By Small & Simple Things

Alma 37:6-7.

The adversary pushes us harder this week than any other week in Manchester, he is tugging and pulling us down so that we cannot accomplish what the Lord whats us to do. We only had one appointment this week where no cancellations were made.

He was working hard because this week was nothing short of a week full of miracles.

Kalisa is getting BAPTIZED on May 17th. It'd be in April, but he doesn't celebrate in April. That's the anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. Respectfully, we set a later date. We can't teach Kalisa without member. So we go to pick up our member and she wasn't there, she was in Concord. This would be the second appointment this week we would've had to cancel and we weren't about to let that happen. We called EVERYONE (missionary work involves a LOT of calling) and NO ONE picked up... We called the Skidmore's who work in the mission office, they were just leaving the office and said they could head over. JUST IN TIME we found someone to come with us. That lesson was the climax of everything we've taught. Prophets clicked. We had an Ammon moment and the Spirit helped us discern a question that he's had on his heart for a long time. When he was in Africa he asked one of the ministers a question, they answered him with something Moses said thousands of years ago. His question was, why wouldn't they give him an answer for NOW? Prophets answered that. He is reading the Book of Mormon and praying. He then asked us if our church was like the church Paul set up, where they lived the law of consecration. We taught him about fast offerings and tithing. He LOVED it. He said "now I want to be a member of this church." So we picked a date! Had the Skidmore's not come and shared their testimony, and had we had to cancel that appointment, I don't know where we'd be. Satan will not win, he tries hard, but we try harder. The Lord will ALWAYS provide a way to accomplish that which he requires us to do.

Oh my heck. We met with Gigi again, this time with Sister Methot who is from the Dominican Republic (no one in Manchester actually comes from Manchester, unlike the rest of New England). They matched SO well together. My goodness! Most of the lesson was in Spanish, but I felt the Spirit SO strong. Sister Methot testified of the Plan of Salvation in a very personal way. I know I've said this before, but the Plan of Salvation is my favorite lesson to teach. Seeing others figure it out, and have it make sense over the course of time is my FAVORITE THING! So Gigi is well.

Patty is a referral from our neighboring ward. One of her Spanish students gave her a Spanish Book of Mormon. She's very very very Catholic, but is curious to know what we believe. She sees many ties between our religions and wants to know what the difference is. She's a well off lady with a curiosity about our church. Tonight we are meeting with her and Sister Stoker!

There is never a wrong reason to investigate the Gospel.

So John surprised my by coming to church in Manchester. What pleasure it was to talk with him and see how he's doing! MY GOODNESS YOU CAN SEE THE PROGRESSION IN HIM!!! You can tell he is doing everything the Lord asks him to do. I also talked with someone else from Hanover who came to the youth activity I helped with and she said that he was her home teacher. They adore him. He's almost read the Book of Mormon THREE TIMES. He's been going to the temple with Creed. He has a calling!! He told me all these experiences where the Lord answered his prayers on the spot! He asked the Lord why I wasn't writing and Sister Korman called him then and there are told him I could only write once a month. He recognizes the Lord's hand in all things. He's lifting those around him, like Rob! Always looking out for them!! It was everything I needed to go the extra push, to keep on working hard.

If the Lord knows you'll do the small and simple things, He'll trust you with His power. Authority comes with the calling, but power comes through prayer, study, and application. Nothing happens until you decide to ACT. He will make you a powerful instrument in His hand if His hand is the only one you desire. Once you rid yourself of any other desires other than to serve the Lord with your WHOLE HEART, then He gives you His spirit and His power. He works by those small means you do, they matter. They all add up to help God fulfill his purpose (Moses 1:39). Is everything you are doing leading to that?

Hastening the work doesn't necessarily mean a growth in the numbers of the church as much as a growth in creativity of how we share the Gospel. The invite and the message will never change, but the way we go about it is. It is through the members that the Lord wishes to hasten the work.  So it's about teaching them, through small and simple ways!

 Ben&Jerry's

One of the members offered to do our laundry.

MEEK

Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the land, and give thee answers to thy prayers.

 

Write it in your heart.

 

I love my mission. I very literally could not be who I am now without deciding to go and do what the Lord has asked me to do. I am changing daily. I find purpose in my prayers and enjoy praying because I know the Lord hears me. He is the best listener. I asked Him how I could improve and one word came into my mind: meekness.

