Well, here I am! I have made it the the Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission! Travels went well and life is going great!
My companion/trainer is Sis Moore. She is from Bountiful, Utah and is the oldest of ten children. She is about to hit her year mark here in the field and has only served in two areas, Boca and Hollywood. She is simply amazing! I could not ask for a better companion. What can I say more? We just jump into the work and do what we can. My area is Boca Raton East. Our work this week was a bit slow, but going well. Our apartment has two companionships (one for Boca East and one for Boca West). We are just perfect for each other. It's amazing! I am truly blessed to have such great Sisters surrounding me. The Boca West sisters are Sis Eland (from Colorado) and Sis Denson (from Utah). Although we all have different personalities, we fit together so well and have the greatest times together. Yay!
So, although I am an ASL Sister, Boca does not have many opportunities for that, yet. Most of the Deaf work is done in Hollywood and interpreting is done in two other areas where there are wards that hold other Deaf members. Boca is not one of them. But the Lord keeps sending ASL Sisters here. It may be to rest from interpreting and get experience teaching the gospel in our native language, but I am curious if He has other plans for us if we will search and constantly ask Him for guidance. We focus here in Boca on the wonderful people who speak English, but Sis Moore and I have set a goal to start asking if anyone knows any deaf - just to see if there is another purpose for us to be sent here.
One great thing that I really enjoy is the mission goal to gather together as companionship and have "Mighty Prayer" to pray for each other, our investigators, and the expansion of missionary work around the world. We are also asked to invite the members in our area to join. So now I wish my family and friends to join us in Mighty Prayer. We like to share the scripture in Enos as he knelt in mighty prayer to God, but it is interesting to read how many times the scriptures state those words. Just today, I read about Captain Moroni kneeling down to pray mightly to the Lord for his people. What a great opportunity for ourselves to gather together and pray mightly for each other. As a mission, we gather at 9am to kneel to our Father. We pray for many things. We ask for the Lord to give strength to the people who we hold dear. We pray for the leaders of the Church. We pray for the expansion of missionary work - for new areas to open, for political leaders to soften their hearts to opening their borders (especially Cuba). Then we ask for each companionship in our Zone and by name state those investigators who we care about and ask God to give them more strength for the desire to learn and accept Him. What a great opportunity to feel that spirit. To know that all missionaries are gathering at the same time, sending their prayers and expressing their love for these people we meet for our Eternal Father to hear and bless. It is something I wish to continue. There is nothing wrong with writing a list of people you want to remember in prayer, and look at it as we kneel and as companionships, families, and friends to mention each of them by name.
One of the greatest things about our church is the love we have for each other. The unity that is shared for each and every member at church. It is not only bringing people to know God and return to Him again, but bringing us all together to realize our connections as spirit brothers and sisters. The Christ-like attribute that I think of is Charity. When we know and understand the Lord's love for us, how can we not continue and share that love with others. It is truly amazing to just meet a person for the first time and feel that strong emotion of love for them. Not just a love to bring them to the gospel, but a love for them personally, as a child of God. All of us must work towards understanding that "pure love of Christ" and really applying it to ourselves to it becomes our own attribute.
TENDER MERCY: EACH EVENING, WE GATHER TOGETHER AS AN APARTMENT AND TELL EACH OTHER ONE THING WE LOVE ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON. IT BRINGS US TOGETHER AS COMPANIONS AND FRIENDS AND IT MAKES US THINK MORE DEEPLY ABOUT EACHOTHER AND WHAT REALLY MAKES US LOVE THEM. ALSO, IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM ANOTHER WHAT QUALITIES THEY SEE IN US AND WHAT MAKES THEM LOVE US AS A PERSON. IT IS JUST SO SWEET AND TRULY THE BEST WAY TO END THE DAY. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THAT STRONGER BOND OF SISTERHOOD BY SHARING "I LOVE YOU TODAY BECAUSE...."
