HASTEN

I swear if I get transferred next week my heart will split into pieces... Everyone please send my mail to the mission home address just in case. Also, with regards to Christmas mail, please send it through US Postal Service so it can be forwarded to wherever I am, otherwise the office will be enjoying my packages! 

I know I say this every week, but this week really was absolutely amazing! I am so blessed! Ahhg my heart is full. Amazing how the Lord can improve the quality, and quantity, of our love. So much happens and I wish I could write it all...

The First Presidency asked that all of us attend the Adult Session of Stake Conference. There are a whopping 39 missionaries in our stake! How fun it was to meet them all! No surprise that EVERY TALK WAS ON MISSIONARY WORK AND HASTENING THE WORK. President and Sister Stoker spoke. They really have grown into this mission! You can see all the care and love they have for all of us and the people in our mission. I am so grateful for them. He talks often of prayer, and opening our mouths. He shared some cool stats as well. Tracting, according to President Packer, is COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. From missionaries seeking out people, only 1/100 will accept the gospel. Verses if members initiate it and invite, 1/4 will accept it. That's HUGE.. No wonder all of our focus is on the members. Funny thing is, it's true! He also told us that by opening our mouths and inviting, we can change a life, and by doing that, we can change a legacy. He's a great man. "We do the inviting, the Spirit does the converting." Nothing could be more true to what I've learned out here!

I love the importance of inviting people into our homes. I'm convinced that when I have a home someday we will invite random people over for dinner every night. You can go DAYS without talking to someone with all the technology. Our society is one where we see the backs of people's heads, we don't talk to them! We've got to ALL open our mouths.

People at home! INVITE! That's all you're being asked to do. So do it!

SOOOO Kaitana this week... We shared a tender moment where she realized that the spirit has been consistent. Tears came to her eyes as she realized this. This is what sh'e been looking for! We invited her to pray about a baptismal date. So glad she's staying here for break!! I absolutely LOVE HER!!!! She feels with her heart a lot more, and I feel like her answers are coming. The Spirit is working.

ROB!! He brought a friend named Shawn to a lesson! Shawn is now taking the lessons!!! How exciting is that! He has two daughters 10 and 12. He wants to be healed. He is perfect.

Things are to the point where we have to go on splits in order to get all that we need to done, there is so much we can't do because we just don't have time to do it. We are at a point where we need members to really come with us! It's hard when they all have families, we're not sure what to do... WE NEED MORE TIME!!!

The only thing holding John back from baptism is the Priesthood. We invited him to fast and felt strongly that he'll get answers that way. 

Ok! Gotta go! Love y'all. So much happening after so much work! I am so grateful!!!!

{sista sista!}

Seeking

ZONE CONFERENCE totally went down this last week. Elder Gifford Nielson came and spoke to us about exclamation marks, and a lot of other things... He broke down each ordinance we make and the associated covenants. This gospel is so amazing to me! I'll break it down for y'all:

Baptism - The power to remit sin

Confirmation - The power to receive revelation from heaven

Priesthood - The power to act in the name of Jesus Christ

Endowment - The power to be like God

Sealing - The power to be God

THAT is the package deal... There's no $19.95 price on it. IT IS FREE BECAUSE OF THE ATONEMENT!! What a gift! Heavenly Father is offering us all that He has! It's our agency to choose to accept it.

One thing I've really learned is that I have a strong testimony of the Plan of Salvation. The more I teach about it, and study it, the more I see that a loving God would create a plan like this, that He would give His children all the chances possible to return to Him. 

Agency is something I love. I could go OFF about the things I've realized up to this point on my mission... Too much to write about.

One thing I've done is push my questions behind me as I study for others'. I really haven't taken the time to ponder my own testimony and pull out the weeds. Today during studies, I pondering a lot about feeling alone, and wondering WHERE the Comforter is. I know that I am doing my part and complying with all the requisites of my part of the promises He's given me, where is He? I turned to Moses 6:31-34. My mind runs in circles when I think about all this... In conclusion to all the thoughts that came, and pulling together what I've learned and observed throughout the week, I know that I feel the Spirit when I am grateful. Having negative and grateful thoughts cannot occupy a mind at the same time. I don't feel alone when I look back and see how the Lord really has filled my mouth when I "open my mouth." It just takes hindsight to see that He really has been there, and is there. I am not alone in the Lord's work. This is HIS WORK and HE HAS TO BE THERE WITH ME. I cannot do it without Him, and I'm glad I took the time to resolve what was in my mind. 

I have to take time to strengthen my own testimony, so then I can strengthen others. It doesn't go the other way... 

Also, it's hit hard: the gospel is for broken people. Elder Nielson quoted something from Elder Holland, it goes something like this:

"It takes broken clouds to make rain, it takes broken ground to make grain, it takes broken grain to make break, and it takes broken bread to always remember Him." You could go on to say that it took a broken Savior for us to be healed! I just love that. Broken people finding themselves in this gospel. It really is for everyone!!

This last week had many wonderful lessons! Rob was amazing this week. We assigned him Enos, then asked to read a few parts with him that he liked. He read to us the last verse and testified on how he will see his brother again, and that him and his brother are learning the same things right now. He will meet Heavenly Father again with pleasure. He teared up as he heard the words come out of his own mouth, the power of recognizing that he has a testimony of his own was so powerful! I couldn't take it, I cried!! I am so happy!! How blessed am I see see Rob from the beginning to this point, I am so grateful! Truly!! He ASKED US for a reading assignment, you know they're serious when they ASK YOU FOR HOMEWORK!!

Cool quote: "If you feel far from God, guess who moved?" Also, one shared in Sacrament meeting: "Life is really, really hard, but alone life is even harder, in fact life alone is almost impossible."

Think on those for a little while.

{Today... WHERE IS THE SNOW...}

{This bird made me want a bird! He totally cuddles like a dog haha!}