This week has been a wild ride from start to finish- it feels like
it's been a month! I can't believe that just three or four days ago, I
was still in Hazel Dell. The last few days there were busy as well-
saying goodbye, teaching people, and Sister Girot and I got to take
two new sisters out for the first time! Their names were Sister
Marsden and Sister Foster. We had two appointments but they both fell
through, so we went and tracted a bit at this complex we'd been
meaning to visit, and it went so well! We talked to a lot of people
and quite a few were interested, I think! Of course, they're all in an
interesting spot in their lives- everyone in that complex is being
evicted for about two weeks because of a change in ownership.
Wednesday was pretty crazy. We had a mission-wide transfer meeting so
everyone came to the mission office, and President Taylor spoke. It
was amazing. President Taylor is an incredible man and a great leader.
He spoke for a while and got us all fired up again about Then we
swapped out companions, got set up, and headed out! Only it took me
and Sister Forsyth a bit longer, because it turns out we're reopening
an area (so we got whitewashed too). So we had to get car keys, a
phone, figure out housing, etc. We actually didn't get into the house
until about 4:30- we live with a mom and her daughter, and the mom
works, and the daughter isn't home from school until then. So we had
to put our groceries in someone else's fridge for an hour or two. It
actually worked out- we'd already met our ward mission leader's wife
because she came to pick us up since I guess our area didn't used to
have a car, so we went there and talked with her and met her husband,
Brother Winks. Then we dropped off our suitcases and we met with a few
people and figured out who we could go see and met with the bishop and
the STLs who used to be covering this area (they covered two wards,
but now they've only got the YSA ward). Anyway, cool story, it turns
out that on my first day when Sister De Leon (who is one of the STLs)
and Sister Eyerly took me to an appointment, it was in this area. So I
already know one of the investigators here! And that was something
they were worried about, I think- the transition between sisters. It
was pretty cool. I'm glad I get to help teach her!
So for the past couple of days, we've been busy, busy, busy with
visiting people and getting to know our ward. We've been meeting with
auxiliaries and getting names. Sister Forsyth says the best place to
start is part-member families, and that seems to be true. We've had a
lot of success already with going and setting up appointments with some
of them. Hopefully we get to teach them all! We have so many names
that I'm actually working on compiling a master list of people we need
to visit. The sisters over this area before weren't really able to
concentrate on the work here, because they had a lot of
responsibilities in the YSA ward. Everyone here has been really
excited to have their own missionaries finally. So there's a lot to do
and organize, and get to know about the area. It has so much potential
and I'm so excited to see what happens!
Sister Forsyth is amazing! She has been out for fifteen months, so
this might be her last area before she goes home. We actually got to
go to a baptism in her last area on Saturday morning- that was cool!
I've been learning a lot from her about how to be more effective at
just talking to people, and how to really work with the ward. We have
knocked maybe ten doors since we got here, and yet I feel more
productive now than ever. We've been so focused on the ward and who we
can work with, how we can help out. Our visits with the auxiliaries
were amazing, and we were able to get so much on our lists of people
to visit and what to do. We've started visiting and trying to set up
appointments. I feel like I'm learning so much on how to run an area
and get things organized. It's been a blast. Our area is pretty small
too, so we can get a lot done since it's so easy to get everywhere.
This transfer and this area are going to be spectacular!
As for the spiritual side of things, this week has been amazing.
President Taylor gave us a scripture study assignment the transfer
before I got here, and I've been going through it. It's a list of
chapters in the Book of Mormon. There are so many powerful chapters
about the doctrine of Christ and what we teach. I feel like I've been
learning so much. I've actually been reading my scriptures just about
every chance I get just because they're so powerful. The scriptures
are amazing. I love how they teach powerfully and simply about what we
need to know to obtain salvation. The Spirit is so strong every time I
open the, and I've been able to learn so much about things that can
help me, and things that can help people we teach. Actually, I'm going
to include the list of chapters in this email, and I challenge all of
you to read them. You cannot miss the Spirit that will flow into your
life. Your desire to follow Christ will be strengthened and your
knowledge of how to follow him will increase. I know this because it's
happened to me, even just in the last couple days. I can feel myself
changing and becoming who my Father in Heaven wants me to be. I think
that already I'm not the same person who left on my mission in a lot
of ways. So read the chapters! You will not regret it!
I love you all! You are always in my prayers. Stay strong!
Sister Jacobs
No comments:
Post a Comment