I read that in my scripture study this morning... Had to use it. YUPP.
Okay, so I had an outline of what I wanted to say but then I left it home, so you will just get my mumbled thoughts and all that jazz.
It was a rollercoaster of a week. Seriously. Like really low lows (lower than usual- lawlz) and really high highs. Luckily, I am here to tell you that yesterday was such an incredible day. It was full of miracles and it make Sister Z and I both so, so happy!
We had ward conference yesterday! I can assure you I never necessarily looked forward to ward conference back home, but after I went to a ward conference for the Raleigh ward I used to serve in, it was something I looked forward to for our Knightdale ward so, so much! :)
And it really came through for us! It was incredible. We tried to get as many investigators and less active members at church as possible. So many people came! Both people we were working with and the Elders were working with. It was amazing.
We start off at ward council where our amazing stake president really impressed upon the ward council that we need to be exhausted by the end of the day because we have taught so many lessons. He made his joke about "deferred compensation" and that we have to wait until the next life to get it. haha :) He is a man called of God. And he is soooo inspired and inspiring. I love and respect him and his counselors so much.
Anyway, then we went to the sacrament meeting and a less active we are working with named Sis P. told her home teacher who drives her weekly to church that she is trying to go to the temple. She is so excited! We are striving to help her be prepared. :) President H of the stake gave a wonderful talk about nourishing our testimony. He made some points that I hadn't as frequently heard before. He urged the members not to "rally up a cause" when they are struggling with a certain aspect of the gospel or of their testimony. And to not make all your private concerns made known to the public. He said was a sure road to apostasy. BOLD STATEMENT. I loved it though. He advised the ward to council with people they trust, such as their bishop, and not to make a big scene about it. WOW. Interesting. It was incredible.
OKAY. Continuing on (yes I know I'm talking a lot about it... IT WAS AMAZING!!!!) The stake presidency taught our gospel principles class. That is just inspiring to me. They care so much about hastening the work that they are willing to come in with us and share a little bit about themselves with us and with the class. Then they had the investigators introduce themselves and tell a little background about why they are investigating the church. The Elders' investigator. WC, was there and his bio was sooo good. He was living with a less active woman and that's how he was first introduced to the gospel. Anyway, long story short... they broke up their 7 year relationship and she moved away and he still wants to be baptized. It is so exciting!!! The Elders we serve with right now are so great. We work really well together. So we get super excited about when their investigators are progressing as well! (Side note: a recent convert that they taught who got baptized last month bore his testimony in stake conference and it was sooooo amazing. He is such a strong new member of the church. His story is inspiring. Both of his teenage cousins are members of the ward and kept inviting him for 4 years to different church activities and different things. Then finally he met with the missionaries and while later he was baptized. The Spirit was so strong when he bore his testimony. <3 Then after he did, the stake president said, "Knightdale is a better ward, and Raleigh is a better stake because of you." It was amazing!!! Honestly, people have referenced him from the pulpit everySunday since he got baptized because he is just that amazing. One of the quotes he said that I remembered was when he was talking about how all in a week's time, he was baptized, confirmed, and ordained to the office of a priest, by his cousins and his uncle. He said, "I hope they felt the Spirit as much as I did." It was just an inspiring meeting.)
Our investigator, R, came to church (FOR THE FIRST TIME) and it was perfect. Honestly, when we didn't see her, we were sad... but we were like maybe the sustainings would have been a little too much for her. She came up to us after the meeting and let us know that she had gotten there, she was just late... 45 minutes late! hahaha. Perfect timing. She stayed for gospel principles and got to tell the stake presidency about how she lives in between us and the Elders and how we've been teaching her. And about how she read part of the Book of Mormon in 8 or 9 grade at her grandparents house. And that her family was shocked when they joined late in their lives before they died (PEOPLE ARE BEING PREPARED!!!). It was amazing. Sis P was there too and it was just so wonderful. Also, then they opened it up for questions and R got to ask her questions. Guess what they were... 1) What exactly is the Book of Mormon? 2) How can we know it's true? 3) Why do we need modern prophets like Joseph Smith? hahahhaha I loved it so much. I think she got a lot more guidance from those inspiring leaders. We set up a member home with the stake presidency member who is in our ward so hopefully everything will pan out with that. It was just sooooo amazing.
Then- 3rd hour. Something that really stuck out to me was what was said about wearing the gospel of Jesus Christ on our face. Being happy! We have the knowledge of the plan of salvation! The great plan of happiness! He encouraged us all to be a littler happier everyday, despite the burdens that weigh us down. He is an excellent example of that. He is soooo cheerful and so happy and it is truly inspiring. He (the stake presidency member) talked about how we need to not be so reactive and to think more about what we say, especially when talking with teenage children so we don't push them away. He said he's reactive on occasion. "I bet our family home evenings are nothing like y'all-ies (also, i didn't know that was a word). They are always wanting to tweet me." hahahahha I just loved it soooo much because I love(d?) twitter and I just love teenage twitter jokes. :)))))
It was just an inspiring Sunday! And a member family brought their friends to church and then had to cancel our lunch to have lunch at their place (no problem) and they gave us this huge cooler full of food haha. So we weren't that bummed. haha.
We have an excellent ward. But I'm really nervous for this next month because so many people are going to be out of town. Also, we had to invite ourselves somewhere for 4th of July.... hahahhaha not that we don't usually invite ourselves over (and into strangers' houses nonetheless)... but that's my plug for looking at the missionaries calendar (or texting them because it's probably too late) to see if they have plans for the holidays. Sometimes holidays are hard as a missionary. Usually they end up amazing though, so no worries. We will be having bbq ribs and hot dogs! :)))
Also, my attached photo is a lil American flag that Sis Z bought at Dollar General (also, why is it called that if everything is not a dollar?/??!?!?!?!/). Gotta love TEAM USA! :))))
Okay. The End. I don't want to write anymore! :)
(But wait! There's more!) Additionally...
1) I got my watch back! Yay! Long story... but Kaity got me a watch for my birthday and it was broken and too big. Then I moved areas and found out a member worked a Fossil watch company, they took it there, it was covered under not functional (vs. me breaking it) and got it fixed and two links taken out (which is amazing because my two other watches broke and i hear fossil watches you can only go to that store to get it fixed!!!) And now it works and it fits perfectly and i'm so happy.
2) Sis O, my sister leader, told me a story about she had a dream about me. Never a good sign. So here was the dream... Our whole mission had to leave the boundaries for a mission conference. And for some reason we were all sleeping in a warehouse type place. In the same room as the ELDERS!!! And President said it was okay and approved of it and everything but not me! YUPP. In her dream I was like super anxious about being exactly obedient and I really was not okay with it. hahaha everyone laughed about it because I guess I have that reputation? hahahaha. I don't mind that. Sooo funny though.
 |
| Sister Kriz on exchange |
No comments:
Post a Comment