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| Saying Goodbye to Sister Cannon |
HELLLOOO!!!
I JUST LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE. This will be my last general conference as a missionary so I was like "yeah I'm going to watch the whole thing in Spanish!!" That didn't happen. I did the first session and the first part of the second session and then the spirit lovingly told me there were things I needed to hear in English and I was being prideful trying to do it all in Spanish. And I'm so grateful that I listened because there were so many answers to prayers and questions! :)
I really love watching conference in the comfort of my home (with blankets and crepes and pajamas) but there is just such a sweet spirit that is felt as people gather together in the chapel to listen to the leaders of the church. Especially in the Spanish room it is so fun to be in there and especially to see their gratitude that it is being translated into their native language so they can understand clearly the messages from the Spirit.
To sum it up I learned to have faith, hope, charity, love, diligence, and obedience. And that member missionary work talk was really cool, too.
AND THE MISSIONARY CHOIR AWW WEREN'T THEY SO GOOD?!?!
We had a fun thing this week (or last week?) when we were going to see a person named Meli, she wasn't home and I felt like there might be someone else in the area we needed to see. So we knocked on the door next to hers. It was an older not Hispanic lady who did not want us to come in because she was having a bad day. So we left her a nice note and I assumed that was the person we needed to see or uplift or something. As we went back to the car we were like hmm.. No there's still someone else. So we knocked on the next door and again not Hispanic but a nice young family. (Side note: I was like "yeah let's just leave them a card or something" and Hermana Thornton was like "no let's ask them if they know anyone who speaks Spanish" so that was important.) We asked her if she knew anyone who speaks Spanish and she was like "yeah there's a big family that lives down the road..." And she gave us the exact directions. We were like SWEET okay and went to see them. We got there and the house was not Hispanic and no one was home but Hna Thornton saw a Hispanic guy outside so we went to go to talk to him-and it turns out it was that family! They are a family of I think 10 in total all under the age of 17 and the parents might even be married!!! I love that God always knows where His missionaries are.
We didn't know exactly what the outcome was going to be but we knew there was someone in the area that needed the gospel.
We had quite a few good experiences this week:
- We have a nice couple we are teaching who are actually reading the Book of Mormon and want to learn more :') it's so happy. They are so nice. Isidro and Claudia (and their daughter.... Dseomthing)
- Carlos the security guard was a really sweet experience because I was going to just walk by him because I was in the middle of a conversation with Hna Lopez who was teaching with us. But then Hermana Thornton chased down a Hispanic lady and gave her a card and then I was like "okay I need to go talk to the security guard now." So we did and he was the jolliest nicest man who happens to be just like Hermana
Lopez's brother. Anyway, we started talking about God and it turns out he is having a really hard time because ofthe loss of his son to cancer and Hermana Lopez was so sweet to testify to him of eternal families and it was just a really cool experience.
- Two of our four investigators have had their babies and IT IS SO HARD NOT TO HOLD THEM THEY ARE SO CUTE. Hermana Guerrero is an awesome awesome member who has been coming back to church and came teaching with us a few times. She has the whole fellow-shipping thing down. We took her to see Vicky and they were nice and stuff but then that night Vicky had her baby! And Hermana Guerrero has gone over or talked to Vicky every single day since then. Last night we went to go follow up with Vicky on her reading and we got there and the Guerrero's were just over there hanging out and eating soup or something. So cool.
Last week I got a call from President Wakolo saying he wanted me to come to the MLC the coming week. So that was this Wednesday and Thursday but the coolest part is that Hermana Thornton took over the area all by herself in Spanish for two days and (as far as I know) it was SUPER great. There's a trio of English sisters that live in our same apartment complex so the trainee came over here with Hna Thornton and I just think they are cool for doing that and surviving. And now Hermana Thornton will be training this next transfer!!
This
morning I got a call to be an impact sister (I don't really know what that is yet.. It's a new calling that I think President Wakolo made up). There have been impact Elders off and on for the last year. All I know is that I am going to be with Sister Skordas (who you don't know yet but she is really really awesome) and we travel around and "impact" areas or something. I think we sort of do like 3-day exchanges with whichever sisters in the mission we feel inspired to... Impact.I don't know where we will be living-possibly in our car. :) But I will let you know as soon as I find out, I think I get transferred this Thursday? I just have to tell you that I have been praying to know how to be a better teacher and develop better teaching skills and also how to like correct and be a good example but in a loving/sharp/charitable way and this was an answer to my prayers! I am nervous because it will be a learning and changing experience for me, but I know that God listens to and answers our prayers-even in ways we are definitely not expecting.
A cool thing we learned at MLC is being "therefore" missionaries instead of "however" missionaries. We made a circle list of all the things we feel when we have unity in our companionship (desire, joy, fun, flow, excitement, urgency, etc.) and all the things we feel when we have contention (anger, bored, agitated, frustrated, lack of spirit, flaws, annoyed, etc.) and in the middle of the ven-diagram (sp?) we put an "I" because it starts with us. And president expounded that to saying all those feelings of unity make you a disciple who says "therefore..." Example: "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, therefor I will have joy, desire, etc." the other side would be "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, however, I feel anger or boredom..." So, don't make excuses. Decide to be happy and use the Atonement because repentance is the plan!
Okay, is this email long enough to make up for the last few weeks??
