Tuesday
we had Zone Meeting, which was pretty great. We got a new curriculum
that I'm super excited for. President wants us to become better
teachers. He still wants us to tract, but not have it be a main focus
like it used to be, he said that we're pretty good teachers, but we need
to be better. Our focus now is to strive to incorporate member
missionary work more. To begin by focusing on teaching and role playing
with the members, and as the Spirit comes more directly into their
homes, then it will spark that missionary fire. I'm extremely excited
and we began implementing it ASAP.
Later that Tuesday we went to Taccoa, and had lessons with some amazing women in our ward that have recently been reactivated.
On
Wednesday we had two lessons and a team up and both of our appointments
cancelled :/. That was sad. And then we decided to teach a lesson to
the lady that was going to go out with us. We role played, her being the
investigator, and we actually learned quite a bit from it. We based it
around an appointment we had later that night. And though we didn't need
to use what we learned, it definitely started our day off well with the
Spirit. Then Sister Burgess had a doctor's appointment in Ellijay. We
were going to drive there ourselves and write off the medical miles, but
the lady we did the lesson with offered to give us a ride. That was
REALLY nice! That basically took all day because Ellijay is FOREVER away
from us and her appointment took a very long time. But we ended the
night with a lesson with Karen, the one whose mom is a member. It was a
really wonderful lesson. The mother was baptized a while ago with her
husband. She thought that she would be able to attend her other
daughter's sealing, but she hadn't been baptized for a year. Since then
she has had NO desire to go to the temple. It gives her a bad taste in
her mouth. Well, this past February her husband passed away.
Missionaries didn't come by for a while. Karen moved in. Finally, Sister
Burgess and I felt like we should go visit Sister Eggleston and begin
teaching her the missionary lessons. Karen said that she would like to
join the lessons as well. We've been teaching them, the Spirit's been
strong. Karen said that she will be baptized when she knows it's true,
etc. Well, this last lesson we brought up the temple, because of the
Spirit to be honest, and we found out that Sister Eggleston has suddenly
felt a change of heart and would like to possibly go through the
temple! That's AMAZING! She asked if she could be sealed to her husband.
We affirmed that yes, she could definitely be sealed to her husband. It
was to amazing.
We had exchanged this week
which was really great. I really needed it. And I loved the Sister I
went on exchanges with. She's going to go to BYU-I after the mission and
that made me somewhat excited, because basically everyone in our
mission is going to go to Utah State.
Saturday
we Stake Conference, which was forever away, but really great. First
off, I got to see Sister Andrus and Sister Jones (that was a blessing!)
and the talks were wonderful. Someone from the stake compared missionary
work to the beach. I will say, that's unfair to talk about in front of a
missionary from California. But anyway, he talked about how the waves
are like the wave of missionary work. Getting people to make covenants
with the Lord and be baptized. And the shore was the temple. The
lifeguard is Jesus Christ. It was good and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Last
night we went to go visit an investigator and he wasn't home and I'm
guessing his wife answered and she was NOT interested. We even had a
team up and everything. Then we thought to go visit another pair of
investigators we taught a couple weeks ago but haven't been able to get
in with them. Well, we were in the same city that a less active family
lives in that the entire ward is focusing on basically. As we were
driving to the second set of investigators we decided as a back up plan
to go see the family. But then as we kept driving Sister Burgess said,
"Should we go see the family first? They're the other way around, but
maybe we should go see them." We then made the executive decision to go
see the family. When we first got there it was admittedly awkward. For
maybe five minutes. "Hey we're here interrupting y'alls night on a
school night!" Anyway, but then we taught about the Restoration real
briefly and asked the parents about their conversion (they're both
converts). The husband didn't want to talk about his conversion because
he's less active. Then the wife spoke. I had the distinct feeling that I
should ask the husband whether or not he still believed in the
teachings of the Church. I asked, almost afraid I might offend him, but
he seemed fine that I asked and began discussing his feelings. We fed
off of his concerns and I felt a sweet Spirit enter into their home. It
was calming, and peaceful. As we got ready to leave he thanked me for
asking the question because he's been wanting someone to ask him that
for a long time. It felt nice for him to get that off of his chest. It
was amazing because when Sister Burgess and our team up and I got in the
car, Sister Burgess said she had thought to ask the same question but
didn't want to offend him. I love that we come in pairs because any time
I'm dumb enough not to follow a prompting Sister Burgess always makes
up for it and vice versa. The Lord really knows what he's doing, even
when dealing with 19-25 year old missionaries who are blind sometimes.
Also,
I've learned this week just how much I sincerely love reading the Book
of Mormon. There is a feeling of peace and clarity that comes to me when
I read it. The ending of the Book of Mormon is so beautiful and
significant. I love that book. I don't think I ever realized how much I
would truly thirst from the revelation that I receive from reading the
Book of Mormon.
Anyway, it's amazing. Read it. Study it. And seriously pray about..
Love y'all ,
Sister Smith
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