Hello Friends and Family!
This week has been a week of blessings, learning experiences, and tragedies. I've learned so much from Zone Conference, the "Why I Believe" Fireside in South Bend, and just on my own as I've tried to do better in my studies. I decided to go back through Adjusting to Missionary Life to work out some things like trying to get up on time. I've been struggling with that for the last few weeks and am learning to improve. Today we got up at 5 to teach the Seminary class. It was an edifying experience and I was able to learn much from Brother McDougal. He gave us a talk by President Benson titled "Keys to Successful Member-Missionary Work". In this talk, President Benson covered many topics including Doctrine and Covenants 115:5-6 and four steps that help us be able to use our abilities and build relationships with members to help our investigators feel the Spirit and "Come unto Christ" (Moroni 10:32-33). It was very powerful. And while most of us were half asleep, I still felt the Spirit testify to me that this work is true and I CAN do and AM doing what the Lord has called me to do.
The steps he covered were First: Strive to Obtain the Spirit, Second: Acquire Humility, Third: Love People, and Finally: Work Diligently. With these steps, we can help ourselves become better members as we are all still Members of Christ's Church, and help the members in our Wards to become better missionaries. This talk was designed to help us understand how to help the Work of Salvation progress. Hastening the Work. I loved being able to attend Seminary and had a "flashback" into my years in high school seminary classes with my friends. It was amazing. Kind of a precursor to this morning. I had lost a ring yesterday at church and realized it this morning on the way to seminary. I asked Heavenly Father to help me in remembering where I had last seen it and no sooner than we pulled into the parking lot, I opened my door to see it right there on the pavement. It was unreal! I had just asked the Lord for help and there it was shining back at me from the pavement. Incredible. Just incredible!!! God helped my faith grow stronger with just a tiny miracle. Always the best!
Anyway, this week has been one of revelatory experiences! I got a lot from Zone Conference. I loved being able to discuss the needs of our investigators to get more ideas on how to help them. We took a member (a ward missionary, Sister Shafer who is by far one of the best I've even been able to work with) to a lesson with Brandi. The Spirit was very strong because we talked to her about the Book of Mormon and read with her a part of it I believe in Mosiah 24. We randomly flipped to that scripture and it helped us help her understand more.
We had a miracle lesson with Sue too! Sue is an investigator who has had a lot of trials come into her life. She has a lot of injuries from a horse kicking her knee and breaking her femur (of all things!!!!), to a bad back that is constantly hurting her, as well as a myriad of personal things that weigh her down on a daily basis. On Saturday we decided to go and visit her after having lunch with another investigator whom we haven't seen in a while. We decided to stop by before we went tracting to see if she would be home. We caught her at home while she was working on a project and were able to share a message with her. We started in on talking to her about the Book of Mormon and how God's hand is in everything. That's when she opened up to us and the Spirit just FILLED the room. I testified to her that through all of our hard times God is there. He doesn't leave His children even though sometimes it feels like He does. He gives us challenges and trials to help make us strong. I do believe that He gives us more than we can handle at times to become humble and help us see that we MUST turn to Him to relieve us. Through God we can overcome these trials and learn to lean on Him so He can take them Away. That's what Christ did. He carried our burdens first so that we can then carry them and He can help us on the way, knowing where things will get rough and where things will be smooth. That testimony helped her to feel relief and happiness. We plan on going back and committing her to baptism as she continues to read, ponder, pray, and repent. It was amazing to feel such a strong Spirit with her. It was a miracle by chance and snap decisions.
We did lose a Less Active sister we'd been working with. She passed away Thursday morning from complications with ALS. She was such a sweet spirit and has asked another sister in our ward to preform her ordinances in the temple next year. When I heard I cried to be honest because I love Sister McMillan. It was hard but I know now that she is with her parents and sister who preceded her in death and she is FREE from disease and hardship. She's resting at peace and I'm sure is spreading the Gospel that she loved so dearly. I'm excited to get to see her again one day. Same with a sweet little girl who is very handicapped. I am going to be very excited to meet her again when she'll be made whole. Her little life is an example to others and she just radiates love and happiness. Though she can't talk back, she still expresses emotion and I love being around her.
