Hi everyone!
Sorry I forgot to tell you last week that Pday was switched
again! But don't worry, everything will be back to normal next week! So
transfer calls are this Saturday. There are 30 missionaries going home this
transfer and only 7 coming out, and none of the new ones are sisters. So
they're closing a bunch of areas, and an area in our ward will be one of them.
Right now there are elders and sisters in the Hanover ward, and they're going
to take one set of missionaries out, but they don't know which ones yet. So I
have no idea what's going to happen! I really want to stay, because I love
Hanover and the people here are awesome! But you'll just have to stay tuned until
next Monday to find out if I'm staying or leaving!
Not a whole lot happened this week. I feel like the for the
past couple weeks we've been really busy, but nothing's happened. We actually
had dinner with 2 former investigators (Evelyn and Morgan) this week. It was
really fun and we watched the "He is the Gift" video with them and
they both became investigators again! But then they both dropped us a couple
days later, so that was super annoying and frustrating! But they still like
visiting with us, so we're going to see them again on Thursday.
We had a super awesome district meeting on Wednesday! I
always love district meetings! After the lesson, one of our district leaders,
Elder Jones, got up and said that he had something to share. He said that that
morning he prayed to know what he could do to help the district and he felt
spiritually forced to share something from the missionary handbook. It was
about loving and serving your companions and how to resolve conflicts in a
companionship. It was so good and exactly what I needed! I'm not saying the
Sis. Keown and I need to resolve conflicts or anything, because we don't. We
get along really great and have an awesome companionship! But I just really
enjoyed what he shared. I was talking with Elder Jones after district meeting
and he said that he was so scared to share it. But I'm so glad he did! This got
me thinking a lot about courageously following spiritual promptings. I feel
like I ignore spiritual promptings a lot, which is really bad. Heavenly Father
gives us spiritual promptings for a reason, and it's usually to bless us or
others. And it's so important that we follow the promptings we receive! I love
Acts 26 where Paul is telling his conversion story, and then in verse 19 he
says, "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." Paul had an
amazing conversion experience, and think of the all the things that would have
gone undone if Paul didn't stay true to his heavenly vision. I remember when I
got the answer to go on a mission it was so powerful and so clear! Maybe a
"heavenly vision." But there were a couple times before turning my
papers in that I started to doubt and I got kinda scared about how hard a
mission would be. But, just like Paul, I could not be disobedient to my heavenly
vision. I knew that I was supposed to serve a mission and I am so grateful that
I stayed true to the answer I received! Going on a mission has been the
greatest decision I've ever made! Yes, missionary work is tough, but it's so
worth it! I've grown so much and I love being a missionary! So please don't
hesitate to follow a prompting or an answer to a prayer! There are so many
blessings in store for those who act on their "heavenly visions!"
So I had a very humbling experience on Sunday. I had been
thinking for a couple days of why we weren't having much success and why I
wasn't super happy all the time. And then when I was getting ready for church
it hit me! Our investigators weren't progressing because I wasn't being exactly
obedient. Sis. Turley trained me so well to be exactly obedient, especially
with time, and I have let it slide the past couple weeks. But I'm so glad that
I had that experience, because now I can see the amazing difference between the
blessings and the consequences of being exactly obedient! I've been doing so
much better the past couple days and I'm so much happier! I feel like Alma when
he said that his joy was as exceeding as his pain and there was nothing so
exquisite and sweet as his joy! (Alma 36) Repentance is a beautiful thing! I
love Mosiah 2:41 which says, "And moreover, I would desire that ye
should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the
commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal
and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into
heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending
happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God
hath spoken it." It is so true! We are given commandments to help us be happy
and happiness is one of the greatest blessings we can receive!
Have all of you watched the "He is the Gift" video
and shared it with others? Sis. Keown showed me something really cool this
week! In Ether 12 it talks about Christ as the gift! It's in verses 8-11 which
say, " 8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the
world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby
others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those
things which they have not seen. 9 Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and
be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith. 10 Behold it was by
faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God. 11
Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath
God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been
fulfilled." I love these verses! We are able to embrace the heavenly gift
of the Savior through our faith. And Christ really is the gift that keeps on
giving, because we can continuously exercise and strengthen our faith, and by
doing so we can continuously feel of Christ's love for us.
I hope all of you watched the Christmas devotional on Sunday
night! It was so good! I really loved Elder Christofferson's talk! Please go
watch it if you didn't already!
So a lot of times when we're tracting some people won't look
at my face and they just look right at my name tag, and it's super awkward! So
anytime that happens I say, "Sis. Keown, does my name tag make me look
fat?" Haha! #missionaryprobs
Well I think that's all for this week! I hope you're all
enjoying the Christmas season! Love you all!
Love, Sister Harper
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