Well week one of the transfer is already over! Lots of changes and getting used to.... I guess that's what a mission is...lots of change...actually that's what life is! haha... I remember way back when, when I used to hate change...and now I'm learning to deal with it...and to actually kind of like it! :) It's so bittersweet but it's so good and helps us to grow! I've been studying a lot about change and about how it really is the Lord's way. How can we grow if nothing changes? He wants us to be happy and growing and excited about change. Life is a journey, we can't just sit there, we have to keep moving forward! But that doesn't mean it's gonna be easy... You can't spell challenge without change. A couple months ago I told you about the Fourth Missionary and I was going over that and there's some really good stuff I've been studying and thought I would share with all of you about change :) "The purpose and central blessing of life is change. It is to be changed to become more like Jesus Christ. It is to incorporate into your character, the qualities of His character. It is to move from one degree of intelligence and capacity to the next, and from there to the next, until you see God face to face and know Him as He knows you." "This process of change, this process of evolving, becoming, is the object of the gospel. Change is the design of faith in Christ, repentance, and baptism. Redemptive change happens by the power of the Holy Ghost. But it happens only if you do not fight against God. It happens only if you unconditionally surrender your will to the Lord." That is something that I have been working on...learning how to surrender my will and really just let go and let God. Let Him mold me and shape me into who He knows I can become. So this morning in my studies I looked up the word change in the dictionary... the first thing it said was to become. hmmmm... and to become is to grow.... so I just loved that and thinking about all these learning and growing opportunities! I have learned so much out here! So along with change and becoming it went along with conversion....so I've just been all over the place in my studies! but it's been so good! so good I want to tell you all about it! haha... But I read in the bible dictionary about conversion and it says that complete conversion comes after many trials and testing. I know that conversion is a process and that it's not just a once and done kind of thing. It's gonna be throughout our whole lives...continual learning and growing and progressing! Oh and then yesterday we had a really good testimony meeting...there was a common theme of bug spray and applying it... The bishop started and was talking about how they were out watching fireworks and he has a testimony of bug spray and knows that if he puts it on it will protect him from the mosquitoes... but he didn't put it on at first and got bit! so then he decided to apply it and they stayed away from him... he related it to the gospel and how we have to apply the things that we know! There was another member that got up and talked about the primary song "I Am a Child of God" and how it's the gospel in a nutshell :) she said the words used to be "teach me all that I must know" but I think it was president Kimball she said wanted it changed to "teach me all that I must DO" so that's what it is :) I thought that was so cool! Because it's true! We have to do it and live it! We can't just know it! It's not enough to just know... think of the bug spray! It doesn't do you much good unless you actually apply it! :) haha :) So thinking lots about that too and how to testify is to know and declare...but we need to be converted...so we need to do and become! :) okay one other quote that I found this morning... "Faith, hope and charity are ACTIVE principles, not passive ones. If we do not DO them, we don't HAVE them. It's that simple." -Janet Tanner
So anyways...lots to think about!! haha ;) but it's been a really good week full of changes! Monday was super fun! crazy last pday for sister fuller! We did emails then went to Exeter and had lunch with sister sowards and sister brown and hung out with them for a bit! then we had dinner at the Hafens!! then Tuesday was the crazy day... transfer meeting!!! Sister Keele drove us! We got there and talked with all the other missionaries! I saw sister welch and got to see pictures of Tom's baptism!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHH!! so awesome!!!! Linda and Arnez are next!!! :D and then Sister May is training Sister Keown in Damariscotta who I had an institute class with!! such a small world! :) so we got a picture of all the Damariscotta sisters :) so fun! :) and then I got my new companion sister Beus! She's been out for almost a year and she's from highland! After all the "see ya laters" we got all her stuff packed in the car and headed back to Portsmouth! We did Mormon.org and then we had dinner and then we went to the relief society enrichment night!
Wednesday we went to the food pantry and then we went and called bingo! There were some other volunteers there learning how to do it so Helmar and I had to train them and show them how it was done... ;) haha! then we had coordination with brother hafen! and then we taught Steve!!! We taught him the plan of salvation and it went really well! I just kept thinking that I should ask him to say the closing prayer and so when we got to the end I talked about prayer and asked if he would say it and he said he would! It was so good! Sister Gray was all teary after and the spirit was just so strong! :) then we went home and had a late dinner!
Thursday we had district meeting! It's pretty much the same district except now we have sister beus! and sister kotter is the new sister training leader :) After that we went and saw sister bromfield and told her we wanted to start reading the book of Mormon with her and she was so excited! We read Alma 6 and 7 and had a good discussion and she's excited to get back on track and reading again :) then we went and saw Brenda! and on the way there it started raining....then pouring...then pounding.... haha we got to her apartment and she told us there was a tornado warning!! :O haha then the zone leaders send out a voicemail about it so then Brenda was googling it and trying to figure out what was going on! haha! But then a little later we got another voicemail and they said we were safe :) phew! ;) haha... but it was pretty crazy out there! and lots of wind after!! We went over the family proclamation with Brenda and she really enjoyed it! Then we had dinner with some members the Vaillincourts and went over the family proclamation with them too :) Then we went and saw Sister Bock, shared a quick scripture with her and then went home and saw a few fireworks!
Friday was the fourth of july!!! :D We had a ward pancake breakfast so that was super fun! Brother Bussey prepared a whole program with songs and narrations and video clips! It was really good! We got to be part of it and read different scriptures and stuff :) then we went home and did our studies and weekly planning.... while it rained and rained... :/ so no fireworks that night... but we went to the Udy's and had a bbq with them! and used glow sticks for a lesson about letting your light shine... classic ;) haha and then on the way home we had nothing else to do and I was wondering what we were gonna do for the last hour of the day... and then sister bromfield calls and said she had a question! she was reading in the bible and it said that God was a spirit and she was so confused cuz she thought he had a body! So I asked if we could come over and she said of course! :) So we went and shared scriptures with her and talked about the restoration and about the first vision and how Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! She thought it was so great and was so happy that we had an answer so quick :)
Saturday we did some street contacting!! We went around Portsmouth just talking to everyone and just trying to hand out invitations to a stake event that we're having in a few weeks called "A Step Back in Time" ....we handed out a few of them! and talked to quite a few people! It was lots of fun :) there was one guy named steve that we talked to for a while and turns out his brother is a member! so that was cool! then we came home had lunch, then had a lesson with Robert. We went and saw Larry after and he just cracks me up! so last week he said we're always asking if there's anything we can do for him and he finally thought of something... he wants us to make him a blueberry pie... haha so he brought that up again and said if that doesn't work out he has a plan c... we can trim his bushes and trees in his yard... haha! :) We went over the resto pamphlet with him and it was really good! he wants to know what his purpose in life is so we said we could talk about the plan of salvation next time :) then we tried some other less actives and then went to pizza hut with mandy and mary!! :D
Sunday we had a great testimony meeting I already told you.. and Brenda, Steve and Tori were all at church!! :D it was awesome :) Tori is not an investigator...yet...but she said she really really wants to meet with us! she just has to figure out her work schedule :) After church we tried a bunch of people on the ward list...found out some had moved..tried to see less actives/part member families...some were happy to see us...some were happy to see us leave... haha but we got to know some of them and will hopefully get through more of the ward list soon :) then we had dinner at the smiths and then did our studies! :)
oh! okay one last quote for today... I just love it... "May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love."
<3 LoVe YoU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
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