Melbourne Mission Moments 04/14/14
My heart is so full right now.
Heavenly Father is so good to me. Prayers are heard and answered. The enabling
power of the atonement is real. I have felt so lifted and enabled this past
week. As you know, it's been rough for me lately. But as I have just completely
turned everything over to my Heavenly Father, He has helped me. I've been able
to turn to my Savior, knowing that He understands perfectly what I am
experiencing and I've been enabled and strengthened.
Monday night after our P-day we went
to see L and the kids. We talked to J about how she was feeling about baptism.
She told us that she was feeling better after seeing the rest of her family get
baptized but still wasn't so sure. I left feeling so helpless. I didn't know
what to tell her or how to help her resolve her concerns. Before bed that
night, I just poured out my heart to Heavenly Father. I told him how I just
wanted to help J to get baptized like the rest of her family did. I told him
how I just want to be able to help my companion. I told him how I felt weak and
that I needed His help. I felt such an overwhelming calm come over me at that
moment. I didn't have all the answers but I just felt that everything was going
to be okay.
Tuesday morning I received an answer
to my prayers. We had just gotten back from our morning exercise and Sister B
had gotten into the shower. I was in the other room but I heard the phone
ringing. I ran to answer it and it was J. She said, "I've been thinking
about baptism and I was wondering if it would be alright for me to get baptized
on April 19th?" I could hardly believe my ears! I wanted to cry and jump
up and down and everything at the same time. The Holy Ghost had worked on her
and helped her to have the confidence she needed! We've been helping her this
week to make plans for her baptism and she is really excited! I am so glad she
is going to get baptized before the transfer is over in case one of us is transferred
so that both Sis. B and I can be here to share the day with her.
Tuesday afternoon we had Zone
Interviews with President Maxwell. I am so grateful for him. He said all the
things that I needed to hear while I was in my interview with him. He is such a
gentle giant. After interviews were over we had dinner with a Filipino family
in our ward. Sis. G made me love Filipinos so much!
Wednesday morning we had district
meeting and it was really good. We talked about how we can make our studies in
the morning the most effective. I am so grateful for the time we have every
morning to study. I especially love personal study. It's a one-hour appointment
with the Lord every single day where I can receive knowledge and revelation.
Wednesday afternoon we had a lesson
with L and the kids about missionary work. They are really excited about it, L
especially! It was awesome to see them light up as we helped them realize how
much they can do. Recent converts are some of the best missionaries!
Wednesday night we went to contact a
referral from our district leader. It is this cute young couple. Neither of
them is very religious but they seem really prepared! Amanda even told us that
one of her New Year resolutions for this year was to start going to church. We
have another appointment with them this week so it should be good!
Thursday we went tracting and
unfortunately it didn't prove very successful; however, we met this really cute
retired couple who were working in their yard. We got to talk with them for a
little bit and at least bear our testimonies even though they weren't
interested in having us come back. Also, they had a pomegranate tree growing in
their yard and they gave us some! They are so yummy!
Friday we went on exchanges with the
Sister Training Leaders. I got to spend the whole day in our area with Sister H!
It was so fun to be with her again. We work well together! And she is so fun
and happy. We started the day with L and the kids to teach them about General
Conference. Then we contacted a couple of referrals. Then we went tracting. In
the pouring rain. It was just like old times in Churchill Park. At one point we
just got the giggles because it was raining so hard and we were so wet. Our
last appointment before we switched back was with B. I miss teaching with
Sister H. Even though we were only together for one transfer, we really teach
in unity. We taught B the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it went really well! At
the end we were able to invite him to be baptized on May 17th and he accepted!
Friday night after I was back with
Sister B we went with L to a ward RS dinner. The dinner was really fun. They
had one table that was all decorated beautifully and then the other table was
just bare, with a plastic bag full of paper plates and cups and plastic forks
and spoons. As you arrived they assigned you to either one table or the other.
At the end they explained that it was an analogy. The people on the nice table
are those who had been visit taught and the ones on the other table were the
ones who were forgotten. It was a good idea and a good night. L is loving
making friends with people at church!
Saturday and Sunday we got to listen
to General Conference! When we got to the chapel on Saturday, my package was
there! Thank you so so much for the things you sent!! The shoes are perfect. I
love the Easter countdown. We're going to use it with some members this week! Thank
you, thank you, thank you!
Ah, General Conference. I needed
that. I feel like I have been spiritually feeding everyone else lately-- so it
was so nice to just sit and be spiritually fed for the weekend. I felt like
literally every talk had something just for me. Here's some of what I loved:
One thing I felt strongly through the
whole conference was that things are just going to get worse. It's going to get
harder and harder to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints. I love Elder Holland's words about defending your faith. Elder Andersen
said, "The world will not glide calmly toward the Second Coming."
Elder Nelson talked of the need for us to let our faith show, and making sure
that we are securely tied to God.
President Eyring- Righteousness
cannot be forced, it must be chosen. If the blessings were immediate, choosing
the right would not build faith. I also was touched by Elder Hales words about
selective obedience.
Elder Scott's talk seemed to be just
for me. One of the questions I had for Conference was how I can improve my
teaching. His whole talk was perfect. One thing that I really felt strongly was
the need to love those that I teach. I also liked that he talked about teaching
with the vision of families being sealed in the temple. That is right in line
with our mission focus right now.
Elder Cook's talk about family history
and temple work. I have seen on the mission how I have changed and I am much
more interested in this now. I can't wait to jump on the family history
bandwagon when I get home!
The arrangement of "Let Us All
Press On" that MoTab did on Sunday morning was beautiful!
President Uchtdorf! I needed this
one. I need to focus on having an attitude of gratitude. I loved when he said,
"Set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift the goblet of
gratitude." Also about not forgetting to be grateful for the rain instead
of just looking for the rainbow. I was also really struck when he said that
gratitude is a catalyst to all of the Christ-like attributes.
I loved how Sister Stevens said
"The Gospel is not weight, it is wings. It carries us." Also the
quote from C.S. Lewis "I pray because I can't help it... it doesn't change
God, it changes me." I have seen my prayers change so much since being a
missionary. I literally can't help praying. I could never get in bed without
praying first.
I think my favourite talk was Elder
Bednar's. I've felt a real load lately and as I said earlier, the atonement has
really blessed me to feel that load lightened this past week. I have taken the
yoke of Christ upon me and things have been easier.
I could go on and on but I don't have
time. Needless to say, I love General Conference! I can't wait to study the
talks in the Ensign!
I am so grateful for my Heavenly
Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. I couldn't do any of this without them. I
love this gospel. I love being a missionary.
Love y'all heaps!
Sister Baker xxx
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