Monday, June 6, 2016

Elder Soares visit and baptism prep! oh and 1 year!!!

Hello Family! 

What a week!! I can honestly say this week has been one of my favorites on my mission. We have worked so hard this week and have been thinking about the work constantly and Heavenly Father has blessed us so much!

For starters, a little update:
Transfers were this week and they have started doing transfers differently the last two transfers but this was my first time involved in a transfer since the change. Instead of calling us Tuesday night and telling where one companion is going and who our new companions will be, they just call and tell which companion needs to pack their bags and then on Thursday when we show up to the transfer meeting, there is a list that gets posted at 9am of where everyone is going and who our new companions will be. So Thursday morning was crazy! Thankfully, I am staying in Kansas City 1st and my new companion is SISTER DELANGE! We served together at the Visitors Center last summer for 4 months and have been dreaming of being companions one day and now we are!!! I LOVE her! She is from Salem, Oregon. She is so amazing. 



We took Liz to Presidents Devotional last night (where people who recently got baptized bear their testimony and share their conversion story) and it was insane! There was a YSA who got baptized last week that told his story of how 5 years ago he never would have believed he would ever be a Mormon. He went on phases of loving and hating the Book of Mormon but he had so many answers to prayers that led him to the Book of Mormon when he asked God for comfort. The whole time, Liz and I would just exchange glances because that is pretty much her story. It was so perfect. After he finished telling his amazing story, he testified and said, "I know this church is true. Jesus Christ lives and this is His church" The Spirit was so strong. I leaned over to Liz and asked her if she felt that and she just smiled and said, "YES!" She is so amazing. We went through the history presentation afterwards at the Visitors Center and then planned the details out for her baptism next Saturday!! I am so unbelievably excited for her. She is one of my favorite people I have met on my mission. The faith she has is incredible. She listens to the Spirit so well. 

We had a lesson with her Wednesday and Friday night as well. Wednesday night was Sister Hixon's last lesson with her. We had our lesson at Ryan's apartment and had a little goodbye party for Sister Hixon, really just ate a brownie as we ran out to make it home on time. haha. 



Then Friday, Sister Delange got to meet Liz and we showed her the baptismal font in the church building and taught her the law of tithing. She, again, has so much faith. She just graduated law school and passed the BAR so school debt is a real thing for her. She knows that God will bless her though for being obedient and for showing Him the love that she has for Him.    We all need to make sacrifices in our lives. The biggest sacrifice, in my opinion, is our time. The reason why keeping the Sabbath Day holy is one of the hardest commandments is because it is a huge sacrifice of our time. It has brought me the greatest blessings though. 

On Saturday, we got called in to have an MLC with ELDER SOARES!!!!! He is in the Presidency of the Seventy. Back story, there was a point in my mission where I was struggling a bit (ha, oops I said it, missions are hard) and I came across a talk he gave in 2013 called, "Be Meek and Lowly of Heart". I read this talk every day for two weeks probably and read it every once in a while still. It changed me and continues to change me. I have post it notes of quotes from it all over our apartment. haha. so yes, #fangirled when I found out he was coming to speak to our MLC and I would get to be there. Anyways, the MLC was AMAZING! I can't even describe to you all what it was like. I learned so much. Sister Delange and I were talking in the car afterwards and we were wondering how many times before our mission there were those super spiritual sacrament meetings or devotionals like the ones we've experienced on our missions that we were just too distracted to feel the Spirit and receive the revelation that we could have. It probably happened on the daily for me. I would invite you all to think of what distracts you from the Spirit. Your phone, social media, your schedule, whatever it may be and reevaluate a bit and find a way that you can be more in tune with the Spirit on a daily basis. (Watch or listen to "Things as they Really Are" by Bednar) That is one of the biggest things I have learned on my mission: to take the time everyday to have spiritual experiences and stop whatever I am doing when those moments come up.    

One thing that I loved hearing at this MLC was about motivation. I loved what Elder Rossen said: 
"The world will tell you that motivation is a feeling. Motivation is not a feeling. It's a decision - someone who is motivated will do what they committed to do even when the feeling of motivation has long past. That is the true test." It blew my mind! haha. Our Heavenly Father created us to be agents to act and not to be acted upon. Make the decision today to be motivated and stay motivated! :) 

So many other things happened this week, but this email is so long already. So, here are some pictures :) 

But Sunday was CRAZY!!! We have been working with Glenda Burgin for a while and she has always been saying she will come to church and this week she did!! I love her so much!! She said that I keep bringing it up every lesson we have so she just needs to do it. haha. The Burgin kids came and our new investigator Bill. Also, Sister Delange needed to meet the whole ward! It was so fun and busy! Sister Delange and I were talking afterwards and how we both strive on stress and being busy. It is the best! 

Love you all so much! Have a great week! I'll enjoy the Missouri humidity and heat for you all. ha

This is Ny'Vea, Antonio, and Latrice Burgin! The kids are getting baptized in a couple of weeks!



transfer pictures!!





Meet Lexi! Her and her family are living in a hotel right now. Her mom is a member but hasn't been active for about 15 years. They are struggling a lot right now but they are loving the Book of Mormon so far :) 



and Friday was my year mark!! What! It is going by too fast and I hate it! but we totally forgot to take a picture during the day because for once (in pretty sure my whole mission), not one of plans for the day fell through. We had three lessons with members set up and they all happened! #blessings. So here's a late night selfie



Sister Morgan

0 comments:

Post a Comment