Season 2, Episode 1: The One Where I'm in BIG SKY COUNTRY

 

 

Where am I? I drive a truck. I had deer game for dinner. I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Make America Cowboy Again." Yep, you guessed it! I MADE IT TO MONTANA! 

I have been placed in Belgrade, Montana which is a 15 minute drive from Bozeman. I'm in a trio with Sister Snyder and Sister Lemmon. Sister Snyder is my trainer and she'll be training me for 12 weeks! There is lots of work to be done here! We are teaching 22 people at the moment. We are hoping to have three baptisms by the end of the month. 

To get to our areas, our mission is so big that we have to take a charter bus that takes us from Billings to Bozeman to Helena and back! 

Leaving Sister Zellhuber on the charter bus was one of the hardest things I've had to do since being here. I sobbed the first day away from her. In only three weeks, she has became my best friend. She will be serving in Hamilton, Montana. I probably won't see her until June or later. But I know she is gonna kill it in her area!

My MTC District parted ways on Monday. I really grew to love everyone in my District and I wish so bad they could've all gone to Montana with me. There's a boat statue that we past everyday to class. One day I said "do you ever just want to get in the boat?" So as a last hurrah, we all got in and took a picture! It was the most thrilling and exciting thing I have ever done as a missionary this far! I miss my District! 

I left for Montana with 7 other missionaries. We had to take a train from Provo to SLC. On our train ride, a man came up to us and asked if we'd be willing to teach a lesson right that moment to a man he just met who's interested in learning more about the gospel. The Elders in our travel group shared a message with him and we were able to give him a Book of Mormon. We plan to refer him to the local missionaries in the area! 

On my plane ride, I had another cool experience! I was able to sit by a woman who was flying home to Montana. She shared her life story with me. Her husband has been paralyzed for two years and she travels back and forth from SLC to Montana to see her husband and take care of their family farm. This experience has brought her a lot of pain as I feel it would bring me if I was in her shoes. I was able to share with her the scripture Doctrine & Covenants 121 which says: 

1 O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

4 O Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven, earth, and seas, and of all things that in them are, and who controllest and subjectest the devil, and the dark and benighted dominion of Sheol—stretch forth thy hand; let thine eye pierce; let thy pavilion be taken up; let thy hiding place no longer be covered; let thine ear be inclined; let thine heart be softened, and thy bowels moved with compassion toward us.

7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

This has always been one of my favorites. It has not been an easy transition from MTC to Montana. Sometimes I ask myself God have you forgotten me? I'm struggle over here. Can't you see? But God can see. In fact, He never leaves our side. The pains and hardships we have are for our benefit. And if we rely on God, He will gives us peace in hard moments. It has been hard but I know with time I become the missionary that I desire to be.

Love, 

Sister Deeds

 

Pictures:

1.Sister Zell & I at the Montana temple

2. BIG Sky

3. My trainer

4. The truck & Sister Lemmon

5. WE GOT IN THE BOAT (MTC)

6. The wall in my apartment