12/1/14
Howdy!
Like every single week, the pictures never fail to make me
so happy. That's so cool Elder Taylor/Not Elder Taylor anymore visited!! He was
really the first Elder with Elder Hensley to start the mission prep classes?
That's so fun! Thanksgiving was awesome here too. Pecan pie, deep fried turkey,
and all kinds of yummy sides. With the one family that was a daughter just like
Audrey it almost scared me. Her name is M. She comes in the house, gym shorts,
cowboy boots, very muddy knees, and I thought of Audrey. We ate at the kid
table and this wasp lands on one of the kids plates. M whips out her pocket
knife and chases down the wasp to stab it. Laster we were talking with her dad,
Brother K, (who's pretty amazing) and she's killed a few deer this past year.
In Texas you need 10 acres of land to shoot and they have 9. M was begging him
the other day to shoot this deer on their propterty and he said "no, I’ll
go to jail!" And she responded just how Audrey would and has.
"So?" Hahaha It was so much fun. Then we went to the H’s. Sister B
and I were bursting with how much we ate. I actually had to undo the side top
button on my skirt I was so full!! Hahaha I should have worn a stretchy skirt!
It's so fun to hear all the fun things going on and see how
big everyone is getting. It's fun to see pictures of missionaries too! The best
Christmas gift would be to have a family be taught and baptized in our ward:)
But there's a nice Goodwill here that I can buy some clothes at. That's really
all I need. But it's not even an urgent thing either. The weather has been
perfect then today it's pretty cold and windy. Sister B says hello! I cannot
believe it's almost Christmas. Yall NEED to watch the "He is the Gift" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjFEMmM0Xs
video and share it with everyone. That's all we are using in our
missionary efforts and contacting
What was really amazing this week was when we were tracting
in an apartment complex and we knocked into this couple from Puerto Rico. The
husband let us right in and we met his sweet wife. She only spoke Spanish. We
taught the Restoration and we were all feeling the Spirit immensely. He
translated every part of the lesson to her. He said things like "I know you
didn't knock on my door for no reason. God sent you. I feel God here." I
just love them. We had a pass off lesson with the Spanish called missionaries
and they had a great lesson. They will be baptized! It's so exciting to be led
by the Lord. Another young lady in a different complex was walking up the
stairs so I told her who we were and she was like, "wait... mormon
missionaries? I was taught by missionaries in Georgia!" She moved a few
months ago and hadn't been in contact with anyone about the church. That was
amazing. This week has been full of miracles. I LOVE TEXAS. This is such an
amazing, faith based, spirit led, family focused, and joyful mission. Thank you
for everything, including yall being my prime gospel teachers. I love you so so
much.
Much Love,
Sister Malary Greenwood
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| second Thanksgiving dinner! (how do her skirts still fit?) |
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| Martinellis and a boot! How cute! |
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| Sister missionaries, preparing to chow down! |
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| This is a very Thankful girl on Thanksgiving |
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| This was their first Thanksgiving dinner! |
Dec 8
Family,
I'm so excited for Skype! We have no idea our plans for
Christmas or how it will work yet but when it gets closer I'll let you know.
Sister B is the most amazing companion. I love her and cannot wait till yall
can meet her. She's going to be a sister in our family now. Glad that sweet
grandma called you! Her husband was a mission president and she had four
missionaries serve. She thought you'd like a call. That was nice of her. Glad
Daddy is recovering speedily. I'm sure daddy wants to be out working asap. I'm
grateful I inherited that work ethic gene (or rather you beat it into me). Haha
I love just being out and working. Even at the end of the days the numbers
don't show it or if your pessimistic you could miss all the miracles God
unfolded right in front of you. I loved the pictures. Thank you for including a
picture of Benny. So I read what you said about Brian and the chopsticks to our
bench of emailing missionaries in the family history library. Cracked every one
up. Facebook worthy I'm sure. Thank you for your fasting and prayers. Every ounce
of faith blesses us. The Lord hears and lets Sister Burrows and I hear it too.
The spiritual experiences have been like treasure to me more than anything
else. People ask me why I'm serving or what made me decide to serve. I always
knew I would. But one reason I share with people is because I want all my
siblings to serve and experience the things God has to shape them to their
divine potential.
I can't believe Elder W is going home! I'm so grateful he served
as my zone leader in SA. Missionaries were always trying to get the scoop on
him haha But every single missionary looked up to him and his powerful
testimony. I'm excited to hear where Robby goes. If he prays really hard and
repents a lot, he might be worthy enough to be a TSAMer. Haha Wow, that was a
bust of pride... But the TSAM is the best thing ever. I love President S and
his wife.
There's one amazing experience I wanted to share that
happened with a member in our ward. Sister R is a convert of a few years.
Elders knocked on her door one day and as she says, "I was ready!"
She was an elementary school teacher but her health declined and now she's
retired and wheelchair bound. The Stake here has a Christmas concert they put
on every year for the community. It's big. Everything is bigger in Texas.
Sister R wanted to invite her apartment building to the program. We planned it
all out. She wanted to climb the stairs, knock on their doors, and invite them.
