Staying in Converse

Area: Converse
Companion: Sister Sarah Felix

 Good morning!

We got transfer calls yesterday...Are you ready for the news? :D The Lord has called me to be a junior companion to Sister Felix for another transfer in Converse! And she has been called to be a sister training leader!! She is such a great missionary and a wonderful leader. She is going to do a fantastic job. I'm really excited for her and the learning opportunities we'll have. I'll get to go on a lot of exchanges, and hear about MLC meetings! I'm so happy we're together another transfer. :)

We had a pretty awesome experience a few days ago. We were planning on using the restoration video in a lesson later that evening but realized that we probably didn't have it. We pulled over to see if it was in the trunk. The trunk would not close after that. We tried so hard to get it to shut. Usually we fix the weather stripping and it's fine, but we tried everything including slamming it over and over. We called Elder Presser and asked him what we should do. He told us to go to Pep Boys so they could fix it. We took everything out of the trunk, put it in the back seat, and drove to Pep Boys. While we were waiting, a man came up and started asking us a bunch of questions. He was really curious about who we are and what we do. We began teaching him the restoration. We found out that he's homeless and wants to know more about what we have to offer. We gave him a Book of Mormon and got his phone number. We're going to meet him at a park and teach him more. Isn't it interesting how the Lord placed us in that situation at that time? The Lord is at the head of His work. He leads and guides us everyday.

Yesterday we met a woman who let us come into her home. We were actually on our way to an appointment, but were about five minutes early, so we decided to knock on a couple doors. She came outside and started talking to us about God. Then asked us to come in. We walked into her home, and it was very hippie-like. We were there for about 30 minutes because she kept asking us to share something from our heart. When ever we would start to say something she laughed. She explained that she wasn't laughing at us, but that she was praising the Lord. In her own words she said, "This is mah Hallelujah laugh." She wasn't really open to what we had for her, but that woman has incredible faith and a beautiful, soulful look on life. It was such a privilege to meet her. I must admit though, when Sister Felix and I got out, we couldn't help but start laughing! It was a really wacky experience. 

The amazing thing is, we were 30 minutes late to our appointment next door. It is a family in the ward that has really been struggling. When we arrived we saw that they had home teachers over. We hesitantly knocked on the door. They let us in, we came in the middle of an intense spiritual moment. One of the home teachers was speaking very boldly and lovingly with them. He got choked up and said that he couldn't be more glad that the missionaries showed up in that moment. Once again, the Lord placed us exactly where we needed to be when we needed to be there in a way that we did not expect. The Lord's presence through us, His missionaries was needed in that very moment. If we had been there earlier, things would not have gone the way they did. Angels arrived in that families home. Those angels were in the form of missionaries... That was so humbling... There is no way we could have known or planned that. The Lord is in charge!! He knows and loves everyone individually. We can all be instruments in has hands as we are "anxiously engaged in a good cause" and follow promptings to serve one another. I know with all my heart that the Jesus Christ is the son of God, the savior and redeemer of the world. We are laboring beside him in this great cause in bringing souls to Him. His love is beyond anything we can imagine.

Always remember that we all have a part to play in His work! I love you all so much. And I'm so grateful to be a servant in the Lord's vineyard (see Jacob 5). I have been studying Jacob chapter 5 in the Book of Mormon differently the last couple days. Instead of thinking about the symbolism of the apostasy and dispensations, I put that aside and only thought about missionary work. It is very insightful. If you're interested, try reading that chapter with your personal role in the work of salvation in mind.

I invite you again, to pray for missionary opportunities. They will come, and you will feel great joy.

All in!

Love,

Sister Record

Sister Record carving

Sister Felix pumpkin

Sister Felix carving

His Love Demands My Soul

Area: Converse
Companion: Sister Sarah Felix

Hi ya'll!

There are some words in a song that I love, and think about all the time. They've become somewhat of a motto for me. "His love demands my soul... His love demands my soul, my life, my all." How true this statement is! I am coming to learn that on a deeper level as I serve a mission. Being a missionary is really hard sometimes. The Savior is patient, loving and merciful, but he absolutely demands my soul and my all. He knows what I can become and will not settle for less. He shows me my weaknesses so that I can more fully rely on him and become stronger through His loving grace. This process of growing is really painful sometimes. As a servant of the Lord, I feel the joy of His loving service, and the pain of rejection in a way I haven't before. All the joy, however, far outweighs any pain. I am so grateful for how far I have come, and how much further I have to go. I'm most definitely a different person than I was when I came into the MTC. 

