6 months???!!!

February 22, 2016

Okay so this past Friday I hit my 6 month mark...HOOOLY COW. It was the weirdest.  I feel like I have been a missionary for forever but then again I feel like I just came out.. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve, learn, and grown here in Alabama.

This week was awesome! And very wet! It has been raining ALOT and has been very gloomy.  I am praying the sun will be shining this week!! It is said that we have a 50% chance of snow this Wednesday! what the...

This week was awesome though! The Freemans came out with us a few times this week and we were able to have lunch with them on Tuesday! They are the MOST adorable old couple I have ever met.  I love them so much. They are about 77 years old and are still going strong.  They just moved here to Athens about 3 months ago to be closer to their kids.  Brother and Sister Freeman are amazing... They have served 4 missions!! In Brazil, Malaysia, Kenya Africa, and Washington DC temple! I want to be them when I grow up.  They have some incredible stories and wonderful experiences they shared with us! Plus they just love the missionaries and are the cutest couple ever. 

BIG NEWS:  We were out with a member, visiting some Less actives in the ward and we get a call from President Hanks. After having a mini hart attack, I answered and he proceeded to tell us that a sister in the mission went home early so Sister Thompson is going to go to Talledega and take her spot.  We were all so sad!! He told us to go home immediately so she could pack and then drive all the way to Leeds, Al which is close to Birmingham ( about 2 hours away)  So we did.  We spent the night with the STLs there and then Thursday morning S. Mennenga and I headed back to Athens. So we lost a companion :(  it was a sad day.

Needless to say it has been a crazy transfer thus far with a lot of changes but the water is pretty calm now!

*****.  **** is awesome. He is a recent convert of like 3 weeks.  He is 48 and an amazing guy. He is SO intelligent.  He was found, taught, and baptized in one transfer, last transfer.  But has been really struggling recently.  With custody over his kids, his job, and his  The adversary is doing his absolute very best to tear him down.  He said to us that he is not giving up, not giving up on the gospel or anything.  He knows this is the way.  He loves the gospel and loves the Book of Mormon.  He is holding fast.  Even in this time of his life where nothing seems to be going right.  He is such an example to all of us. 

There’s so much more that happened this week but I love you all so very much!!

I am obsessed with this work and I love what I am doing! but the adversary is working just as hard.  We really need to hold fast to our pillars of faith. Its the domino effect. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the way.  We need to anchor our faith in Christ and in nothing else.  Just keep moving forward.  Steadfast.  And deeply rooted.

Stay steadfast and go bring some light into peoples lives!

Roll Tide!  

sureloveyamolinesrockmissionariesrule

Sista Malone

 I read something on prayer the other day in Jesus the Christ and it was sooooo good Sister Thompson and I were talking about it for a good minute because it was SO GOOD. it says, "pray as nearly as possible as christ prayed. pray in actual communion with god." THEN. I loved this, "it is well to know that prayer is not compounded of words, words that may fail to express that one desires to say, words that so often cloak inconsistencies, words that may have no deeper source than the physical organs of speech, words that may be spoken to impress mortal ears. prayer is made up of heart throbs and the righteous yearnings of the soul, of supplication based on the realization of need of contrition and pure desire." ALSO. fun fact ----> amen means: so let it be. I LOVE IT. right now I am working on making my prayers as sincere as possible.

Have a great week fam! love you all!!!!

God is Marvelous and Alabama is the chosen land

February 15, 2016

WHO KNEW ALABAMA WAS THIS FREEZING.

It has been straight up 30 degrees everday in AL. What is this???  I thought it would be sunny and 75 by now. NOPE. 

But Happy Valentines day to all!!!! love is in the air #heartlocked 

This week has been awesome though!  It was Sister Mennenga's first week back in mission life since getting her appendix taken out. The three of us did a lot of work.  Being in a trio is a lot different than just you and a companion.  The dynamic is completely different and sometimes you feel like an army of Mormons tracting haha but all is well! 

I met a lady that Sister Mennenga has been teaching her name is Kristin and she has 4 kids! Her youngest name is Bala. I asked Kirstin how she got that name and she said her full name is Amabala....which is Alabama spelled backward because her husband is such a Alabama fan.  hahahahaha welcome to Alabama folks!!  Where the children are even named after the football team!

We have been teaching a media referral named **** for the past week. Sister Capps, a member in the ward here, has been absolutely AMAZING in being her friend and helping her out with things in her home.  She has gone over to Angie's house multiple times without the missionaries to just help her with her car or just visit with her. I swear she is the best member missionary a missionary could ask for.  She helps us out so much and is just happy to do it.  I LOVE HER. 

****, at first did not seem super interested but was intrigued by these young girls being on missions and Sister Capps being so friendly to her.  Her son was just diagnosed with acute leukemia so the Elders went over there this past week and gave him a blessing.  After hearing it, **** asked if she could have one as well.  She was so taken back and knew that this was real.  She works at Sonic as an assistant manager and it has been really tough for her. Little did we all know that **** has a BA and Masters degree from Atlanta! ANGIEEEE. Why you workin at Sonic girl??!! She has just been too busy to look for another job and is very shy.  But the ward has been helping her a lot.  And she came to church yesterday!!!!! YAYYAYAYAYAY.  She loved it too.  Even though there was a kid behind us that kept kicking our bench. I was just praying she would feel the spirit.  She loved it and felt the spirit! She just wants to learn everything.  The sacrament talks were all on Hope and Faith and Peace. She said "I really like this church"  in her cute lil **** voice and said that those were all things she needed to hear and she wants to just read and soak it all up.  YES ****.

