May 23, 2016
Hey!
So much happened this week, hopefully I won't be too rushed as I update you. This past month has been the busiest of my mission. I am always exhausted, but in a good way. I know that Christ is strengthening me to do all that He needs me to.
We went on exchanges to start this week off. I was with a brand new sister missionary Sister Gillott. She is so awesome. It was really a cool experience to be with her and help her through some of the new mission life struggles that I had too when I first got here. It helped me see how much I have grown these past 10 months or so, and it felt very empowering to be able to relate with her and then promise that she can get through them just as I did. We were able to teach Karen this week. It was a very powerful lesson. She just kept saying how she doesn't know everything, but the peace she feels since we have knocked on her door is undeniable and she will do what it takes to have it with her always. She is still excited and wanting to be baptized but still hasn't gone to church so we will again have to push back her baptismal date. She has some health problems but I know she can overcome them and make it to church if she asks for the strength.
This week the missionary department from Salt Lake City was here touring our mission. As a part of that on Tuesday we had to do teaching team ups in the evening. We were instructed to have three solid appointments from 6-9. The zone leaders and us met them at the mission office at 4, then we all were assigned who our team up would be. The mission president's wife Sister Palmer was our team up. We first headed to the mission home to have dinner with her and council about how we could all help the sisters more in the mission. It was a really special time to just be with here alone and talk. Our first lesson was with Trisha and Robert, and we had it at the mission home. They are still on track for baptisim this coming saturday the 28th. Robert is finishing working through stoping smoking but knows he can. We taught about the temple too that night and it was a real motivator for Robert. He has some really close family member who have died and who he was not able to ever grieve for. As we taught about how through the temple, we can preform saving ordinances in our ancestors behalf he just cried and asked how soon can he do that. It was a really great lesson. Our next appointment was a first lesson with a brand new investigator Tristan and his boys, but he cancelled sadly so we did some other spur of the moment visits. Our last visit was with a less active sister who we have been working with for couple months now, Lindsey. She is such a powerful sister. Seeing the changes in her life as she has come back has strengthened my testimony so much. I have become so so close with her serving here. She is amazing.
After our appointments sister palmer came to our apartment to observe our planning. All was going great then we heard loud pounding at our door and we were all screaming and scared. We got up hesitantly to check who it was and when we opened the door no one was there but all this stuff on the ground. Our district leaders who are so sweet, but very...well questionable at times (this is their last transfer), gave us flowers and like all these little gifts and such. We have no idea why haha...sister palmer was so confused asking us where they got all this stuff and we were like "yeaaaaah we don't know either haha..". It was great timing on their part. Great awkward moment to end the night on.
To wrap up the mission tour from salt lake we had a 5 and a half - FIVE AND A HALF- hour meeting on Thursday with all the leaders. It was way long, but really insightful. The next day sister winn and I gave a training to our zone on planning. It was for an hour and a half!! The longest training I ever did, but it went so well so I think everyone understood planning better- I know I did!
We had dinner at Lou and Lisa's this week. It was awkward. For one- it was on friday night, which is President and Sister Palmer's date night so they were in casual clothes. It felt like they were on a double date and sister winn and I were the weird tag a long missionaries haha. The spiritual discussion didn't really even happen very much. They didn't show up to church either. We counseled with President about it and he said Lou still wants us to come and teach, he just wants to go at his pace so I guess that is the plan for now. We hope they come to church again soon as they are figuring out things for themselves. We are praying hard for them.
On saturady morning we had another leadership meeting at the stake president's home. It was a really powerful meeting, we got a lot of clear direction how to work more with our members better and I was able to have some very specific promptings for the area.
So yes this week was so crazy, but so wonderful. I feel like such a better missionary after all the training. I have made some new goals for myself too. I was feeling like I was not progressing as a missionary as fast as I used to, and this week was an answer to my prayers. I have so much momentum to keep on getting better and keep increasing my missionary skills. This weekend will be Robert and Trisha's baptism. I could not be filled with more love for them. I know it is through Christ that I can feel that way towards them.
This week Alma 37:36-37 really was weighing on me. I love how Alma describes prayer. He says we should cry unto the lord. The word cry really hit me. It can be so easy to just robotic-ally talk to the Lord, but I know that if I can cry- like really pour out my struggles and questions and pleas to Him- that I will feel a light and a strong spirit in my life.
all my love,
Sister Neeley
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