Tuesday, January 21, 2014

January 20, 2014

Greetings!

I had a lunch with all the other Sister Training Leaders today and I had a wonderful time with them. It was fun to get together. I'm glad we could help clean as well! Families don't really let us do their dishes, even when we insist. I really appreciated that President and Sister Jenkins let us clean up :) I also went to a funeral today... Not something I normally have done in the past on a P-day, but our services were needed! The service was a "missionary funeral" because we gave the prayers, I lead the music, and we did a special musical number. It was a crazy experience, but it was good.

 I found my theme scripture for what I want the rest of my mission and life to be! It's found in 2 Nephi 4: 34-35 34 "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen." I've really taken to heart what President Jenkins told me during my interview and I'm bound and determined to always grow my faith. Faith is one thing that will not fail on me! I've been working a lot on keeping my enthusiasm going and I've been doing that! Especially in my studies! I started reading PMG over again and in the introduction it tells us that we should complete the study activities multiple times during my mission... and I haven't been doing them. They were nice things that I could think about doing one day. But not anymore! As I read I take the time to do the activities in that chapter and these activities are amazing! They have really helped me think more deeply and apply what each chapter is teaching. I'm learning so much and as a result I become more enthusiastic everyday to try out the things I'm learning. So cool! 

This week has been the best week ever! I went on an exchange with Sister Takahashi then Sister Hartley. I'm having a hard time writing down how amazing they were. Sister Takahashi had a wonderful idea for online proselyting that helped me out a ton along with Sister Hartley. Her idea is about making our testimonies go viral. She has a blog that she's using to teach the lessons of PMG and she's using personal experiences to teach. So if you read them straight up you would have no idea that this post was about the gospel blesses families, but the Spirit will testify to their hearts of the truth of the message. So genius! I'm going to do that. Anyways, she has a plan how each week we post on our facebook timelines a bold and simple statement like "I know that God blesses families through scripture study" or something like that along with a link to someone's blog where they can read more about how God blesses families. Then we invite others to share the link along with their own brief statement of what they know to be true. The purpose of it is to have a purpose for online proselyting, to not post a bazillion times a week, and give everyone an opportunity to hear about the gospel. She has a more detailed plan, but I believe it will work. She's getting her YSA ward to do it and they're excited for it. She's prayed about this for a long time and I remember when I first heard about this from her, I got this feeling that this will work and that God will help us if we all get on board. When I went on my exchange with Sister Hartley I told her about this and she started crying because she was looking for a way to do online proselyting better. Sister Takahashi's inspiration was an answer to my prayer and Sister Hartley's.  I really can't put to words how excited I am for this! My enthusiasm keeps growing day by day! I literally can't sit still right now while I type this. 

Such an amazing week! These exchanges have been amazing and I'm looking forward to going with these sisters companions now. That being said, I'm worrying about Sister Mitchell. She did really well with the first exchange, but when I came back from Sister Takahashi's exchange she really shut down on me. That darn cute girl keeps comparing herself to these sisters and thinks that she isn't a good companion. Somedays I just want to shake her and make her stop thinking this way because it is not healthy! That's how she lets herself get down and self-pities a lot! But! Never fear because after a long chat I reassured her that she's one of the best companions I've ever had and I've had a lot. She's gained a lot of confidence since that chat. She received answers to her prayers during personal study the other morning. She had been struggling with her relationship with God. Before her mission He was her best friend, but now that she's a missionary she feels it's more like "business" relationship. Well, not anymore! She found within herself the ability to have a "best friend" relationship and a more accountable relationship with God. She's grown so close to him the past few days. Because she's beginning to develop this relationship she's beginning to grow in confidence and is starting to become all that God has in store for her. I'm going to do my best to help her in any way I can. If she keeps this up I can't even begin to image the things she will accomplish on her mission and during her lifetime... She's doing awesome in other words :)

Okay, now onto the area! I hate to say this but I feel our teaching pool slowly dying.... I hate it! Our investigators haven't been keeping commitments or have been gone for a long period of time so we can't teach them. We're working hard to contact as many potentials and referrals as we can though. I know that as we work hard and do what we're supposed to do, the Lord will help us grow our teaching pool. Because if the Lord wanted investigators He can get investigators... That's not a problem for Him. But we're having our faith tested along with the ward's. This ward is so awesome. We get referrals from them every time we see them. They're on fire! I can't express how grateful I am to be in this ward. 

That's my week in a nut shell. Crazy stuff!! I can't wait for more miracles and amazing things to happen! I hope this new vision of online proselyting is successful!

-Sister Dunn

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