The Miracles of Members

Hello from the Boca Raton Family History Center! :-D Typically, we go to the Broward County Library just south of our apartment, but when our reservation time came, all the computers had froze. And so we were unable to get online. Thankfully, we remembered that the Family History Center is open Monday mornings so here we are at the Boca Chapel in the Family History Center!

We were extremely blessed this week with all the meetings that were held. On Tuesday was a special "Preach My Gospel Training" by Brother Tracy Watson of the Mission Department. It was a great experience focusing on teaching with the spirit, asking inspired questions, and applying everything back to the gospel so we can teach like prophets! Then, we had Zone Counsel the next day where we continued to discuss what we learned at the Training and we had Bro. Lustig of the Stake Missionary Representative who taught us more about "Harvesting the Field" as we continue to strengthen the members of the ward - focusing on less actives and part member families. It is a wonderful program that is about getting the wards involved in missionary work, showing the members that it is their responsibility to prepare others for missionary visits. So far, it's slow going, but soon it will spark into a great program.

I am really seeing all these examples around me about how it is extremely important for members to be involved in missionary work. I keep thinking about it, and I am surprised at how little I knew about my purpose in life. I always thought it was to be a strong member of the church by living well to the commandments of God. The three-fold mission of the Church states: Proclaim the Gospel, Perfect the Saints, Redeem the Dead. Well, the missionaries called to serve missions were proclaiming the gospel, I was improving myself to work towards perfection, and I was doing temple work when I could. Now I'm thinking, the prophets themselves have said that every member is a missionary ... so proclaiming the gospel isn't only the role of called missionaries: it's for all of us! Perfecting the saints isn't about our own lives, but when you lose yourself in helping others you find yourself. Also redeeming the dead is a missionary work in itself bringing those who have already passed on the opportunity to accept the gospel. Our three-fold mission of the Church is focused on MISSIONARY WORK!!! I thought that was awesome! Our purpose in this life isn't to go to school and work and church. It isn't learning for ourselves about the mysteries of the scriptures. Our purpose as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is to invite others to come unto Christ. We talk about accepting upon ourselves the Christ-like attributes. But how many of us realize that when Christ was on the earth, He was sharing the gospel with everyone he would meet. That is an attribute of Christ - being a missionary! Of course that doesn't mean all of us should be full-time missionaries. It means we should be more willing to talk about our beliefs with friends and co-workers, giving out a pass-a-long card to store clerks or security guards, inviting neighbors and friends over for meals when the missionaries are available. The door to tracting is closing. That came straight from the Mission Department. Soon, missionaries will be unable to go door to door hoping someone will want to hear the gospel from a stranger. We met a guy a few weeks ago who said he never would have listened to two people knocking at his door, but because he had a friend who invited him to church and offered him a Book of Mormon, he is now interested in learning about the gospel. It all comes from us. We already are good examples by our actions and way of living, but we need to pray for courage to open our mouths. Especially since Satan is working so hard on this world to keep people from mentioning the name of God or Jesus Christ in public. We must fight against Satan. We must realize that in the name of Christ, we are able to overpower anything the adversary tries to throw our way. I really hope I can remember that when I finish my mission. A prophet once said that soon there will no longer be a need for set-apart missionaries because the members will be those missionaries. Now is the time to find our purpose and live it.

A great event that just happened yesterday was tracting into a woman who decided to read from the Book of Mormon because her co-worker offered it to her. She wasn't very interested in talking to us until we learned which member of our ward had given her the book. As soon as we started to talk about the member, she opened up and was excited to talk more with us. She even showed interest in having us come over and teach her more. People will easily dismiss and close doors to two strangers, but when there is that connection with someone they know, they open up and are willing to listen and learn. Again and again this week we've met people who have a friend who's a member or a sibling who's investigated the church. The more connection to the church they have, the more interest and time they give to us as missionaries. It is the members that bring success and growth to the Church. I see that and know it to be true. Kick away the fear, for fear is not of God. Give an invitation to a friend, family member, co-worker, acquaintance to come to church, to come to an activity, to read the Book of Mormon, to check out mormon.org, to listen to the missionaries, to come to the Family History Center. There are so many resources available to us! Let's use them!