This transfer has been amazing! Sister Felix and I have a really good relationship. She is a great missionary. Every single day we have something to laugh about. This week was a little rough, but we're closer because of it. There are a few good stories about this week. :)

We went to a person's home during the week who had met with missionaries previously but hasn't been taught in a long time. Sister Felix and I had never met them before. When we knocked, a woman in her early 20's answered. A giant German Shepherd bolted out the door and ran across the neighborhood. This woman was obviously concerned. She went back in to get her shoes. The dog was taking off, so Sister Felix and I dropped our stuff and ran after the dog. I'm sure with our skirts flowing in the wind (nothing showing, don't worry) we looked very strange as we chased that dog. It went in someones backyard a couple blocks down. When we finally got close enough, we crept up on it so it wouldn't run away again. I finally caught him! Just as we did, some members pulled up in their car. I was holding the dog, so Sister Felix went over to talk to them. The dog owner caught up with us and had a leash. She is the daughter of the woman who the missionaries had previously taught. I didn't want to stand there awkwardly waiting for Sister Felix so I started talking to her about the restored gospel and God's love for us. We got the dog back home and met [M], [B]'s mom. Needless to say, we got a return appointment with both of them pretty easily. Ha ha! :)

While we were knocking on doors in one neighborhood we had a guy answer a door who looked at us and immediately said "I'm not interested, I don't have time!" then shut the door. No big deal, we get that all the time. It didn't even phase us. We just kept walking. When we were two houses away he came back out and tried to give us money for lunch. It was nice of him, but we can't take money. He wanted us to go buy ourselves some lunch. We thanked him but asked him to keep his money. It was a really interesting experience. Ha ha!

[S] is getting closer and closer to baptism! His date is November 1! I'm not sure if I'll be there for that or not. Transfers are coming up. We'll find out this Sunday what our fate will be. :) He still needs to make the change that has been holding him back. We're maintaining frequent contact with him to ensure that he is doing well. He is so prepared and so ready! He is going to be solid once he gets baptized. He already has such a strong testimony. :D

Always stay positive no matter what. Because there is something special about every day and every moment if we open our eyes to it. That is something I am learning so much this transfer! Moments are indeed the molecules of eternity! I love you all! Keep looking for those missionary opportunities, they're out there.

Sincerely,
Sister Record. <3

P.S. Sister Felix and I have discovered a hidden talent of mine... prepare for your minds to be blown. =0) Hahaha!

 

We die laughing every time... :)

Here's some fairly normal pictures. :D

Sister Felix found some dead bugs

Sister Felix and I at a frozen yogurt place called orange leaf

A dead cockroach. We tried to put a little acorn hat on it, but it wouldn't stay on.

 Weekly planning... enough said.

Last ones

This is sometimes how we make phone calls...

Sister Record looking at a cockroach

Sister Record holding one

The Woodlake Sisters

Area: Converse
Companion: Sister Sarah Felix

Hello!

We moved in with the Woodlake Ward Sister missionaries this week. A senior couple is moving into our apartment. It's been kind of crazy because there is one bathroom and five Sister's. Woodlake is in a threesome. It's worked out though. :)

We had an incredible experience with one of our investigators last week. His name is [S]. He's been investigated the church for a little over a year. He is so solid and ready to be baptized, except that he needs to change his living situation. We had the lesson with Bishop Gibson and pretty much laid it down. The spirit was so strong, and he agreed to change his living situation and be baptized on November 1. Please keep him in your prayers! He really needs them. At the end of the lesson we all knelt and prayed individually. By the end he was so choked up. He and Bishop hugged for a long time. Steve exclaimed, "I feel so good!" It was a really special moment. We're trying to keep in as much contact as we can with him to keep him going strong.

President Monson said something in General Conference that really struck me. "Remember the elderly and the home bound." There is an elderly woman in our ward who's husband passed away a couple weeks ago. We went and visited her on October 11th (Grandma Rowley's birthday, right?). It was brief, but we sang a song and shared a scripture with her. Come to find out, that day was her husbands birthday. There is no way we could have known that. The Lord knows the hearts of each of us. I'm grateful to have been there for her on that difficult day.

I'm so glad to be a missionary! I love you all! Always be positive, and things will work out.

Sincerely,

Sister Record

"I have never felt this way before"

Area: Converse
Companion: Sister Sarah Felix

Hi ya'll!

