This week has been amazing.
Remember I told you about Fred....well we got a call on Sunday from our ward mission leader that he wanted to be BAPTIZED! We were fasting for him too...man my testimony of fasting has increased.So we heard this news but not from him. We decided to stop by yesterday and see him. He sat us down and said "I need to make an appointment...to get baptized! Don't fall over." We just wanted to HUG him...but we didn't (it's against our rules as missionaries) but we did shake his hand. Therefore you can see the happy blessings that come from dropping people at times. It made him think and pray!
Yesterday I was thinking about how I haven't seen anyone that I REALLY know come into the VC....someone had just had their best friend randomly stop in so I was thinking about it...then 2 minutes later someone asks me to go up front. And there stands Grandma and Grandpa Allred!!!!!! It was so nice to see them. We talked for a good half hour. They updated me on all the goings on with our dear friends the Allreds and the wedding that will be coming in a couple weeks. :) It was fun to see them...and I got a picture with them.
On Saturday we had three baptisms! The first one was a girl named Mandy McLaws....she had been contacted before but was not ready or interested...but when we came to her door one night she knew it was time. She told us she had been praying for change in her life and then we knocked on her door. The baptism was amazing. Her husband baptized her and we sang a song "if the Savior stood beside me" and then we had a great lunch afterwards at her home. It was really nice. She is someone I'll keep in touch with the rest of my life. I've been thinking about how many people I'm going to have to keep in touch with and such and I'm not sure how my love could be spread so thin but I'm ready to do it because I just LOVE so many people. :)
We also had fourteen year old twins get baptized. They had been taught on and off since they were 8 but now really felt like it was time! It's amazing to a part of something people have waited so long for! I'm excited that they are taking this step in their life. After their baptism we watched the Young Women's broadcast and it was AWESOME! Plllllease if you didn't see it go on lds.org and watch it (if they have it on there...) Pres. Utchdorf's talk in particular was the best...and most direct to the heart. I really want to do the new young womens personal progress sometime....I wonder if 2 months will be enough to do it in...haha probably not...but I could get started.
Another amazingly spiritual week...and another week of Heavenly Father pooring out His blessings and showing me personally how much He loves me. It's interesting the amount of love I feel from Him when I know He loves everyone else as well. But I don't need to totally understand it...I just need to know it's real!
Love,
Sister Page
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Dropping and Being Dropped
I think there's a vision that is in the mind of most returning missionaries. I generally think...oh when I get home I can read this book, watch this movie, go to this place, do this activity...and forget that normal people (as in not missionaries) have a busy life too! I read my families emails and hear what my friends are doing and realize that rest and relaxation are temporary in every day life. I'm thinking that coming off my mission it will be difficult for me to stay still. I still have some months left (thank goodness) but I don't think I'm looking forward to returning to a busy schedule of NON-missionary work. My schedule now is VERY busy...but it consists of things that are so worth while and I love doing that work. I can't even believe how rewarding missionary work really is! There are some down days and some hard times but they only help you to grow...and it's amazing to see that process. One of the down things we have to do in missionary work is drop people. I mean they are good people who want to meet with us but they are not progressing toward the goal of baptism...and that is why we come. At first it might not be the reason we come but later on it should become the reason the person keeps having us over. I want to tell two stories of people we've had to drop or who have dropped us:
Tracy
She was meeting with the Sisters before I came into the area...but the lessons we kind of on pause because she got into a car accident. Then she was having doubts about God loving her...and why would this happen to her when she's trying to do something good. So alot of lessons were focused on faith and such. Then she had surgery on her knee because of it. So it's in the healing process. Well like a week after the surgery she tripped over some clothes in the hallway and bent her knee all the way calf to thigh. It hurt! And it was spazing out as she put it. And she took some pain pills and went to bed. Well her son (12 and a member of the church) prayed that Heavenly Father would heal his mom because she's been in such bad pain. The next day Tracy could bend her knee. She could sit indian style, march, walk, and more. She said it's kind of tight but it doesn't hurt!! It was pretty much healed. She got all skeptical and asked the doctor if there was any way her fall could have HELPED her knee...and he said "you shouldn't even be WALKING" It was for sure a miracle. Well we think things will go well from here on out...but she calls and tells us that she doesn't want to meet anymore. She didn't say exactly why but here's why: she knows it's true and NOW has to change...and is NOT ready for that change! So while she's dropped I know one day she will be ready. There is no way she can't know that Heavenly Father loves her...I know how much Heavenly Father loves her because of how much even just I care about her.
