before I forget - Mom, I am out of pages in my missionary journal! I know I don't have too many days left, but I would really like all my journals to be uniform you know? So could you send me one? Also I am out of my daily prescriptions, if you have more to send. :] We read a good one today by Martin Luther about birds nesting in your hair, remember that one? Twas good.
Dad, you asked about what we would want members of the ward to know. Above ALL, I'd want them to know that the full time missionaries are there first and foremost to HELP the members do missionary work. Not to MAKE them do missionary work. We know that the members love the gospel and love the church and sincerely WANT to share the gospel. They just don't know quite who or how. And they don't want to be pushy (especially in Utah) and they don't want to be looked at as religious zealots. We understand all of this. We want to HELP them get to where they want to be as member missionaries, and where the Lord wants them to be. They can have positive missionary experiences. We are there to meet them where they are and help them progress to the point where they can share the gospel with everyone that they want to - everyone the Lord expects them to. We are there to TEACH and that includes members. We have the opportunity to have this calling and the special blessings that come with it. So we can help the members find natural ways to share the gospel. They don't have to teach the gospel, that is our privilege. Their privilege is to invite others to something or to do something where they can feel the spirit. We want the members to have confidence in the incredible message of the gospel. It CAN effect people. The missionaries want to help the members have positive missionary experiences. They want to help in ANY way. We are on the same team here. I would want them to imagine someone that they know fully embracing and enjoying the gospel. Imagine how happy that person could be and the changes that would inevitably take place with the gospel in their lives. Those things CAN happen, and the happiness the members would feel from sharing the gospel would be great. Sister Cochran always says "Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid!" That's true. When we are bold with the gospel, we INVITE the mighty forces of the spirit and angels to come to our aid. Obviously I have a LOT I want to say about this haha. But most of all, it is that the missionaries are there to HELP members have missionary experiences. President Monson said "Our missionary experiences have to be current. It is not enough to sit back and ponder former experiences. To be fulfilled, you have to continue to naturally and normally share the gospel". That is to every single Returned Missionary in the church. Their mission, as wonderful as it was, is not enough as far as the Prophet of God is concerned. The talk "Was it Worth It?" April 2012 conference by Elder David F. Evans. Dad you have first hand experience with this don't you? I'm sure you say it was worth it. And if will be worth it every time you share the gospel from here on out.
Well. Hola. We had a good week. Monday was zone pday in Vidor and we didn't really do much. But it was Sister Ericksons birthday! We had a great celebration and then Sister Jackson and I came back to Lake Chuck and Sister Tuigamala went to Woodville with Sister Erickson. We had a really good exchange. We went to a members house, the Kenneys, that night for dinner. They invited their neighbor over because she had some questions about the church. Sister Kenney was like "She's not interested in joining the church or anything, but she just has some questions." Well, the message of the gospel is compelling. We taught her about the restoration and by the end, she was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and find out of Jesus Christ's church has been restored to the earth. She accepted a soft commitment to be baptized when she finds out it is true. This is what I'm saying about how we as missionaries have the calling to teach. We will naturally explain the doctrine of the restoration in such a way that the people are blessed. You know, if the members are worried about their friends being shanghaid if the missionaries come over, invite the Elders to teach the first lesson to the members at a dinner appointment before hand. That is a brilliant idea. Then the members know what the elders would be teaching their friends and they would be more comfortable inviting their friends. They would also know where they could chime in at appropriate times. So. Mama Shirley is now our newest investigator.
Tuesday we had our day of exchange we just saw a bunch of less actives that day. And stopped by Gabriella because they weren't home for our appointment and we wanted to set up another appointment. It was getting colder (ahh! i love it so much!) and that night we drove to beaumont to meet the Woodville Sisters so that we could drive to Kingwood for Sisters Training. Seriously, the most comfortable beds on the planet are the guest beds at the mission home. Yall HAVE to come down to see the mission home with me at some point after I get home. It was a great day.
