Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday, apparently everyone was too busy not laboring on labor day that we couldn't get to a computer yesterday. So instead we went out and labored in the vineyard and get to email today instead. We just got back from district meeting where we did a training on obedience. We read Matthew 14:26-30 where it talks about peter walking on the water to Christ. We focused on the points of how first, Peter created for himself his own opportunity to be obedient and to show faith. The Lord didn't command him to come first, Peter first asked the Lord to tell him to come unto him and then when the Lord said come, he obeyed and showed his faith by jumping. I love this. How our level of obedience and faith are completely within our control. If there is something that I have learned on my mission it is that. That I can create my own opportunities for my faith to grow. I don't have to wait. I create my own opportunities daily to grow my faith by finding different ways to put it to the test. Sister Gibson will tell you, that's one of my favorite things. Finding different ways to test my faith. I love thinking, waiting for the first inspired number or goal to come to mind and then saying ok. We have 40 minutes. I feel like we need to give out 3 Book of Mormons. Lets pray for help and get out and do it. And you know what? Me and Sister Gibson have NEVER had a time when we have prayed and done that, and it hasn't happened. And because we "decided" to put our faith on the line, we are able to see these things happen, our faith grows and we see miracles. We could use that 40 minutes of time, and just happen to give out 3 Book of Mormons, get back to the car and say hey we did some good work and just happened to give out 3 Book of Mormons. Or we can pray before, say we want to give out 3 Book of Mormons and ask God, will you help us? Go out, do it, and see it as a miracle. We miss those miracles in our every day life if we are not constantly searching for ways to test our faith. hope that all made sense.
- We also talked about how it was when Peter started to get distracted that he started to slip-- but that his immediate reaction was to cry out to the Lord for help. The lord stretched forth his hand, then gave him the opportunity to point out his own faults, the things he could do better next time, by asking Where did you doubt? We talked about what distracts us, what things we start to slip in in our obedience. About if our first instinct is to cry out for help and do something to correct ourselves when we notice a problem and on how to act on the promptings the spirit gives us of things we need to do better. We asked everyone the question-- If God came to you and told you to walk on water, what is the first reponse to come to your mind? If it is yes, good for you. If its more of a no, what can we do to change that?
- Bet you're all glad I don't normally write my letters after district meeting haha or I would just always be telling you what was learned and taught. I liked this one though.
-This week we got to go to transfer meeting--even though we weren't being transferred. I have to say it was kind of nice going just to watch the show and find out where everyone was going and not have to worry about getting moved ourselves. I was really tempted to bring some popcorn to eat while watching it all but...Sister gibson said no haha. probably for the best. We got some good training after the transfer meeting though. This week we also had Mission Leadership Council, which is when all of the xzone leaders and sister training leaders come together with the mission presidency and assistants and we talk about ways that we can improve the mission, and president speaks about different ideas and plans he has. (Sister Phillips is now an stl with her companion, and also Sister Paulsen is in her area so that was neat being able to all see each other again. Elder Knowlton got transferred to a different area and is now a zone leader for a different zone. the new zone leaders are elder mendoza and madsen who are the both elders in my ward in Tampa 5. So all of our zone leadership is in the same ward haha its pretty funny) I learned a lot from this meeting though.
- Neat miracle for you all. A few months ago in Sarasota, Sister Phillips and I taught a man in jail named Zeferino who is from mexico. He had been taught by sister paulsen and mathis a few months before, but had been dropped because he still had a long time of being in jail. We heard that he was getting out soon though so phillips and I went to visit him. He was so sweet, and had been reading the Book of Mormon and all the lesson pamphlets in jail that whole time since the missionaries stopped visiting him. Oh yeah by the way, teaching in jail is sweet. We did it a few times in Sarasota. Basically you go to the jail, then you go back to these rooms where there are chairs and computers screens and a telephone next to each computer. Then you and the inmate basically skype over the computer but have to talk over the phone. Its fun. Anyways so we go visit him and he was going to get out a few days after. He said he still wanted to learn with the missionaries but would be staying in Tampa. So I sent his record to the tampa 5 missionaries. I guess the elders here had gotten it and not had too much luck being able to contact and teach him. So they sent the record to me when I got here. We were able to contact him and teach zeferino this week and he was so happy to be able to keep learning. We were even able to set a baptismal date with him. It was really special to be able to see a little bit of Gods plan and how all the pieces get put together. Hopefully we can help him keep progressing. (hahah mom I know what you are probably thinking, dont teach a man alone who just got out jail. ITs all good don't worry, he's a good person and we teach his family too:) ) There is always so so much more that happens and is so significant in a week and I never get to say it. One day I will be able to tell you all all about serving my mission. Love you all and hope you have a great week.
con amor
Hermana Va
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