I'm very grateful to be able to stay here in Warsaw and help these people that I've come to know and love. We need to improve on extending baptismal invitations as well as committing them to dates. We're working hard on getting out and finding and exercising ways to still meet with the investigators we have while trying to reach out to the ones that are falling. I'm grateful that I've been able to learn more and change and figure out what's been going on! It's so cool to be here and WORK!
Sunday! Got to talk with my Momma! :)
Monday! We had P-Day! Sister Hathcock hurt her foot while playing soccer at Zone up in South Bend. It was gnarly! But it was FUN!
Tuesday! Zone Conference! Learned a lot about missionary work and how to help discern the needs of investigators!
Wednesday! We did service at a garden and I loved being able to run around in the soil barefoot planing seeds! It was a blast! Also, discovered a new breed of hibernating garden frogs that I dug up with the "scritchy-scratch" (Garden Rake). We're going back tomorrow. :)
Thursday! Weekly Planning and B-Dubs! It's our weekness as missionaries. But what can I say?
Friday! Had Family History, tracted for a bit, taught some scheduled lessons, and had a bonfire at the Navarros. She makes the best chicken tacos ever! :)
Saturday! We met with Brooke who is thinking about baptism which is a huge improvement!!! We also met with Sue and she is such a sweet lady. Also, we got the call! I'm staying in Warsaw until July! I'm so happy!!!!! :) It's the best feeling in the world to be able to stay here. This is my favorite area by far! Still love Greenwood and Seymour but Warsaw holds a special place in my heart. :)
Sunday! Fast and Testimony meeting with lots of testimonies about family history and temple work! I'm stoked for the Indy Temple to be done. :) It'll be so cool. And I'll be able to do work there eventually! How cool is that?!
That's my amazing week in a nutshell! I love and miss you all! Have a fabulous week!
Love,
Sister Halverson
This week has been a week of blessings, learning experiences, and tragedies. I've learned so much from Zone Conference, the "Why I Believe" Fireside in South Bend, and just on my own as I've tried to do better in my studies. I decided to go back through Adjusting to Missionary Life to work out some things like trying to get up on time. I've been struggling with that for the last few weeks and am learning to improve. Today we got up at 5 to teach the Seminary class. It was an edifying experience and I was able to learn much from Brother McDougal. He gave us a talk by President Benson titled "Keys to Successful Member-Missionary Work". In this talk, President Benson covered many topics including Doctrine and Covenants 115:5-6 and four steps that help us be able to use our abilities and build relationships with members to help our investigators feel the Spirit and "Come unto Christ" (Moroni 10:32-33). It was very powerful. And while most of us were half asleep, I still felt the Spirit testify to me that this work is true and I CAN do and AM doing what the Lord has called me to do.
The steps he covered were First: Strive to Obtain the Spirit, Second: Acquire Humility, Third: Love People, and Finally: Work Diligently. With these steps, we can help ourselves become better members as we are all still Members of Christ's Church, and help the members in our Wards to become better missionaries. This talk was designed to help us understand how to help the Work of Salvation progress. Hastening the Work. I loved being able to attend Seminary and had a "flashback" into my years in high school seminary classes with my friends. It was amazing. Kind of a precursor to this morning. I had lost a ring yesterday at church and realized it this morning on the way to seminary. I asked Heavenly Father to help me in remembering where I had last seen it and no sooner than we pulled into the parking lot, I opened my door to see it right there on the pavement. It was unreal! I had just asked the Lord for help and there it was shining back at me from the pavement. Incredible. Just incredible!!! God helped my faith grow stronger with just a tiny miracle. Always the best!
