This week, I got sick. Yep, it was gross. But I got better....and then Sis. Bowler stubbed her toe so hard that it's purple. We're all better for the most part.
Despite all the sicknesses and the stress and all the crazy hectic stuff that is missionary work, we saw miracles. Tons and tons of miracles :) I love it when the Lord blesses us for our efforts, even though they don't always seem like a whole lot. But when it's your all, it's enough. Don't forget that.
Have I told you that we do service at the senior center? It's like my favorite thing to do. We get to go call bingo for all the old folk, and they love it. I love it! It's not as lively as the senior center in La Sal, but it's super fun and super relaxing. We get to just help the old people have something fun to do that's different from the rest of their lives, and it's awesome. We actually do a lot of service here, and it's the best. Like last week, we volunteered at the Home and Garden Show, and then this week we got to go to the Teen Maze. It was a thing that all the 8th graders did in the area that promoted drug and domestic violence awareness. It was so cool, and everyone we and the elders talked to said that it was worth our time and that they were definitely more likely to let missionaries into their homes after seeing how we interacted with everyone. It was awesome.
And we had a super inspired zone training this week! Sis. Fackrell was there, and she trained on hope. Which is exactly what I needed to hear, and what this whole ward needs to hear. So we're sharing hope with the members, and faith in the hastening of the work. But I think I'm going to be quoted for the rest of my mission, because I said something like "you just gotta reach in and grab that inkling of hope that those in despair have and make them see that they have hope!" And I used my hands to show how you grab out that hope, and my companions have been making fun of me for it ever since. Sigh. But that's what companions are for!
So we met with this less active lady, Sis. Bahe. She is awesome! She's also one of the only Navajos in Cortez, which means I want to visit her like everyday because I miss St. Mikes so much. But anyways. She's been working on coming to church and going to the temple, and last week (and yesterday) she didn't come to church. But we met with her last week and read in Mosiah 24 about prayer and how the people of Alma prayed that they would be released from their burdens and stuff, and we asked her how she felt after reading it. And she said, "I know I need to go to church." What!? How does that correlate to prayer in this story? THE SPIRIT. That's how. The Spirit was so strong in that lesson, and you could just feel the urgency that the Spirit was conveying to her that you need to go to church! It was awesome.
And the best for last: Julie and Basil. They are the coolest! We just met them yesterday. Julie is a less active member, and Basil is a new investigator as of yesterday. But, Julie's been teaching Basil a little about the gospel, and he's read almost the whole Book of Mormon already. Yeah! Talk about elect! He even has a quad. So we put him on date for baptism, because the whole time they both just talked about how much they wanted to be sealed in the temple and to her son that had passed away when he was little. So he's on date, and we committed them to get married and to stop chewing/smoking. So, they have some work to do, but they will be able to do it through our Savior's Atonement! I'm so excited to keep you up to date on them and their progress :)
The thing I wanted to conclude with is something I've been thinking about for the last couple of days. I've been struggling with remembering people's names and remembering where people live and I feel like I can't figure out the city. But it's the city, and it's on a grid system....so it should be easy. But I'm having a hard time. And I've been thinking about why that is, especially since Sis. Panoussi is remembering everything and knows people and I'm like uh..... Am I lacking charity? Am I not going to stay in Cortez very long? Am I slacking off? Am I still stuck in St. Michael's? Am I not doing my best? And I'm not sure exactly the answers to those questions. I'm not stuck in St. Michael's, because I am focused on the work in Cortez. But, I'm still having a hard time. And I don't know if it's the Spirit telling me I won't be here long, or if it's me just being used to moving around so much that I want to move again or what. But this is what I do know: my mission in Cortez is to be bold. Mostly with the members. We all need to step up our game, and that's what I'm here to convey, whether I'm here for just this transfer or whether I'm here to finish my mission, I'm here to be bold and give Cortez some tough love. That's what I've learned how to do, and I know that that's what this area needs.
Why is that what it needs? Because this is the hastening of God's work. His work is moving forward, and whether or not we are on board, it's going to keep going faster and faster. This is it. This is the time for you and for me to step it up and do our part, in whatever part of the Lord's vineyard we're in. Do His will. Do His work. I know that God is preparing people specifically for each of you to share your testimonies with. He NEEDS you. And He needs you NOW. So that is your challenge for this week, is to hasten the work of our Father in Heaven.
Your scriptures are 2 Nephi 5:31 and Moroni 10:23.
I love you all so much! I appreciate everything you've done for me and for all the prayers and the love and the work that you do, for me and for our Heavenly Father :)
Sister Gah'yii'sii
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