 

To be honest, I've never given the work "meek" much thought. When thinking of the Savior's attributes, we think of charity, hope, and faith. I have overlooked one of His most prominent attributes, meekness! Elder Ulisses Soares says "being meek does not mean weakness, but it does mean behaving with goodness and kindness, showing strength, serenity, healthy self-worth, and self-control." When we are meek, we control our minds which have control over our actions. Elder Soares goes on to point out the Savior's meekness at the end of His life. He didn't speak a word, held His natural reactions inside of Him, He truly desired their happiness. The only words He spoke were "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Get rid of pride. Christ could've proven them wrong because he hadn't commit sin, but he didn't.

 

The only opinion that matters is God's. So why do you need to prove your point?

 

This week we had interviews with President Stoker, which went SO great. I love that he cries, like just a little tear here and there. It's the best. He told me so many wonderful things that brought me so much joy! He asked me how I am becoming who God wants me to be. I told him about prayer. It's changing my life and changing who I am. I have a relationship with Heavenly Father. It's a relationship that now means more to me than any other relationship I've ever had. He is the one I know will always help me to do what's best for myself and those around me. We talked about what praying vocally does for us. For me, I connect with my heart. My mind gets out of the way and I speak from the desires of my soul. My real needs and desires come up. I have thoughts that come into my mind that come from God. Sometimes He answers me then and there, other times it's during studies, and sometimes it's a few months later! It's always when I need though. How we pray determines how He answers. We need to be specific! Not generic! I loved talking about this with President, it's a soft spot in both of our hearts. He promised me some amazing things.

 

We continued to have miracles happen this week. We now have a teaching pool and people to plan for. That's a prayer that was answered! One of our members shared the Gospel and the friend is now being taught and has a commitment to be baptized if she finds this is true.

 

Rafael (the member) has a friend named Odennis (the new investigator). She is 19 and from the DR, has the most adorable 6 month old son EVER. A week or two ago she came to see the church building with Rafael, was a bit hesitant She loved it and loved Sister Turley and I, we connected with her! The Spencer's (the member family) invited all of us over for dinner last night. We taught with heavy emphasis on God is our loving Heavenly Father and the Gospel blesses families. How the prophet is the mouthpiece of God, on and on. We had a great discussion. We introduced the Book of Mormon, she couldn't wait to get a copy! She has a baptismal commitment too! WHAAAAT! Agh I love her. She'll do anything to help Theo, she's caring, respectful, loving. We are going to teach her on Tuesday!!

 

 

SOoooo a few weeks ago we ran into people named Gigi and Peppe. We went back and they invited us in. The less active daughter was there! Along with like 15 grandchildren! Haha! We gathered around their kitchen table and talked about who God is and why we pray and other things. They described the spirit the missionaries brought as "peaceful while they're here, and a little after they leave. You feel like there aren't any problems, they just go away." They nailed how the Spirit feels so accurately. We are teaching them again Saturday. We had a closing prayer with EVERYONE IN THE WHOLE HOUSE around the table. There were a ton of family members there! Tons of kids, mostly small. When I prayed it was silent. So reverent I felt like I was in the temple. The kind of silence you don't want to disrupt by breathing wrong. After that, the kids knew I am a Child of God, so we all sang it.

 

JoAnne is loving the Plan of Salvation. We are going into more depth to get her ready for the temple prep class so SHE CAN ENTER THE TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Tracy wasn't there last week but we are meeting with her tonight and she's super excited. We are too:)

 

Kalisa and Oliver. It is a lot harder to explain the Restoration when you don't speak French of any kind. We got the French missionary manual and use that to translate our vocabulary. Visuals are awesome so we've been using a ton of those! I adore them though, so happy to teach them because THEY'RE SO HAPPY TO LEARN!!! It's incredible!!!

 

I am doing so well. I've never been happier. Never seen the Lord answer so many of my prayers. I know all this is happening because of the way we pray and the faith we are exerting. He is pleased, and I am pleased knowing that!

President Stoker and I eating sugar on snow at the mission home a few weeks ago!

The Middle

I want to work this hard and diligently in everything I do for the rest of my life. I find that if I don't feel like a chicken running with its head cut off, I'm not doing the work to the most of my abilities. It takes everything you have, including your heart and affection. Nothing happens unless you give it ALL. The politics to missionary work fascinate me. Understanding how revelation works, and how I can use it for others and myself has changed my life.

