Hi Family!
Happy Father's Day Dad! Happy Birthday Mom! I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH! Hope you have the very best of days.
So I just realized that last week all the pictures I sent home with captions were a faled dlivery. Did you get anything from me last week? Sorry if you didn't, I'll try and resend them...
The Mission is great and amazing and I am so grateful I came, just in case any of you were wondering. It struck me this morning that I only have five more transfers, and then I'm home. I'm sure February sounds like a long time away for most of you, but for me it seems so soon. I think what I've learned most so far on my Mission is how the Lord knows me so well, just as well as He knows every other person on this planet. And he loves us. He doesn't love us because of how smart we are, how much we have accomplished, or how much the world respects us, but he loves us just because we exist. Just like a mother loves her child. I feel like the world is such a scary place. Can you imagine a life without having any knowledge or conception of a Savior? So many people in Russia have no idea of who he really is and what he has done for us. Can you imagine a world without having a Ward or branch full of people who support and believe the same things you do? That is the reality here. I have been so blessed, we all have. Our Savior died for every single one of His children, in hopes that we will reach out to others and bring them back to the knowledge of Him.
Well, after that rather intense start, Zone Conference was last Saturday and it was amazing! It always seem to come right when you need it, but I guess that means I could always use more instruction from the Lord in my missionary work.
The Mission president instructed all of us about love, and how we can feel more love in our missionary work. It really is the solution to most of my problems here in the field. If I'm feeling tired, I can remember my Savior and my desire to serve Him, which usually makes me able to do whatever I need to do. In our lessons, I noticed that if I ever get frustrated or complacent with the people, I know it is because I am not loving them enough. The night after Zone Conference, I went home and took Moroni 7:47 I think to heart, and I tried to pray with ALL of my heart for charity. I don't think I suddenly have perfect charity now or anything, but I had a neat experience in which I felt the love of the Savior more personally and wholly than I had in a while. I remember when I was et apart, President Allred blessed me that "my ancestors will bear down upon me" in my missionary service. As I was praying, I suddenly and very sincerely felt like Grandma McCuistion was with me, and so was Grandpa Hakes and Aunt Cathy. Even writing about it now makes me tear-up, but I tear-up a lot anyways, so that's not saying to much. The Savior has never felt closer to me than he has these past few days. It reminded me of the story in 2 Kings 6 wher the servant sees all of the chariots and angels of the Lord on the mountain, and relizes how protected he was the whole time, but never realized it. Read it if you don't know what I'm talking about... I know that I will take that experience with me throughout the rest of my mission and life. Maybe Moroni 7:47 is one of my favorite scriptures now. I wish I had that one on my plaque : )
Sunday night in Botanika we were able to visit three less-actives with a member. The less-actives all right near eachother, and two of the three haven't been to Church or visited by the missionaries in several years. It was really special to see the work we've done this past transfer has already paid-off in this way, and that new houses are being opened-up for misssionaries to meet in. All three lessons went very well, and I think one of the families is going to start coming to Church regularly again. We're meeting with our Branch President tonight because Sister Hanks and I have been discussing Ammon and decided we needed to meet with our Branch President to find out how we can best serve him. So, pray for us if you read this Monday night at 6:30!
Lena, our single progressing investigator, is doing extremely well. She was at the President Rasband conference and since then there has been a very distinct change in her. She is reading the Book of Mormon on her own almost daily, and she says everything is making more sense to her when she reads. She also has good questions she has prepared for us when we come and teach her. We have already extended the baptizmal commitment to her, and she rejected us, but Sister Hanks and I want to extend it again tomorrow when we meet with her. There has definitely been a change in her heart recently, and we don't want to wait because we know the adversary is well aware of her progress too. We're praying she'll accept our commitment tomorrow.
On the way home from Zone Conference, I played the violin on the tram and bore my testimony to the whole bus after I finished. Not going to lie, those things are still hard for me, but I did it and it felt really good! It felt nice to put myself out there for the Lord's sake, and it made me feel His love and appreciation even more clearly. We were ridiculed a little, but it also felt like a really small sacrifice for the Lord, so it didn't really matter to me. Very cool experience!
Love you all tons, thanks for all of the letters!
Sister Hakes
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