Well, I'll tell you about this last week. It's been about the most perfect couple of weeks of my mission. I'm in the groove, I'm excited, we have people who want to learn, to teach, I feel like I've really figured out how to do everything, and I have the best companion in the world to do it with. Ah, man. I'm sad to leave sister Roylance! We laugh so much. BUT! My new companion is Sister Cloward! We were in the same MTC group and I love her so much.
Our last lesson with Lysander was great. He finally felt comfortable enough that all of his questions exploded out of his mouth, haha. It wasn't a bad thing, it was a great thing! He felt comfortable enough to ask all of them! He no longer has a baptism date, but he's progressing more than he ever has. Something incredible about him is that the spirit comes in like a magnet whenever we're in his lessons. Last week we were telling him about baptism and we told him that, yeah, our goal for him IS baptism because that's where he can make promises with God and recieve promises from him that he can't get anywhere else but that our ultimate goal is for him to come closer to God. He stopped us right there and said, "if that's your goal then I feel I should give you a half time certificate because I definitely feel closer to God. I don't know where the end destination on this road is yet, but I really, really like this road that I'm on." Haha, then after I bore my testimony of how much God loves him I turned to Sister Roylance so she could bear her testimony too, only to see tears running down her face. I looked back to Lysander as he said "I am also very overwhelmed with feeling God's love! I would very much like to give you all hugs right now!" Hahaha, He didn't, but it every lesson with him gets better. I'm excited for him to get back to Germany and get baptized, get sealed in the temple, become a bishop, and convert nations.
The Bellistons are still doing good. We weren't able to meet with the boys for the past two weeks because they've been sick, but we were able to talk to Jordan. Usually when we ask him how he feels when he reads the BofM he kind of shrugs and says he doesn't feel much. This last time when we were asking him about his reading, before we ask about how he felt, he quickly said, "when I'm reading the book I feel.... more holy. Like God's giving me a pat on the back for doing something that's right." And Cameron told about how she's been working to keep the 10 commandments by swearing less and trying really, really hard not to gossip (aka bear false witness), even when it means not talking all day because she's not yet sure what else to say! This week we're going to put them on date. :D
We have two part member families who we're going to start working with this week where the families are partially active but they have at least one child who hasn't been baptized. It's so exciting! Also, this week one of our rock star bishops started a member missionary class. The curriculum is something that Sister Anderson and I developed that's mainly from Preach My Gospel and other missionary books, but designed to help members work through concerns of missionary work and to give them the tools they need to share the gospel. Including role plays. :O The area is literally on fire. I'm going to miss them so much! Some of the members told us that the week before the area exploded they had started praying for investigators. Prayers are heard. Missionary work happens, but only when people are ready, on all sides. Not to mention I have amazing friends who pray for us to have investigators. Does life get better? Does it really?
We got a call from a member of our bishopbric last when and he asked us to share our testimonies about...basically whatever, but to get people pumped about missionary work. Our conversion, testimony of missionary work, whatever. As I listened to the other ward's sacrament meeting all the speakers were (and have been for weeks) talking about spiritual heritage, but this week one person actually spoke about our spiritual legacy. What spiritual legacy are you leaving for your kids, family, friends, and strangers? I thought about it and realized that if something's really important to you, you share it! Every LDS parent wants their kids to grow up knowing that the gospel is important, hoping that it will really sink in and they'll understand that it really is real! And applicable! Wouldn't it make sense then that if you want your kids to know this is important, even important to you (the parent), that you would share it? So what spiritual legacy is being left? The thing that just sits at the top of my mind(, and I shared this with them,) with it's hand stretched high (saying "pick me! Pick me!") is my time in dad's office. So many times I would sit at the front desk, trying so hard not to fall asleep, when dad would walk out of the office with someone in tears. Sometimes, it was a little old lady; sometimes, it was a big biker with tats and piercings, it didn't really matter. After they walked out I'd ask dad what happened. I don't remember exactly what he'd say, but I know it was something to the effect that that person had needed more than physical healing; they needed spiritual healing. That's something that's sunk deep into me. I know that my dad knows that there are more important things than fifteen minute appointments. More important things than seeing people come in and out of his door, but that he knows what is eternally important. And now I do to. (Mom, you do that too, but this is the story of the week.)
The Bellistons are still doing good. We weren't able to meet with the boys for the past two weeks because they've been sick, but we were able to talk to Jordan. Usually when we ask him how he feels when he reads the BofM he kind of shrugs and says he doesn't feel much. This last time when we were asking him about his reading, before we ask about how he felt, he quickly said, "when I'm reading the book I feel.... more holy. Like God's giving me a pat on the back for doing something that's right." And Cameron told about how she's been working to keep the 10 commandments by swearing less and trying really, really hard not to gossip (aka bear false witness), even when it means not talking all day because she's not yet sure what else to say! This week we're going to put them on date. :D
We have two part member families who we're going to start working with this week where the families are partially active but they have at least one child who hasn't been baptized. It's so exciting! Also, this week one of our rock star bishops started a member missionary class. The curriculum is something that Sister Anderson and I developed that's mainly from Preach My Gospel and other missionary books, but designed to help members work through concerns of missionary work and to give them the tools they need to share the gospel. Including role plays. :O The area is literally on fire. I'm going to miss them so much! Some of the members told us that the week before the area exploded they had started praying for investigators. Prayers are heard. Missionary work happens, but only when people are ready, on all sides. Not to mention I have amazing friends who pray for us to have investigators. Does life get better? Does it really?
We got a call from a member of our bishopbric last when and he asked us to share our testimonies about...basically whatever, but to get people pumped about missionary work. Our conversion, testimony of missionary work, whatever. As I listened to the other ward's sacrament meeting all the speakers were (and have been for weeks) talking about spiritual heritage, but this week one person actually spoke about our spiritual legacy. What spiritual legacy are you leaving for your kids, family, friends, and strangers? I thought about it and realized that if something's really important to you, you share it! Every LDS parent wants their kids to grow up knowing that the gospel is important, hoping that it will really sink in and they'll understand that it really is real! And applicable! Wouldn't it make sense then that if you want your kids to know this is important, even important to you (the parent), that you would share it? So what spiritual legacy is being left? The thing that just sits at the top of my mind(, and I shared this with them,) with it's hand stretched high (saying "pick me! Pick me!") is my time in dad's office. So many times I would sit at the front desk, trying so hard not to fall asleep, when dad would walk out of the office with someone in tears. Sometimes, it was a little old lady; sometimes, it was a big biker with tats and piercings, it didn't really matter. After they walked out I'd ask dad what happened. I don't remember exactly what he'd say, but I know it was something to the effect that that person had needed more than physical healing; they needed spiritual healing. That's something that's sunk deep into me. I know that my dad knows that there are more important things than fifteen minute appointments. More important things than seeing people come in and out of his door, but that he knows what is eternally important. And now I do to. (Mom, you do that too, but this is the story of the week.)
I love you!
Talk to you next week!
The pictures really are soooo pretty! All the sisters want you to shoot their weddings!
Have fun at the cabin!
Talk to you next week!
The pictures really are soooo pretty! All the sisters want you to shoot their weddings!
Have fun at the cabin!
Yeah, that's a quality email.
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| Is this her frog prince? ;) |
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| it looks like Sister Rylance is claiming him as her frog prince! |
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| Singapore Apartment? |
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| It looks like these two were on splits together? And they seemed to really have fun! |
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| Signs translated to English are usually pretty hilarious! |
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| Add caption |
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| They are so genuinely happy! |
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| Another "cuties in a cab" photo :D |
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