letter.fifty.four 04.07.14 ^faith in God, not results^

I think what really sent the tone for this week was that one of our zone leaders, Elder B, found out that he has cancer. He should be fine. He has really good odds, but it was so sad when he left. He was one of my best friends on the mission. He exhibited so much faith throughout the whole process. It had a powerful effect on our whole zone. It was one of the most spiritual zone meetings I've ever been too. We miss him so much. He talked a lot about the faith that he has in God and his perfect plan for him even though it's different plan than he wanted. 

We also had some beautiful lessons this week. We have been having trainings on the power and authority of our calling and it really helped us to be more bold in our calling. We had a lot of people who used their agency poorly this week, but I felt so peaceful because I knew that I had been bold with them. The spirit had been bold and they had chosen to reject that anyways. I can't control what they choose, so I can rest assured that I did my part.

 

heart leaf Ann found tracting.

We also had an amazing meeting with our ward mission leader. He is so rad. He reminds me so much of Alan. I hope Ally is still WML cause I have been envisioning how good he must be. Our WML is on fire. He is so organized and he has the spirit and vision of missionary work for this ward. He is helping us to have our time full. He is giving us the vision that he has of the ward and I'm so excited about it. He gets it! He really gets it! He sees that we're here to help the members in the work of salvation wherever they need us. Since we're in a brand new ward it's a great place to start. Great things will be happening in the Ocean Reef ward. I'm excited to be a part of it.

Saturday was full of service and appointments. It was so good. We broke down the barriers around people's hearts that we have been trying to break down for ages! The miracles of service!

We also had a beautiful Sunday. Church was wonderful. Although I was thinking about how you all were watching general conference and I was feeling a bit jealous. But church was really inspiring for me. I felt so uplifted. I really love this ward. I'm so glad that I'm staying! We found out that Sister S and I are staying in W as STL's and sister E is leaving to be STL in R. :( I'm going to miss her so much. She is so wonderful. She is my best friend on my mission. I have had pure bliss these past two transfers with her, but I think Heavenly Father knew I would miss her so He gave us the best zone ever. It's going to be so rad, so many of my favorite missionaries. Two of them being Sister T and Sister A! Booyah Grandma! Also heaps of others who you all my not know because they weren't my companions but I love them all so much. I'm so excited. This is going to be a great transfer.

I'm thankful for this week. It has built my faith so much. Not because everything went well or that are numbers were amazing, but that I decided at the beginning of the week that even if our goals and plans didn't bring the numbers we wanted that I wouldn’t let it weaken my faith. I have full faith and confidence that I've done all in my power and that people just used their agency poorly in some cases and in others it was slow but steady progress. I'm so thankful for that opportunity that God has given me this week. I learned how to more fully have faith in God, not in results. I know that what happened this week is exactly what God wanted and knew that I needed. I'm thankful that He is allowing me to grow in my faith and not base that faith in results. You can have the faith to move a mountain, but if it's not God's will it's never going to happen. It's about putting our trust in God and His will.  I love being a missionary. I love this ward and I love my companions. God is good to me.

I love you all!

letter.fifty.three 03.31.14 ^the magic of members^

just before exchanges.

Wow, another great week has come and gone. I think time is speeding up. It's crazy, but we had a good week, the only frustrating thing was that I have been sick all week. I've had a bad cold. It hasn't stopped me from working, but it did slow us down a lot. My body just couldn't handle doing the same amount of work. One time I nearly fell asleep walking... that's when I knew it was time to go and rest for a bit.

We had follow-up training with Sister S and MLC this week, AND exchanges. So this week was pretty full on.

Exchanges were awesome. I went to Clarkson with Sister Su and we were on bikes (not the best idea when you're sick, but it was fine.) I love her! She is from Japan and she's basically the sweetest person in the whole world. She and I were able to help each other and those we taught feel loved. I think it ended up being a great exchange.

Follow-up training was really good as well. They talked about lesson planning a lot, which I've heard a million different ways to lesson plan, and this wasn't too much different, but the way the assistants put it really made sense for our companionship so our lesson planning has improved a lot, and therefore the quality of our lessons has improved.

MLC was amazing. They talked about the power and authority of our calling. It was really interesting to me. They talked about how when we realize the power and authority of our calling then we can act in such a way that will help others to respect that as well and get firm appointments. It really helped me feel motivated and inspired to be more bold because I have been called of God.

Although I think my favorite part was how I responded to all of it. My old self would have been so down after the meeting because I recognized a lot of things that I want to work on to be a more effective missionary. Satan tried to tempt me to feel bad that I didn't realize these things until the last half of my mission, but then I remembered that even on the day I leave I will know ways that I can be a better and more effective missionary because as we progress and become better then new inspiration is added to us. As our capacity increases we see more and more things we can do to get better. All I need to do is to keep implementing improvements for the rest of my mission and my life.

We also had a really neat lesson from a member referral last night. It gave me a greater vision of how member missionary work is much more effective.

A member called us up this week saying that he had been prompted to visit a member of the ward and so he did. While he was there he talked with her sister who's husband died 18 months ago, she was struggling with it. He felt inspired to invite her to meet with us, even though she leaves on Friday. She said yes. He set an appointment for Sunday and called us right away.

Last night we taught her and it was a beautiful lesson full of the Spirit. The member gave beautiful testimony, when appropriate, and let us teach most of the lesson. The spirit was so strong. She cried through most of the lesson and she kept turning to me (I was sitting next to her) and saying that this was just what she needed. She is planning to meet with the missionaries in New Zealand, when she goes home. It gave me a vision of how it really is supposed to work. It's so much better when members do the finding and then set the appointment, then instead of being the fellowshipper and teacher, we focus on the teaching and provide support. It was picture perfect.

