Mar. 6, 2017 "The Zone Training of all Zone Trainings

The Zone Training of all Zone Trainings

Dearest loved ones! I hope you all have had a fantastic week! 

My week has been a bit challenging but quite rewarding :) 

This week we were able to meet lots of people with other members of the ward and did lots of good service! We also were able to have lesson with Cindy who is now our new investigator!! Cindy is a spunky single mom who's covered in tattoos and piercings but is literally the nicest happiest person! She just moved from Wisconsin to tiny Lathrop, MO lol. Haha she loves it though!! We met her a couple weeks ago, she was outside walking her dog when we knocked on her house trying to contact a past potential investigator. She was so friendly and just talked our ear off and said we could come back! So we went back this week and met her super cute kids! (2 of them baptism age oh yeah) and we got to know them better and found out that Cindy lived with members for 3 when she was in high school. She said they were the best people and she'd even been to church before!! We showed her and her kids the video "Follow a Him" and they all sat right in front of me just soaking it all up and afterward when I asked what they liked about it, her cute daughter Erma (who's 8) said "oh wow I really just loved everything about that video!" So we testified of Jesus Christ and our calling as missionaries and we are going back this Thursday!! God truly does put is in the path of those who are prepared when we follow the spirit to find them!! 

Speaking of following the spirit  we had another fantastic lesson with Michael! Our miracle find last week!! (He is the one who has read the whole Book of Mormon). We taught him the Restoration with a member and wow the spirit was so strong! He accepts everything we say and just says it all makes sense to him!! He's so amazing! And the member we brought bore such a powerful testimony. I'm so excited to keep teaching him!! 

Another funny story and new investigator is this kid named Brock!! He showed up on our records and I had no idea who he was (still being fairly new) so sis Brinegar and I met him earlier this week just briefly. He's like 14 and his dad isn't a member but he was super nice and im like okay so like what is this kids story. So we came back Saturday with a member and her teenage kid. And we found out that Brock hasn't been baptized and his mom was a member (that's why he showed up on the records) but his mom isn't active, but his grandparents and uncle are in the ward and they are. But we were talking to him about what we do as missionaries and how much the gospel can bless his life and asked if that's something he wanted to learn more about and have in his life and he shared how he was in a bad car accident a couple months before, but walked away without a scratch. He said that really opened up his eyes and he wants to be closer to God. So we are going to start teaching him!!! Haha pray for me, I've never taught a 14 yr old boy ... so ya this kid needs lots of friends and fellowship! 

But the best part of the week was ZONE TRAINING Friday!! And really it was the Zone Training of all Zone Trainings. We woke up early and our zone all carpooled up to have zone training at ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN!! #perksofbeinginFarWest 🏼

We had it in his special little chapel they have there. And wow the spirit and love and power that was in that room, I'll never forget. I'm so grateful for such loving and inspired leaders who love us missionaries and teach with such power and love. I received many answers so prayers from their trainings. One thing in particular that stood out to me is what Elder Katoa (one of the Zone leaders) said about how it truly is our choice of whether or not we are happy. I have always struggled with waiting for my circumstances to get better before I am happy. But a mission has really been teaching me how to have joy no matter what. I have gained such a strong testimony that the hard things in life don't last forever. Yes, sometimes we do suffer. But I know, because I have felt this, that the Lord is always by our side no matter what our circumstances. And that in and of itself is enough reason to always be joyful. I am so thankful for Him and for Our Savior's Atonement. This week when times get tough, I am going to try harder to remember Jesus Christ and what He did for me that will help me overcome. And I invite each of you to do the same!!! 

After the trainings, we went from the chapel over to Preacher's Rock. A big rock in Adam-Ondi-Ahman where Joseph Smith preached from. And the acoustics are awesome because when you're standing on preachers rock, you can stand all the way back in the field behind and still hear whoever is speaking even if it's in a normal voice. 

But anyway, so we went there and we had some time to go off on our own and read our Patriarchal Blessings and just ponder and pray. I will never forget those moments. We regathered and had a testimony meeting as missionaries. And the whole time I just had impressed upon me so much that we are so blessed to have the eternal perspective we do as members of the church. We can rise above the world and the afflictions we are going through, knowing that it will not last forever. What the mission has taught me most which I will forever be grateful for, which is what is most important. We can get caught up in the things of the world, trying to be cool, trying to please others. We get burdened down by life and trials, but we are infinitely more than all of those things! I know that Christ will come again and that really is what this is all about! Our life here on earth is preparation for what awaits us next! So don't get too consumed with things of the world because they don't last forever! 

I don't know if any of that made sense, sorry if it was a little preachy but I'm just so grateful for the perspective and for knowing that we are so much more than what we will go through in this life! 

But anyways I just know that is so true!!! The gospel is so true!! 

I'm also grateful for priesthood power and such kind kind members of our ward. 

Yesterday I got super super sick at church. Like it was bad. But I couldn't go home because we had gotten a ride from a member of our ward ... but wow I was a wreck. Thankfully some ladies noticed and came and made sure I was okay and our Bishop gave me a blessing. So we went home and i was forced to rest the WHOLE DAY. Ugh. Lots of members came by to bring soup and crackers and sprite and medicine. They're so nice. And they even brought sleeping pills (cus I was too uncomfortable to sleep) and so I knocked out at like 7:30 and slept the whole night! And by some miracle I woke up this morning and feel SOO much better. So we are just chillin at pday, but will probably just rest most of the rest of the day today bc we got a big day of zone conference tomorrow!! 

Anyways love you lots and lots!!! Have an amazing week! 

And check out this talk: "Becoming True Millenials" Pres. Nelson 2016 worldwide devotional for young adults 

sister Bleak 

Also here is a pic of me and my bff sis Bishop in the same spot where
we took our 4 month mark 5months later almost at 9 months!! Time sure
does fly by!!!