This week was really good. I got to spend a few days with the Spanish
Sisters so that was fun. We actually taught a few lessons in English so
that was nice :) I didn't really have to just sit there for any of them, I
could actually participate. We were able to still teach a few of my investigators
too so that was good. We had a lot of fun together. We all camped out in
the living room since we have to sleep in the same room! haha. Sleepovers!
We had transfers on Thursday and there were BIG changes! They made 4 new
zones! That is so crazy. We now have 14 total. So they have a zone for each
stake. That means that some of the zones are extremely tiny and some are
big, just depending on how many units are in each stake. The Missionary
Department suggested we try it and the Brethren are all looking to us to
try new things because this has a lot of members like Utah, but also has
millions of non members. So that is why we always pilot things and they
always look to us. Anyway so that is really cool.
There is also one district that is just sisters. They live far away from
the rest of the zone, so there was an exception made and they have a sister
district leader so they don't have to drive in for district meeting! So
crazy! haha so that was an interesting surprise :) There were so many changes. We
also did transfers way different. Usually the meeting is about who your
companion is and announcing it in front of everyone and such. But because
of all the new things to take care of, they had us go into the gym and look
at an alphabetical poster. You found your name and the name next to yours
was your companions! haha so that was funny. Mine was Hermana R...I
had heard the name but I wasn't sure who it was, luckily we made eye
contact at the same time as we were looking and were able to find each
other really quickly.
So she is normally a Spanish missionary but has been assigned English this
transfer. So that will be interesting! She has been out for 14 months. Also
since there are so many zones, there is only one sister training leader in
some of the zones so now I am the only STL. Dang....lots of pressure! So
that means we will have to go on exchanges twice this transfer. It will be
really good to have Hermana R to go to the Spanish area though. She
will be able to help the other sisters a lot since she will actually be
able to understand what they are saying :)
Another new change....we also have the Singles Branch now! That is going to be
so weird. So now we cover the entire stake. It is going to be hard to
balance our time because our area is already so huge with just our family
ward. It's like half of the stake geographically. haha. So it is going to
be interesting!
There isn't a ton going on in the YSA Branch and we are the first sisters
they have ever had, so they are extremely excited to have us. I feel like
it is going to be really good once we get going. The President is awesome
and we have a really good ward mission leader too. So I'm excited!
Sisters so that was fun. We actually taught a few lessons in English so
that was nice :) I didn't really have to just sit there for any of them, I
could actually participate. We were able to still teach a few of my investigators
too so that was good. We had a lot of fun together. We all camped out in
the living room since we have to sleep in the same room! haha. Sleepovers!
We had transfers on Thursday and there were BIG changes! They made 4 new
zones! That is so crazy. We now have 14 total. So they have a zone for each
stake. That means that some of the zones are extremely tiny and some are
big, just depending on how many units are in each stake. The Missionary
Department suggested we try it and the Brethren are all looking to us to
try new things because this has a lot of members like Utah, but also has
millions of non members. So that is why we always pilot things and they
always look to us. Anyway so that is really cool.
There is also one district that is just sisters. They live far away from
the rest of the zone, so there was an exception made and they have a sister
district leader so they don't have to drive in for district meeting! So
crazy! haha so that was an interesting surprise :) There were so many changes. We
also did transfers way different. Usually the meeting is about who your
companion is and announcing it in front of everyone and such. But because
of all the new things to take care of, they had us go into the gym and look
at an alphabetical poster. You found your name and the name next to yours
was your companions! haha so that was funny. Mine was Hermana R...I
had heard the name but I wasn't sure who it was, luckily we made eye
contact at the same time as we were looking and were able to find each
other really quickly.
So she is normally a Spanish missionary but has been assigned English this
transfer. So that will be interesting! She has been out for 14 months. Also
since there are so many zones, there is only one sister training leader in
some of the zones so now I am the only STL. Dang....lots of pressure! So
that means we will have to go on exchanges twice this transfer. It will be
really good to have Hermana R to go to the Spanish area though. She
will be able to help the other sisters a lot since she will actually be
able to understand what they are saying :)
Another new change....we also have the Singles Branch now! That is going to be
so weird. So now we cover the entire stake. It is going to be hard to
balance our time because our area is already so huge with just our family
ward. It's like half of the stake geographically. haha. So it is going to
be interesting!