And now I am done ... for a time ... It was just exciting for me to see what I need to do in my life to change. I love how we are focusing on our purpose as a missionary and how that helps me see what my purpose is for life. Oh the great insights that are found from studying the gospel!

And I can't end without saying: HAPPY 100TH ANNIVERSARY BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA!!!! Boy Scouts is amazing! My future husband better be an Eagle Scout! :-D

Stake Conference

It's a nice, rainy day here in Boca Raton. I am starting to feel like it's Utah, hot and humid weather one day, rain the next. Always keeping us on our toes! And soon both Sis. Gardner and I will be on bike! This next week, Sis. Gardner should have her bike delivered to her and off we go! Some goals we've already planned for is one in seven days will be an all bike day - no car whatsoever. Another plan is to have a tracting fast, going a full week without tracting, meaning we will ride our bikes up and down the roads of Boca making contacts with those people walking around. I am so excited to get out of the car and start being amongst the people!

The Lord has truly blessed us this week! We've met some great potential investigators, we continue to help those we are already teaching, and we are working towards two baptisms for the month of February. I am so excited to finally attend a baptism!

Sunday was the highlight of our week as we had Stake Conference! Wow! It was a satellite broadcast from Salt Lake City, and we were privileged to hear from four great speakers:

Elder Larry W. Gibbons:
This is a time for Faith, not fear
God has already armed me for the trials ahead
"This is the Lord's work ... why don't you let Him do some of it"

Sister Elaine S. Dalton:
Generation of Destiny
Firm stand on the side of virtue
Resist Sin, Endure Trials, Hear the Spirit's Guidance

Elder L. Tom Perry:
King Benjamin's Address
D&C 20:5-12
The Lord's Glorious Gospel Plan

President Henry B. Eyring:
We are accountable for our wandering relatives - bring them to the gospel
Sent to rescue our kin - try in faith
The biggest barrier is fear - be as a child in innocence, humility, and willingness

We were blessed to have three of our investigators attend and hear these amazing talks. It truly was a tender mercy for me to share this experience with an investigator. I pray that they were able to feel the spirit and get something out of it that touched their hearts.

All is well in Boca! We continue forth the work! We are continuing our "Year of Jubilee" and working towards becoming more unified as missionaries, more challenging and testifying missionaries, more focused on the blessings of the Book of Mormon, more like our Savior Jesus Christ. I love being here! I love the great people the Lord has put in my path! I love these many tender mercies that the Lord blesses me with daily!

26 January 2010

I heard that Arizona got rain that has beat records from the last twenty
years. So, in the last twenty years, Florida gets the worst cold front and
Arizona gets the worst rain. That just makes me laugh!

All is well here! A new transfer will begin tomorrow and I am staying in
Boca with Sister Gardner! We're excited to continue the work here because
we have some great investigators we are working with! The Lord has truly
blessed us this past week. Of course not everything is going as planned,
but we are planting the seeds and now we need to have the patience to follow
the Lord's time.

Something silly that I am really excited about is the fact that I just
started my 100th page in my journal!! I feel it's quite a milestone for
me. I'm already halfway done with my first missionary journal! (And this
is the 8 1/2 x 11 journal pages!) Something I am really trying to do is
make worthwhile journal entrees. I'm learning each day how I need to
improve. I'm actually impressed by the fact that I have not gotten behind!
But it helps that I tally my Standard Works reading goal each morning in my
journal so that makes me catch up. (Which, bytheway, I've already read over
750 pages! It's so much fun! I actually will say there are a lot of
interesting things found within the book of Leviticus ... and I love how so
many of the D&C sections apply to missionary work which I can apply straight
to me as a missionary :-D

I just found out my bike will be delivered to me this afternoon, which I am
really excited about (Although we were hoping to get to go to transfer
meeting so we could pick them up at the Mission Home). We won't be on bike
quite yet - as Sis. Gardner's bike hasn't come yet. But I've been tempted
to get a bike since my second year in college so it's just exciting to
finally have one! Now we'll have to find out how to organize our area to
focus more on biking instead of driving. With a new senior companion and a
new driver - we both have gone over our miles - 1200 miles so far this
month! Ooops!

It truly is going great! I love it here! Lots of Love!