She did exactly that. I stood behind her going up the stairs. One at a time.
She was exhausted. I carried her wheelchair up so she could rest and invite
people. She testified at all her neighbors' doors. They were all touched by her
commitment and love for her Savior. The way back down was harder. She had to
sit on each step and pull herself with her arms while I guided her weak legs
and Sister B braced her from behind. She is my hero. If she did that, what in
the world could stop us from making a simple invite to a friend or stranger?
The love of our Savior motives and changes us. I'm so grateful to be in a ward
with such faithful members. We all need to be more like Sister R.
I love y'all so much.
Sister Greenwood
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| Longhorn instead of reindeer |
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| Cabela's where they meet in the parking lot to go on exchanges! |
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| Mal's tree. It is just one step up from Charlie Brown, but the message of what is important at Christmas is not forgotten. |
Dec15
Hola familia,
Not sure on the skype thing. A family did volunteer to have
us over and use their computers. But hopefully it will all be figured out by
next monday. I loved the pictures. The boys are hilarious. Yay for last week of
classes! The kids here are excited for Christmas break. Our Christmas party was
last Friday and it was so cute. The last event was the nativity. The kids ran
off and on the stage for their parts as Brother I narrated. I was watching them
and I just felt how much I love this ward. They are amazing. A little girl
named A sat in front of us at church. That family is from Utah and never had
much interaction with the missionaries. "Sister Missionaries!!" She
always calls to us. She stared at us like all of sacrament meetings. She draws
us pictures all the time. There's nothing that melts your heart quite like
little kids running to press their faces to the window at the door and yell
"The sister missionaries are here!" I might have wrote that to you
already but it's just so cute.
We've been teaching with the video "He is the
Gift." We've shared it with people out walking their dog and they pull it
up on their smart phones. Or on their doorstep. Or even let us into their home.
A non practicing Muslim family from Turkey love it and the Book of Mormon. Wow.
The Spirit pieces peoples' hearts. I've seen so many miracles. I can't do anything.
Everything is the Lord's will. I love the TSAM. We are having an ALL mission
conference this wednesday and I'm
Sister Burrows and I got to go to the temple this past week
for the first time on our missions. It was incredible. Everyone that can go to
the temple. GO. People who cannot. Go look at the Christmas lights and think of
the Savior and how He can help you enter in those beautiful doors.
Love ya lots,
Sister Malary Greenwood
xoxoxox
Pictures: San Antonio Temple
Dec 22
I can't figure out how Christmas is already here... It's
been a year since I went through the temple. There's been a lot of reflection
going through my head and I'm so grateful for all that has happened. We had a
young woman come out with us who puts her papers in next October. She said that
she cannot wait and just wants to leave. I remember that exactly feeling and
here I am 9 months in to this amazing mission. Mission time is weird... Thank
you for the pictures. I can't get over how big everyone is. Christmas sounds
like it's going to be a party at the Greenwood house! Whoop whoop! So we will
be skyping at the F's home. We gave them your cell number to coordinate. There
are such a sweet family. We plan on Skyping at 2pm Texas time We have a time
limit of 40 minutes. I'm so excited!!!
We had our mission wide Christmas conference last Wednesday.
IT WAS AMAZING. I wish Sister Bu would have sang in the talent show. I got to
see people from my MTC district. It was a little sad because all of my past
companions are home so there was no reuniting. But I saw Elder and Sister C
from my time on the air force base! I'll have to tell you about it. Love all
yall so much and can't wait to see yall!!
Sister Greenwood
Pictures: "Marianachi-naries" sang at the talent
show. Hilarious.
A cartoon from Sister G who served in the Washington DC
mission in 1999. She showed this to us and boy is it accurate.
Sister B and I so happy. That is a scarf grandma hampton
just sent me!
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| She says the Texas star is everywhere! |
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| "Marianachi-naries" sang at the talent show. Hilarious. |
Dec 29
I LOVED the pictures! Yall look great. Sister B recognized
the place where yall were. It looks super cold. Grandma Hampton sent me some
great pictures too. Christmas was so much fun. But it just came and went! You
really have to enjoy every second and find joy in little things because it
flies by. Sister B and I loved skyping. I can't wait for you to meet her
family. When people ask us about skyping I tell them about the hillbilly teeth.
They crack up! That was fun. I loved seeing yall and laughing so much. Sister B
thinks yall are hilarious and that Brian is super cute. I really had an amazing
Christmas with my Hill Country Ward family. The work is moving ward and we keep
teaching people! I love teaching. I love feeling the Spirit direct us,
especially in studies, on what people need. Just this morning we were
personally studying and I was thinking of our lessons tonight and then in companionship
study, Sister B thought of the same topic that I did for a lady we are teaching
tonight. COMP UNITY! I love this mission and I love President S. I love yall
and hope you have a happy happy New Year!
Love,
Sister Malary Greenwood
Thanks for reading about Malary's mission experience. I know she appreciates all your prayers and well wishes. She is incredibly happy and grateful that she can serve a mission. Write, email, and send pictures. She loves to hear from you!
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