So I mentioned it last week but I didn't realize then how big of an impact it would have on me this week: Transfers happened!! I'm in the same area after transfers, but there are three new sisters in my ward. My companion is la Hermana Rea! She is from Venezuela/Orem Utah and my goodness she's awesome. We got to know each other well the last two transfers and she is such a wonderful and patient companion. I'm learning about how to really love the people and go above and beyond to serve them and address their personal needs and concerns. It feels different to be leading the area, like I am more aware of the people and what they need, because I have to decide who to see and what to teach them, at least until Hermana Rea meets everyone.
Another interesting facet to this transfer is that Heavenly Father let us decide where we split the area, and which companion goes where. We prayed for direction. And we all felt that we should split it north and south. And then I prayed about where Sister Rea and I should be, and we both felt we should be in the South. But. Everyone Sister Ferguson and I were teaching last transfer lives in the north. That was a hard answer to receive, but Heavenly Father has blessed me with peace concerning the matter and we are sure this is His will for us, and that we will see some miracles happen in our area this transfer!!
There have been quite a few moments where I have felt just overwhelmed with everything. Trying to run both areas and help the others learn the area and make sure the people who are progressing get visited with the right fellowships and then also trying to remember where everyone lives! And then planning and trying to be patient as all four of us share the same rather tiny apartment. So it's been a stressful week but also one filled with tender mercies from my Heavenly Father. I've been kind of alone in doing all of these things, although the others, especially my companion, have been eager to help, most of everything fell to me to do. But I never felt alone! Every morning I asked for direction and also for peace about the changes and the new responsibilities. And there were moments probably everyday where I felt like everything was out of control and I was completely lost, and also experiences everyday where I saw Heavenly Father answer my prayers and give me direction and clarity and peace. One of those stressful moments brought me to the Book of Mormon where the spirit spoke directly to me. "Yea, and how is it that he have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to His will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in Him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to Him" 1 Nephi 7:12.
On Sunday I woke up feeling really anxious about the day, not really sure how everything would get done, but knowing that it all HAD to get done. And I just prayed that somehow a way would be provided, and that I could feel uplifted and refreshed after attending church. Sacrament meeting was focused on Trek, since the young women and young men had just gotten back. And one of the girls, who we have been trying to help, and who we tried to encourage her go on Trek, got up and bore her testimony. She said she has been looking for an answer to if the church is true, and that she received it on trek. She shared an experience that reminded me of my first trek experience when we were the last in a long line of handcarts and we were trying to go up a very large hill without many of our family members. We felt like we weren't going to be able to get to the stop, like the handcart was pulling itself backwards and we were far behind the rest of the group. We decided the only way we were going to get to the top was if we stopped pray. As we ended the prayer we got up, determined to work as hard as we could. A few minutes later my "older brother" (one of the older boys) ran from the top of the hill to help us, and we made it to the top. I was sitting there in church as this experience was brought back to my mind. And I felt distinctly like this was kind of the same experience, and that my Older Brother, Jesus Christ, wasn't just going to come at some future point, but that He was with me then and was going to continue with me.
We've been working really hard lately. At least, when we get home I feel like I am completely worn out. It's a good feeling. We've been having some good lessons, and have found a few people, but we weren't having a whole ton of success. But I was determined to keep going, the work is sweet even without successes. And then yesterday I was feeling kind of lost again, I wasn't really sure who we should visit. A clear impression to go and visit a former investigator came to my mind. And I was like, "ummmm, are you sure, we just stopped seeing her like a month ago, are you sure now is the time?" and the spirit said yes, so off we went. We got to her house, and she was home!! The last time we went we gave her all of the pamphlets to read, as well as a Book of Mormon. We asked her about those and she said that She's read all of the pamphlets and she's been going to the Book of Mormon to understand things better!!!!! AND!! She says she just loves the feeling she gets as she reads them, it makes her feel that there is something bigger out there, that God loves her, and that there is something bigger she needs to find out and have in her life. We are going to visit her tomorrow and eat ice cream with her. She also played the accordion for us.
A fun experience:
We were in a visit with some members we are working with, and she offered us popsicles. I offered to cut off the tops for everyone, so I asked where a knife or scissors were. I didn't really understand, I guess, because after I cut open the popsicles and brought them back and we started to eat them I realized I had made a big mistake. They had said something about a knife being on the counter and also something about knives being in the drawer. And so I just used the knife on the counter. Turns out they had just used that knife to cut up chilis onions and cilantro. WHOOT! So all in all we had very spicy popsicles to eat.