Fred
A great guy. He's gone to church for years. His wife was baptized 5 years ago. He knows everything is true but is AFRAID of breaking the commandments. We went throught the first 3 lessons of Preach my Gospel and the next one was about the commandments but we didn't feel that teaching him those was really going to help him want to be baptized! He said he wanted it but when came down to it he couldn't commit. We had to drop him after teaching him for 2 months! It's sad but we both feel that it will help him to know and pray about what he really wants.
So these don't have happy endings YET! But I know that the spirit has touched both of these individuals and that they just need to accept it! That's what is comes down to 2Nephi 31:1...we can only bring it UNTO the people's hearts but they have to let it in. Agency plays a key role in our work and sometimes it's frustrating but I will never deny that the people we teach have felt the spirit and now it's their turn to act. I pray for them...I love them...and I know it will come when they are ready. Christ stands at the door and knocks....are we going to let Him in?
Love, Sister Page
Tracy
She was meeting with the Sisters before I came into the area...but the lessons we kind of on pause because she got into a car accident. Then she was having doubts about God loving her...and why would this happen to her when she's trying to do something good. So alot of lessons were focused on faith and such. Then she had surgery on her knee because of it. So it's in the healing process. Well like a week after the surgery she tripped over some clothes in the hallway and bent her knee all the way calf to thigh. It hurt! And it was spazing out as she put it. And she took some pain pills and went to bed. Well her son (12 and a member of the church) prayed that Heavenly Father would heal his mom because she's been in such bad pain. The next day Tracy could bend her knee. She could sit indian style, march, walk, and more. She said it's kind of tight but it doesn't hurt!! It was pretty much healed. She got all skeptical and asked the doctor if there was any way her fall could have HELPED her knee...and he said "you shouldn't even be WALKING" It was for sure a miracle. Well we think things will go well from here on out...but she calls and tells us that she doesn't want to meet anymore. She didn't say exactly why but here's why: she knows it's true and NOW has to change...and is NOT ready for that change! So while she's dropped I know one day she will be ready. There is no way she can't know that Heavenly Father loves her...I know how much Heavenly Father loves her because of how much even just I care about her.
Fred
A great guy. He's gone to church for years. His wife was baptized 5 years ago. He knows everything is true but is AFRAID of breaking the commandments. We went throught the first 3 lessons of Preach my Gospel and the next one was about the commandments but we didn't feel that teaching him those was really going to help him want to be baptized! He said he wanted it but when came down to it he couldn't commit. We had to drop him after teaching him for 2 months! It's sad but we both feel that it will help him to know and pray about what he really wants.
So these don't have happy endings YET! But I know that the spirit has touched both of these individuals and that they just need to accept it! That's what is comes down to 2Nephi 31:1...we can only bring it UNTO the people's hearts but they have to let it in. Agency plays a key role in our work and sometimes it's frustrating but I will never deny that the people we teach have felt the spirit and now it's their turn to act. I pray for them...I love them...and I know it will come when they are ready. Christ stands at the door and knocks....are we going to let Him in?
Love, Sister Page
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Zone Conference Update
Monday was ZONE CONFERENCE oh how I love zone conference. This one felt different though...I don't know why. Maybe because so many people that I've known my whole mission are leaving at the end of the transfer or maybe because the sujects talked about hit so close to home!
Here's a synopsis of my notes:
Theme Scripture D&C 19:16 "For behold, I God, have suffered these things for all that they might not suffer if they would repent."
Pres. Pitts talked to us and it was focused on the Atonement.