We also went to our new ward and it was AWESOME! I'm so excited to be a part of the brand new Ocean Reef ward. And the Bishop is Gary Beckstrand's long lost twin, I'm sure of it. The ward is full of amazing members who are all working together to become united. It's an excited thing to be apart of.

 

made this tie from a dress she thrifted.

I love you all! I hope you make it great week!

letter.fifty.two 03.23.14 "God is our LOVING Heavenly Father"

This week was GREAT! I loved it! In zone meeting this week we talked about the Book of Mormon and how it helps us and our investigators become more converted to Christ. They had my companions and I give training, which I am really thankful for, because I learned so much from doing it. The spirit of the whole meeting was amazing. It motivated me to use the Book of Mormon much more effectively.

Another thing they mentioned is that Elder Hamula told President when he was visiting, that if our mission wants to reach the next level we need to cleanse ourselves. They specifically talked about obedience and things that I already do, but it stuck with me.

This week we were, again, struggling to find investigators. Part way through the week I prayed very long and hard to Heavenly Father. I told Him that I wanted to cleanse myself. I wasn't sure what it was He wanted me to improve on, but I was willing to do anything. I felt an impression of something small I could do to give more of myself to God. It's something I've been trying to do my whole mission, but has been hard for me, but I committed to Heavenly Father that I would and I could not be happier. Now that I have let go more of my will and given it to God I can't stop smiling! I felt light. My companions laughed because I was so excited while we were tracting. Nothing seemed to get me down. We even were able to find two new gators! It was so amazing. God is so good to me.

Then on Saturday I had a bit of freak out. It was over something dumb, but I felt so upset about it and then I made too big of a deal of it. I felt so bad. I prayed and asked for Heavenly Father's help and felt better.

Then on Sunday after a great day was almost over, I got upset over something silly again. I chose not to be humble. Then I was so frustrated with myself. I was apologizing to my companions and I just felt so acutely my weakness and shortcomings. I felt like it must be such a burden for them to be my companions and that they must hate it, I gave into Satan's trap. Then I felt bad for that too because I thought I was getting better at not being too hard on myself. I started crying and went into another room in our flat by myself.

I knelt in prayer and had one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had with prayer. I felt God's loving patience so acutely. I felt angels around me who not only were there to bear me up, but that loved me. I felt a closeness to heaven like I've never felt before. God was with me. It became a sacred spot for me. There, kneeling beside an old beat up couch.

I am so thankful for not only a God, but a loving Heavenly Father who watches out for me. And even though that experience was painful in the beginning I am thankful it happened because it helped me build my relationship with God. He is so good to me.

I love you all. I hope that this week is a great one for you all!

Heaps of love,

letter.fifty.one 03.16.14 "I LOVE to see the temple"

We had a great week! We were able to achieve and exceed some of our most important goals. It felt so nice. We had so many good visits with so many people this week. I love the people that we are teaching. I love this ward. I feel so blessed.

One of my favorite lessons this week was with Sam. She doesn't know any church history, except the first vision and we though she would really appreciate it so we had a girl night and got Nandos and watched "Legacy." She loved it! And so did we. I forgot how much I love that movie and that faith, endurance and trust the pioneers had. Sam was really moved by it and just wants to watch more and more.

The best part of the week was going to do baptisms with Sam. It was such a neat experience. Sam loved it and so did I. I haven't done baptisms since I've been endowed and it was really nice to do them again. I felt such a peace as I sat in the temple and pondered. I love the temple. I was so happy that Sam loved it as well.

Then we had stake conference. It was amazing. Elder O'Ridan from the traveling Seventy came and he was great. He talked about Part A & B of missionary work. He said part A is something that most members are really good at. He said that is being an example to people. It's living a good life so people can see and if they come up to you then you tell them why. He said that's great, but with the hastening of the work, President Monson is asking more of us now. It's time to do part B which is making inspired invitations. He said it's time to stop just inviting non-member friends to BBQ's but to boldly invite them to learn from the missionaries. He said it's time to stop hanging around the Gospel, we need to be full participants, which includes inviting people to learn more or to come back. It was awesome. We're going to build off of that and do heaps of member visits, inviting them to be part b members. We're pumped!

One of the members of the stake presidency also talked about family history. It was amazing. This week we've been able to do family history with Sam and study about it for Sister S’s 12 week program. I feel very strongly that this is something I want to be a part of. I was always so bad about it before, but it's time to put it aside and do it. I don't know if you've all seen the "My family" books but I want to fill one out. They are awesome! We also watched the new video the church made on it that's like a music video and it was awesome! If you haven't seen it, watch it. It's legit.

I felt my faith and spirits boosted so much this week. It was great. God is so good to me. Oh I also forgot to mention that they asked Sam to bear her testimony in stake conference and she did such a great job. She was so confident and had such a powerful spirit. I felt like a proud mum. She is so amazing. I'll love her forever. Her pat. blessing said that we will be eternal friends. I know that's true. She has such a special place in my heart. And mum, I invited her to come and stay at our house for general conference after I get home sometime and she's planning on it. I can't wait for all of you to meet her. She's amazing.

I love you. I think about you often, especially in the temple. I can't wait until we're there together again. I hope you all have a fabulous week.

Much love,

ps hilarious story this week. We were all feeling a bit blah and weird on Sunday afternoon while we were attempting to have a good comp study. Then I did this weird thing... you know me, to try to break the blah, but instead I just started doing my real laugh. We were all laughing and I was crying, I was laughing so hard. It's the hardest I've ever laughed on my mission. Oh it felt sooo good. Some times you just need a good laugh.