Letter #42 (Byram, MS)

Hey Mom!
So first of all, congrats to my cousin Spencer, and brother Travis on receiving their mission calls! Both the D.R. and Argentina are so lucky to be getting you guys! And your going out within a day of each other! So cool! I can't believe that all of us have received our calls! Its crazy to think that within 6 months we will all be out! And these mission calls just added to the festivities of the week! We also had two baptisms on Monday, which went so amazing, and Sunday, their confirmations took place, which was just as equally amazing. And what is even more amazing is that we found two people who agreed to be baptized on the forth of May, and they are SO AWESOME. So things are really starting to roll here in Byram, Mississippi. Many people are coming out of the wood works. From investigators to less actives, to members catching fire. Part of the reason for this is Sister Gladys Knight. Yep, thee Gladys Knight. She, along with her Grammy winning choir is coming to Clinton Mississippi, which is about twenty miles up the road from here. Her, and her choir, will be putting on two firesides on May 16. They are completely free, and the whole focus of the fireside is to get non members and less actives into a dedicated building, and to feel the spirit that comes from being inside. And from what I have heard, Sister Knight is not shy when it comes to sharing the Gospel. She is very forward and very open about her conversion, and the Book of Mormon is mentioned more than just once in an evening. On thursday of last week, we as a zone went up to Clinton and met with Brother Johnson, who is on the board of directors for "Gladys Knight and the Saints Unified Voices." There he shared with us the expectations of the missionaries, as well as what we could expect from this event. He promised us that if we did our best in having non members come, we would see a change in our mission, and we would revitalize our wards. He shared an experience that happened when this fireside took place in the San Jose California mission. They had 900 referrals in just one day. We are hoping to have the same effect. It is anticipated that 1200 people will come to 1 fireside, and we have two of them. It is also expected that of the 2400 people who come, half will be investigators. It is then our job as missionaries to talk to them, and teach them the Gospel! But members are starting to invite friends and family members, and the missionary spirit is alive! Its a great time to be a missionary. I am so thankful for the amazing year of transformation that has just taken place, and I look forward to the coming year with just as much excitement.
~Elder Maddox