Onward

It's interesting how I have so many ideas of what to write home when I'm in bed about to fall asleep, but as soon as I sit down at the computer to start typing, all the ideas escape me ... so I will turn to my journal for ideas ...

We have been truly blessed this week with investigators! So many of our lessons have been amazing and each day we are finding people with such promising fruit. I definitely prefer when people come up to us - or seek us through referrals - than us trying to find that needle in a haystack through tracting. But amazingly enough, we've had new investigators through both ways. Being a missionary, we definitely experience all sorts of personalities. Some people are nice enough to listen to us but not interested in progressing, some just tell us they are not interested, others are down-right rude to us just because we wish to talk about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thankfully, I am able to just let some remarks run off me like water. I am a collector of opinions, so I don't let other's comments bother me too often. There are times we can laugh off an interesting tracting experience, others we shrug off and continue forth, but every now and again, there is an extremely rude and uncalled for reaction to our desire to share the gospel. It gives us a touch into the life of Jesus Christ. How much sorrow He must have felt to see so many people reject him and persecute him, yet he still had that charity to suffer for their sins. It is truly hard to imagine having to endure that. But then I remember those times of joy when someone is interested in hearing our message, an invite into their home, a desire to learn, a commitment being kept ... then I know our work is truly worth it.

This last summer when I was an EFY counselor, I sat in on a class where the teacher had shared a few scriptures about suffering. One always stands out to me ... John 16:20-21

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.”

I love that! I do not know from personal experience the pain that goes into being pregnant and in labor, but how true it is that even though it can be the most excruciating of pain, all of that is forgotten when a child is born. The joy of bringing a new life in the world overpowers any thought of the past pain. That fits right along with opposition. The more we experience the pain and sorrow and difficulties of life, the greater we will understand the joy and the love and the beauty of those moments of God's tender mercies. How great will be our joy in the next life as we continue to endure the struggles that are thrown at us during this time on earth. We must have faith and trust in the Lord. We must be diligent in following the straight and narrow path. We must turn our desires and knowledge of the gospel into actions so we may become those elect saints, those choice people, those great and noble spirits of God.

TENDER MERCY: I TRULY HAVE A DESIRE TO LEARN AND TO GROW. I WANT TO SEE MY POTENTIAL AND TO OBTAIN IT. ALTHOUGH I HAVE MANY BAD HABITS THAT I NEED TO OVERCOME, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE LORD. TO HAVE WONDERFUL EXAMPLES OF MISSIONARIES AND MEMBERS AROUND ME TO SHOW ME THE WAY. AND BY HELPING OTHERS COME UNTO CHRIST, I BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW I MYSELF CAN BETTER AND MORE FULLY COME UNTO HIM.

Elect Saints

Wow! This week was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! In so many ways! And the best part of it was that it all is centered around Personal Priesthood Interviews. Wow! And it didn't start with my interview with President Hale, but with the discussion I had with Elder Olsen while waiting for my interview. From those two discussions - President and Elder - I have a 360 degree perspective change on missionary work. I probably can't fully explain everything that I learned! But I'll share a few things.

This year, we are focusing on the Book of Mormon. Of course we know of its importance, we know it answers questions of the soul, we know it is the keystone of our religion ... but knowing is so hollow. What is important is to understand and do. I need to understand how the Book of Mormon is my own personal keystone and then make the Book of Mormon the keystone in my life. It is true that without the Book of Mormon, we are just like any other religion. If Joseph Smith didn't translate those golden plates, he wouldn't have had the question about how we are to be baptized, therefore he never would have received the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist, therefore there would be authority on this earth to restore Christ's full gospel. Wow, there is a thought to ponder. I believe most, if not all the revelations from the Doctrine and Covenants are answers to questions. The Lord does not just give us what we need. We must first ask for it. Joseph Smith read in James 1:5 that if he lacked wisdom, he needed to ask God. He acted upon that scripture, and the First Vision occurred. How many restored truths of the gospel was received from reading the pages of the Book of Mormon and asking a question to the Lord? What is my life without, that I could receive if I but ask? We need to liken and feast upon the scriptures - which means to do it, not just know it.