 

I had the neat experience of going to the temple, as y'all know. I've been studying father-son relationships in the scriptures, particularly Alma and his sons. My testimony came as I was reading a few years ago in Alma 38:4-5. I knew that God could hear me at that point, I understood how I could use the Atonement to forgive and be forgiven. Alma 36-42 have very special meaning to me. I feel like I've never received so many answers, or asked so many questions, as I have in those verses.

 

Quote of the week while reading Beauty for Ashes by Bruce C Hafen and Alma 42: "The Savior asks for our repentance not merely in compensation to Him for paying our debts to justice but also as a way of inducing us to undergo the process of development that will make our divine nature, giving us the capacity to live the celestial law."

 

Think on that one for an hour. Study law. Study forgiveness. Study justice and mercy. I wondered, why couldn't God just atone for our sins? God can't go against His law of Justice.

 

When we arrive at the judgment bar we will receive everything we have ever wanted. What will the desires of our hearts be? We will "follow after [our] own will" (Alma 42:7). Just think on that for a while, let it gnaw at your brain while walking around all day. In the Fall, Adam and Eve wanted to be like the gods knowing good from evil, they followed it. They will receive what they want according to the desires of their hearts.

 

I find answers to questions in the scriptures. I don't know what I would be without them, my knowledge wouldn't take me anywhere. They also teach me how to apply all I've learned!

 

Sometimes I get REALLY OVERWHELMED because I have adapted the notion that nothing short of perfect is acceptable. I compared myself to the greatest of all teachers. You will always fall short, and if you want perfection, it's not going to happen! The world cannot be controlled. We are NOT perfect. SOOO I am now comparing myself to myself. What can I do to improve? The only opinion that matters is God's and my own. So why compare myself to anyone else. Heavenly Father knows I am doing my best, giving it my all, so why worry? If other people were to treat me the way I treat myself, we would not be friends for long. I need to develop a nicer relationship, if that makes sense. I can run myself down to the ground. I've got to be better about recognizing the Lord's hand, and how He's helped me stay ABOVE THE WATER.. even if I'm treading, I'm, still not drowning.

 

Y'all are just getting an insight into my BRAIN!

 

MIRACLES this week have been fantastic. Through all of this, as I have prayed to be able to feel more and think less (the natural man lives in the mind, the Lord speaks to our hearts), as a blunt way of putting it, the Lord has used me as His messenger. I love teaching the Plan of Salvation. The last Plan of Salvation lesson I had was with Creed in Hanover, then before that Rob, and before that Kaitana. I love teaching this. I have a love for watching people's understanding of their purpose in life show on their faces! They're reactions! Kalisa stood up and said "do you know... uh halleluiah, what it means?" "Yes we do!" "Well halleluiah!" (can I just say that I love the French-English barrier, makes me smile!)

 

 

We were teaching Kalisa (late 30's??) while his friend Oliver (20's??) was over. We invited him to join, but he sat in the kitchen. As time went on, he scooted one chair over... then another... then he was standing against the wall... pretty soon he walked over and said "now this interests me, what are we talking about?" Everyone has a desire to know about the Plan of Salvation! It is AMAZING. Oliver is now Kalisa's roommate, they're both from Rwanda. This week we are going to teach them the Restoration and hopefully set dates for them! SO EXCITING!!!

 

JoAnne is considered ACTIVE. No biggie she's a SPIRITUAL GIANT!!!!

 

Tonight we are headed over to one of the less active part member families in the ward with an appointment to teach the wife! Wish us luck! We are going to show her Earthly Father Heavenly Father (my favorite Mormon Message, WATCH IT NOW )

 

The most spiritual and wonderful comp inventory ever last night. Truly, your companion becomes what you think of her. I think she's AWESOME, and she is! She's always willing to change to become more obedient, or to work harder. She's very patient with me as I make tons of lists (she doesn't like lists, something I have learned the fullness of on my mission). I love her so much. We will be friends forever.

 

PS I'm 9 months out, 9 months to go.

 our whole MTC district here! Just missing three. What's nice about serving by the mission home is you can go to all the meetings!

 Ok Ben & Jerry's takes the win for the best hot chocolate. I have taken on the role of a hot chocolate connoisseur while out here.

not love her?!

Well hope everything's going well wherever y'all are! 

 

Ask

Ok! Sorry everyone... I typed a BEAUTIFUL long email and it was just erased.

