Week 32

Hey! Wow Amy's birthday! I am glad it was fun and low key. I hope you had a GREAT birthday,  Amy! :) hehe.

I think the Lord is testing my patience and my diligence.  Mostly because everyone we OYM, talk to, or associate with ends up being in other area's boundaries with other missionaries. Which is not really ideal when you're trying to find people you can teach. BUT I'm just feeling it. I'm feeling the diligence come. 

Highlight of this week:

First of all, this week we OYMed this super sweet man on the tricycle. We gave him a pamphlet. Said our ingats, then left. ('ingat' = care, caution, safekeeping) THEN we saw him again! There he was giving us a ride again. And he already read the first pamphlet again. So we gave him another.

FAST FORWARD...I was in the shower, and had the distinct thought in my head to visit this guy. So then we went to a Special Zone Training Meeting with our wonderful President Peterson, and he talked to us about the Spirit and how we can recognize it.  "Sometimes Elders and Sisters the spirit will talk to you, in places you wouldn't expect. We have to be ready at all times for the promptings. Even in the shower. Did you know you can receive promptings in the shower?" WHAT?! Perfect timing, and perfect confirmation. Right after that meeting we went to find brother Ronald Ramirez. 

Great Ward Missionaries!

I gotta say, President Peterson calls on me a lot in meetings--which is intimidating. I feel like I forget how to breathe around him..haha. Also he told me after the meeting when everyone was gone, "You look great! Are you happy?" I dunno, it just felt nice to see and hear that. I've tried to have the spirit a lot which makes me shiny and happy. He told me not to be stressed, but to just listen to the spirit and I will be alright. 

Speaking of a special Zone Training Meeting, this mission is raising its standards, and boy am I stressed.  Finding, teaching more lessons, working with members and leaders, key indicators, visions. All of this is making me lose my mind. Lately, there's been this topic that keeps being on my mind. Sacrifice. In D&C 88 I learned all about sanctification and sacrifice:

Verse 67:

"And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things, Therefore sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him, for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.

verse 74:

"And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean; That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this generation; that I may fulfill this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you when I will."

Ok so basically, we need to cleanse ourselves enough so that we can give our heart to Christ to sanctify it for the Father. We all need to do this. Because that is our purpose. It's a process that I'm learning, but I think that's why I'm still in this area...To learn to sanctify myself before the Lord. We're still finding. It's a process... but I'm learning a lot. I'm trying to be more diligent and sanctify myself to the work. Satan is really working hard on me. But I have faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm getting a lot more focused in my mission. I'm feeling the change in my heart everyday! The Lord is working on me. We are doing our best here. We have all these lists, that I am excited to just find new people! It's fun to find :) I know that if I do all I can this week, everything will work out. Using all the lists we can get our hands on to find, and Find, and FIND. I'm grateful to be here. We're just trying to find all day. And all night. There's not even time to shower or eat! I'm just thinking about all these ways to find. I really love my companion. She is great. She loves learning English. She told me how grateful she was to me for teaching her everyday and being patient. It's so cute. This is going to be the theme of our week: Sanctify ourselves. We haven't had our miracle yet. But diligence is the key. Be happy and keep reading the book of Mormon.

xoxo,

Sister Seastrand