Another thing I learned was that we are finding the elect saints. "And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;" (D&C 29:7). Not only are we finding those people who are ready, but we ourselves must become elect saints. Just because we are born into the church doesn't me we are saved. We much hear the voice of the Lord and act upon it. I see within our ward here in Boca who are the elect saints. Who know their purpose, who share their love of the gospel, who are following the words of the prophets, and who are striving to live as Christ did. I want to be that. I want to make sure I am an elect saint. And then I want to know how I can help others become elect saints.

So, that is two things I learned from my discussion with Elder Olsen. Then, I went into my interview with President Hale. There, I learned something I really needed. I have two personalities: one for when I'm in public - righteous, social, happy, willing to do anything for anyone; then one for when I am at home in private - introvert, stubborn, apathetic. The more I think about it, the more it ticks me off. Why is that? Why does my worst attributes come out around close family and friends? I don't want that! I want to be the same personality no matter the situation. President had told me who he sees me as, what he knows I can do - basically he stated my potential which is something I have been searching for. As he spoke, I realized I may appear to be like that in public, but when I'm in the apartment, I don't act that. I'd rather have the other companion plan everything. I'd rather be to myself and not share anything. But not anymore. I have no excuses to hide now. President sees who I can become and the Lord knows of what my potential is, so now it is time that my companion sees me live my potential no matter where we are.

This week has been amazing! I am being more active in decision making, I am showing that "Mesa Fire" that President describes me as! I am trying to work on having faith that people will invite us in, faith they will keep their commitments, faith that they want to be baptized. With that, the Lord is blessing me with seeing that occur. Right now, we are working a lot with tracting and finding, but each day, the Lord gives us a tender mercy. We begin to see those elect who are ready to hear the gospel. With the new year resolution to focus on the Book of Mormon we are loving talking about it and focusing on it. I am actually finding goals that I can set for myself and the plans necessary to accomplish it! And that is not a skill I have! I am so excited for this year of jubilee! It is going to be amazing! I can feel it! All I need is to continue for with faith and the desire to continue towards my potential and the potential of this mission.

TENDER MERCY: I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ASK HONEST QUESTIONS. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN REALLY KNOW WHERE WE STAND. IF I WANT TO IMPROVE AND GROW, I HAVE TO STOP JUSIFYING AND ASK BRUTALLY HONEST QUESTIONS TO MYSELF. I AM LEARNING DAILY FROM EACH MISSIONARY I MEET HOW I CAN BECOME A MORE CHALLENGING AND TESTIFYING MISSIONARY. TO APPLY THAT TO MYSELF, I HAVE TO ACCEPT THOSE SEEDS ON FERTILE SOIL SO THEY CAN GROW. TO TRY AND JUSTIFY SOMETHING IS TURNING SOIL INTO CONCRETE. I WANT TO CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROW FROM EVERYTHING I HEAR FROM OTHER MISSIONARIES. I AM GLAD THAT THE LORD IS CONSTANTLY TELLING ME HOW I CAN IMPROVE AND HAVING PATIENCE WITH ME AS I SLOWLY START TO RECOGNIZE AND LEARN THESE THINGS.

Christmas Memory

I am grateful to have a great Christmas memory. I've always been one to just see a holiday as any other day, especially as a missionary as we continue to do the usual work. We had the morning study, an appointment scheduled for the afternoon, tracting planned for the day, and meals with members and part-members. Not being surrounded by the commercial aspect of Christmas, there really wasn't anything to differentiate Christmas from any other day. I don't want to say Christmas isn't important, but it is to be a day to celebrate Christ's birth and life and what that means for us personally. When we work every day to invite people to come unto Christ, we are already celebrating His name every day.

What really helped me feel the blessing of Christmas day was when our lunch in a member's home became a melting pot of many people. We had started out inviting a few of our investigators to come and have a Christmas meal with our members, but everything seemed to have fallen through. Somehow, at the last minute, our investigators and some of their family decided to come and join us. Already at the member's home, we had two wonderful recent converts there. Our Christmas lunch ended up to be a total of nineteen people: the member family, the recent convert family, and two sets of investigator families! We were all gathered together in one home, spread across three tables. It was amazing! I truly felt that Christmas spirit as we gathered together as family and friends. And to top it off, I got my first mission ornament while there (Santa riding an alligator) to remind me of this festive Christmas meal!