He assured us that Christ individually knows each one of us and can separate each person and their doing when He gave His offering. Read Moses 1:28....if Moses could see the inhabitants of the whole world in just a couple minutes and know each of us individually then the Son of God would be able to as well.
Christ suffered and took pain and sin on Himself for people He KNEW would not accept His sacrifice...because He would never want them to think that He'd condemned them to damnation...it was THEIR choice.
Then we talked about how the there are unconditional and conditional parts to the Atonement and that is did TRULY answer all ends of the law of Justice.
INSERT CHART HERE.
There's alot more notes that I took concerning each thing but it would take too long. It was soooo good.
Then the rest of it was about how the Atonement can CHANGE us and how we can see the CHANGE in ourselves as we go through out our mission. The Atonement is much more than just for our sins it's for our short comings....it can HELP us to change. I feel like I've been doing a lot of changing in the last couple months...not because of anything new I discovered about myself but because I'm READY to make the change and I'm relying on the merits and mercy of Jesus Christ.
It's been an amazing journey to be on my mission and to see the CHANGE come over the people I teach but also myself. I don't want to ever go BACK to being complacent...I want to to forever progress. I love the feeling of that. I'm indebted to my Savior for all of His help. I've been reading about the last part of Christ's life since Zone Conference and I cannot imagine what He even went through and how He allowed so much to happen. I love Him for it. If I were to pick one account to read it would be John....I encourage you to also study the last week of His life. It will change you too.
Love, Sister Page
Here's a synopsis of my notes:
Theme Scripture D&C 19:16 "For behold, I God, have suffered these things for all that they might not suffer if they would repent."
Pres. Pitts talked to us and it was focused on the Atonement.
He assured us that Christ individually knows each one of us and can separate each person and their doing when He gave His offering. Read Moses 1:28....if Moses could see the inhabitants of the whole world in just a couple minutes and know each of us individually then the Son of God would be able to as well.
Christ suffered and took pain and sin on Himself for people He KNEW would not accept His sacrifice...because He would never want them to think that He'd condemned them to damnation...it was THEIR choice.
Then we talked about how the there are unconditional and conditional parts to the Atonement and that is did TRULY answer all ends of the law of Justice.
INSERT CHART HERE.
There's alot more notes that I took concerning each thing but it would take too long. It was soooo good.
Then the rest of it was about how the Atonement can CHANGE us and how we can see the CHANGE in ourselves as we go through out our mission. The Atonement is much more than just for our sins it's for our short comings....it can HELP us to change. I feel like I've been doing a lot of changing in the last couple months...not because of anything new I discovered about myself but because I'm READY to make the change and I'm relying on the merits and mercy of Jesus Christ.
It's been an amazing journey to be on my mission and to see the CHANGE come over the people I teach but also myself. I don't want to ever go BACK to being complacent...I want to to forever progress. I love the feeling of that. I'm indebted to my Savior for all of His help. I've been reading about the last part of Christ's life since Zone Conference and I cannot imagine what He even went through and how He allowed so much to happen. I love Him for it. If I were to pick one account to read it would be John....I encourage you to also study the last week of His life. It will change you too.
Love, Sister Page
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Finding Through Your Own Efforts (PMG)
The weeks are flowing together! I can't remember what happened! I think I'll tell you some of the new people we've found to teach...I'm really excited about it. We found both of them through just walking around...and that doesn't happen TOO much in Utah...it happens it's just rare.
#1. David: we were knocking on the door of a house when I realized we were in the wrong complex...so I told S. Mosley that we needed to go down one street and that we should just walk. She suggested we drive but it was a nice day out and I felt like it was better to walk. We start walking to the next street over and and man yells after us. He says "hey do you know where we could find a babysitter?" and then he saw our tags. "Hey speaking of the Church of Jesus Christ you need to come over to my car and see what my sons reading right now..." so we walk over to meet his 9 year old son David. He's in the car reading a Quad (Bible and BoM)...starting in Genesis! He had all kinds of questions about Adam and Eve and we were explaining a little bit. Then his dad goes "yeah his cousin is getting baptized today just up the road." and we looked at each other "well we have a baptism coming up today...his name is Daxton..he's about your age" and his dad goes "THAT'S HIS COUSIN!!" Crazy....we didn't even know his cousin wasn't a member. So we set up a time to meet and tried to find a babysitter for them but they had already found one. So we'll see him tonight.
