with conference on my mind all i want to do is go through my week and then type up a few of the highlights of conference that i got out of it! I hope you all enjoyed conference and if you haven't gotten the chance to watch it or chose not to, WATCH IT. Stop reading my email right now, I just babble on anyway, and go listen to the words of the Prophet and apostles and other leaders. Seriously. why are you still reading my email? here I will even give you the link:
Ok now for the rest of you who have already watched conference, here is some homework: go re-read a talk from each session, and send me your notes or thoughts. :) am I mean? dont care!!! hahahaha anyways it was such an amazing conference and I will get to that shortly :)
but for now, our week. started off well, had our one and only dinner appointment, and gave out some copies of the Book of Mormon and found some solid potentials. we went on exchanges on Tuesday, I worked in Dordrecht with Sister Nyakoh and it was great. We got let in by a Muslim woman and were able to almost teach her the first lesson, but just didn't happen. She is a sweetheart though, a young mother and very strong in her belief. we were able to pray with her in our way and she in hers.
The next day we had interviews with President and Sister Bunnell, which are always great. President gave me some great advice with dealing with doing home soon, but somehow I still mentally put that in the back of my head and continue to be a missionary and forget I am going home soon until someone reminds me :( all is however well. The church is true, and like my wise mother said (something along the lines of...), "stop worrying! your babies are watching from Heaven, waiting and wanting to come down and experience life!" lol thank you mom, you always know how to console me ;) but really though, I am excited for the next step of my life, but for now I am a missionary. The work will go on.
anyways...that night, after interviews President decided to take us and the elders of our ward our to dinner! we went to a pizza place, but I got pasta (of course the same kind of pasta we ate earlier that day for district meeting lunch...typical sister harris) and it was delicous. All 4 of us missionaries were in aw at the type of relationship that President and Sister Bunnell have, always SO sweet to each other and never demeaning, always complementing. One of the elders said to us "wow, Sister Bunnell must have the most self esteem ever because of how highly President Bunnell speaks of her". It is so true. They have taught me lots of lessons just by their example alone.
The next day we were looking up a referral of someone who had ordered the Lamb of God dvd, which is a campaign we as a mission have been busy with, and a sort of rule of thumb we do is a method called "2-2-5-ing" the house, meaning knocking the 2 doors on the left and right, and 5 across the street, and even though the referral was not interested, we were able to find a solid potential investigator who was excited to read the Book of Mormon! Sometimes God sends us to people who may not need our help right then, but the other people around do. Hope that makes sense. It does in my head. anyways, testimony builder right there that GOD IS THE MASTER PLANNER. Amen.
Friday we had Mission Leader Council, and it was lovely. We set some new goals as a mission, and were even busy with changing the Standards of Excellence we have as a mission which are the standards we must be hitting each week as far as lessons go and such. So that was cool to be there for. That night we had a lesson with Daan and Nurry Westerlaken, who was just baptized 2 months ago and is a superstar member, came on her second joint teach with us! she was so excited that when he was found 3 months ago he was atheist but now has an image of who God might be and prays everyday and is making so much progress in the Gospel and is planning for baptism in May. Daan even came to a session of general conference with us to Rotterdam yesterday! Gah it was so cool to have him there, and see him rapidly taking notes on his phone about things that stood out to him. He even stayed when we ate dinner as missionaries together and laughed and talked with the other missionaries. We are excited for him and continue to pray for him everyday, please join in those prayers for Daan and our other investigators such as Farhad. Farhad has had it pretty rough lately, with a surgery and other problems so we haven't been able to meet with him for a while but luckily we have an appointment with his tonight. We want to maybe watch a conference talk with him and get him pumped about the gospel again. He came so far but we are worried about him right now. We know however that all is in the Lord's timing.
speaking of timing, this just in: one of my previous companions who is now home just emailed me and told me she is engaged. It is sister Johanson. just thought I'd let you know :) I am excited for her.
Ok. Highlights of general conference that stood out to me:
1. "you can have what you want, or you can have something better" Elder Holland
2. Prepare yourself for missionary work, whether you go on a mission or not. what you learn will be useful for the rest of your life" Gary E. Stevenson
3. "None of us should ever be defined by the worst thing we have ever done" Kevin R. Duncan
4. "Murmering is the scripture equivalent to childish whining" Elder Renlund
5. "Life was the most unfair to Jesus Christ.....if life were truly fair for us, we would never be resurrected. Ultimately there will be no unfairness. All that is unfair can be made right through Christ. The former things are passed away. We will see at the end that the Savior has been there all along when we choose to follow Him and humbly use His Atonement" Elder Renlund
6. "Just the act alone of partaking the sacrament does not rid us of our sins, but when we come with broken hearts and contrite spirits, retaining a remission of our sins, then we are forgiven." Elder Bednar
7. M. Russel Ballard's entire talk. 'nuff said.
8. "May we choose the 'hard right' than the 'easier wrong' " President Monson
9. Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk as well.
10. "make the necessary changes to see yourself in the temple" Elder Cook
11. "God can create a new life out of ashes. If man alone can recreate and restore old burned down buildings, how much more can God restore us as broken human beings? There is no life so shattered that it cannot be restored" Elder Uchtdorf
12. "If our beliefs do not influence our daily decisions, our religion is in vain" Elder Uchtdorf
well these were just a few of the things I got out of conference, hope you got some inspired things as well. you may have heard something that struck a chord with you or inspired you to do something. My advice is to NOT PUT OFF THAT PROMPTING THAT CAME TO YOU FROM GOD THROUGH THE MOUTH OF HIS PROPHET. Write it down, and do that thing.
I know God has a living prophet on the earth today. I know if we follow his teachings, we are following the Lord's teachings. I know he is called of God and has the keys necessary to do what he does.
I love you.
Peace out.
Zuster Harris
ps...haha funny story. this week at mission leader council i was walking around in some elders clogs (wooden shoes) and president look at them then looks at me and says "Sister Harris.....you are a dork."
most proud moment of my life.
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