I was grateful for the reminder from Elder Rasband (I think) to remember our spiritual experiences. I was thinking about how important it is not just to quietly reminisce on them but to really ponder and consider what that meant for us then and what that means for us now. Sister Wakolo invited us when we feel anxious or sleepless at night to think back to our favorite temple and the feelings we have there. I usually do not have problems sleeping but often at night my mind runs around before I go to bed as I have a second to over-analyze everything. But I have pondered my temple feelings and it always brings the spirit back and I am able to feel calm and to sleep well. (Even if it doesn't make you fall asleep, she said at least you are giving your mind and body a good rest!)
Thank you for the prayers and love and support!!! Please continue not only to pray for us and the people in our areas but also for yourselves and the people in and out of your circle of friends with whom you can share the blessings of the gospel, they are so sweet!
Much love,
Hermana Mac
I JUST LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE. This will be my last general conference as a missionary so I was like "yeah I'm going to watch the whole thing in Spanish!!" That didn't happen. I did the first session and the first part of the second session and then the spirit lovingly told me there were things I needed to hear in English and I was being prideful trying to do it all in Spanish. And I'm so grateful that I listened because there were so many answers to prayers and questions! :)
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| General Conference |
To sum it up I learned to have faith, hope, charity, love, diligence, and obedience. And that member missionary work talk was really cool, too.
AND THE MISSIONARY CHOIR AWW WEREN'T THEY SO GOOD?!?!
We had a fun thing this week (or last week?) when we were going to see a person named Meli, she wasn't home and I felt like there might be someone else in the area we needed to see. So we knocked on the door next to hers. It was an older not Hispanic lady who did not want us to come in because she was having a bad day. So we left her a nice note and I assumed that was the person we needed to see or uplift or something. As we went back to the car we were like hmm.. No there's still someone else. So we knocked on the next door and again not Hispanic but a nice young family. (Side note: I was like "yeah let's just leave them a card or something" and Hermana Thornton was like "no let's ask them if they know anyone who speaks Spanish" so that was important.) We asked her if she knew anyone who speaks Spanish and she was like "yeah there's a big family that lives down the road..." And she gave us the exact directions. We were like SWEET okay and went to see them. We got there and the house was not Hispanic and no one was home but Hna Thornton saw a Hispanic guy outside so we went to go to talk to him-and it turns out it was that family! They are a family of I think 10 in total all under the age of 17 and the parents might even be married!!! I love that God always knows where His missionaries are.
We didn't know exactly what the outcome was going to be but we knew there was someone in the area that needed the gospel.
- We have a nice couple we are teaching who are actually reading the Book of Mormon and want to learn more :') it's so happy. They are so nice. Isidro and Claudia (and their daughter.... Dseomthing)
- Carlos the security guard was a really sweet experience because I was going to just walk by him because I was in the middle of a conversation with Hna Lopez who was teaching with us. But then Hermana Thornton chased down a Hispanic lady and gave her a card and then I was like "okay I need to go talk to the security guard now." So we did and he was the jolliest nicest man who happens to be just like Hermana
Lopez's brother. Anyway, we started talking about God and it turns out he is having a really hard time because ofthe loss of his son to cancer and Hermana Lopez was so sweet to testify to him of eternal families and it was just a really cool experience.
- Two of our four investigators have had their babies and IT IS SO HARD NOT TO HOLD THEM THEY ARE SO CUTE. Hermana Guerrero is an awesome awesome member who has been coming back to church and came teaching with us a few times. She has the whole fellow-shipping thing down. We took her to see Vicky and they were nice and stuff but then that night Vicky had her baby! And Hermana Guerrero has gone over or talked to Vicky every single day since then. Last night we went to go follow up with Vicky on her reading and we got there and the Guerrero's were just over there hanging out and eating soup or something. So cool.
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| Cereal |
This
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| Chick Fil A |
A cool thing we learned at MLC is being "therefore" missionaries instead of "however" missionaries. We made a circle list of all the things we feel when we have unity in our companionship (desire, joy, fun, flow, excitement, urgency, etc.) and all the things we feel when we have contention (anger, bored, agitated, frustrated, lack of spirit, flaws, annoyed, etc.) and in the middle of the ven-diagram (sp?) we put an "I" because it starts with us. And president expounded that to saying all those feelings of unity make you a disciple who says "therefore..." Example: "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, therefor I will have joy, desire, etc." the other side would be "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, however, I feel anger or boredom..." So, don't make excuses. Decide to be happy and use the Atonement because repentance is the plan!
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| Haircuts, Hna Thornton got straightened and I got curled. |
I was grateful for the reminder from Elder Rasband (I think) to remember our spiritual experiences. I was thinking about how important it is not just to quietly reminisce on them but to really ponder and consider what that meant for us then and what that means for us now. Sister Wakolo invited us when we feel anxious or sleepless at night to think back to our favorite temple and the feelings we have there. I usually do not have problems sleeping but often at night my mind runs around before I go to bed as I have a second to over-analyze everything. But I have pondered my temple feelings and it always brings the spirit back and I am able to feel calm and to sleep well. (Even if it doesn't make you fall asleep, she said at least you are giving your mind and body a good rest!)
Thank you for the prayers and love and support!!! Please continue not only to pray for us and the people in our areas but also for yourselves and the people in and out of your circle of friends with whom you can share the blessings of the gospel, they are so sweet!
Much love,
Hermana Mac
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