It has also been 105 degrees outside everyday this week. And we've been doing a lot of walking. We passed by this house in a deserted neighborhood (nobody was outside) that had a cart, and a cow skull outside of it. it all just worked together so perfectly we had to take pictures xD
I'm excited for this transfer!
hope you all are well :)
love,
mle
Another interesting facet to this transfer is that Heavenly Father let us decide where we split the area, and which companion goes where. We prayed for direction. And we all felt that we should split it north and south. And then I prayed about where Sister Rea and I should be, and we both felt we should be in the South. But. Everyone Sister Ferguson and I were teaching last transfer lives in the north. That was a hard answer to receive, but Heavenly Father has blessed me with peace concerning the matter and we are sure this is His will for us, and that we will see some miracles happen in our area this transfer!!
There have been quite a few moments where I have felt just overwhelmed with everything. Trying to run both areas and help the others learn the area and make sure the people who are progressing get visited with the right fellowships and then also trying to remember where everyone lives! And then planning and trying to be patient as all four of us share the same rather tiny apartment. So it's been a stressful week but also one filled with tender mercies from my Heavenly Father. I've been kind of alone in doing all of these things, although the others, especially my companion, have been eager to help, most of everything fell to me to do. But I never felt alone! Every morning I asked for direction and also for peace about the changes and the new responsibilities. And there were moments probably everyday where I felt like everything was out of control and I was completely lost, and also experiences everyday where I saw Heavenly Father answer my prayers and give me direction and clarity and peace. One of those stressful moments brought me to the Book of Mormon where the spirit spoke directly to me. "Yea, and how is it that he have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to His will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in Him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to Him" 1 Nephi 7:12.
On Sunday I woke up feeling really anxious about the day, not really sure how everything would get done, but knowing that it all HAD to get done. And I just prayed that somehow a way would be provided, and that I could feel uplifted and refreshed after attending church. Sacrament meeting was focused on Trek, since the young women and young men had just gotten back. And one of the girls, who we have been trying to help, and who we tried to encourage her go on Trek, got up and bore her testimony. She said she has been looking for an answer to if the church is true, and that she received it on trek. She shared an experience that reminded me of my first trek experience when we were the last in a long line of handcarts and we were trying to go up a very large hill without many of our family members. We felt like we weren't going to be able to get to the stop, like the handcart was pulling itself backwards and we were far behind the rest of the group. We decided the only way we were going to get to the top was if we stopped pray. As we ended the prayer we got up, determined to work as hard as we could. A few minutes later my "older brother" (one of the older boys) ran from the top of the hill to help us, and we made it to the top. I was sitting there in church as this experience was brought back to my mind. And I felt distinctly like this was kind of the same experience, and that my Older Brother, Jesus Christ, wasn't just going to come at some future point, but that He was with me then and was going to continue with me.
We've been working really hard lately. At least, when we get home I feel like I am completely worn out. It's a good feeling. We've been having some good lessons, and have found a few people, but we weren't having a whole ton of success. But I was determined to keep going, the work is sweet even without successes. And then yesterday I was feeling kind of lost again, I wasn't really sure who we should visit. A clear impression to go and visit a former investigator came to my mind. And I was like, "ummmm, are you sure, we just stopped seeing her like a month ago, are you sure now is the time?" and the spirit said yes, so off we went. We got to her house, and she was home!! The last time we went we gave her all of the pamphlets to read, as well as a Book of Mormon. We asked her about those and she said that She's read all of the pamphlets and she's been going to the Book of Mormon to understand things better!!!!! AND!! She says she just loves the feeling she gets as she reads them, it makes her feel that there is something bigger out there, that God loves her, and that there is something bigger she needs to find out and have in her life. We are going to visit her tomorrow and eat ice cream with her. She also played the accordion for us.
A fun experience:
We were in a visit with some members we are working with, and she offered us popsicles. I offered to cut off the tops for everyone, so I asked where a knife or scissors were. I didn't really understand, I guess, because after I cut open the popsicles and brought them back and we started to eat them I realized I had made a big mistake. They had said something about a knife being on the counter and also something about knives being in the drawer. And so I just used the knife on the counter. Turns out they had just used that knife to cut up chilis onions and cilantro. WHOOT! So all in all we had very spicy popsicles to eat.
It has also been 105 degrees outside everyday this week. And we've been doing a lot of walking. We passed by this house in a deserted neighborhood (nobody was outside) that had a cart, and a cow skull outside of it. it all just worked together so perfectly we had to take pictures xD
I'm excited for this transfer!
hope you all are well :)
love,
mle