tendermercies#fireflies#membermissionary#MTC#exchanges#I'msotired#almost4monthsout

Last Monday night was incredible. We went to a member's home for dinner. While we were eating I mentioned that I had yet to see fireflies and that it was something I had been looking forward to. Sister Christensen said they had been out for a couple of weeks. So then we went and taught them part of the Restoration. Sister Christensen said the closing prayer and asked that we would be able to see fireflies, I was so touched. Then on our way out she asked me what I was going to school for. I told her health science and she asked me what I was going to do with that. I told her I didn't know. She told me I was an incredible teacher and that she thought I would be going into that profession. When we got in the car I almost started crying. Teaching was something I was so nervous about coming out. I will always remember when I was set apart by President Pringle. I remember a distinct moment when he paused, and I remember thinking that whatever he said was going to be coming directly from the Spirit. What he said next was that I would have the ability to teach. I'm so grateful for the power of the Priesthood and that I'm beginning to see priesthood blessings come true. After dinner we had a lesson with Brother Rollie. We talked about repentance and having a sincere desire to know if the Book of Mormon is true. At one point we were talking about how with God all things are possible. He said "God can even make me a Mormon". I started to laugh, but inside I was thinking how true that is. It was a great lesson! He's making progress. THEN as we were walking outside to leave, I saw one, single firefly. I think I may have squealed just a little. Heavenly Father answers prayers! It was such a little tender mercy. I told Sister Christensen about it at church yesterday, she was pretty excited too.

Friday night I went up to Indy to go on an exchange with Sister Cordner. I had been looking forward to it for about three weeks, since she told me. She came down and picked me up and we talked the entire way home. She's my best friend! I love that we've been able to go one three exchanges so far with each other. Somehow we just immediately clicked. At one point she said, "I feel like we're the same person". It's true, we see eye to eye on soooooo many things. We didn't really have any plans for Saturday. Mostly tracting and seeing potentials/formers. I had a blast with her though. It was something that both of us really needed. We were both able to just take a moment and breathe. We tracted into a Seventh-Day Adventist, she basically started to Bible bash with us and told us were weren't following the Bible. Teaching with her was great. I didn't have to worry about if I stopped talking at a good spot, like I do with a trainee. Basically it was a dream 24 hours.

So since being in Seymour, I've had a lot of sleepless nights. Sometimes I'll just wake up around 2 or 3 and just can't fall back to sleep. I hate it because I'm always exhausted the next day. So Saturday night I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep. I finally decided to get up and reading through my patriarchal blessing. I hate how sometimes I receive revelation at the most inconvenient times. As I was reading a particular part I thought of a talk given by Elder Holland. It was an MTC address, but his talk in general conference was an edited version. Anyways at one point he says, in a very firm point "when I asked you to be a missionary, it was for forever". My full time service will end, but my missionary attitude won't. Heavenly Father expects me to by devoted to His work for the rest of my life. It sounds simple, but it was the lesson I learned Saturday night at 3:30 am. It also prepared me for the leadership broadcast last night.

Speaking of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok anyone who reads this off the blog HAS to watch that broadcast. It's two hours long, break it up. Every single member of the Church needs to watch it, I don't care how old you are. President and Sister Cleveland were there, they fly in on Thursday.  Anyways, at the beginning they play a video while the choir is singing a musical number. It shows a family, reading scriptures, praying, etc in the morning. Then it shows all there missionary experiences throughout the day. I started crying. I'm beginning to realize how small I am, but how important the work I am doing is. Never have I thought so much about my future family than I have the last four months. Ok this may sound super weird, but it's the truth. As this video was being played I was imagining my own kids doing the same thing. I realized how boadly I want my kids to be able to have a strong desire to share the gospel, something I never had. I can't wait for the day when I will get to watch my own children pray. Those will be such special moments, just like teaching my investigators now how to pray and seeing their excitement. This brings me back to reading my patriarchal blessing. A mission is teaching me about the person my Heavenly Father needs me to be. I'm beginning to realize just how important the gospel of Jesus Christ is. How grateful I am that my Heavenly Father chose me to serve a mission. The tools and skills I am learning right now will continue to bless me and those around me.

Ok......member missionary work. You heard them, tracting isn't effective. I think I heard this day one in the MTC. However, we still do it. Why? Because members don't get it. That's why this broadcast was so essential. There are more missionaries now, we've answered the call. Now it's time for the members to step it up. So start talking to your friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is it scary? Yes. I'm still scared even though I do it all day everyday. But the message of the gospel is important. If you don't know how to bring up the gospel, ask the missionaries. They will help you!!!! Really we get so excited when members tells us they are sharing the gospel with their friends.

I know I didn't write about each day like I usually do, but these things were the most important.