Monday, April 8, 2013

Wasn't general conference so great?! I love being a missionary. I thought of all of you returned missionaries...mom, dad, Shaun, Ryan, etc when they said to find your old missionary nametags (and not wear them!) but put them somewhere so you can always be reminded of what that means to you. Do you all still have yours? I'd be curious where you decide to put them to help you see them often!

Well this week was a bit crazy in that it felt like we were in the apartment studying all day every day. On Tuesday we had an all day long training for new missionaries and trainers in Santa Clarita. Then on Wednesday we had to take the car up to Santa Clarita so it could go into the body shop. That took up most of the morning so we had to come back and make up studies. (so we have a new car for the week. now thus far on the mission I've driven a 2012 Chevy Cruz, 2010 Pontiac Vibe, and 2011 Toyoto Corola... pretty sure they're all better than I'll be driving for quite a while!) Then on Thursday was weekly planning, Friday was zone training meeting, and Saturday and Sunday were general conference. So basically when we weren't doing those things it felt like all we were doing was studying. We're thinking and hoping this week will be more normal and we'll get to be out of the apartment much much more. We are setting goals of each of us starting conversations with 10 people on average each day... so that is 10 people x 2 of us x 7 days = 140 conversations started. We're pretty excited because the two of us are committed to achieving the goal! If even 1-2% of that becomes a new investigator that'd be great and that is that many people we may have passed by without even a second thought.

Training is definitely going great. For some reason, I thought it would be something like filling an empty bucket with water little by little every day. It isn't like that at all. It is probably way more like taking a radio which pretty much works and then rewiring it, upgrading it, switching out some parts which aren't working out that great, etc until it looks and sounds more exciting and fantastic or something like that. She basically knows how to be a missionary, but I have some work to do both to help her with Spanish skills and with helping her teach more simply and powerfully. It is going really well though and she is super full of energy and is always so excited to go out and find more people!

Some things that I've been impressed by this week are the promises in Jacob 4:6 (even the mountains obey them), and Moses 8 I forget which verses (Noah walked with God). Those aren't just promises for people long ago. As a missionary and as members we can move mountains. Helping people overcome an addiction, as one example, may be moving a mountain for that person. As members, perhaps your mountain is enduring another day in a certain calling, or giving up pride and following the commandments more fully, or whatever the case is. Those are mountains that can be moved. As we do these things, we will feel the Lord walking with us in a very real sense and so we don't have to feel troubled or alone. He is there for us!

Anyway, that's probably most of what I have to say today.  
Tenga el espiritu consigo siempre!
~Hermana Whetten