Hello Everyone!
Another week in New York! This week was a lot better because we keep finding more investigators and teaching is way more fun then finding. My mission president came this week to my area so we had interviews with them. He said he already heard an update from the ward and they said that me and Sister Zwick are doing great. Me and Sister Zwick had to give a 15 minute lesson to the Mission president and his wife and they were acting as investigators. I was really nervous at first, but it went really good. Afterwards they were saying how impressed they were with my teaching having only been out for two weeks. I give most of my credit to my major because I've been teaching for three years already. They seemed really proud of us and our work here in the Glenville area. It just pumped me up to get out there and find people. The day I have to say goodbye to my trainer will be so sad and hard to do. I'm going to miss her so much and I believe we will be friends for life. We work so well together. That was good to hear. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be in this area until July. My trainer is leaving in May and they will need me to stay here because I know what’s going on. I'm really excited about that I love the people and members here. This is area is just great!
This week was a lot better success wise. We have been stopping by a lot of less actives to see where they are and hopefully get them back to church. We stopped by a ladies house and she wasn't home and as we were walking away she pulled up in her van. She had 5 kids (all so very cute) and we started talking to her. She was cool, she reminded me of Aunt Diane. She was so nice to us and we were just talking. She joined the church when she was younger while studying abroad in France, but she went back to her catholic church and her family is catholic now. We set up a return appointment and gave her an invite to a ward dinner at the church that night. We had been passing them out all week and thought we would give her one. We said goodbye excited about our next appointment. That night we went to the ward social and it was great to be around the members and their families. During the social a member came up to us to tell us that this lady had come with her whole family. We look over and sure enough she came with all her kids and husband. I was so excited! We walked over to her to greet her, but only said hi really quick for the ward members had taken action with greeting her and her family. I was so happy that the ward members took them in and made them feel welcomed. It really makes missionaries jobs so much easier! I couldn't stop smiling I couldn't believe that she came, she was making friends with some of the sisters in the ward because of some common interest. That night I couldn't stop smiling I was so happy. I thought to myself if I get this happy to see a less active come to an activity how will I feel when I get my first baptism. It was so exciting.
I love the members here! On tuesday night we went to a members home and they have three little boys who are so cute. The mom had a painting project she was doing with her boys in the basement. She had painting all the walls about the creation, tree of life, the iron rod, all these scripture stories. It was just so fun and we were able to help a little bit with the painting. There is so much I have learned from the members we visit. Just watching there family shows me how I want my family to be like some day. They are really great examples to me and I'm so happy they are apart of my life.
So something I've learned is finding people isn't the most fun part of missionary work. Something that I do with investigators or less actives is try and picture what their calling would be in the ward. Like the lady I was talking about who came to the activity, she would be a great young women's president. It helps me when I picture them in the church that way I'm more positive when they turn us down. It only motivates me more to get them baptized!
I love Sundays! Its hard during the week when you have so much rejection and put downs. Its nice to have one day when you can be around ward members who believe what you believe. I savor those three hours and take everything in that I possible can! I'm excited for church and its a relief. This sunday after church me and my companion went home for lunch before we went back out to teach. We got a phone call from a lady who is in the ward that goes right after our ward. She told us that a young single girl was at the church and she had been coming for awhile now, but never met with missionaries. Me and Sister Zwick were so excited! We hung up the phone and put our coats on and ran to the car to go back to church. As we were running back to the church to find this girl I thought of how we are like the ghostbusters. Instead of finding ghost we find people who want to come unto christ. I thought of like a theme song as we were on the go. (Sisters on the go, ready to help those to come unto christ..) Thats what we do! Anyways, we found the girl and she had already been to church 6 times and seemed pretty interested. She has spring break so we won't be able to follow up until April, but I think she might be my first baptism! This is every missionaries dream! She had already been to church, she just needs the discussions. I will keep you updated on that!
Me and my companion have been working really hard with this investigator. His whole family are members but him, and we think he is becoming more accepting to listening to our message. This week were going to talk about prophets, because I think that is one of his hold ups. Its been really cool to study about prophets and what it says in the bible. Its just amazing how much you can learn and how much it makes sense! I've noticed since I have been on my mission that my scripture understanding has increased. The more I read the more I can relate it to my life. Its the coolest thing, I don’t know why I haven't done that more often before. We are so lucky to have them!
One last story.. This week me and Sister Zwick were trying to find some less actives. We went to their house and these people answered and told us that they moved. So we started talking to these people and they were very accepting to listening to our message. They seemed very religious themselves and we had like a 20 minute conversation right on their doorstep. We scheduled a return appointment and the guy seemed very interested in the Book of Mormon. Its amazing how the Lord works. We were trying to find less actives and ran into these people. I'm really excited to see where things go with them!
I'm finally getting the hang of things here in Glenville New York. Its getting a little better and the more we find the more we get to teach. Something my mission president said was he learned more about teaching in the two years of his mission then his 6 years of college. That gets me excited about my future career as a teacher. I'm already learning so much about teaching and I'm so blessed to have this opportunity. I'm not gonna lie, its been really hard to adjust into this new life of mine, but the days when people come back to church and the days when you feel close to a baptism makes up for any doubts I ever had. I'm excited for what the future brings!
Each day I learn more about the gospel that I didn't know the day before. Each day my testimony grows even more about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. I know that this is the true church and that with out a prophet on the earth today we would be lost and we would have no direction on what to do. I have a testimony of a modern day prophet that he guides the church today and receives revelation from God to guide us in these latter days! We are so lucky to have this, so go share it with others!
Until Next time
Love,
Sister Stacey
P.S. Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Smoot! The only letter I have received since I have been here is from them! So if you want to be as cool as them SEND ME LETTERS!! I love to get them! :)
Sister Jennifer Stacey
15 C Ashdown Road
Ballston Lake, NY 12019
I'll Leave you with a scripture that I read this week that really made me think!
D&C 60: 2-3
"for they will not open their mouths...they hid the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man....if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have."
This made me realize how important our message is. That we need to open our mouths and tell everyone we know. We should not fear man or be scared of what they will say. I'm working on this right now. To tell everyone I see and I shouldn't care what they’re going to say or think of me. They need to hear this message!
wow!!!
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