So it's a great pleasure and humbling opportunity to train her. I know I have already trained, but it was a little different because I still had my "Mom" (my trainer) there too, so I wasn't alone. Plus Sister Walker basically came running :) So this is a different experience because it's just the two of us in our companionship (although we do live with two other sisters which can be very helpful), and there are other challenges to face with new language and culture. It's super fun though and I feel so grateful to be able to be called Sister Boehula's trainer. I am learning so much from her and from this opportunity already! I love it :) The picture I attached is us after our first day! :)
Another piece of exciting news is that we also got another set of Elders in Shreveport! That means we now have 3 sets of Elders and 2 sets of Sisters, making a grand total of 10 missionaries for the Shreveport ward!! That's amazing! I'm pretty sure that is the highest in the mission, and it's super uncommon! What a blessing....the Shreveport area must be ready for the gospel or else we would not have that many missionaries here. It's super exciting, and I feel so blessed to be a part of it!
Sister Boehula and I didn't do a whole lot of teaching this last week because of transfers (getting Sister Benjamin ready to leave and Sister Boehula settled in), having an extra hour of companion study in the mornings for training, weekly planning Friday morning, correlation with our ward mission leaders and all of the new missionaries Friday night, and interviews with President on Saturday! However, it was a good week and I feel that we are off to a good start. [Our couple investigators] are still progressing really well and have given up coffee and sweet tea! They also came to sacrament meeting yesterday! There is always such a strong spirit when we visit them and I care about them so much! I know they are ready for this gospel, and it is amazing to see it bless and change their lives as they live it a little more and more each time we visit them. [The recent convert's son] is also doing pretty well, but unfortunately he wasn't able to come to church on Sunday. It was mostly because his mom wants him to have church clothes before he comes, so we're working on that. But [his] desires are there and he is doing well.
I always love interviews with President McDonough. I always feel that I can take in whatever is troubling me or weighing me down, and come out uplifted and enlightened. It's funny too how sometimes I don't realize how much I am carrying around until I go in and he looks into my eyes. You can feel that President McDonough has been called by God and does have the spirit of discernment to know how you are doing and how he can help you. This last interview was a little different for me though. Usually I do have at least one things I want to talk about, but this time I went in and my heart and mind were blank except for thinking about Sister Boehula. All I wanted was to know how to help her. We did end up talking for a few minutes about something I am going to work on improving, and then at the end President felt inspired to ask when the last time was I had had a priesthood blessing. I had actually just asked two of the Elders in our district to give me one on Tuesday before we picked up Sister Boehula, but President asked if I would like another. I accepted. That was a very calming and peaceful blessing for me. It's the first one I've had from President McDonough, and it was what I needed at that time. I just needed to hear from my Heavenly Father.
I know that our Heavenly Father loves us. He loves you. There is great power that comes when a righteous man who holds the priesthood uses that authority in a righteous way to bless someone else. I am so grateful for that power and for that personal connection that we do have with our Heavenly Father. I'm so grateful to know that I am a daughter of God. I know that Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and successful. He wants us to have all that He has, and He knows that we can.
I know that my prayers are heard and answered. An analogy came to mind this week that really hit me for some reason. Life is kind of like practicing for a race. We know we can't be perfect by just waking up one morning, we need to practice and work hard. With practice comes making mistakes - it's expected! But with the atonement of Jesus Christ we are able to practice and get up when we fall, and try again. Otherwise we would have no hope of becoming our best selves. Falling down is part of becoming our best, and Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to do so. I'm so grateful for Him!
That also means that we need to start running. I've seen people, including myself, set a date to do something and then don't do anything in the meantime to prepare. So when that date comes they push it off because they don't feel ready. And yet they are afraid to start "running" because they are afraid of falling, feeling pain or discomfort, or messing up. We can't let that fear stop us. Remember, mistakes are expected, but so is improvement! Press forward and know that the Lord is with you!
I love you all so much! I love this gospel, and I love the Lord Jesus Christ. May The Spirit be your guide this week as you choose to take the steps you feel you need to take to get you to your Father in Heaven!
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