Sister Moss in Independence Missouri: Island of Misfit Toys

Hello to my most favorite people ever! This week was incredible as
always and was super crazy weather too! In the day, it gets up to
around 98 with like 500% humidity (not really, but it feels like it),
but every night this week has been crazy storms! I guess this is how
summers are here in the Midwest!

The visitors center has been so busy and it's been so much fun! I love
taking so many families through! I even was able to take quite a few
non members through this week! The visitors center is such a special
place and I love being able to stand in front of the Christus and
testify of Jesus Christ. My testimony strengthens every time I am able
to share my testimony.

We met with Atasha a couple of times and she is so awesome! She has
been reading and she loves everything she is learning! We need to work
on some word of wisdom stuff with her, but she seems truly sincere and
will be willing to live it! So we are praying for that miracle!

We also had an amazing break through lesson with Darlene!! We brought
Bishop Banks with us and it went so well! Darlene really opened up and
told us that she really is starting to accept everything and she even
said her faith in Jesus Christ has definitely increased ever since she
has met with us. And she told me and Sister Maxwell that we were the
sisters she needed and I was just overcome with love and I knew that I
for sure am where I'm supposed to be! Sister Maxwell had to break her
the sad news that she is going home for some health reasons and
Darlene was so sad..

Sister Maxwell has been such an angel and I am so grateful I have been
able to be companions with her! She exemplifies the character of
Christ by truly loving every single person she meets or comes in
contact with. Her sweet spirit is so uplifting and she always has a
smile on her face! I am so sad to be sending her home, but her faith
is rock solid and she knows that everything is going to get better.
The thing I love most about Sister Maxwell is her willingness to do
whatever the Lord wants her to do. She's truly amazing.

Weekly thought from Bishop Banks! We had dinner with him and his
family Sunday night and I learned so much from him, but I want to
share something that happened at church. I think I've mentioned before
that this ward is a very special place. The people here are unique and
different, but they truly have the Zion-like spirit that is needed
everywhere. The lady in our ward who conducts the music was holding
her grand baby and sitting down after the sacrament hymn and tripped
and fell in front of everyone, and the baby started crying and I can
only imagine the embarrassment she was experiencing. The whole
bishopric and the speakers flocked to her to help her up and after the
sacrament, Bishop got up and spoke about what we had just experienced.
He said "our ward is the Island of Misfit Toys..." (referring to the
Rudolph the Red-Rose Reindeer movie)...then, with tears in his eyes,
he said "but it was the Island of Misfit Toys who saved Christmas." He
went on to share how much love he has for this ward and you could just
feel that Christ was speaking through him. Bishop was able to share
how Jesus Christ truly feels about all these people here in the
Independence 2nd ward and it was an amazing experience to witness that
and to feel that love. I am so grateful to be in this ward and to be
learning so much among all my wonderful and loving misfit toys.

Have a good week! It's transfer week here, so if I stay (which I most
likely will), I will email y'all next Thursday! Love you!!!