Hey Family!
It is true! It is raining today! It has been kind of dreary for the past couple of days and I can't say it is my favorite, but there must be opposition in all things... Hopefully the sun will come back soon! I am in a much better mood when the sun is shining. I bet Sister Jones wants it to be sunny just for that reason too! ;)
I actually am in a pretty good mood! Life is good as a missionary. There are always ups and downs, but that is how we learn and grow. We started the week with a couple of people on date for baptism, but we ended the week with no one. Commitments weren't being kept and people were preparing to make the covenant of baptism. We are hoping this week will have better results and then we will be able to have a day for many investigators to be baptized.
I went to my first ever (and probably only) Priesthood Leadership meeting yesterday! We had a broadcast stake conference yesterday, but the day started off with a meeting at 7:00 am. It was fun to be among the 5 women in the chapel full of men. I had never sang the two hymns that we sang yesterday because they were both for men only, but we had a good laugh! All the missionaries in the Redlands Stake went to the meeting because it was mostly on missionary work and the Ward Mission Process (WMP), which I am not sure if I have explained to you before. The WMP is pretty much that the ward has to help us teach 20 lessons a week by providing people us to teach. The ward is supposed to have 15 individuals/families that we can teach and then we are supposed to come up with the other 5 lessons. We haven't been having much trouble at all lately though and have been getting 18 lessons on our own in the past weeks. It would take me a while to fully explain the WMP, but the objective is to get the ward council and ward members more involved in missionary work and re-activation. The meeting was wonderful and was great for the ward leaders! I was glad that I could be there! (Even though I was certainly in the minority... ;) )
Stake Conference was very nice yesterday! We had a broadcast from Salt Lake and we were able to hear from Elder L. Tom Perry, Sister Thompson (RS 2nd Counselor), and Elder Johnson and Elder Snow from the Seventy. It was a very good conference. There was one talk on Family Prayer and the importance praying together. Thank you Mom and Dad for always having family prayer. There was a woman in my ward that said she thinks her family would have stayed together if they had had family prayer together every night. I know that it is true, "A family that prays together, stays together." :) Family Prayer is a blessing that we must always continue to have in our home.
I am doing the training for our district meeting tomorrow, and I decided to do it on the Ensign message from this month, "A More Abundant Life", but rather have it be, "A More Abundant Mission". The words from the prophet apply to every aspect of life, but I just think it is perfect for us missionaries. He gives the ABCs to having an abundant and happy life (or mission). The A is for attitude. We must have a positive attitude or else our mission is going to be miserable. Even when appointments fall through or baptisms are postponed, we must remember to have a positive attitude. Read Doctrine and Covenants 68:6. B is for Believe in yourself and others. This is soo ESSENTIAL for missionary work! If we don't believe that we can help others come unto Christ, then we are not going to be effective missionaries. If we don't have faith in our investigators, then we will be very ineffective in teaching them with power. The Spirit will not be able to be as strong without faith. I know that I had often lacked faith in certain people and that is so wrong! I need to have faith that all people can prepare to be baptized! Because they can. Through Christ, everything is possible. The C is for Courage. As missionaries, we need lots of courage. We need to be bold and be believing! I think I chose this talk because I needed to learn from it. But I know that these three things are the key to an abundant life and mission!
Miracle: Yesterday while tracting before we even asked a woman if we could come back she said, "Could I just give you my name and phone number and you could come back?" That never happens! ;) Tender mercy. :)
This week I have a day long leadership meeting in Riverside, so Sister Jones is going to be with a team-up all day. I am excited for the meeting and know that it will be a good day! I have A LOT to learn, so I am excited for the meeting. It is for all Zone Leaders, District Leaders, and trainers. Hermana Christensen, who is also in our apartment, is training right now too, so we will be going down together. We are trying to get a lot of appointments for that day, so Sister Jones and Sister Wiggins (the team-up, a woman from our RS) won't have to do much tracting. :)
Life is good! Pray that the rain will go away! ;) Just kidding...we need it probably, but I do miss the sun!
I love you all and thank you for all your love and support. This a great work that we are all a part of. I am so glad that I am here in California and I am looking forward to other wonderful week with Sister Jones!
Now for little notes:
Dad, Thanks for the email! I love hearing from you and I hope you are doing well!
Mom, Keep up the great missionary work! Member missionaries are the best. :)
Kirstin, How's Lucy? I miss you all!
Poul, What classes are you taking this semester?
Andrea, How are the boys? I'm sure they are keeping you busy. :)
Jo, Thanks for the package again! I really love the socks!
Peder, Sister Jones and I pray for you and her brother, our fellow full-time missionaries, often. I hope you have another great week!
Geoff, How is seminary going? How is school?
I know that it is through Christ that we can endure all things. Remember Him often. Share your testimony often. That is the way that is grows.
I love you all!
With Love (con amor),
Sister Schillemat
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