Ice Ice Baby
This
week was pretty good! A little slower because of weather and sickness but still
good!
Highlights
from the week are that we had an awesome lesson with our investigator Sarah who
is trying to overcome smoking to be able to make her baptismal date for January
28! We taught about the power of the atonement and had Gary who's a recent
convert come as a teamup and he bore the most powerful testimony! And then
Sarah told us the next day before she was going to quit, she went to smoke and
the cigarette tasted disgusting! Hahah it's a miracle!! (We told our whole
district about it because they had been praying for her! Prayer is real!)
We
also had a great lesson with Gwen!! She just soaked in everything we told her
about the plan of salvation. She read the pamphlet about 4 times and is already
in 1 Nephi 6! She loved the Book of Mormon and felt such a powerful
confirmation from the spirit when she said she prayed about it, so she knows
it's all true!!!
MIRACLES!!
She is just so awesome. It is so amazing to see that there are those people
prepared and who can recognize the truth that makes sense to the spirit within
them!
Also
we had dinner at this members house and it's literally like an antique shop.
But SO pretty!!! (Sorry I don't have pictures) but basically it was the
fanciest coolest house and dinner I had ever had. You find very random
interesting people and things out in the BOONS of Missoura!
Towards
the end of the week, Sister Stuber wasn't feeling too well so she rested more
and we planned a lot. But Friday we were supposed to have another lesson with
Gwen and then a lesson with the Carnahans but everyone was gearing up for a
huge ice storm that was supposed to set in at the exact time of our
appointments. We were like eh it's fine.. so we start driving the 30 miles to
Plattsburg and pass through Lathrop and visit a less active and she is like
freaking out that we were going to go out there and basically was like um
you're not going. But she made it sound like it was going to be pretty bad and
they're natives and we don't have the news so we're like okay well maybe we
should cancel it and we can just stay around Lawson ...
so
as much as we didn't want to, we canceled our appointments and came back into
Lawson. We ended up using some of the Bishops wifi right by our house and
helping Sister Mayne clean and do some service around her house and then just
stayed for dinner and correlation with Bishop Mayne! So it worked out in the
end and we were still productive missionaries!
We
were a little peeved though because the roads weren't even bad ... until
Saturday morning. Everything was ice. But they didn't shut down the cars! So we
braved the streets and visited a few people who were like what in the world are
you doing outside?! Haha but the son came out and so we decided that we could
make it out to the Roses. (They're like our literal family here in Crooked
River - we are there at least 3 times a week) We had planned to make cookies
that we could take to their neighbors and other people were teaching but they
live way out so we were unsure with the roads. But they were fine by the
afternoon so we headed out there and made like 200 cookies! And then delivered
them to lots of people!
Sadly,
church needed up being canceled but we were able to take the sacrament at a
members home in town and Sarah and her daughter were able to come!! And guess
what! All of church all over he mission canceled and Sarah was the only one at
Sac this week! The only one out of the whole mission!! Boooyah.
Yesterday
I made it to 7 months out on the mission! And his week I really have been
reflecting so much on what it means to be a missionary.
In
the winter it's hard because weather is unpredictable, people just want to be
inside all day and not be bothered, everyone is sick and so there's lots of
time to ponder and plan to still be effective and find those who our Heavenly
Father would have us help. It also allows for some more study time! So these
are some things I have learned and have been thinking about this week...
As
I may have mentioned before, we are studying the four gospels as a Christlike
attribute study as a mission. This week I was studying in Mark 8 and what
really stood out to me is the well know verse,
"Whosoever
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
me." Then He goes on to say.. "For whosoever
will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake
and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole
world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:34-37)
As
a missionary, you are literally set apart and so it should be easier to deny
the world and follow Christ, right? Okay maybe a little. But I realized that
while yes, denying e natural man, losing yourself in the service of others is
very much important and emphasized as a missionary, it should not change for me
when I go home! And should be that way for all the people who are home!
When
we took upon our baptismal Covenants, let us not forget that we took upon
ourselves the name of Christ! We are all to deny ourselves of the world and
follow Christ. For He was the true and perfect example of submitting ones will
to the Father.
Elder
Holland also put it best when he said that as disciples of Christ, I will not
be surprised if we have to endure somewhat of what Christ did. Being despised
and rejected of men.
I
love what the institute manual says too (I will attach it)
Yeah
none of us is perfect, but we're all striving to deny ourselves or deny our
natural selves so we can become more like our father in heaven.
This
week I invite each of you to take one thing that might be more carnal and
substitute it with something more uplifting! You will feel a more increase of
the spirit as you do so!!
I
am so grateful for my calling as a missionary but more importantly my Covenants
I've made with God!!!
Have
an amazing week! Love you all thank you for your love and support!!
Sister
Bleak 
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