There isn't a ton going on in the YSA Branch and we are the first sisters
they have ever had, so they are extremely excited to have us. I feel like
it is going to be really good once we get going. The President is awesome
and we have a really good ward mission leader too. So I'm excited!
We got N (recent convert) and L(soon to be baptized/married) to go to the Women's
Broadcast with us. They both really liked it. Man it was so good! I loved it
and I'm way excited for General Conference this weekend! I just love hearing
from the prophets. I have grown to just love stuff like that. (scripture study,
general conference,etc). L really liked President Uchtdorf's talk. I did too :) I think it
was definitely something women needed to hear.
So on Sunday we had our Primary Program...however, we had a storm the night
before and knocked out half of our power. SOOO the AC didn't work. We were
all dying. Only in Arizona is it a problem if the AC doesn't work in the
Fall. We got toasty but the Bishop didn't want to cancel church because all
of the kids were so excited. So we had fans plugged in and blowing up to
the front. Half the lights didn't work either. So we had a lovely program
and then they cancelled the rest of church! haha. The primay program was
cute and there were a lot of yell singers so that was entertaining. haha.
So let me just say, it was super weird to be in a singles branch. I felt
like I was back home and I just felt awkward for parts of it really. haha
it is going to be so different! I have worked with kids my own age, but as
the leaders of the branch and such! So we felt a little weird and it made me
nervous for when I have to go back to a singles ward...eh. But it is going
to be a lot of fun once I get used to it :) The problem is, I'm just not
sure how to act! Because I don't want to be stiff and like a missionary
robot, but if you laugh and joke around with them and have a fun
personality, then they will think you are flirting with them! ah!
Struggles. Oh well! Hermana R and I will figure it out together. We
both have never served in a YSA before so it will be a fun, learning
experience.
Our investigators are doing really good though! :) We got to teach B's (investigator)
boys in the last lesson too. We had a lot of fun object lessons so hopefully they liked it :)
L came to church and we got her and P (fiancé) in to talk with the Bishop
about the rules and guidelines of weddings in the church. They got their
date all picked out :) November 1st. Same day as her baptism. So we will do
the wedding and then maybe have a little lunch or something, and then go to
her baptism! Fun! Satan is really working on her though so we have been
helping her through some hard times she has had this last week.
Another downer...we pulled up and M (recent convert) was smoking outside.
was definitely something women needed to hear.
So on Sunday we had our Primary Program...however, we had a storm the night
before and knocked out half of our power. SOOO the AC didn't work. We were
all dying. Only in Arizona is it a problem if the AC doesn't work in the
Fall. We got toasty but the Bishop didn't want to cancel church because all
of the kids were so excited. So we had fans plugged in and blowing up to
the front. Half the lights didn't work either. So we had a lovely program
and then they cancelled the rest of church! haha. The primay program was
cute and there were a lot of yell singers so that was entertaining. haha.
So let me just say, it was super weird to be in a singles branch. I felt
like I was back home and I just felt awkward for parts of it really. haha
it is going to be so different! I have worked with kids my own age, but as
the leaders of the branch and such! So we felt a little weird and it made me
nervous for when I have to go back to a singles ward...eh. But it is going
to be a lot of fun once I get used to it :) The problem is, I'm just not
sure how to act! Because I don't want to be stiff and like a missionary
robot, but if you laugh and joke around with them and have a fun
personality, then they will think you are flirting with them! ah!
Struggles. Oh well! Hermana R and I will figure it out together. We
both have never served in a YSA before so it will be a fun, learning
experience.