It's been kind of a crazy morning! The internet at the library we usually go to was down. We went shopping first, but the internet was still down when we were done. So we searched the gps for another library, which was about 20 minutes away and had to get a library card before getting on. Ha ha!

General conference was amazing! I really loved President Eyring's talk. I thought about our family. I appreciate now more than ever the foundation we were built upon as children. Mom and Dad, thank you so much for your steadfastness in doing the small and simple things. Your love and support have built a foundation that will bless generations.

We had an experience yesterday with an investigating family. They are so amazing! We've struggled to get in contact with them. They are so prepared and ready, it's just so hard to have a lesson with them because we could never catch them at the right time. We taught them the Plan of Salvation. During this lesson I had the opportunity to bear witness of Jesus Christ's suffering for us in the garden of Gethsemane. This beautiful family, like many others understood that he suffered for us on the cross, but had never heard about his suffering in the garden of Gethsemane. It was so powerful to teach them that He suffered for our sins so we can be made clean, and He has felt every single pain, sickness, infirmity, weakness, and shortcoming of every single person that has ever lived. The mom teared up as she began to understand what that meant for her. The dad was very thoughtful to whole time. We then taught them about the priesthood authority, and why it is necessary to be baptized. I asked him if he believed that was true. After some thought he replied, "Yes... because I have never felt this way before." We testified that what he was feeling was the spirit telling him that this is true. I wish I could fully describe what a beautiful moment this was. It is an important break through for them in their progression. It is so wonderful to help people see the light. So many are not willing to accept what we have to offer. But when we find those who are ready, it really is amazing to see the transformation that takes place.

Earlier in the week we had a really interesting lesson, to say the least. Ha ha! We met an old man at his doorstep and taught him a 2 minute version of the restoration. He seemed fairly accepting, though we weren't sure how receptive he was. We came back another day, and he was there ready for our company. The house was in slight disarray, he sat us down at his kitchen table, which his cats eat at. He then grabbed some papers that he thought were medical papers. He thought we were there to sign papers for him. We reminded him that we were there to teach him about Jesus. He was pretty confused but let us start teaching him. Come to find out, he was very atheist and didn't believe in God at all. He just thought we were regular company. We briefly testified of the restored gospel and left. He was such a sweet man... Ha ha! It was just a really funny experience. It was the last thing we were expecting.

Once again, general conference was so good! They talked a lot about the restoration. I'm really looking forward to studying it in the ensign. The church is true, and we have a living prophet! :D

All in! I love you all!

(Wish I had more time to update today.) :)

Sincerely,
Sister Record

Truth and Diligence

Area: Converse
Companion: Sister Sarah Felix 

Hi ya'll!

First of all, Chris, congratulations on becoming a glorified lunch lady! Now you can save money for a mission! I bet you're the best glorified lunch lady they have. ;) And I really appreciate the third companion [A coin Chris sent her]. Ha ha! I'll keep it forever. That's really cool that you're collecting coins.

I can't tell you how amazing it is to be a missionary! These past couple weeks have been incredible, I barely know where to start. I can definitely say that I know more than ever that this church is true. IT"S TRUE!!! This is so much bigger than here and now. This is about eternity and God's love for his children. Sister Felix is absolutely amazing. Her and I have so much in common. We are one in purpose and vision in doing the Lord's work, and we also have so much fun together. She is an amazing companion, teacher, and friend. She strives to be exactly obedient and I learn so well from her because she leads by example. She really knows how to put herself in other people's shoes. Especially investigators and less active members. She is sympathetic, compassionate, and diligent. We strengthen one another in all things. She is evidence that the Lord knows and grants the desires of my heart. She came right when I needed her. As her and I have been seeking the spirit by exact obedience, we have truly seen miracle. There is so much work to be done here and amazing things are beginning to happen.

First, one of our investigators, [C], is progressing! He's reading the Book of Mormon seriously and praying. Once he starts coming to church we can try setting him with a baptismal date again. I asked him in our first lesson and he declined. But we have great hopes for him. He has amazing potential.

