My highlights this week were actually with teaching the youth. I love the youth. They are amazing! And so much fun! Sister Benjamin and I got the privilege and opportunity to teach the 12 and 13 year olds Sunday School class this sunday. We talked about the plan of salvation, particularly who we are (children of God), what happened before we came to Earth, and how our Savior can help us (Alma 7:11-12). They are so smart and have such good hearts. They asked great questions and I loved being with them in their light and purity!
Then Sunday evening Sister Benjamin and I got to teach Mission Prep. That really is a blessing, because the stake president said he just wanted the Zone Leaders and the Shreveport South sisters to do mission prep. I feel so blessed that of all the missionaries in the stake (about 10 companionships) I am in the companionship chosen to help out. I love those youth! We have about 6 that attend each month (not always the same 6). This gospel is amazing and I love learning from the youth and helping them to be strong and realize the power and joy of the gospel. I love to see them grow. They are incredible to me. I think maybe I want to be a teacher when I come home, but we'll see. :)
This last week we had a couple of people decide that they didn't want to meet with us anymore, and two people gave back the Book of Mormon that we had given them (one was the wife of a man we had given it to). However, the two who "dropped" us are stellar people. They are full of light and I know that when the time is right they will accept the restored gospel and be awesome members of the Lord's kingdom. They were very respectful as they told us they didn't want to meet with us anymore, and were still fine if we stopped by or called them on occasion. I know it was a blessing though, because we need to be focusing on those who are ready for the gospel know. If we have gotten them to the point they are ready for, then it is time for us to move on and focus on someone else.
I received a blessing on Thursday from one of the Elders in our district, Elder Joseph. It was partially a blessing for healing (Elder Muhile helped out), but also a long over-due blessing needed just for comfort. I have been blessed to grow up in a home where my dad is a worthy priesthood holder, and we would get a fathers blessing at the beginning of every school year, and when I got to college I had one at the beginning of every semester. I loved those blessings and treasured them with all my heart. I've missed two of those now since I've left, and I've felt that loss. I was so grateful to have Elders who were worthy and willing to fill in where my father couldn't, because I'm on my mission. The blessing was one of great comfort, and I think I needed the blessing as much as the Elders needed to give it. It was a blessing for all of us. In the blessing I was told to continue to search for the elect. I know that they are here, and that the Lord will lead us to them. Saturday was a confirmation of that to me.
Saturday was a hard day. We were nearing the end of our day and we were tired from walking, and 7 of our prior appointments had fallen through, with our back ups mostly being tracting...so we had tracted almost all day. We were tired, our efforts had been spent, and our plans had been tried. Much of us wanted to go in early and just end the day to start anew, but we had one more appointment to try. As it was close to the end of the day, we decided that if that appointment didn't go through we would knock on 10 houses and then be done. We made up our mind before going to the appointment so that we wouldn't hesitate on what to do. We went to visit the lady we had an appointment with and she told us she felt bad, but that she was going to have to reschedule. So we said a prayer with her and then went out to knock our 10 doors. They were some of the best doors we've knocked. We got 2 lessons, 2 return appointments, gave out 1 Book of Mormon. One of those lessons was with a woman who used to be visited by missionaries. It was really neat and ended us on a good note - or so we thought. We then picked up the other sisters to return to our apartment for dinner and decided to go to Dairy Queen to get some ice cream first since all four of us had had a hard day. We ended up talking with the cashier who is a young adult who has been studying different religions since she doesn't agree with some of the baptist traditions she was raised in. Sister Sellers even got to share Joseph Smith's experience with her. It was great! We left her a card and invited her to give us a call when she'd like to talk with us some more.
I know that the Lord is there! He is always there! I also know that as we make our selves worthy, we make ourselves worthwhile. Worthy means of great worth. Worthwhile means worth the time or effort spent. Our choices make us worthy, so our choices make us worth the time and effort spent by the Savior on our behalf. That really hit me this week!
I love you all so much! Pray to your Father Heaven! He hears you!
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