NOwhere to start, 5 minutes left. Went to the temple. Have been praying out loud on my knees every day. New investigator Kalisa from Rwanda going to be baptized survived genocide

went to the temple and received more knowledge than EVER

sugar on snow, google it..... no time to write it

 

 

I don't have a camera so no pictures

 

Gahh sorry it's been two weeks I didn't have a pday last week because of the temple.

 

For real I am so bummed!

 

quickly, here is what I've been applying:

 MIGHTY PRAYER:

The purpose of prayer is to understand the will of the Father.

1. find a private place

JSH 1:14

2. KNEEL DOWN

humility comes from kneeling

3. VOCAL prayer

we connect more with our feelings, not just our minds. we speak from the heart and the spirit guides our prayers

4. Gratitude

see white handbook pg 9 (previously I quoted it for y'all)

our language shows gratitude and reverence

the most important aspect of prayer

5. pray for others

Enos 1:9,11

6. Do all we can to follow through

 

 

We've been trying this out and miracles have happened.

 

Gotta go.

 

Love y'all!!!!!

 

TEMPLE

POLICY CHANGE: WE CAN GO TO THE TEMPLE IN BOSTON EVERY 6 MONTHS!!!!!!!!

 

So we're going to the temple on the 22nd of this month. Rob, John, Creed, and JoAnne are coming. It'll be like walking into heaven. They're going to do baptisms while we go through. Sister Korman and Upton are going and we are too! What a blessing to be so close to Boston! Some areas of the mission can't go. Ahg so excited.

 

Here's what happened with JoAnne: we told her no green tea, she threw it out. We told her she could to do baptisms, we came back the next day and she had a LIST of family members to bring. We told her she'd have to pay her tithing, the next day she did just that. She made her way to the bishop to get her recommend right after church. JoAnne is coming back to activity! We get to take her to the temple for the first time!! She's progressing back to the Gospel. Miracles. We got to teach her with Sister Stoker (mission mom) one day too!

 

Tuesday we went to Ben and Jerry's and I had the best ice cream sundae of my life. I also have never felt like such a fatty on my mission. It was delicious.

 

This week I learned how to put in a hardwood floor. We helped some members lay one down! Not as hard as I previously thought.

 

EXCITING NEWS!!! The Elders have called us twice with some AWESOME referrals. We have 4 people to visit that are seriously wanting to learn more. Saturday we went by to try to contact Chantelle, Marco, and Mike. Someone else answered the door and told us they had to go because there was an accident. Don't know much more than that. I do know that the adversary is working hard against these people. Chantelle wants to quit smoking and Mike wants to come closer to the Savior. Can't wait to meet them.

 

Patty is the next referral. She was given a Spanish Book of Mormon by one of her students at school and wants to know more! We got it last night so we are heading there tomorrow!

 

Kalisa. He lives next door to us. He is from Africa and survived a genocide! He speaks mostly French and some English. He was taught by elders before, had a baptismal date, but then went out of town and got really busy. We scheduled a return appointment with him for Thursday to teach the Restoration. We're taking a French speaking youth from our ward with us! I can't wait. Hopefully we'll be able to help him to know who His Father in Heaven is better, and to know more about our purpose in life.

 

We were trying to contact a less active named Glady on Saturday, couldn't find her address. We were drawn to this one apartment door. Knocked on it. Asked for Gladys. A lady pipes up from the back, "she is my daughter!" Gladys is going through cancer and isn't in our ward anymore. Gigi and Peppe are her parents names, they are calling us and setting an appointment up with us. A few a of their family members were baptized years ago and she asked if we could come back. They're such cute people and you can tell they want to know the answers to those basic questions we all have. They need the strength of the Lord!

 

Who are you when nothing stands around you? What you're all that's left, who will you be? Are you allowing Christ to help you? All we can give Him is our will, really, He has everything else. I am trying on a minute by minute basis to do everything I can to hand myself over to Him. I am falling to my knees, I cannot do this without Him. He is the Master of His vineyard. I am a mere servant willing to help and ready to act.

