So this week I started a 40-day fast
which is where you fast for 24 hours and ask Heavenly Father to help you know
around 10 things you can change, basically to be more pure. I did one around
this time last year and felt this week I needed to do one again. I have a list
of things that poked at my spirit as I fasted such as being more humble, having a
better attitude during prayer, really going to bed on time and listening to
inspiring music. I'm also working on not being critical/judgmental, following
promptings, and only writing one email home to the people I email instead of
going back and forth during my hour of email time, and I will be done emailing
by 4 pm! I started this last Friday and it will go until December 14! So here
we go!
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| Sisters Jensen, Esplin, Hna Macfarlane, Skordas |
This last week was kind of crazy
because I went with the Little Rock Hermanas for two days while Sister Skordas
went to the Bryant sisters nearby, then after a meeting we had Wednesday
morning I joined Sister Skordas in Bryant that evening. Then we had plans to be
in the Searcy Zone but the sisters we wanted to see got bed bugs! And as you
can imagine, if we were to get bed bugs we would literally sit at home and
study all day. It would be horrible. So we didn't go. BUT, we did visit the
sisters in Sherwood and it turned out to be really great! They are such fun
sisters. Sister Jensen is one of the English sisters that came out with me so
she will go home the transfer after mine. And Sister Esplin is a little angel
and she just finished her training. We had some really great dinners and met
some awesome members.
On our second day, I was with Sister
Jensen and we had about an hour to try to see some people in an area. The first
lady we planned to see was recovering from heart surgery but it turns out her
daughter was super interested so we taught her a little bit and left. We were
trying to find the address of the next person in that area but our eyes caught
a group of friendly hoodlums outside, up to no good. So, obviously we went to
talk with them. After getting to know them it ended up being Sister Jensen
teaching one of the friends about the restoration and I taught the other two
about the plan of salvation and then we joined together and invited them to
study both! (This sounds really shady like we broke off or something. We were
like 2 feet from each other but somehow we ended up having 2 totally separate
lessons ....) They were the coolest of the hoodlums. (Hahaha funny story was
one of the teenagers, Logan, was asking if the south fulfilled or changed any
of the stereotypes. I said definitely not! And he said "Well we aren't all
hillbillies and rednecks." But he definitely was a borderline redneck and
it was hilarious.)
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| Ashley sent info about who all of these people are but I can't get it to open. So, here are some nice looking folks. |
Anyway we had a great day at church.
There was a lady there who only speaks Spanish and I was able to talk to her
and help her figure out her Hymnbook! Lots of the sisters in their ward speak
Spanish but it was fun to talk with her.
ALSO, we got word from the Sherwood
sisters last night that they had a lesson with Logan and Bethany (the plan of
salvation people) and they totally loved it and were so excited to
read!!!!
(We are outside of McDonald's and it
smells like Chinese food????)
This week at our meeting there were
a few things that stood out. President Wakolo said "I have had some
thoughts" and then gave a huge list of “proverbs” or something. It was so
awesome. Just like, one-liners that blew my mind. The first one he said was
"Disciples hear something for the first time and decide to
change-immediately." YEAH. I can't remember the others but he is great. Sister
Wakolo talked with us about personal prayer and did a "what-why-how"
of prayer which reminded me I need to have a better attitude when praying. She
really focused on the fact that what we say is not as important as how we feel.
I've been focusing on really meaning what I say when I pray and thinking about
the situations we are in and stuff.
I studied Alma 7 this week for my
chapter on the Atonement. It was really neat because I read it Sunday morning
before going to church. I love that the people are generally good people. They
are pretty righteous and he's grateful they are better than the people of
Zarahemla. But he still teaches them about the Atonement and about repentance!
I was studying this morning about our need to use the power and authority we
have been given. Even if there are those who are righteous, we still need to
keep Christ on our lips and let them know about the restored gospel of Jesus
Christ. The more we learn and understand the Atonement, the greater our desire
is to share the gospel.
We talked about Elder Oaks' talk in
conference about missionary work, that it's not like this separate program of
the church but it is our duty and we should all have a mission plan for how we
are going to share the gospel.
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| I look like a body builder ... |
Have a gooood week!
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