Week 68: He Lives!

Elle and Sister Perry

Everyone needs to serve a mission!! There are things in life you are going to have a hard time learning. Why not learn them while you are in the service of your God and fellow man. This last week I was thinking a lot about how we can't do more than we can handle. We can't expect our self's to do more than the Lord expects us to do. This has been one of the hardest things for me. I find I want to just do everything and anything but that the Lord has different plans. The more I pray and ask Heavenly Father to align my will with his will it always works out and we are able to do more than we had planned for! 

Elle and Sister Plank

This last week Sister Perry and I were blessed! We first had exchanges on Tuesday and I was able to go to Stanwood with Sister Plank. I don't know if you all remember my companion Sister Pickup but Sister Plank reminds me of Sister Pickup. They could be twins and everything. It’s funny because Sister Pickup goes home in a week and Sister Plank just got here in time to replace her.  I had a really good day with Sister Plank. We were really lucky that the weather decided to be sooo nice and that the sun came out. We talked to a lot of different people and we were able to have really good lessons with a couple of their investigators. When we were going to teach one of the first lessons we had planned to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We go in there and he had a couple of questions. We had to change our entire lesson plan but that is okay! I know that as we teach to people’s needs and what they need to hear instead of what we want them to hear things always go so much better! Also it is a lot easier for the Spirit to testify to them of the truthfulness of this message. We didn't time things very well and so we got back to the apartment a little after nine. We were going to exchange back and Sister Leininger and I were going to head back to Mount Vernon but it was too late and we were going to be going to their Zone meeting first in the morning so we ended up staying the night and sleeping on the floor. I am not old and I don't ever feel old but when I woke up......I felt old. I don't think I am going to volunteer to sleep on the floor very often if at all. 

The night Elle had to sleep on the floor.

Wednesday we went to Arlington’s zone meeting and it was awesome! What a great zone full of hard working missionaries! Sister Leininger and I instructed first because we had to drive back to Mount Vernon so we could also make it back in time for our zone meeting. We instructed about the importance of loving and knowing your companion and also with staying together. It was a lot of fun and it was cool to hear the companions answer questions about their companion, their likes and dislikes, their companion’s family, and those kinds of things. After we finished we drove to our zone meeting and instructed with the zone leaders on kind of the same thing that we all instructed on in MLC. I am so grateful for the spirit because if we didn't teach with the spirit it would all be a waste. 

After Zone Conference

Afterward Sister Leininger and I went on a blitz with Sisters Thompson and Skousen. We split up so we could get more work done. It is so fun being able to work with different Sisters and find ways and things that I can implement into my missionary work so I can be a more effective teacher. 

Zone Conference

Then after the blitz I was finally able to come back to Oak Harbor and be with my companion and we were able to work in my own area. It is so nice to be back home and not have to sleep in someone elses apartment or bed. I get to be in my own place...blessings!! Sister Perry and I have been able to work so hard and get things done! We were able to find some new investigators and put people on date! Also this Saturday we are going to be having a baptism for our investigator MacKenzie!!! We are so excited!!! Heavenly Father has defiantly blessed us with so many things. There is no greater feeling then being able to watch one of your brothers or sisters enter the waters of baptism and are able to make covenants with our Heavenly Father! So many good things to look forward to this next week!  

Saturday one of our investigators Amber texted us and said she hadn't smoked in two days! We were so happy and we went to respond and tell her good job, but she asked us when she was going to be able to be baptized. That was completely unexpected!!! We told her that she had to be smoke free for a month before she could get baptized. She is very much so excited and it was a lot of fun to see her make the decision on her on to quit smoking and that she has been able to stick with it. 

Sunday was Stake Conference and it was very good. Amber came and she LOVED it and was talking to her daughter Savannah and asking her questions and telling her the things that they are going to start doing to get ready for their baptism. I am grateful for the opportunity we have to be able to hear from our Stake Leaders and to be able to heed the counsel that they give us.

I am grateful for this Gospel and I appreciate it a lot more than ever before. There is no other way to have eternal joy then through Christ and following the commandments and doing the little things! I love you all so much and hope that you have an amazing week!