#2. (same day) Brant: We had a couple minutes before an appointment and saw some
apartments we'd never been to in a little culd-a-sac that was hidden. So I said we should walk around over there...plus there were already people outside one of the houses. So we go to talk to them. Turns out that particular complex of four apartments is a house for stuggling young adults. We meet Brant. He's 20 and from Ohio...he says he's into religion and then not....kind of on again off again. So we talked to him and another guy who was less active from NC...and we set up a time to come back. We went over yesterday. Brant's roommate Ben was there too. Well we ask him to join us too. (The guy from NC was working and not too interested) We just got to know them better. They are really good guys that just needed some help. S. Mosley (she's very direct) asked "why did you want us to come back?" Brant said "The program we're in requires some kind of spirituality and I've been going to this bible group but I think I just work better one on one...and I want to see what's out there" (paraphrased of course) So we feel like he's really open. Ben was willing to listen and had questions but he's more just curious why we do what we do. Their firsrt question was about why they have girl missionaries because they'd only seen Elders before....so we explained that both of us can go on missions. You know the spirit was there and that people have potential when you can't help but smile after the lesson. We really feel good about both of them.
So those were some ways the Lord really put people into our path to show us where to go. I love the feeling I have when I'm inspired...the Spirit does truly guide. I'm so thankful for that constant companion that we have to be with us...it's yet another reassurance that Heavenly Father does love us and IS aware of us.
Love, Sister Page
#1. David: we were knocking on the door of a house when I realized we were in the wrong complex...so I told S. Mosley that we needed to go down one street and that we should just walk. She suggested we drive but it was a nice day out and I felt like it was better to walk. We start walking to the next street over and and man yells after us. He says "hey do you know where we could find a babysitter?" and then he saw our tags. "Hey speaking of the Church of Jesus Christ you need to come over to my car and see what my sons reading right now..." so we walk over to meet his 9 year old son David. He's in the car reading a Quad (Bible and BoM)...starting in Genesis! He had all kinds of questions about Adam and Eve and we were explaining a little bit. Then his dad goes "yeah his cousin is getting baptized today just up the road." and we looked at each other "well we have a baptism coming up today...his name is Daxton..he's about your age" and his dad goes "THAT'S HIS COUSIN!!" Crazy....we didn't even know his cousin wasn't a member. So we set up a time to meet and tried to find a babysitter for them but they had already found one. So we'll see him tonight.
#2. (same day) Brant: We had a couple minutes before an appointment and saw some
apartments we'd never been to in a little culd-a-sac that was hidden. So I said we should walk around over there...plus there were already people outside one of the houses. So we go to talk to them. Turns out that particular complex of four apartments is a house for stuggling young adults. We meet Brant. He's 20 and from Ohio...he says he's into religion and then not....kind of on again off again. So we talked to him and another guy who was less active from NC...and we set up a time to come back. We went over yesterday. Brant's roommate Ben was there too. Well we ask him to join us too. (The guy from NC was working and not too interested) We just got to know them better. They are really good guys that just needed some help. S. Mosley (she's very direct) asked "why did you want us to come back?" Brant said "The program we're in requires some kind of spirituality and I've been going to this bible group but I think I just work better one on one...and I want to see what's out there" (paraphrased of course) So we feel like he's really open. Ben was willing to listen and had questions but he's more just curious why we do what we do. Their firsrt question was about why they have girl missionaries because they'd only seen Elders before....so we explained that both of us can go on missions. You know the spirit was there and that people have potential when you can't help but smile after the lesson. We really feel good about both of them.
So those were some ways the Lord really put people into our path to show us where to go. I love the feeling I have when I'm inspired...the Spirit does truly guide. I'm so thankful for that constant companion that we have to be with us...it's yet another reassurance that Heavenly Father does love us and IS aware of us.
Love, Sister Page
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