Hello family & Friends!

Hello!

Oh my goodness! what a crazy day! week month etc!

I'm officially a big girl here in the mission.. How? Oh that's because I have a companion who is newer than I am and I had no choice but to take off the training wheels. haha It sure has been an adventure, but so far I'm loving it!

My last day in Paper Mill was definitely one to remember, I got lots of pictures and loved being able to see everyone and say bye. I will always be thankful for my time there and hope to perhaps serve there again during my mission. I am also SO thankful to be here in Johns Creek. But I don't actually live in Johns Creek.. :) I live in Duluth GA. In a really nice complex, surrounded by.. really interesting people :) I live right off the freeway, but if I couldn't hear all the cars I'd have no idea because of all the wonderful trees. The ward took GREAT care of us getting our apartment set up. A wonderful ward member came and picked us up our first day and took us to pick out desks. It was such a blessing because I didn't have a GPS or map of the area so I was able to learn where some places were as she drove us to some stores. Thankfully I broke down and bought a GPS.. because after 3 stores and 4 gas stations of not having maps I figured it was time to get one so I at least looked like a competent missionary :)

My new companion is Sister Beasley from Woodland UT, near Park City. She's got a great attitude and really wants to work hard. We may or may not have stalked the new missionaries when they were in a meeting before we met them.. and I may or may not have said "I call the red head!" This is all hypothetical of course. But Sister Beasley does indeed have red curly hair and is really sweet and funny, I'm sure we'll have lots of fun.

Also! The mission has given us a brand new 2013 Toyota Camry to drive, that is real. I also may or may not have joked about that being my car when we first got to the mission office.. So I'm thinking I should start predicting things more often. Anyone need help buying a lottery ticket? I'M KIDDING OF COURSE! :)

Our first few days were definitely ones to remember. Its "exciting" coming into an area where you know.. nothing. We have met SO many new people which I absolutely love. There are lots of complexes by ours, probably 8 within a mile and a half walk. So we see people all the time. We have also knocked doors in neighborhoods which is fun as well.

I thought there was diversity in my last area.. there is definitely a lot of diversity here! and I LOVE IT! Its amazing! I absolutely love it. The ward is very diverse as well. Half the signs on the streets are written in Korean, a fourth in english, and a fourth in Spanish. Its crazy fun :) I feel at home and I love it!

We met a man with a great testimony of Christ. He cried as he explained how he feels the world needs more good people and needs Christ but doesn't know where to find Him. He asked us to pray for him and begged us to keep bringing hope to people. It seriously warmed my heart. And it was such a tender mercy because the very next door was someone who decided he needed to "bible bash" with us. And got really mad that we wouldn't. Lets just say he wasn't the kindest.. But if you ever want to know why the book of Revelations describes Christ eye's as "fire" you should go to him.. That's a joke.. Don't ask him that question.. Unless you want to be sucked into a "fun" conversation. Haha its something I can thankfully laugh at.. now :) But seriously that sweet mans testimony made it possible for me to just smile and show love to that other man who wasn;t so happy to hear our message. The Lord gives us tender mercies to help us get throughout they day. Look for them and they will happen.

Last Story: We arrived at a complex for an appointment with a woman we had met the other day. When we got out of the car I saw 2 men (friends growing up) trying to fix a car. I had the thought "go talk to them." I looked at Sister Beasley who was very nervous about the lesson we were going to teach so I thought, maybe we should just go teach it and not drag out her anxiety. We entered the stairwell, to my surprise it wasn't the right one, I am certain it was because the Lord wanted me to talk to them. We went back to the parking lot and I told her "Sister Beasley, we have to go talk to those men." She told me "okay, after our lesson," and was well on her way to the next stairwell. I smiled and responded, "Nope.. sorry, the Lord wants us to do it now."

As we approached them the one fixing the car, Bobby, wasn't very excited and felt the need to boldly proclaim "I'm a baptist" then went back to working on the car. His friend, Kenneth, however told us about an experience he had had years ago with LDS Missionaries. They promised him that he would find a job, and he was so excited to tell me "Everything they said came true, I got a job that covered my expenses and I was so much happier." As we talked Bobby started to enter the conversation by asking us what we believed. He was surprised that he agreed with everything I said, so he asked more questions, at one point he was working on his car and we laughed because I said I didn't know how to help him mechanically. And for all my brothers and Dad, you definitely know I couldn't do any good to help that car.. haha

Anyways. He said "I need Jesus to help me." So I offered to say a prayer, he agreed and I prayed that his mind might be enlightened to know how to fix the car. Afterwards I taught 1Nephi17 about the Lord directing Nephi to build a ship and promised that the Lord could help him fix his car. We gave them both a Book of Mormon and they gladly welcomed us back to teach them again. 30 minutes later, after our lesson we went to our car and Bobby saw us. And with a smile on his face he yelled "I fixed it! God answered your prayer! Thanks so much! I can't wait to read this Book and talk to you again!"

I promise that God will answer your prayers if you ask in Faith. I know He will because I am able to witness him answering my own prayers and the prayers of others. I love you all very much and wish you the best.

Love,
Sister Hamilton