I love hearing about your lives, your experiences/ testimonies. Keep growing studying, and helping this missionary work by your examples. You all need to know, members are KEY to missioinary work, especially invesigator activation retention. Love you all lots! XOXOX to all my cousins!
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS-
This week was great, but hard. I've learned that change hurts... it hurts because it usually involves pride stripping away, and I'm still working on that, but I've learned that it is a necessary, wonderful thing. Without change we can't become who He wants us to be, so it's a good path, though rocky at times. Sister Gagon shared a great scripture with me,
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS-
This week was great, but hard. I've learned that change hurts... it hurts because it usually involves pride stripping away, and I'm still working on that, but I've learned that it is a necessary, wonderful thing. Without change we can't become who He wants us to be, so it's a good path, though rocky at times. Sister Gagon shared a great scripture with me,
Doctrine & Covenants Section 95, verse 1, then said she had learned to "cherish being chastened." I loved that! I thought to when you are in a sport or a performance and the coach or director is always correcting you, giving you ways to improve... they do that because they want to help you become better than you are, and the very best you can be. Christ is our perfect coach. He encourages, helps and chastenes. He helps us see our weaknesses so He can them help us become stronger in Him. When I was reading the Book of Mormon in Ether chapter 12, the first line of the well loved scripture stood out to me, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness." At first I thought, wait a second, He is always asking us to come unto Him, but as we do He'll show us weakness? Yes, and then as we are humble, and rely on His grace and Atoning power, those weaknesses can become strong. I'm so grateful that this transfer I've had experiences that made me do a self pride check, and realize how much I do need to rely on Christ. I feel like I still have a long way to go, but it's a start.
HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK-
Miracles include (but are not limited to... :D) safety while riding on the streets, drank water so still healthy in this heat. A woman one night came up to us and said "I want to bring my children to church." (IN English!) So we gave her information but she left to their piano lessons before we could do more... hope she comes! Another miracle, when you are open and loving and have no contention, you can physically feel a lightness to any burden. Numbers don't express how successful you are, but when you feel you are working and are obeying and still 0s, it's just a faith building thing I guess. We're still determined to work to help those numbers improve.
We are focusing on really working with members and getting to know them recently so... I love, every night after planning, we've started doing a little bit of art together. Making cards for members and writing messages for LAs we'll visit this week. It's a pretty good team... She's super amazing at drawing and I can cut paper and glue it together and use stickers :) I hope the members (who are super awesome and faithful just busy and stressed) will see our effort and let us serve them. I'm excited for the opportunities this week will bring to work with members, to contact, to use facebook, to teach, and to represent Christ. With all of this, there are so many miracles and successes. Our companionship is closer everyday, we received referrals this week! I almost know 1/4 of Phase II and I feel tired, spiritually and physically stretched, but happy, love, and hopeful for the future. For today! and tomorrow!
This week has been a great experience,from the temple to church to hours on the street, to meeting members and crazy LAs. I love Da Tong District! I'm so happy I'm here, and that Heavenly Father loves me. Wow. How blessed are we to know Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father, the 2 most powerful and glorious beings in the universe know me, love me, and are watching over Siser Sun and me. I'm just excited for the possibilities they have in store for us.
Love, Sister Smith
HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK-
Miracles include (but are not limited to... :D) safety while riding on the streets, drank water so still healthy in this heat. A woman one night came up to us and said "I want to bring my children to church." (IN English!) So we gave her information but she left to their piano lessons before we could do more... hope she comes! Another miracle, when you are open and loving and have no contention, you can physically feel a lightness to any burden. Numbers don't express how successful you are, but when you feel you are working and are obeying and still 0s, it's just a faith building thing I guess. We're still determined to work to help those numbers improve.
We are focusing on really working with members and getting to know them recently so... I love, every night after planning, we've started doing a little bit of art together. Making cards for members and writing messages for LAs we'll visit this week. It's a pretty good team... She's super amazing at drawing and I can cut paper and glue it together and use stickers :) I hope the members (who are super awesome and faithful just busy and stressed) will see our effort and let us serve them. I'm excited for the opportunities this week will bring to work with members, to contact, to use facebook, to teach, and to represent Christ. With all of this, there are so many miracles and successes. Our companionship is closer everyday, we received referrals this week! I almost know 1/4 of Phase II and I feel tired, spiritually and physically stretched, but happy, love, and hopeful for the future. For today! and tomorrow!
This week has been a great experience,from the temple to church to hours on the street, to meeting members and crazy LAs. I love Da Tong District! I'm so happy I'm here, and that Heavenly Father loves me. Wow. How blessed are we to know Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father, the 2 most powerful and glorious beings in the universe know me, love me, and are watching over Siser Sun and me. I'm just excited for the possibilities they have in store for us.
Love, Sister Smith