Our investigators are doing really good though! :) We got to teach B's (investigator)
boys in the last lesson too. We had a lot of fun object lessons so hopefully they liked it :)
L came to church and we got her and P (fiancé) in to talk with the Bishop
about the rules and guidelines of weddings in the church. They got their
date all picked out :) November 1st. Same day as her baptism. So we will do
the wedding and then maybe have a little lunch or something, and then go to
her baptism! Fun! Satan is really working on her though so we have been
helping her through some hard times she has had this last week.
Another downer...we pulled up and M (recent convert) was smoking outside.
She saw us and threw it on the ground so I asked her if it was hers and she straight
up said no. So I told her I had seen her smoking and that it was ok if she
slipped, that we just wanted to help her. She straight up lied again and
said she had seen it on the ground and was going to throw it away but then
dropped it back on the ground. It is so heart breaking to see people fall
away and lie. I don't understand why you would want to be baptized if you
are just going to go back to your own life. We try to visit and get them to
come to church and keep teaching them, but they never follow through. So I
don't know what else to do for them :(
Anyway my little thought for this week is to be humble and open for
correction/change. During the question and answer with Elder
Christofferson, someone asked how to best correct someone especially
dealing with obedience. He said one of the greatest correctors is our
example to others. It will unite us as we obey the rules and stand up for
them just by our own actions. He then said what is even more important is
the openness to being corrected ourselves. He said that we need to take
correction and not resent it, even if it is misguided or not accurate. We
should take anything someone says to make us better if we can. He then said
that Elder Packer (quorum leader) says that if he sees anything in the
twelve apostles that needs correction, that he will give it to them if they
are willing. If he sees any resentment towards being corrected, then he
won't say anything. We must be open and willing to change. We must not make
excuses or blame things on other people or circumstances, that is being
defensive and prideful. We just need to be humble and take full
responsibility for our actions and for who we are and always try to be
changed for the better.
I have really seen growth within myself as I try to be humble and open to
what people say to me. I have prayed a lot that I can be changed to the
person that God wants me to be and that I can let my mission shape me. But
you first have to be willing to change and put your pride aside. Pride is
the root of all sin essentially. That seemed kind of harsh to me at first,
but it is so true! It is because we care more about what people think about
us instead of what God thinks of us. So I invite all of you to look at
yourselves and see if there is anything that you can do to be more open to
correction and changing for the better :) I love you all! Have a good week!
up said no. So I told her I had seen her smoking and that it was ok if she
slipped, that we just wanted to help her. She straight up lied again and
said she had seen it on the ground and was going to throw it away but then
dropped it back on the ground. It is so heart breaking to see people fall
away and lie. I don't understand why you would want to be baptized if you
are just going to go back to your own life. We try to visit and get them to
come to church and keep teaching them, but they never follow through. So I
don't know what else to do for them :(
Anyway my little thought for this week is to be humble and open for
correction/change. During the question and answer with Elder
Christofferson, someone asked how to best correct someone especially
dealing with obedience. He said one of the greatest correctors is our
example to others. It will unite us as we obey the rules and stand up for
them just by our own actions. He then said what is even more important is
the openness to being corrected ourselves. He said that we need to take
correction and not resent it, even if it is misguided or not accurate. We
should take anything someone says to make us better if we can. He then said
that Elder Packer (quorum leader) says that if he sees anything in the
twelve apostles that needs correction, that he will give it to them if they
are willing. If he sees any resentment towards being corrected, then he
won't say anything. We must be open and willing to change. We must not make
excuses or blame things on other people or circumstances, that is being
defensive and prideful. We just need to be humble and take full
responsibility for our actions and for who we are and always try to be
changed for the better.
I have really seen growth within myself as I try to be humble and open to
what people say to me. I have prayed a lot that I can be changed to the
person that God wants me to be and that I can let my mission shape me. But
you first have to be willing to change and put your pride aside. Pride is
the root of all sin essentially. That seemed kind of harsh to me at first,
but it is so true! It is because we care more about what people think about
us instead of what God thinks of us. So I invite all of you to look at
yourselves and see if there is anything that you can do to be more open to
correction and changing for the better :) I love you all! Have a good week!
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