We stopped by the home of potential investigators. the [B] family. They are husband and wife, and ministers of another church. They're very spiritual and have a lot of questions about the Book of Mormon. We showed up at a tricky time, but we asked if there was anything we could do. Sister [B] was teaching home school at the time we showed up and her husband wasn't home. She asked us to come in and give the children an inspirational message. We of course accepted, but Sister Felix and I briefly looked at each other with the thought, "What in the world are we going to say to these kids?" We followed the spirit and introduced ourselves as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We talked a little bit about who the missionaries are, and how we help others. We told them that they can be missionaries too in a different way. By being a friend to someone and telling them about Jesus Christ's love for them. Sister [B] then asked if they could pray with us before we left. They gathered in a circle to join hands. For the kids sake, everyone put their right foot in the circle to create unity. A young man proceeded to offer the prayer. It was really interesting. His prayer was enthusiastic and soulful. I'm not really sure how to describe it. He prayed for us and our safety. The thought came into my mind to ask them if we could pray for them too. When he ended I sincerely thanked him and told him that his prayer was really touching. I then asked if we could offer a prayer for them. They were very willing, and began to join hands. We demonstrated that we kneel out of respect and fold our arms to keep them still. As I began to offer up a prayer, the environment changed. The spirit filled the whole room as we quietly offered a humble prayer. Not one of excitement or soulful emotion, but of communing with our Father in Heaven. The difference in feeling was very evident. The spirit was so strong! Everyone felt it. This is probably the most powerful experience I've had so far on my mission.

We had zone conference a few days ago and got to see the film, "Meet the Mormons" IT IS SO AMAZING!!!! Go and see it! And share it with friends. I can't even describe in words how great it is. We left feeling on fire to share the gospel. This film left us with a greater understanding that we are all a part of God's family.

I've been learning a lot about diligence. Diligence, as quoted in Preach My Gospel, is "steady, consistent, earnest, energetic effort in doing the Lord's work." When we are diligent, we are filled with joy and peace that we are engaged in the greatest work, the Lord's work. We were sent here to proclaim His gospel. When we diligently do so, it is the greatest feeling. I love being a missionary!! My relationship with God is growing so much and the love he gives me for his children is a driving force.

I love you all, and encourage you to keep looking for those missionary opportunities. As you pray and ask God, he will show you. Have the courage to act. I look forward to hearing about the opportunities you find.

Sincerely,
Sister Record

Pictures

A Converse water tower

When I was gathering my things to leave for Zone conference last Friday,
this lizard popped out from under my things! I told Sister Felix
 to hurry and come see. We caught it and had fun taking pictures
and releasing it back into the wild (next to the parking lot).

The lizard

A New Companion

Area: Converse
Previous Companion: Sister Kaitlin Johnston
New Companion: Sister Sarah Felix

Questions

1. What is your companion's name?

Sister Sarah Felix

2. Where is she from?

Seattle, Washington

3. Have you tried the "power hour" idea Lorielle shared with you before you left? If so, can you share what happened?

I have not tried the "power hour" idea yet. I really want to. I'll definitely be discussing that with Sister Felix and finding ways to do it.

4. Where have you seen the greatest growth in yourself?

Applying the principles in Preach my Gospel and relying on the promises is where I am seeing the most growth. I still have so much to learn, but I've come a long way since I first got here. Preach my Gospel is a handbook for missionary work. Implementing the principles is much harder than I thought it would be. It takes tremendous effort and relying on the Lord. It is designed to help us grow and become the missionary the Lord has intended for us to become.

I encourage everyone, as you look for missionary opportunities, to study Preach my Gospel. It will open your eyes, and inspire you with thoughts and ideas of how you can be an active participant in the work of salvation. Remember, who is the work of salvation for? It is for every single one of Heavenly Father's children. Whether they are of a different faith than us, non-religious, less active in our faith, or an active member of our faith. The Lord wants everyone to come closer to him. Visiting teaching, home teaching, family history work, sharing declarations of truth on social media or otherwise, being friendly to neighbors, and building up our own families are all some ways that we can be anxiously engaged. There are many other ways. Pray, and ask Heavenly Father for opportunities to serve his children, and have the courage to act on the prompting when it comes. If you miss an opportunity, don't miss the next. So I suppose another thing I've grown tremendously in in my conviction in this work. This is Jesus Christ's church. It is His work. And we ALL have a part to play. It doesn't matter how simple. Most of the time, those small things are really the big things. "Through small and simple things are great things brought to pass."

5. What miracles have you seen this week?

I've definitely seen some miracles this week. One of them is receiving the companion that I did. Sister Felix is evidence that Heavenly Father knows my heart. She is an incredible missionary! Her and I get along great. I know we're going to work really well together.

