Happy Thanksgiving!! :-)

Thanksgiving!

 

Thanksgiving is this week! Whoohoo. This will be my first real holiday as a missionary, because I didn't really feel like I was missing out on too much during Halloween. I mean Provo Halloween's were always a let down, I could only take so much dance party hopping. Anyway. Thanksgiving will be weird because we will probably go dinner hopping. I hope I don't explode.

 

We had zone conference this week. I loved it for a number of reasons.

 

1) It was like EFY on steroids... without the dancing. Bummer. But it was still great and really uplifting.

2) Being with so many Elders is SO funny. Elders are just funny, but mostly it is funny because it's very segregated.

3) It's fun to be with so many different missionaries.

4) I love President Keyes.

5) There is yummy food.

6) We got to sing a musical number-- look at me using my talents!

 

Okay that was probably a really boring list. Sorry. Anyway. We talked a lot at zone conference about qualifying for the work and really giving your whole heart. We are only going to be successful if we give all of ourselves, and we can only really be fully happy (on a mission and in everyday life) if we give all of ourselves. I liked this note that I wrote "The greatest battles you will ever have are deep in the chambers of your heart... Once the Lord has won, you both win." It made me question what I was holding back. What more could I give to the Lord? I think we can all ask ourselves that question. He asks us to love him and serve him with all our heart, might, mind and strength. But you notice that heart is first. That's the hardest, to give up our dreams, our desires, everything - to make our first desire that His will be done. And then he makes us new and whole and perfect through him. I think that is one of the great lessons I have learned this short time that I am on my mission. It is not enough for me to be out here doing missionary work. I need to become a missionary. I am so grateful though that I have this opportunity to give him everything. Literally. I don't have anything to worry about, but serving him. I love it!

 

Our investigator, Tamara, is progressing a lot! We are really excited for her to move forward in the gospel. It was pretty neat experience this week.  We were in the middle of an awesome lesson that we had planned, when Sister Sant turned to me and said we need to teach prayer, and I had been thinking the same thing. So we did. We bagged all of our great plans and switched to prayer. It was exactly what Tamara had been thinking about this week and was really an answer to her prayers. I am so grateful to be able to teach by the Spirit!

 

I just LOVE working at the visitor center. I love giving presentations and helping people come closer to Christ. If you live by a visitor center, GO! It is the best. It's been getting rather slow, which is a bummer BUT I have so much time to study. I have been reading the Book of Mormon, did you know that Jacob 5 is the best chapter ever?! Well it's up there. Maybe not the best. Anyway I never had the patience to pick through it before. I love it. I am learning so much. I just love being a missionary! It is the best thing I have ever done. I don't know who reads my blog (besides my mom and Marin Rowe) but if anyone is on the fence about a mission, GO! Just do it. It will be the best thing you can ever do.

 

Well, happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm still accepting birthday cards and letters (haha... but seriously... Katie Packer!)