Macon, Georgia: Greetings from the heart of Georgia!!

Tara's new address
136 9th Street Apt. B
Cochran, GA 31014

Hey ya'll!

So I have been transferred to a tiny town in the middle of Georgia! It’s the true south now! "Welcome to Zion" is what the Bishop said to me when I first met him. :) Cochran Georgia is my new area and my new companion is Sister Abad from the Philippines! She is so sweet and her English is very good... but her hearing is not! lol. This leads to interesting predicaments when we are at doorsteps or in lessons. Mostly she asks the peeps the same question they just answered in a different way because she thinks they brought it up themselves. kind of makes it look like she isn't listening. lol :) She is funny and she is teaching me Tagalog! Astig/awesome! :)

Last week was super busy and kind of long! We share Cochran with the Elders (Zone Leaders) but we each get another town that is in the ward boundaries. We (The astig/awesome sisters) are in charge of the town of Eastman. Thank goodness it’s bigger than Cochran! Majority of our teaching pool is in Eastman. Wednesday was crazy! Right before we go into an appointment it starts down pouring! The rain is coming down sideways because of the wind and we are caught in it! lol! So we are soaking wet as we enter our appointment. :) We only stay for about 30 minutes and get the feeling we need to leave and head back to Cochran. We do, not thinking too much of it cause we were only heading back 30ish minutes before we had planned to. But the next day when we were visiting the same peeps we saw that something happened to their apartment. It looked like half of the roof had caved in! They tell us that a tornado had hit them! 20 to 30 minutes right after we had left them!!! Holy cats! (Sister Abad's words.) (I seriously think tornados are following me! lol) No one was badly hurt and their apartment only had water damage. Two of the girls, Keikei 19 and Taraiya 13 were baptized the Saturday before transfers! We are now working with their mom and brother.

Saturday when we were at lunch at Dairy Queen a guy asked us to join his family so we could talk religion... and plus he thought we were Jehovah Witness. (we get that a lot...) But it turned out good. Ken and his 3 children are VERY Baptist but they respect us and what we are doing. :) Ken seriously is concerned for our souls though. Our conversation was almost Bible bashing, but there was love so the spirit was with us. :) He brought us many questions and beliefs and anti-things but it was a neat experience to follow the spirit and know what to say or what not to say. :) We ended on a good note and parted with giving him a Restoration pamphlet. A few hours later he text us and asked if we could get together again and discuss religion views. We agreed and then he told us that he would be paying for our next lunch. Very sweet man and the Southern hospitality is still living down here. :) We don’t think he is ready to listen to the lessons, but we do feel like one step at a time and this will help soften his heart. :)

The sisters before me were teaching Britney and her daughter Ebreanna (8) which now has lead to teaching the whole family! Britney wasn't ready to set a date when I first met her Tuesday, but Saturday she had been praying about it and told us for sure she wants to be Baptized June 14th!!! Benie (Ebreanna) wants to be baptized too! Glen, the husband isn't ready yet but his heart is softening! I love this family! They are so cool and they really keep their commitments! Saturday night we were teaching the girls about tithing and fasting. Britney got excited to do them! The best part is when Glen came in close to the end and asked us to explain it to him! When he heard no food and water for 2 consecutive meals his eyes bulged! lol and then Britney came out and told him they were going to do it the next fast Sunday! He looked at her and after learning more about it, mostly from Britney he agreed to do it with her! :) It was a very sweet moment! :)

I didn't think transfers would be that hard, but coming to a new area and leaving Beaufort was really hard! I truly miss it, but I am so glad to know that no matter where I go there are members of the church and the Gospel is true! I have fallen in love with many people here already and it truly is a tender mercy. I am so grateful for an all knowing God who is very aware of me and my needs. I am so glad to be a missionary and serving him with all my might, mind, heart and soul.

I love you all very much! keep up the hard work! Mahal kita!

~ Sister Tara Willie