I talked about some others in my audio update. :) Miracles are beginning to happen in Converse! Obedience is the key. As companions are unified in their vision and commitment to the Lord, and are exactly obedient together, amazing things happen! :)

Man, sorry I couldn't get the audio update to send. It was too big! I don't have a whole lot of time to write an update. I'll have to give you a better update next week. I love all ya'll!

A mission is the best! :)

Guess what! Sister Pito, my MTC companion, is a trainer now!! I didn't even know that was possible! She's still finishing her own training. She is SO AWESOME!! I love her so much, and I hope we're companions again. She is an incredible missionary, and is going to be an amazing trainer.

Sorry the update didn't work this week. It's been a good week, and I'll be sure to give a really good update next week.

Sister Record

Photos

 

Sister [L], Sister Johnston and Sister Record, Braiding hair

Goforth and Serve! Sister Johnston and Sister Record

Sister Record, Sister [K] and Sister Johnston

Sister Record and Sister Johnston

Sister [C], Sister Record, Brother [C] and Sister Johnston

Sister Johnston, Sister [A] Sister Record, little doggy

[S] and [M], Sister Record and Sister Johnston

Saying good bye to Sister Johnston

The [M] Family

Sister Johnston and Sister Record saying good bye at transfers

Sister Felix and I after transfer meeting

Pictures at San Antonio temple

A random frog... Had a lot of fun with that. :)

Sister Felix and the frog

Sister Felix, but no princes yet!

Transfers Coming

Area: Converse
Companion: Sister Kaitlin Johnston

Hey there!

We got transfer calls yesterday. Drum roll... I am staying in Converse and Sister Johnston is being transferred. We both saw that coming. I'm glad I'll be staying in Converse. Transfers won't actually happen until this Thursday. That's where we'll find out where Sister Johnston is going and who our new companions are.

Yesterday was such a great day! I really felt the spirit as I partook of the sacrament. I gained a new understanding of my roll as a missionary. [P], one of our investigators who I've talked about before, came to church for the first time! It was a surprise because he missed sacrament meeting (first hour), and showed up to Sunday School. We got him hooked up with Brother [B] and he went to third hour too! He really enjoyed it and wants to come back. Now we just need to get him to come to the whole thing. We're setting him with a new baptismal date this week.

After church we rushed over to [M] house. His family is also investigating, though haven't been progressing much lately. We talked to him for a while on his porch because his wife was asleep. He talked about his realization that Jesus Christ could visit whoever and wherever he wanted, including the America's because He is the son of God. We asked him what that tells him about the Book of Mormon. He said, "that it's true!".

After eating dinner at the bishop's house, we taught the [R] family. The two younger kids got baptized a couple months ago. But the rest of the family haven't yet. We had a lesson on the Plan of Salvation using the pictures in the pamphlet. The spirit was so strong! Particularly when we discussed the atonement. We had a member with us, Brother [R] who we asked to explain what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was inspired. He explained it exactly the way they needed to hear it. [G] was very thoughtful about it. She had thought that what he did for us was only on the cross. We testified that not only did he suffer on the cross, but he suffered for all our sins, pains, sicknesses, weaknesses, and so forth in the Garden of Gethsemane. He took upon him the pains of every single person so that he could know exactly how we feel and how to help us. It was so neat to see this family's faces light up as they began to gain a deeper understanding of Christ and the Plan of Salvation. Which is God's plan for us to be happy and make it back to him.

Something that I am gaining a strong conviction of is short and powerful statements of truth. It just hit me one day that I should not be worrying about trying to explain exactly why something is the way it is. Truth is truth. There is real power in it. Because it is an eternal truth, that very truth will speak for itself. The spirit will bear witness, and the person will feel it. Whether they choose to except it or not. By simply and lovingly testifying, we do all we can. It is then up to the person to accept.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is Jesus Christ's restored gospel. He is at the head of this great organization and leads the church through a living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. President Monson is a prophet of God. The Priesthood is God's power given to man to act in His name, and it is on the Earth. This authority is found in His true and living church. God loves me and he loves you. He wants us to communicate with him through prayer.

Those are a couple examples of statements of truth. Family, (and anyone who wants to) Will you think of a restored truth such as God is our loving Heavenly Father, or families can live together forever, and write it down? Then write down how it has blessed your life, and how you came to know that it is true and share it in a testimony meeting, with a neighbor or friend from work or school? There is power in doing so. Tell me about it next week! I will nag until I hear something. :) I don't care how simple it is.

I love you all!

Sincerely,

Sister Record
All in! :D