Year of Jubilee

We have started a brand new year! I will be a missionary for the full year of 2010 and it is the 50th Anniversary of the Florida Fort Lauderdale Mission!! This is going to be an amazing year! I am so excited to see what it will bring! Everything we do is to celebrate this year of jubilee by being more intune to bringing people unto Christ. We will search for new and better ways to be efficient and effective, we will strive for exact obedience in all we do. We will prepare for the temple by establishing Zion within the hearts of the members.

The year did start out a bit rocky as our planned baptism for Jan 1 fell through because it didn't "feel" like the right day. We continue to pray that we may have success with our investigators that they may be able to push aside their fear and uncertainty and finally take that leap of faith.

We do have changes occuring this week that came to quite a shock! Boca Raton has had a change of missionaries, in the fact that Sis. Eland is being transfered to Hialeah. Sis. Gardner and I will truly miss her, but continue to wish her the best of wishes. We're hoping she goes Spanish speaking - something she simply loves to do!

Working the full city of Boca has been a great adventure, especially since I am the driver. We've taken a couple of scenic routes every now and again as we search for our potentials. One day, we actually drove nearly the full circumference of our area as we went from our apartment to Camino Real east to Military, north to Atlantic, west to the 441, south to SW 18th St, and back to our apartment. Surprisingly, it only took 50 miles. We were shocked the mileage was so little. So I guess Boca really isn't too big of a city. Just comparing it to my old area of East Boca, it's huge. It's been a lot of fun to seek out our potentials and work to gain new investigators and find those people who are ready for the gospel.

A big thing in the mission right now is getting Sisters on bike. We are all excited about that! So now we'll be paying attention to how we can best make Boca into a biking area if that day comes. East will be easy enough, and the southwest corner. We'll have to start doing more finding activities to see if there are any other locations that can become a drive and park - then bike area!

Something I have really been working out this transfer is truly understanding my missionary purpose. We are to invite others to come unto Christ. We are to find those people willing to keep their commitments and progress towards baptism. Therefore, we have had to stop progressively teaching a lot of investigators due to their unwillingness to keep commitments. It was hard for me at first, until I realized that our work as missionaries is to gather those that are ready. As Bro. Wilcox put it, we are all working to gather together the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim so when the Second Coming arrives, the missionary forces will be ready to gather the other ten tribes of Israel. I didn't realize we are working to gather the elite. We are gathering the support system of this church, the souls that are to take part in the building of Zion and preparations for the Second Coming. I am trying to make sure that everything I do is focused on that purpose. Are my words helping them accept the gospel? Are my actions helping them keep their commitments? Is everything I do inviting others to come unto Christ?

One reason why I love to have Sis. Gardner as a companion is the fact that she understands her purpose. Everything she does is geared towards keeping her missionary purpose. It's something I want to do for myself so I will becoming a missionary, not just do missionary actions.

TENDER MERCY: I HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW I CAN GROW WHILE ON MY MISSION. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? WHAT GOALS DO I NEED TO SET? IT'S ALWAYS BEEN HARD FOR ME TO SET GOALS, BUT I HAVE BEEN ABLE, IN THIS PAST WEEK, TO SET A FEW GOALS FOR MYSELF. IT'S STILL NOT A MISSION VISION OF WHAT I WANT TO BECOME, BUT I AM REALIZING HOW TO MAKE GOALS AND SET PLANS. IT'S SMALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT PROVE TO ME THAT I CAN REACH HIGHER. I AM EXCITED TO CONTINUE ONWARD AND SEE WHAT I CONTINUE TO LEARN EACH DAY, EACH WEEK, EACH TRANSFER, EACH COMPANION. OF COURSE SOME DAYS ARE HARD AND FRUSTRATING, BUT I THINK, WHEN ISN'T LIFE HARD? AND HOW MUCH MORE REWARDING IT IS TO BE HERE ON A MISSION. ALL THE STRUGGLES I MAY EXPERIENCE WILL TURN INTO GROWTH AND BLESSINGS IF I APPROACH THEM IN THE RIGHT WAY AND USE IT FOR MY GOOD. I AM EVER BLESSED TO CONTINUE FORTH AS A SERVANT OF THE LORD HERE IN THE FLORIDA FT LAUDERDALE MISSION!