What a great week! I have learned so much!
We had Zone Training Meeting down in Mad-town on Tuesday! I was SUPER bummed that it was a Zone Training and not a Zone Conference. Elda Beech is now an AP, so I was excited to see his stupid british face, but NOOOOOOO. President was in Madison East Zone doing interviews, so we just had training instead.
But. It was great. Truly the best training I've been too. I don't think it was anything special, but that I let my heart be more open to learning and changing. We talked about obedience, effectively setting up return appointments, giving away open copies of the Book of Mormon, and focusing on bringing families into the gospel.
Our mission has been trying to reach 300 baptisms for like...ever. Guess what we FINALLY did in 2013?! 300 sons and daughters of God entered into the straight and narrow path that leads to the Celestial Kingdom! #yayeternallife
Our goal for this year is 400 baptisms! Fitting for 2014.
Oh, and ZTM was awesome because I love missionary meetings! All of missionary friends in one place = the greatest. Elder Dickey and I became friends on Facebook before our missions and when we saw each other in real life in the mission field, we were like, “hey….I know you!.....kinda….” and it was great. He was in Madison Zone for his entire mission so far (he came out a transfer before me) and then got transferred…to the Madison West Zone! Hahahaha. I saw him and was like, “What the heck are you doing here?!” He was like, “I’m asking the same thing!” So that was fun. I like having missionary friends.
AND. *drumrollplease*.
I found my uncle-in-law Elder Zachary Hadlock! His sister is my aunt. So that was crazy. My family had been telling me to find him and I had no idea where he was serving (he just got here this transfer). I walked into ZTM and guess who was sitting right in front of me? #miracles #smallworld. So, to Aunt Beth, your brother is alive and kicking and doing well! He made us take 4 different pictures together because he didn’t like any of them. So. He’s doing just fine!
After ZTM, I went home to PDC with Sister Vance because we had exchanges! Exchanges usually STRESS ME OUT so hardcore, but this transfers was super chill and great and full of miracles. And I drove all day in -16 weather and ice and didn’t kill anyone! We saw so many little miracles! We got a new investigator! Jonathan committed to read the Book of Mormon for 10 minutes a day! We taught Tiffany Lafave and went over the baptismal interview questions! And. I got a package from Elder Kimzey’s mom!
hahahahaha.
Once upon a time, I was serving in Appleton and it was interviews with President and he brought Sister Cutlers famous cookies. Literally, everyone worships these things. Elder Kimzey is like, “these cookies aren’t even THAT great. I’ve had WAY better cookies”. And I was like, “Yeah right. Prove it.” SO. He said he would have his mom send me the best cookies ever for my birthday. Now that I’m in PDC and am not allowed to talk to him, I had very little faith that he would actually remember. When my birthday came around and no presents came, I completely forgot about the birthday cookie promise. Until Wednesday when my Sister Training Leader is pointing at a box addressed from “Elder Kimzeys Mom” and is like, “so…uhm. WHY is Elder Kimzey’s mom sending you cookies…?” hahahaha. #dontjudge
So that was great! Mom’s are so nice. They do so many nice things that I am sure they think are crazy. But. They are very appreciated. Best surprise ever. Thank you, Elder Kimzey’s mom!
Oh! I got glasses! So far, nobody has anything nice to say about them, but I like them.
So. There!
Saturday we went to a member baptism! It was so precious. Attending baptisms as a missionary is like the literal greatest thing ever. Especially when investigators come! Jonathan and Robert came and they loved it! Jonathan leans over and says, “Sister Butler. I can really feel the Holy Spirit in this place.” #tender. We had an awesome lesson with Robert afterward and I think he really impressed Sister Fitzner. He has so much faith. So much potential. So great.
Sunday we went to Branch council and got a bunch of ideas worked out and it was so great to be working with the branch! Church was great too! Crystal and her girls came! But we didn’t have any investigators :/ But. It was super spiritual and I love PDC branch!
Oh! Best line of the week!
*little girl looks out the window*
“UH OH! GIO’S ATTACKING THE AMISH AGAIN!”
*she goes and gets him (Gio is a dog, btw) and comes in and yells*
“GIO ALMOST ATE THE AMISH’S HORSE!”
Hahaha!
Yes. I live in a place surrounded by Amish. And I love them. I love seeing their little black carriages driving down the road. I love that it’s perfectly normal for a little girl to have to go get her dog away from the Amish horse pulling a buggy full of Amish folk in front of her house.
I’ve been slowly coming to the realization that I am just super super prideful. I knew that my heart needed some softening, but I wasn’t quite sure how to get there. I love to be myself. I love to be real with the people I teach and talk to every day. I firmly believe that God sent me here because of who I am. I try to be as real with people as possible because I know that if I were on the other side, I would straight up hate any missionary who acted like a robot and I didn’t feel like I could actually connect with. The hard part is separating the not so good stuff about your personality from the good parts. It’s tough to try to be yourself, while also trying to fit this mold of a Preach My Gospel missionary, a consecrated missionary, a 4th missionary, an exactly obedient missionary, ect. So. That is what I decided to work on. And it was so amazing! As soon as I just decided that I wanted to work on it, God has stepped in and is helping me change my heart!
I can tell a difference already! The other day Sister Asper was struggling and it was a bleh morning and I really just wanted to take lunch and take a nap, but instead I was like, “Get dressed! WE’RE GOING TRACTING!” And we did! And it was so great and we got a new investigator and I just felt like I was doing what God wanted me to do and I was on FIRE. I was worried that if I let go of those petty things that I felt made me me, I would feel different and stiff and cold. BUT. God is way smarter than me and knows me even better than I do and I actually feel more like myself then ever!
“You can’t convert anyone past your own conversion”. This is true. I thought I was pretty good, and then this week happened. As I am working on changing my own heart, other hearts are being softened, and then those hearts help my heart and its this big happy cycle of changing hearts!
Miracles!
I have one favor to ask of all of you, my friends, my family, my friends’ family, and my family’s friends. We are putting on a fireside for the Prairie du Chien branch about missionary work. What questions do you have about missions, how to be better member missionaries, doctrine, mission life, ect? I want this to be the greatest member missionary fireside ever and I would love to hear from you about your questions so I can answer them and also bring them up to the branch out here.
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