I'm trying not to get my hopes to high, but we have had FOUR days in a row
where it has not rained - it's be gorgeous weather!!! Ah! So nice!!! Now the
flowers and the trees just need to start budding and it will be just so
fantastic. I'm sure Okotoks is just
beautiful in the summer - there are so many trees up here and I'm tired of them
looking dead.
Well after these weeks hard times and can testify that the Lord does truly compensate for being a mission. At the beginning of the week I was having a hard time. I've been sort of comparing myself to others...I know I need to do what Pres. Uchtdorf said "STOP IT" But I just feel that I haven't really been connecting with very many ward members and I'm just another sister that is passing through. I will tell you about my miracle with that later. So, have I mentioned to you how much I miss wearing jeans? Well, one thing that Sister Nielson and I love to do is volunteer work because we get to wear jeans! :)
Well after these weeks hard times and can testify that the Lord does truly compensate for being a mission. At the beginning of the week I was having a hard time. I've been sort of comparing myself to others...I know I need to do what Pres. Uchtdorf said "STOP IT" But I just feel that I haven't really been connecting with very many ward members and I'm just another sister that is passing through. I will tell you about my miracle with that later. So, have I mentioned to you how much I miss wearing jeans? Well, one thing that Sister Nielson and I love to do is volunteer work because we get to wear jeans! :)
One of the recent converts, Michelle, is really struggle right now. We had dinner with her on Sunday and she opened up how she is having major doubts if joining the church was the right thing. My heart just ached for her. Sister Nielson and I feel so bad because she's single and in her early 30s and there really isn't anyone in the ward that is in her same stage in life. She needs a friend so badly! Well, the ward put on the play "The 10 Virgins", I think Hilary Weeks wrote it...some LDS musician. Michelle was on the food committee for the production and she didn't really want to go. We volunteered to walk her dogs for her so she could have time to shower and go to the production. Her dogs are huge! I know one is a pit bull..I think...and I'm not sure what the other one is, but they both would squish Durango. So imagine me trying to walk a 50 lbs dog :) Yeah, and Sister Nielson is not too fond of dogs, but she said it really wasn't too bad. I'm sure we looked really funny walking the dogs. Yes, we did get a few funny looks, but it was fun. The production was SO good! I loved the songs and I could connect to every Virgin.
The next day in my readings I read about patience. In Preach My Gospel under patients it asked
"How are faith and patience related?"
I know this should be a pretty easy question, but it took some digging and
studying for me to figure it out. I
still don't have the exact answer, but it's coming. Any way, so I read Alma 17:10-11 and the Lord
tells them to be comforted - go forth and establish my word (get to work) - Be patient
- Be good examples - the Lord will make us instruments in His hands. I've been
going through that process right now. I
have been given comfort and now I am doing my best to get to work and to be
patient.
The area is not going quite as planned. We stopped by a referral and they told us they aren't interested. We called another referral, we need to call her again, but her co-worker told us that she is meeting with the Jehovah Witnesses. :( Sad day, but we will still call her. BUT the greatest news is Colin is still going to be baptized!!! We are aiming for May 5!! But if things are still crazy with the family it will be May 19.
Yesterday was amazing! I have grown to love church more and more. I always seem to get some tender mercy while at church. We sang "Come, Come ye Saints" and I got chills while singing it. "We'll find a place where God for us prepared (we have been told that the Lord is preparing people for us) far away in the [North]". And other lines that stood out, but that's the one that really hit me. We also had a lesson on "You Matter to Him" by President Uchtdorf. Good stuff all around.
The area is not going quite as planned. We stopped by a referral and they told us they aren't interested. We called another referral, we need to call her again, but her co-worker told us that she is meeting with the Jehovah Witnesses. :( Sad day, but we will still call her. BUT the greatest news is Colin is still going to be baptized!!! We are aiming for May 5!! But if things are still crazy with the family it will be May 19.
Yesterday was amazing! I have grown to love church more and more. I always seem to get some tender mercy while at church. We sang "Come, Come ye Saints" and I got chills while singing it. "We'll find a place where God for us prepared (we have been told that the Lord is preparing people for us) far away in the [North]". And other lines that stood out, but that's the one that really hit me. We also had a lesson on "You Matter to Him" by President Uchtdorf. Good stuff all around.
Sister Nielson
and I stopped by Sister Heather Fancourt's house. We have been trying to get with her for
probably two weeks now. We really wanted
to read Elder Bednar's talk on the Atonement from the April Ensign. She was able to come up with an example about
how the Lord provides a way for us and we just have to accept Him and how He
wants it done. We asked her what she
could do to go from good to becoming better.
She mentioned a few things and we slipped in reading scriptures. She committed to reading Enos!! And to say
her prayers. Sister Nielson said that
Heather has made huge progress since I've been in the area. She says that I connect better with Heather
than the previous sister. That totally
made my day! Yeah! There is someone in
this area that I am helping to come closer to Christ. I was so happy last night! The lesson was
just so perfect. The Lord's timing is
perfect. Maybe two weeks ago when we wanted to stop by Heather wasn't ready for
the lesson.
I am so grateful for this gospel and to know that my Savior loves me and will
help me through anything!!
-Sister Josie Douglass
I sure hope spring has come to you! I have so been enjoying reading your posts. It gives me a boost to keep trying and to keep trusting in Heavenly Father.
ReplyDeleteI've started several letters to you but been so busy but I'll do my best to get one in the mail to you next week. I hope you are doing so good.