Remember elect ***? Well she has been sick the past week but we are seeing her this week! So pray all goes well with her and that she is still elect.

Funny story: while tracting this week we met some pretty cool old guys who just came from Birmingham because one of the men got surgery on his face. Because he had skin cancer or something and they were a HOOT.  holy cow.  They were talkng to us so much but i swear i could not understand a word they were saying...it was so difficult they were mumbling and their accents were the thickest I have ever heard! But they were very nice and even prayed for us that we would be safe. I will send a picture!

This gospel is amazing. I am obsessed with this work!!!!  

Hopefully all of us can have opportunities to share our testimonies with other people. This gospel is too good to keep it to ourselves. I love this work and I love how good God is to us all! Have a happy week

Sure love you Molines rock and Missionaries rule and ROLL TIDE

Random lady in Athens with a cool painting!

**** **** ! My black grandpa! 

Sister Thompson and Me! 

! 

 A man we met on the street in Athens!

 ****! And her baby and me saying goodbye

Graffiti on an old abandon school in Athens!

  Lopez family!

 Making homemade Gnocchi (Argentina style) with Irma, a older lady from the branch.

 old STLs Sister Castagno and Griffith

 Rachet house in AL love the south!!

Sister Thompson and Me! 

Goodbye Huntsville HELLOOOO ATHENS!!!

February 8, 2015

Welp Athens, AL is where I be located and I love it here!!  It was hard to say bye to

Huntsville but I am ready to shake things up and boy are things shook up.

Athens population is about 25,000 people.  Most people are born and raised here and just never leave.  Its a very old city and has the cutest little places! It’s a hick town for sure.  Everyone here is old and white.  All the houses are pretty spread out with land unless you are in one small part of the town. haha But I love it so far!  My first meal in Athens was with the Harris'.  Sister Harris is the Relief Society President here in the ward and they are  AMAZING.  We had a REAL southern meal which I really haven’t had since being out here. With the most amazing cornbread of my life.  SO GOOD. (love yours though momma:) 

We stayed with the Harris the first two nights with Sister Mennenga because President Hanks said it would be better for her to be with a member.  Brother and Sister Harris are just amazing though.  SO knowledgeable in the gospel. And just amazing examples of enduring to the end and always increasing their knowledge of the scriptures and gospel.  THEY KNOW EVERYTHING.  I want to be Sister Harris.  Just the cutest lil ol classy southern lady. 

Sister Thompson is Sister Mennenga's replacement for the time being so while Sister M  has been recovering, Thompson and I do missionary work.  It’s kinda like being whitewashed but we have had a good time!  President has been calling us just checking up on us.  He said he might just leave Sister Thompson here and we might be a trio for the rest of the transfer.  We will see though!!

Since we are all companions right now we made our name together; MOLENNGASON.  We are one. We are Sisters Molenngason. hahahaha

Emmaus Experiences:  

My first experience tracting in Athens was an interesting one.  Sister Thompson and I just knocked probably 20 doors and NO ONE ANSWERED. People where you at!  Not one person answered the door. It was so weird.  That has never happened to me before!! Then finally we found some people, and then we decided to knock one more door and found *****! She was baptized when she was 12 years old, but after, attended the Baptist church.  She said she doesn’t remember much so we just gave her a BOM and she said she wants to come to church. holla holla!

Emmaus Experience #2 - ****

We had an appointment with a media referral for a lady named **** who lives in an incredibly nice neighborhood.  I have never been in a house like that since I have been out on my mission.  I was in awe... She was originally interested in Family History work but is very, very interested in learning more about the gospel.  And lemme tell you people...I have never in my mission had a lesson like that.  IT WAS AMAZING.  I just kept looking over at Sister Thompson and we would just step on each other's toes kinda like..."oh.my.gosh." 

She’s older, maybe 60’s. Her mother and brother passed away just a few years ago and she is genuinely and sincerely looking for the truth.  She has a friend who lives in Virginia who is a member and has been in contact with her and asking questions.  She has already been reading the Book of Mormon and has watched the restoration video (THE HOUR LONG ONE) twice!!!!  Who does that???  She is so ready and so prepared. Basically already a Relief Society President.  I am so excited about her. 

After leaving **** house, Sister Thompson and I were in shock.  WE ARE HERE FOR PEOPLE LIKE PAM.  #****people.

Sorry this email is short but I love you all and I know this is where I am meant to be. I love this gospel with all that is in me! I LOVE IT.  I know its the truth.  We need to just remember our pillars of faith and everything works off of that.  God loves us. He is real.  The Book of Mormon is the best thing that has happened to this planet.  I know it’s the word of God. Those are my pillars.  

I love you all!!! 

Hermana Molenngason