Sister Emma Petty Charleston West Virginia

  Hi guys :) this week was so good, I can't even put it into words. But I'm gonna try! The McCoy family (from Martinsville) got baptized this weekend- YAYYY!! I'm so happy for them! They shared their testimonies at the end and they were GLOWING! I'm grateful I got to be a part of their story and see the Lord's hand at work ♡ Another huge miracle was that the Vernon family we found last week came to church!! It was EPIC. They loved it and the ward loved them and it was just so exciting. We're so pumped for them to progress! While those things are AMAZING, the biggest miracle of the week was when I realized where my happiness comes from- JESUS! Sometimes I get so focused on being happy for other people that I forget why I'm even happy in the first place! This week I learned that happiness comes because of Jesus Christ and nothing else :) He is the whole reason we are happy, nothing else!! I felt that as we got to work this week- knocking on doors and finding n...

  This week I learned that God does not expect perfection, which is good because I'm far from it!! ESPECIALLY this week.  It's been rough. On Monday I tested positive for covid and we spent half the week in quarantine, big bummer. During that time I thought it would be a good idea to put mattresses on the stairs and slide down (like princess diaries) which resulted in one of my companions getting whiplash and the other having back problems... and on top of it all I left my clothes in the dryer for 4 hours and now have a closet full of mini skirts and crop tops. Rip my wardrobe. So when I look back at this week I'm tempted to say that I screwed it all up... but then I realize the miracles and I see that God was able to do His work, even through all those mistakes. I didn't get in His way :) Despite our time locked in the apartment- we saw some HUGE miracles! My cute companion Sister Meik is here waiting on her visa to Jamaica. She's been praying to know that she is w...

  Hey heyyyy everybody!  Guess what yall... I am no longer in Martinsville :( it was a big sad day, but it's all good because now I'm loving my new area and my new companions!! They are the CUTEST! I'm in Cave Spring Virginia and it's been a bit of an adjustment but definitely a party :) When I first found out I was being transferred I was a quite upset to be honest... President called and told us the news and I was NOT having it. I may or may not have told him to pray again... but he was so nice about it! He kindly told me I was wrong and that it was the Lord's will for me to go to a new area with some new companions, but it was still hard to swallow. Shortly after that conversation I read Jacob 4:10 in the Book of Mormon which says  "seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseled in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works."   Sometimes I feel like I know what's ...

  Good MORNING wonderful people! I'm sending this out bright and early today because we're about to go help our members demolish a house- woop woop! Buttt it's been a fantastic week :) we learned so much and had so many spirit filled lessons- I can't even tell you how much I love this work. I love Jesus Christ and I LOVE telling others about Him!! It's the most wonderful thing in the world. But you know the hard part for me?? Thinking about goodbyes. I hate them. It's the WORST part of a mission- growing to love so many people and then leaving them! I'm not very good at it.  We have transfers coming up this week and I've been a little nervous thinking I might leave Martinsville this week, I might leave my amazing companion, my ward, my friends here. I might have to say goodbye to all these things I love!! But then it hit me- I never have to say goodbye to the gospel. The whole reason I've been able to love it here so much is because of the work I...

  Heyyy everybody!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Agh, I hope it's just the scariest spookiest week for yall in all the best ways, hahaha But let me tell you- we saw SO many miracles this week :) it was amazing! There are so many people here in Martinsville that are coming closer to Jesus Christ- it makes my heart so happy! The work here is going SO well, but I've been having a couple health issues lately that have put some obstacles in our path (nothing too serious- you don't need to worry!) But it's really made me think lately and I wanted to share some of the things I'm learning! Right now I'm learning how to find healing through the Savior's Atonement. While I was struggling this week I discovered that focusing on others actually heals me!! Teaching and serving people helps me feel so much peace, even in the middle of this little trial!  In "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" (Hymn #29, verse 5) it talks of a man who is wounded but takes the time to help anothe...