How are all of you?!? Life looks fantastic back in Massachusetts! LIFE COULDN'T BE ANYMORE FUN IN EL CAJON! Missionary life is the BEST! I know that I say this every week but it's true!! Thank you for all the letters! I feel so loved and I hope you do as well!
Eli's baptism is this Saturday! I'm pumped! That kid is AWESOME.
Probably in September we will get facebook.
Soooooo this past Wednesday we had MTEs, which is basically a training with a couple of zones and the mission president. This one was focused on the Holy Ghost and being in tune and helping your investigators be in tune. Because let's be real: I could not do this work without the Holy Ghost! So I left feeling inspired and I also left with a new companion! Sister Stakkeland, she is AWESOME! She is also Sister Stewart's Trainer! So that was cool to be with her for a day and to see what Sister Stewart got from her. She is sooooo bold in street contacting! Just goes straight up to people she hasn't seen and is like, "Hey, I have a question..." She rocks! I left feeling super inspired. So we had the training and then I brought her back to my area to see how we could apply what we just learned, and we were also trained and challenged to ask boldly and directly for people to be baptized. And then follow up if they say no. Also, to set a date for baptism. Soooo most of our appointments had cancelled but we dropped in on some new investigators we added on Monday, Donna and John. They can't read the small print Book of Mormon so we dropped by to read with them adn to give them a large print copy of The Book of Mormon. We were reading Enos chapter one. It was going really well and Donna really was enjoying it. We felt prompted to invite them to baptism. We did. They said no. We tried again, reassuring them how much God loves them and how this will lift their burdens. They still said no. Dang it. But we tried and we talked to A LOT of people, got some referrals for the Arabic elders, sisters in Pacific Beach and we got someone for us to contact later! Street contacting was sooo fun that day! We met someone named Noah--not the smoothest street contact but it was super funny! I walked up to him and I said, "I like your car." Noah says "Thanks." And then Sister Stakkeland says (pointing to our car) "This is our car." Noah says "Cool." And then we go "We're missionaries!" Smooth--I know. But he's interested! So that was solid! Awkward street contacting for the win! And even though our other appointment fell through, we were able to schedule a lot of appointments, meet a lot of people, and have a lot of laughs! It was so fun!
The next day was the follow up training where we have "a miracle report." Everyone is going up there and saying how they got three or four people with baptismal dates and added a ton of people. Then Sister Stakkeland leans over to me and says we should go up. And I'm thinking "and say WHAT?" But we did go up. We talked about how we got rejected with the baptismal date BUT we were able to talk to a lot of people and see miracles in the making. And then Sister Stakkeland wanted to act out our awkward street contact! And I'm like "uhhhhh... ok." So we did it. No one laughed. You could for sure hear crickets. I guess I just always have to embarrass myself every big mission meeting! (But don't worry--they actually asked me to play piano again, and I did well! And they had me play the same song I messed up on last time and I nailed it!!! Redemption is real!) but I had a great time with Sister Stakkeland. She is hilarious and shares my love for Chinese food! One thing I loved at our follow up training is how we talked about how we can receive personal revelation through music. It brings such a spirit, prelude music especially. That's why going to meetings early is so important, and I always feel so honored to play. It definitely relaxes me a lot. When President Schmitt was talking about the influence of music he just had me right there. And then I go and play "I Stand All Amazed ." It was really cool--the spirit was so strong. Music is the best! And that's why I think Mormon Messages are so powerful! General Authorities speaking plus spiritual music is life changing! It was great.
our zone
I had a really great district meeting this past Friday. Our district leader Elder Avery had us start out by going into the chapel and having a testimony meeting. It was super cool. I went up there and talked about how much I've been able to draw closer to my Savior through the mission. I have never thought about the Atonement so in-depth before, but studying His life and teachings everyday has helped me to. I know that he literally felt my pains specifically and that for a moment in time when he suffered he thought about how much he loved ME and how much he knew it would be worth it to help ME. I know I can go to my Savior for anything and I know when he was tortured and whipped and nailed to the cross he did it for ME. And also all of YOU. I've never believed something so strongly. I quoted one of my favorite hymns, "Abide With Me." In the last verse it says "I need thy presence every passing hour. What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power? Who like thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine Lord, abide with me." I loved bearing my testimony and talking about how I know that my Savior lives and loves me. After that we went back to the Relief Society room and Elder Avery had a box that was made of cardboard, little pieces all stacked on top of one another. On the front it said "Satan's power" basically representing all the things bad and all the ways we've suffered because of him. And then he brought a hammer and nail out and had us put some holes in it representing all the people we know who have suffered and all the things we have suffered through. I put way more holes in it than everyone else, took it pretty seriously. But Elder Avery peeled away the first layer of cardboard and there was a picture of the Savior, holes in his face, representing the punishment and pain he has taken for us. That hit me hard. Such a powerful object lesson. It was so awesome. My favorite district meeting! The atonement is awesome and I don't know what I would do without it!This past week we have worked hard trying to find new people to teach. We found four, and hopefully they will turn out solid! I pray everyday for those people, and that they might cross our paths and that we will have the courage to talk to them! I know it is through my faith and hard work that it will happen! But you also have to have a little fun on the mission! And Sister Stewart and I make sure we do! One of our favorite things is to lip sync in the car. :)
Love,
Sister Whitcomb
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