Wednesday was all day Sister Training. They talked about how the new missionaries are going to be much younger and how we (or they actually. i'm gonna be dead and gone) need to be leaders. We talked about finding and teaching and health and family history. It was very nice.I LOVE our mission. I seriously just LOVE it. I can't describe how much. Even when my district leader makes me want to go postal and stab everything, I still love our mission.
Thursday we did hour of power and found two new potentials and we also taught Stephen and Lynn. They are engaged, she is a member, he's not. And he's looking into it. It's pretty cool. We are teaching a WHOLE LOT. Yall, I love teaching. We are just going to need to work on our commitments because our people are not progressing very well. We are focusing on getting them to come to church. Becuase the Lord has commanded it and the spirit is always at church and you can recieve revelation through sacrament meeting. And the classes.
Friday was district meeting. And I was in the worst mood in the world. I felt so bad afterward. I was irritated with everything that breathes. But we biked that afternoon in the cold cloudy windy weather and It was so divine. We taught Gabriella with Sister Bruner and it was perfect. Except it was very loud, the Bruners have three little tiny girls. It was great though because they are neighbors, they both speak spanish and vuala! I love it.
Saturday we biked all morning. It was awesome until we were biking home. Against the wind. for 4 miles. in skirts. On the main road. With no bike lane. Yikes man. It was fun. That is how we do as sister missionaries, I guess. Then Saturday afternoon we went to our ward's Fall Festival. It was very fun. I'm sad that people only "Trunk or Treat" now a days though. I always LOVED trick or treating. I wish it was safer.
Yesterday we had church. Me and sister T sang in church. We sang "He Knew" by Jesse Clark. It is such an amazing song and I have such a special place for it in my heart and in my testimony. I know that Christ knew everything about me and still wanted to save me. He knew everything I'd do and everything I wouldn't do and He still loved me enough to Atone for my sins. Yall need to hear that song. It's great. We also had our first meeting with our new ward mission leader. Brother Clifford. He is SO good as a ward mission leader. It's cool. I will keep yall updated on how the work progresses cause it's gonna be great.
Then today. Today is going to be a great day. I'm trying to give constructive criticism to someone without decaptiating them. I'm a little irritated at some Elders. But I'm trying to remember that we're all imperfect and I am definitely imperfect. Tonight we're going to see a couple potentials.
So. Family. Next week it will be my LAST TRANSFER!! AHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT?! When did that happen? I'm trying to focus on not focusing on it, or when I do I try to think about the good things about coming home (seeing YALL, the missionary work I can do at home, not wearing a skirt every day of my life..) so that I don't get too sad. Did I already tell yall that the last story in the October Engsign was written for me? It's called "Good Things Keep on Coming". So true. That's what faith is about. Sister and President Crawford have their family creed up in the mission home and one part of it says "We embrace change to expand experiences and enrich us"... somethign like that. It is much more profound than that. But I like that. I want to embrace change all my life as a way to expand my character and help others.
Thanks yall for your letters and your prayers. James, I got your letters and I loved them!! You are the best. Mom, I got your letter too. I'm writing lots of letters today. Also, my old job said I could come work for them on the 2-5 shift. Yucko. I don't know. I think I'll tell them that I want it. I just REALLY don't want to work there for the rest of my life. That is all.
Love yall Have a GREAT WEEK!!! The gospel is so great. I'm so happy. So so so so happy. It is such a blessing to serve the Lord. I am not perfect at it, but I really am trying. And that is good. There is another song that I love that says "He accepts what I can bring and sanctifies my offering." That is what the Lord does. He accepts whatever we can bring (but we do have to bring what we can) and then He sactifies it. Makes it more. Makes water into wine. Makes enough out of what we can do. Sanctifies our offerings.
LOVE YALLL!!!!!! Have a great week! Write me! Be good! Be happy!!!