I can't
get over how happy I am here in Kalgoorlie! ps the way you say it is “kal-goo-lee”
in Aussie. We have had such an amazing week here! God has blessed us so much. I
wish I had more time to share everything. I feel like I am progressing so much
as a person and as a missionary. I love Sister K so much. We get along so well.
We both have strong personalities but for some reason it just really works with
us being together. She is an amazing missionary and I think one of her greatest
strengths is working with the ward. She's helping me to see more effective ways
of working with them and helping them catch the vision. The members here are
also amazing. I have only been here a week and a half and I already feel so
close to so many of them. The best part is, it's not in a too casual way, but
we're becoming close because we're all doing missionary work. Together.
I think
the main thing I felt so strongly this week was the power of the Spirit in
conversion. Because we're still getting to know people as we plan for less-active
members and investigators, some of them we hardly know. We study for them and
plan for them, but it's really once we get in with them that we are able to
discern their needs and then go by the Spirit from there. This week we have felt
so blessed to be led by the Spirit in all of our lessons. There were some
concerns that people brought up that I had no idea what to say. They were
legitimate and challenging situations, but each time I was in the lesson I was
praying for guidance and really trying to listen with love. It's something I've
struggled with in the past, but I was so blessed this week to have the words
and commitments come to my companion and my minds and hearts to tell these
people just what they needed to hear. Not because we're wise, but because the Spirit
was the one who was teaching the lesson.
We were
also able to teach at youth this week. They were doing personal progress goals
and we taught a few of the classes. We brought two of our investigators and
they loved it! The young women were amazing. After it our investigator told us
how much she loved it. She sent us a text that said how much she loved it and
she thanked us for bringing her back to God. A little background on her; We've
been teaching her mum and sisters and each time we went she kind of blew us
off. Her mum told us she was a bit anti-Christ. But one night we brought an
awesome YSA member with us to the lesson and N sat down miraculously. Maybe
partially because we were sitting at the kitchen table where she wanted to eat.
But by the end of the lesson (which was on the gospel of Jesus Christ) she
said, "I think I want to become Mormon." She has been amazing ever
since. She is soaking everything in like a sponge. She loves it and keeps
following up with us as well! Ah! I love her and her family so much. They are
all amazing and they all came to church this week! And they loved it!
Especially the girls! It was such a blessing. And the ward took such good care
of them. By the end of church a member had pulled her aside and invited her
family and us to come over for dinner and a lesson the next night. It was
perfect! They felt so loved and welcome. I love this ward!
Another
beautiful experience was with the YSA that we took with us to the lesson. She
is just recently coming back to church. She's really pulling her life together
and she volunteered to come with us to our lesson. She was super excited and
she instantly clicked with the family. She was able to help them overcome their
concerns in a way that we never could. She helped them feel comfortable and
took them under her wing. It was amazing. The Spirit was so strong. Then when
we got in the car she was so fired up for missionary work. She told us she
wants to come out all the time that she can and that now she wants to prepare
for a mission. Later she texted us and told us that she thinks one of the
reasons we were sent here was to help her come back. The WML told us that she
plastered all over Facebook about what an amazing time she had. She is so good.
Heavenly Father sent us here for a reason and we're seeing it everywhere.
At times
it has been a bit challenging because we have been trying to gain trust back
from the members and build good missionary relationships and show them that we
are here to work. But overall, we've had a great response from the members.
We also
had a less-active member who hasn't come to church in 10 months come to
sacrament with us!
We also
decided to go out to the real country area of our area on Saturday night and
visit a part member family. We had an awesome lesson with them and the four
kids all want to learn more and prepare to be baptized! It was amazing. God has
been pouring out His blessings in abundance!
We also
had a beautiful experience with a member family who are getting sealed this
week. We went over for dinner on Sunday and it was beautiful. The Spirit was so
strong the whole time we were there. We learned so much from them. They are an
incredible family who are all just so full of love. They are one of the
families that I have looked at and decided that I really want to have a family
like that. We felt a bond with them straight away because the love and the Spirit
was so strong the whole time we were there. God is so good to us. I feel
overwhelmingly blessed. I am so happy to be a missionary,especially here in
Kalgoorlie with Sister K. I couldn't be happier. I love you all. I am so
thankful for your support and help that you give me and thanks again for the
conference calendar! I was soo excited to get it! I love you!
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