where I might be able to meet her or just speak to her over the phone in Danish. That'd be awesome!

Also, I am so grateful for the Atonement and it's strengthening power. Not only can it heal our sorrows, make us clean, and give us peace but it can also aid us when we are struggling and need an extra little boost of strength. We met a lady out tracting who is a great example of the strengthening power of the Atonement. We knocked on her door at about 8pm and she opened it and immediately two little kids jumped out and hugged us and were very excited to see us. The little girl had down syndrome and the little boy had another disorder (I forget the name) but she just shared with us what a blessing they were and how some days it's really hard but how she just goes and prays and teaches her kids how to pray too. We didn't get a chance to share our message with her but we definitely shared our testimonies and she did the same. It was great and the two little kids were amazing spirits sent to a great home where their parents not only take care of them but also cherish and love them. I meet a lot of great people like that. Like this old lady named Ruth who just immediately let us and hugged us and talked to us about her career as a teacher a long time ago. Not all these people are very interested in hearing the Gospel but they sure are nice.

Oh so funny story, I have to tell you all about this 90 year old couple in our Branch: the Grangers (yes, I thought of Hermoine too). Anyways, we went to visit them and Sister Granger had to stop and say "oh ow, my back really hurts" and then her husband says "oh stop complaining and do some situps, I bet you can't do situps now." and then she just gave him this disapproving look and get on her back, makes me hold her feet and then starts doing situps! And I was just staring at her in disbelief. I was very impressed. I want to be like her when I get to be 90.

Well, I'm going to go. Just remember that the Gospel is true and just take a moment and pause and ask yourself "where would I be if I didn't know that God was my Heavenly Father and that Christ loves me?" Just think about that for  a good long while.......ok good! Now go out there and share what you know with someone else! They are children of God too. They are struggling. They are lonely. And YOU can help them. YOU have a restored knowledge of the Gospel. YOU know about the Atonement and how it can bring peace and comfort. Why are you still reading this? Find someone and bear your testimony to them, you're wasting time!

I love you all :)
Sister Diana Briscoe