Colorado

He is The Gift

December 8, 2014

THIS WEEK. WAS THE BEST. ever. seriously. okay. so. I can't get my thoughts together.

This week was sister's conference, where all sisters from the surrounding areas in our stake come together and we have a bunch of training. Sister Pearson and I were planning it for WEEKS. We had been trying to figure it out, we had asked certain sisters to train on whatever they felt inspired to, and we thought we had a theme in mind. We based it on the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 50:24, about light, and asked all of the sisters to base their training on that scripture. Sister Pearson and I, for our part, were planning on showing a couple of Mormon Messages, and we had it all planned out. That morning, an hour before the conference, we both looked at each other and felt exactly the same thing. We needed to scratch the whole thing we had planned.

We didn't know what we were going to do, we just knew we needed to go by the Spirit. So we showed up at Sister's Conference and it was a FIASCO. haha There was a sister who was getting calls about her health from the doctors and was in tears, some sisters thought it was at 11:00 when  it started at 10:00, and everything was just crazy. Sister Pearson and I didn't know what to do.

Right now we sound like horrible Sister Training Leaders but it's fine because it all worked out.

We got up in front of everyone and just told them exactly what had happened. Our original plan was to have them give their training, then a musical number, then we would train. But we told them that we felt the need to scratch the plan and do something else. We felt that a lot of sisters didn't realize how much they really were progressing, so we all sat in a circle and talked about progression and how Satan makes us think we are not going anywhere in our missions or in our lives. We ended up training on "light", and how when we add more light to our lives, we are continually being converted and progressing towards being like our Savior. All of these talks and scriptures just overwhelmingly came to us that we had studied during the week. The Lord really directed our conversation, and the Spirit was so strong in that room. There was just a feeling of GOODNESS there, and happiness from the sisters. Next, we had all of the sisters give their training, and they all related it to light PERFECTLY.  It went so smoothly and the Spirit was already so strong, we all learned a lot. We really learned what our Savior wanted us to learn that day.  We closed with a musical number, and we all felt so at peace! It started rough but ended up being such a good meeting since we got to hear from all of the sisters!

That was just the beginning of this great week! So as you probably have heard, there is a new video on You Tube called "He is the Gift" about Christmas. We have been trying to share it with as many people as possible, and we had challenged this family in our ward to invite someone over next Sunday to eat with us and watch that video and hear a short Christmas message. They accepted, but about a week into the challenge they still hadn't been able to find anyone to bring!

On Saturday we were tracting, trying to hand out as many "He is the Gift" pass along cards as possible. When we got out of the car we saw a man across the street and I sprinted to give him a card. He didn't really hear what I said and was like, "what?" so I just said ummmm, here's a video we wanted to share with you! bye! (I'm so lame).

BUT then, about 20 min later, we got a call from that family I just mentioned that's supposed to be inviting someone to their house. The husband was so excited.  He said, "Sisters! I have to tell you about this great missionary opportunity I had just now! There was this man that walked by my house and he came up to me saying that this girl just handed him a card, but ran away before he could tell her that he didn't have internet to watch the video! So he told him, that's funny, they are coming over to show us that video on and to eat dinner on Sunday! Do you and your wife want to come?" HE SAID YES! So they successfully found someone to come to dinner!

We thought this was the best experience of our lives at that moment, but what I really learned from it was two things- that God is ALWAYS in the details in our lives, and that if we set a goal, God helps us reach it. I know that to be true. It's through our prayers that others are prompted to be instruments in the Lord's hands. We weren't even planning on being in that area on Saturday, but we had felt strongly to go to someone's house so we followed it!

I love being a missionary, and I'm grateful for this calling that I have at this time. I never want to give it up! It's just so real to me that the Lord is in charge of this work, and I KNOW that He is my Savior. I know that my Redeemer lives and I don't know what I'd do without this knowledge. I really pray that we'll all be able to feel His influence and love this Christmas. It really is such a special time of year and I'm so excited to see what other miracles come. I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father! I can honestly say that I feel their love and influence and Spirit just overwhelmingly each day for all the people we come in contact with. That's how I know we are God's children. In the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!