Just another week here in Paradise. The temperatures are slowly starting to dip and the leaves are about to turn color. NORTHEAST FALL COLORS HERE WE COME!! So excited for what lies ahead.
This week hasn't been the most exciting week ever, but we still were able to do the Lord's work. On Monday, we went to a super fun FHE with a member family and some recently activated members. We played Catch Phrase and talked about the scriptures. On Tuesday, we had a District meeting and we talked about Christ like attributes. It was good to refocus and learn more about certain attributes. I have noticed in my study in the morning that I personally want to master obedience and diligence... but right now, the Lord is pretty dead set on teaching me patience lately. "Patience is not simply enduring, it is enduring well!!" We then did service at a library on Post and shelved children's books for about 2 hours. Literature these days for young kids has gone downhill... let me tell you!!
Over the next two days, we saw our less active families and we have been recently trying to get our members to do more member missionary work and share their testimonies online! So, that was fun. I too used to be petrified to do any form of missionary work. I thought that I would lose all my friends and that I was opening up myself to get hurt in the process. Satan is so good at making us afraid and overthinking our worst enemies. It wasn't until after the first month of my mission that I had the courage to post something online, or send a BOM home to a friend to read. It took 4 and a half months before I had the faith and courage to go tracting and lead out for more than an hour. What is bold today, won't be tomorrow!! It doesn't make it easier, but we do get stronger and the adversary's ability to make us fear sharing the gospel is lessened and we become better teachers. It is awesome.
We have seen a lot of progress with a recent convert lately, her name is Abby and she is 14. She has the maturity of a 14 year old girl, but the soul of an 90 year old. We love our lessons with her. She was inactive when we got here to Ft. Drum. She has been to Church this whole month, and now wants to go on a mission.
On Thursday, we had institute for the first time with the single soldiers on base. We studied consecration and the life of John Tanner. This man is the bomb.com. I highly encourage people to read his story on LDS.org.
Another common problem among missionaries towards the end of the month is no more miles for your car... and when you live 12 miles south of your area, we quickly use up of Friday, Saturday and Sunday mileage. We did have some really good lessons. Gabby and Cameron are going strong. Taught more about the commandments this week. Gabby will be leaving for NYC this week (which makes me and my companion sad) but we will make sure that she has been taught everything we can. She'll get baptized sometime this year for the next. For Sure!! Cameron though, already knows everything, and is already paying tithing and keeps the commandments. So, we are going to get him baptized in like 2 or 3 weeks.
We also taught our Bev on Facebook too... and apparently, we are going to go fishing with her sometime next month. Woop Woop! The biggest event of the week was with the unexpected wedding of two members of the Ward. It was announced a week ago and they got married Saturday. Me and my companion were the bridesmaids and I got to hold the bouquet!! It was slightly strange. From the moment everyone came to the moment everyone ate the refreshments and left was 30 minutes. So, us missionaries got to clean the whole church afterwards and set up chairs for Sacrament Meeting since we do not have pews in our building.
This next week, we have meetings with the Zone Leaders to try to move up to Evans Mills and get out of Carthage and also we are meeting with the President. We also have MLC this Friday and since the new President, I never know what to expect, but they it keeps me on my toes!! :)
Fun Nerdy fact for the week... the meaning behind the name Mormon in Hebrew/Egyptian is "more good" and Satan is Hebrew/Greek for "The accuser, the spoiler'.
The Church is true and I love the Lord!!
Sister Kylie Williams
