This is the third part to my conversion story! If you missed part 1 go here and if you missed the second part go here :) Thanks dude!
After a few weeks of prodding (on Elder Albright's part) and lame excuses about 'plans on a Sunday' (on my part), I finally mustered up the courage to go to Church. If we're being honest, one of the only reasons I got up and went was because I didn't want to have to tell Elder Albright that I missed Church.
Saturday night before I got ready for bed, I called my mom. I had prayed about it and thought about it and wanted to tell her about going to Church. I adore my mom and want nothing more than to make her proud. I have no idea why I was so nervous about telling her but it took me about 10 minutes of staring at my phone's screen for me to actually call her. At first, she was hesitant. She didn't know much about the Church besides what she had heard in the media. I explained that there was not a lot of truth to how the Church was portrayed and that it was really a great and amazing place to be. She had been pushing me to get back to church, any church, for a while now so I think in the end, she was happy that I had finally started the process of finding my own faith. She wished me luck and told me to call her after Church. So now, I had two people counting on a full report on how Church was. I couldn't NOT go again!
I got up that morning and drove the 10-ish miles to the chapel. I was a nervous wreck. My heart was racing and I was so overwhelmed. When I got there, I actually pulled into the parking lot adjacent to the chapel so I could get some composure and calm down. I sat in the car asking for the strength to walk into that Church even though I was terrified. My social anxiety was rearing it's ugly head. Again.
Then, I felt this sense of calm. I suddenly knew I could do it. I listened to that little nudge, turned my car on and drove into the right parking lot this time. Getting out of the car and having to endure the 'who's the new girl' stares (I'm sure the stares were all in my mind. I'm certain none of the members were looking at me negatively.) I was awkwardly walking around, hoping I appeared to fit in. I really hate it when all of the attention is on me and I had a feeling that the attention would actually be on me when I didn't want it.
I (awkwardly again) wandered into the chapel when I (literally) ran into a missionary. Elder Riley was possible the nicest person I had ever met. You could tell he had a strong testimony and a pure spirit right off the bat. He is (was, he's home now) an amazing missionary. I introduced myself and gave a quick recap of how I came to be standing there that day. Elder Riley introduced me to a man (we'll call him Brother R) that taught the investigator classes. Brother R agreed to let me sit with him and his family during sacrament and started asking me questions. I was a little overwhelmed at that moment, but I tried to calm myself down and listen to his questions and answers. Brother R was a really nice man.
He asked if I would stay for the other 2 hours and I agreed. The entire time I was in Sacrament, I was so in awe. I didn't know what it was then, but looking back I know I felt the Spirit that day. So strongly. Like it was telling me that I had finally found the right place. The rest of Church was great too. I felt a little awkward some of the time but that was my own fault for being so gosh darn shy. Oh well, they loved me any ways! To this day, Brother R jokes about how I just showed up one day and never left! :)
Elder Riley caught me after Relief Society and asked if there was a time they could come over and meet with me. I agreed, of course, and we set up a time for later in the week. I left Church leaving excited and hopeful and all these positive emotions that I had never had before in Church.
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