General Conference Weekend Pic

We wouldn't have made it to General Conference without the help of our awesome Zone Leaders: Elder Fingerle (left) and Elder Blackner (right). Cheers to them. :) 

Time Flies

This week was quite eventful and  the next few weeks won't get any less exciting!  The greatest event of the week was definitely General Conference.  We are really blessed here in England to get the live broadcast and be able to watch it at our stake centers.  We got to see Saturday morning and Sunday morning sessions live, while Saturday afternoon's session was shown Sunday morning and so I've just got one more to watch! Anyway! I loved every second of it! The Spirit was so strong and I'm so grateful to the men and women who are so inspired to give the messages they do and to lead the Church.  Two talks that I will definitely be studying more in depth were Elder Richard G. Scott's and Elder David A. Bednar's. 

This week we had a miracle teach on Saturday morning before we made the trip to the Poole Stake Center to watch conference.  On Friday, the elders in our area street contacted a lady named Sima.  She was in town with her daughter who just came to visit for the weekend.  The elders got a return appointment so we headed over the next morning.  She is a great woman of Christian belief and faith. Both her and her daughter accepted a Book of Mormon and committed to read it. They both expressed how their prayers had been answered and we're grateful we were able to be a part of that. Sima is also very excited to attend church with us next Sunday! We're really grateful and excited to have met her.  

It's the greatest opportunity being a missionary.  I told a young woman at the Poole Stake Center that if she ever got the chance and opportunity to serve, she shouldn't pass it up.  It has truly brought me so much happiness and I'm continuing to learn more about the Gospel, build a relationship with my Savior, and serve those around me.  What greater work can we be involved in than that of our Father in Heaven?

Scripture of the week: "...He that is righteous shall be righteous still; [and] he that is happy shall be happy still; And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles." -Mormon 9:14-15   Visit and lunch at Old Sarum this week. We were so happy to have the sun!! :)

Zone Training Pic

Sisterhood (from left to right): Sister Jacobson, Sister Draper, Sister Moulis, Sister McLaws, & Sister Smart on the end. :)

"Spring Forward"

A big welcome to daylight savings...kinda. :) We lost an hour this time because we moved the clocks forward, but it's great because it's a lot lighter in the evenings. And the warm weather makes everybody happier! On Saturday it was a beautiful sunny day and we went "whiteboard contacting." In Salisbury, every Saturday the market is on so there are booths and canopies everywhere in the town square.  It's a lot of hustle and bustle so it was perfect!! We wrote on our whiteboard "What makes you happy?" It was fun to stop people and hear their response.  The most common one, "The sunshine!!" Agreed. Some others said, "Money," "Family," and "Shopping." Talking with people about what made them happy made me happy.   We went on to tell them the reason we asked is because the gospel of Jesus Christ makes us happy.  Knowing that we're God's children and He's provided a plan for us is priceless knowledge that brings me the most joy. And that's something that isn't temporary or short-lived. It's ETERNAL!! How great is that?! It was a fun experience to talk to as many people as we did and street contact in a different way!

 

A miracle from this week was that our friend and investigator, Richard, finally came to church!! We were so happy for him!! We've been meeting with him for a few weeks now and he has great faith and has been diligently reading the Book of Mormon.  He is a great person and we're grateful to know him and teach him. 

 

We also had Zone Training this week and oh how I love Poole Zone! Seriously. When you look at the picture you'll understand why.  I love the Spirit and zeal the other missionaries in our zone have and I'm so grateful to work along side them.  I'm excited for General Conference this weekend and can't wait to see it! I know that the Prophet and Apostles are inspired men and I know that their message is true.  They speak with great power and dignity and it always makes me excited when General Conference comes around. I've decided I'll be attending one of the sessions when I get back because that was something I took for granted living in Utah.  It'll be a great blessing and privilege to hear from them this week.

 

Scripture of the Week: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;" -Psalms 24:3-4

 

Poole Zone Represent. :)

 

You Win Some, You Lose Some

For most of my posts I've tried to focus and share a miracle of the week because the good always outweighs the bad, and the Lord blesses us everyday!! It's the best thing to be a missionary - but it's not always smooth sailing. 

I think being a missionary is like being on a sports team.  Pick your favorite sport - surely it applies to most of them. :)  As a missionary, I'm part of the Lord's team and His team consists of my companion, the branch, the other missionaries in the mission (or even around the world), my mission president, my family, the general authorities, and other members.  Everyone on the Lord's team wants to achieve the same thing: we all want to "invite others to come unto Christ, by helping them receive the restored gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end." Each person has a little bit different position and responsibility on the playing field, but we can't be successful if we don't work together. Sometimes our team does everything we can to win the victory.  And we know we will in the end.  But some of the games of life are not always won.  Sometimes we lose. Things don't go as planned.  The Lord blesses us with right circumstances, with the Spirit, and with His help, but the one thing the Lord can't control is our agency.  We can not force anyone to do anything and the Lord can't either.  That's what's so great about our life on earth is that we have that gift to learn and progress!  Sometimes our own choices and others' choices just don't bring the victory we may have hoped for.  But just because we don't win every single game, and things don't always go perfectly, doesn't mean we stop playing!  We must continue to do our best, to play our position, and listen to what our coach tells us to do.  If we do, and we continue to follow the Lord, the wins will always outweigh the losses. That's just Sister B's two cents I guess. :)

This has been especially evident in the work this week. There is "opposition in all things" but that is proof that the work is true.  If it weren't, Satan wouldn't be fighting so hard against it. I'm grateful for the lessons I'm learning and the privilege it is to play on the Lord's team.  He really is hastening His work.  

This week we received an unexpected phone call from a less active sister who wanted to meet with us after years of not coming to church! What a miracle that was! We're going to see her this week and we're grateful for her courage.  

Scripture of the week: "Now in this case the Lamanites did fight exceedingly... Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, and their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.  And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God." -Alma 43:43,45-46

Pic

Oh how I love the Salisbury branch! :) Sister Alisi had her baby last night right after the baby shower!

Hastening the Work

Oh my goodness.  The Lord is definitely hastening His work - especially here in Salisbury.  Unfortunately, we had a slight bump in the road this week since Sister Smart and I both got sick. (Or as they say here, "We were poorly this week.")  We had to take time to get some proper rest, but we're both just about back to normal now. :) 

Probably the best news of the week is the fact that Pam surprised us by coming to church!! It was the greatest thing to see her there! We are so happy for her and we know the Lord is very mindful of each and every one of His children.

On Monday we took an hour bus journey up to Tidworth for a dinner appointment and FHE with a family in the branch. On our way there, we started talking to a lady sitting just in front of us on the bus.  Her name was Yasmine.  We told her all about the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith's First Vision.  She asked me, "So how can I get one of these books? Where can I buy it?!" I said, "Oh, you can have this one!" :) She was so happy. She went on to tell us that she had been fasting and she didn't think it was a coincidence that we started talking to her. She told us how she would love to come to church and would be able to come this week! We were so excited! Not only was she prepared to accept the gospel, just as we were coming into Tidworth, whilst talking with her, we got a phone call from the member that he would have to cancel for the night. Had he called and let us know any earlier, we wouldn't have been on that bus journey to talk with Yasmine. The Lord works in mysterious ways.  I'm so grateful we were able to meet her and that Heavenly Father continues to put people in our path to help and teach.

Scripture of the week: "6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." 2 Corn. 9:6-7

Spring has sprung! :)