Anyway, this week has been one of revelatory experiences! I got a lot from Zone Conference. I loved being able to discuss the needs of our investigators to get more ideas on how to help them. We took a member (a ward missionary, Sister Shafer who is by far one of the best I've even been able to work with) to a lesson with Brandi. The Spirit was very strong because we talked to her about the Book of Mormon and read with her a part of it I believe in Mosiah 24. We randomly flipped to that scripture and it helped us help her understand more.
We had a miracle lesson with Sue too! Sue is an investigator who has had a lot of trials come into her life. She has a lot of injuries from a horse kicking her knee and breaking her femur (of all things!!!!), to a bad back that is constantly hurting her, as well as a myriad of personal things that weigh her down on a daily basis. On Saturday we decided to go and visit her after having lunch with another investigator whom we haven't seen in a while. We decided to stop by before we went tracting to see if she would be home. We caught her at home while she was working on a project and were able to share a message with her. We started in on talking to her about the Book of Mormon and how God's hand is in everything. That's when she opened up to us and the Spirit just FILLED the room. I testified to her that through all of our hard times God is there. He doesn't leave His children even though sometimes it feels like He does. He gives us challenges and trials to help make us strong. I do believe that He gives us more than we can handle at times to become humble and help us see that we MUST turn to Him to relieve us. Through God we can overcome these trials and learn to lean on Him so He can take them Away. That's what Christ did. He carried our burdens first so that we can then carry them and He can help us on the way, knowing where things will get rough and where things will be smooth. That testimony helped her to feel relief and happiness. We plan on going back and committing her to baptism as she continues to read, ponder, pray, and repent. It was amazing to feel such a strong Spirit with her. It was a miracle by chance and snap decisions.
We did lose a Less Active sister we'd been working with. She passed away Thursday morning from complications with ALS. She was such a sweet spirit and has asked another sister in our ward to preform her ordinances in the temple next year. When I heard I cried to be honest because I love Sister McMillan. It was hard but I know now that she is with her parents and sister who preceded her in death and she is FREE from disease and hardship. She's resting at peace and I'm sure is spreading the Gospel that she loved so dearly. I'm excited to get to see her again one day. Same with a sweet little girl who is very handicapped. I am going to be very excited to meet her again when she'll be made whole. Her little life is an example to others and she just radiates love and happiness. Though she can't talk back, she still expresses emotion and I love being around her.
I'm very grateful to be able to stay here in Warsaw and help these people that I've come to know and love. We need to improve on extending baptismal invitations as well as committing them to dates. We're working hard on getting out and finding and exercising ways to still meet with the investigators we have while trying to reach out to the ones that are falling. I'm grateful that I've been able to learn more and change and figure out what's been going on! It's so cool to be here and WORK!
Sunday! Got to talk with my Momma! :)
Monday! We had P-Day! Sister Hathcock hurt her foot while playing soccer at Zone up in South Bend. It was gnarly! But it was FUN!
Tuesday! Zone Conference! Learned a lot about missionary work and how to help discern the needs of investigators!
Wednesday! We did service at a garden and I loved being able to run around in the soil barefoot planing seeds! It was a blast! Also, discovered a new breed of hibernating garden frogs that I dug up with the "scritchy-scratch" (Garden Rake). We're going back tomorrow. :)
Thursday! Weekly Planning and B-Dubs! It's our weekness as missionaries. But what can I say?
Friday! Had Family History, tracted for a bit, taught some scheduled lessons, and had a bonfire at the Navarros. She makes the best chicken tacos ever! :)
Saturday! We met with Brooke who is thinking about baptism which is a huge improvement!!! We also met with Sue and she is such a sweet lady. Also, we got the call! I'm staying in Warsaw until July! I'm so happy!!!!! :) It's the best feeling in the world to be able to stay here. This is my favorite area by far! Still love Greenwood and Seymour but Warsaw holds a special place in my heart. :)
Sunday! Fast and Testimony meeting with lots of testimonies about family history and temple work! I'm stoked for the Indy Temple to be done. :) It'll be so cool. And I'll be able to do work there eventually! How cool is that?!
That's my amazing week in a nutshell! I love and miss you all! Have a fabulous week!
Love,
Sister Halverson