Born & Raised

I'm realizing more and more that I would NOT be who I am without being raised by my parents. They had to let me choose the Gospel on my own. They were caring enough to allow me to choose, they carefully watched over me as I cultivated my own path towards our Father in Heaven. There influence and testimony shaped me because I allowed it to. No one can tell you what to do, or how you're doing to do it. No one can force you to find God, and no one but yourself can find Him. All the power we have comes from an inner decision, a commitment WE make between ourselves and the Lord that we will follow Him. I am a disciple of Christ because I choose to do so. He is beside my. As Alma said, there's more evidence that there IS a living God than not. He cannot inflict any decision on us, He carefully sits back and guides us when we allow Him to.

With that in mind, all I can do as a missionary is INVITE and HELP. my part is to present the doctrine, testify of it, and invite. 

Funny story this week: we took Molly, whose papers are going in in just days, tracting. She opens the Book of Mormon to the painting of Jesus and asks the cop in the car if he's seen "this man" and that we were looking for him. We have a funny conversation and left him with the Book of Mormon. We have almost handed out all of our books. Every time we do it's CRUCIAL that they understand that THIS IS IMPORTANT! We testify, and invite. 

We continue to have luck with JoAnne. We have a Joseph Smith Memorial date scheduled!!!! WAHHOOO!!! Now we just have to find someone to take us, but that's the least of my worries.... haa...

I love this ward. One by one each of them are making places in my heart. It isn't that the quality of the love I feel towards members decreases as the quantity increases, but that they increase together! All love is a gift from Heavenly Father. He has given me the ability to LOVE! 

Below is a little from this weeks LTP telling y'all what we did this week. For the most part we are realizing that we are here to build these relationships and to overlap the differences between us and the members. I'm really REALLY excited for all the things Sister Turley and I have planned.

K I know I've said this before, but Sister Turley and I are like the Bible and the Book of Mormon. We are best friends. I love how the Lord always has a plan, and I feel it so strongly! 

"A ship in a port is safe, but that is not what ships were built for."
- Captain Hopper

That describes what Manchester Ward is. They play it "safe" by doing what has been done for transfers on end. We have such a blessing of having 4 sets of missionaries in one ward, it is time we tap into this potential and coordinate with one another to get some wheels on this bus! I keep thinking about courage, and how we can use it at this point and lost nothing. Satan keeps us back by putting a block on our creativity by telling us "you can't do that, the ward won't do that, the Bishop won't like that... etc." We have been praying for courage and collaboration.

An answer to prayer: Elder Kunz (zone leader) called us this morning telling us that we are getting more miles, and that they don't want to be so distant from us as it has been in the past. He asked for a preview of our ideas and we were able to come up with ideas to gather the missionary forces together and unify! We are meeting as missionaries in Manchester during district lunch to come up with ideas that we can then present to our ward mission leader, but this time as a unified group. This week especially my studies have lead me around that Gathering! How the Lord works in numbers. He uses them because there is strength in them! This was the best phone call we'd had! So I count that as our miracle.

Last night Sister Turley and I sat down and goal planned. We made a vision statement that will require creativity, collaboration, stretching, and of course, the help of the Lord! I feel so strongly as we prayed that these are the Lord's goals, not our own. The Spirit confirmed this to us. It was incredible, we are working with the Lord to set the ground work for the fire that will ignite here. Our goal is that by the end of next transfer, the ward members will be excited to work with us. The requirements to fulfill this goal is that members must come to US and ask when they can teach with us, or, of course, a SME (significant missionary experience)! We will get them EXCITED. We have individual plans in each area to do this. For the ward, ward council, bishopric, district, leadership (you and Sister Reid), Manch Elders, companionship, and individuals, we have set a plan to match our vision, and have a plan of action. We are accountable to the Lord and each other. It was amazing receiving the revelation we have asked for as to HOW to start things in this area MOST EFFECTIVELY. 

Now for the application... We are going to use our weekly plannings to apply these goals.

I feel like I'm praying all the time.

Opened my scriptures during comp study and found this... Each one is tabbed under a missionary scripture she had found during her studies! She's a blast. I don't even know how to describe all the fun we have! She's adorable. Anyone have any creative ideas for serving your companion? I'm pushing the limits on my creativity ha!

SUPER FUN!!! So today we ran three miles to the Elders to pick up the car. She's a rockstar. She's lost over 20 POUNDS since she's been on her mission! She didn't think she could run that far, but I got her out the door and she was 5 steps ahead of me the entire run! So fun to have a companion who likes to go running with me!

JANUARY 27

 Sister Turley and her little acts of kindness... 

 THE MAP...

 four pairs of socks, chubby ankles, anything to keep warm!