Well
this week started off amazingly! Going to the temple was just what I needed. I
have missed the temple a lot and it felt so refreshing to be able to sit in the
temple and enjoy the incredible spirit and perspective that it brings. There is
nothing better.
After
reading David and Mom's emails I was feeling a bit sad that I wasn't going to
be there for when David went through the temple for the first time. David and I
are really close and I would have loved to be there to talk with him in the
celestial room just like all of you did for me. As I was waiting for the
session to start in the temple I realized I was going to the temple only a few
hours after David would have been. I, of course, started crying. I felt so blessed.
God really does care about me. He knew that it would be kind of hard for me to
not be there with Dave so He gave me the next best thing, being able to go to
the temple with my zone. I thought about you the whole time Dave. I was praying
that you had a good experience and that even though I wouldn't be there that
you would feel of my love and support.
Another
tender mercy in the temple is that I got to sit by Sister Lindsay. I am used to
going to the temple with you mom and I was thinking about all the good
conversations we had in the temple and it was a comfort to have my mission mom
there with me. She and President came around to each of us in the celestial
room and she gave us a hug. As she gave me a hug I felt overwhelming gratitude
for her and for you mom. It's not that I was missing you all, don't worry.:) I
was just thinking about the incredible blessing of eternal families and the
blessings of going to the temple with people you love. I hope you all had an
incredible experience with Dave in the temple. I can't wait to read about it.
Another
amazing thing this week was being able to be at mission leadership council
again. Man, I love meetings; especially
meetings with President Lindsay in the mission home. It's so inspiring to hear
him speak. He speaks by the Spirit and he always says exactly what I need to
hear for me, my investigators, or the Sisters I serve as sister training
leader. It seems that every time I've exhausted all my resources for seeking
the answers to my prayers we have a meeting on exactly what I need to do. The
Lord and His timing never cease to amaze me. He is in the details of all of our
lives.
One of
the things I loved that He said was that God has always created things first
spiritually and THEN physically. There is always a plan first. That's what we
do as missionaries too. We plan and then we carry out those plans and make them
a reality. We would never succeed if we didn't plan first.
Also,
we got to watch the worldwide leadership fireside for the last two hours of
church yesterday. OH MY GOODNIGHT. I was crying through the whole thing; so
many emotions up in “hur”. Wow. First of all, thinking about how Daver will
soon be in the MTC like all those missionaries there. So awesome. Man I can't
wait for him to be out in the field. There is power knowing that people you
love are serving too.
But,
that whole fireside was incredible. It put missionary work into a whole new
light. President Lindsay is all about us having a vision of what we want to
become as missionaries and as a mission and I feel like the leadership training
was a perfect vision of what God wants missionary work to be now. I cannot even
imagine how missionary work will change. It's going to be huge. God is
hastening His work.
One of
the things I took away from it the most strongly is how much members should be
involved. Hearing that the missionaries in that Oklahoma ward were getting 20
member presents blew me away! I could see so much more clearly what the members
role really should be in missionary work. It's not us missionaries who should
be finding, but the members. When they said that the ward should be filling up
our planners so that we don't need to go tracting I wanted to stand up and
yell, "AMEN!" but... since we're not that kind of church I contained
my enthusiasm to a big smile. I hope we can help inspire the ward members here
in Mandurah to have this be their main focus. That's another thing I realized.
Even after I'm home, I'm still a missionary and aside from my family missionary
work should still be my first priority. If nothing else, I needed to come on a
mission so God could help me change my perspective. It kills me how selfish and
"busy" I was before so I would make all sorts of excuses! Bah! I'm
here on earth to prepare to meet God and to help others to prepare to meet God!
What a blessing! I never have to stop being a missionary. Thank heavens. That
also means that the traits I'm developing on my mission are not just for a
mission, such as talking with everyone, they are for all eternity! Honestly,
that's a little overwhelming to me, but good thing I have my whole life to
perfect that skill. I just need to be more like Grandpa Tanner. I think
that all the time. People may have thought he was awkward, but who cares. It's
all about bringing souls unto Christ and the elect will listen.
I hope
you all watched it and if you didn't do it. Now. It's incredible and life
changing.
Oh and
hilarious story of the week, I am now the designated driver... that means I am
now driving on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the car. It's
actually not too weird. I'm just trying to figure out the width of my vehicle.
It feels like our little corolla is huge because I have so much car to the left
of me. My first night driving we are coming down a road and a dog runs out in
front of me. I didn't hit him but I stopped and waited for him to move.
Nothing. So my companion gets out of the car and tries to get him to move,
but the dog jumps in the car. I'm not a huge fan of dogs so I’m trying not
to freak out. This is a big dog. My companion has to pull him out of the car
with all her strength and then try to chase him away. This whole process
took like 10 minutes and we were both laughing our heads off. I'm not even
surprised that that happened to me the first time I drove. ha So funny.
Well I
love you all and I hope that this week has been a good one. I can't wait to
read your emails.
Love you!
ps
just saw that DREW CAME!!!! BAHHHHHHHHHAAAAHAHAHAHAH I'm so excited! Too bad
he'll have to wait a while to meet His favorite Auntie:)
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