natalie ann: week 54: change is like manure

Monday, November 7th, 2016

Helloooo.

So this week has been good but crazy. Ugh so we had an alignment meeting last night and basically one of our wards is in Show Low Stake now; other is still in Pinetop but it's not called that anymore. It's called White Mountain Arizona stake. And 1st Ward is called Show Low Creek Ward and 2nd Ward is now called Show Low Ward, Baja they basically have the same name. How confusing is that. So yeah we are in two stakes now which we can totally do but President doesn't like missionaries splitting stakes even though it has been done lots before. So we need to talk to him. I would DIE if I lost any of our wards or investigators. Change is like manure, it stinks but helps things grow.

Monday night we got together as all of the missionaries in the mountains and played games and such, it was pretty fun. We then had exchanges and I was in Fort Apache (reservation) for two days. It's a whole other world over there. So yeah I was there for Tuesday and Wednesday. First day was with just Sister Kamalu, love her and then the second day Sister Paul joined us and we were in a trio, they have so many investigators! It's crazy. It's like they are in a different country. But yeah being in Apache was fun.

Thursday I was back in my area, it had felt like I was gone forever. We had ZTM and since I'm an STL I had to give a training. Sister Gulley and I planned it that morning cause we had no other time to do it. It was crazy. The training went well I think...it was on effective planning. The zone leaders trained on baptism which President trained us on at MLC. It was good hearing it a second time. We read 2 Nephi 31:13 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism--yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel." I love this scripture and how it says that we witness unto the Father when we are baptized. Baptism is a witness and testimony that you have repented and are willing to stand as a witness of God. Baptism is a sign to show God that we are willing to do it. It just makes sense why Christ was baptized, he was an example. It wouldn't make much sense if he said "go get baptized" rather than "come follow me and be baptized". The second one just sounds a lot kinder. It's cool cause in our doctrine of Christ reading of the Book of Mormon, I get to focus on my purpose. Cause that is our purpose as missionaries, the doctrine of Christ. The rest of the day was just really good and I was just motivated to do missionary work. We contacted a lot of people. We met this man named Kenneth who is a less-active and had a lesson on his doorstep. We then had the funniest lesson with Zach on the law of chastity. Here are some quotes from it to describe it better:

- "Zach will you live the law of chasity?" "I will pray about it" "no Zach that's not what we asked you!" " okay I will really really really really try" lol
- *zach trying to explain why the law of chasity is important and then get flustered and then says "wait what are we talking about?"
- "How are you doing with the law of chasity?" " I don't cusss...I don't cuss....I don't cusss...." lol
- "I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. Are sleeping bags okay?" Lol

Basically they need to get married, I think he is saving up for a ring now. But hopefully this winter it will happen.

Friday was weekly planning, I asked someone to be baptized over the phone, it was a potential I had never met and Sister Suter said we probably needed to drop him. So we did over the phone. I feel like the longer I am out, the bolder I am. But in a loving way of course. We then we over to the Deal's and had a lesson with Jayce. It was good. We had a lesson with the Cuiriz family so we had a member with us named Perla. She speaks Spanish. They weren't home so we went to contact a referral named Sandra. She and her daughter Joselin took the discussions a couple years ago. We aren't sure why the missionaries dropped them, probably not keeping commitments and Sandra isn't married, but has lived with him for 23 years. But we had a lesson with them and Sandra doesn't speak English super well so it was good we had Perla with us. We are going to keep teaching them and if we feel like the Spanish Elders need to teach them then we will. Joselin speaks English and Spanish both very well. I'm excited to teach them! She just needs to get married..

Saturday we had a potential named Glenda but we had no info on her other than the fact that the Turkeys knew her. So we went to the Turkey's, the cutest old couple ever and Glenda is their neighbor. Glenda is a less-active but doesn't want to come back. We had a good lesson with her though. We then saw Mark and brought a YSA guy to have a hand off lesson cause Mark wants to go to YSA which I think will be really good for him, Mark is hilarious. The member present was perfect and he was getting him involved in the activities and such. We then had a lesson with the Cuiriz family, well it was really just Raphaela cause the kids didn't want to come and they are the ones that speak English. So we had our members pretty much just do the lesson, they read chapter 1 in Spanish with her and she was so much more responsive. So since the kids aren't interested we are going to start having the Spanish Elders teach her. Which is sad for us :(

Sunday was church, Deanna and Zach both came! They are so awesome. We had some good contacts and gave away a lot of Book of mormons. That book is awesome & free, why wouldn't anyone not want to take it?! But yeah we then had the alignment meeting and so we didn't have any lessons. Oh and they are making a new stake in the mountains so like everything up here is changing.

I love this quote from general conference. Elder Christensen said,"We need not be timid about testifying of Joseph’s mission as prophet, seer, and revelator, for the Lord has always worked through prophets. Because of the truths restored through Joseph Smith, we know much more about our Heavenly Father and the Savior Jesus Christ." Whenever I bare my testimony on fast Sunday or really whenever, I am trying to always testify of the restoration, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. That is was make our message so unique!

My ponderize scripture for the week:

Alma 26:15 "Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work." How wonderful is that? It's true when you first meet/teach someone, they don't seem as happy, don't have that light. But when they start their conversion and reading the Book of Mormon that light and His love encircles them. This gospel changes hearts.

Every night in my prayers I am really focusing on giving an account to my Lord of my day and efforts. It makes me stay motivated and try harder the next day. I'm so grateful to be an instrument in His hands!

--xo: sister fisha