Overcoming Fears!

One thing that I have learned is the importance of overcoming our fears.  We all have fears in life or even just a bunch of little worries.  But part of life is learning to overcome them.  In order to do it, we have to do that very thing we want most to avoid.  For example, I strongly dislike OYM (open your mouth and talk to EVERYONE on the street).  I dislike it because it scares me.  But, the only way that I am going to learn to love it and to make it not scary is to do it.  After our interviews with President, we all made goals and plans to overcome our fears.  My district leader committed me to kill a spider by the end of the day.  I did it. #fearovercome

Interviews With the President!

We had interviews with President.  The entire zone meets and then one by one we have our interview with President. While we are waiting, the Zone Leaders and the Assistants to the President (APs) give trainings.   It lasted about 7 hours.  It was really good.  We were told to come with a question - I came with about 20 (just kidding, I'm exaggerating).   Every question but one was answered in the trainings before I even went in to talk to President.  Then during my interview, I got the last one answered.  It was good.  I learned a lot!

Attitude of Gratitude

I was studying about the Pioneers in this LDS History book that a lot of missionaries have. I was so impressed by faith they had.  There were several accounts of the hardships they had to endure, but with every trial, they had a good attitude. One man, who came with the Martin and Willie Handcart Companies, was quoted as saying that he would be forever grateful for all they went through because it got them closer to God than anything else would have.  The early Saints were counseled repeatedly by the prophet to have a good attitude and always show their gratitude to God through music, dance, and prayer.  One thing that our mission president has been focusing on lately is the importance of a good attitude or - how we say it down here in the Rio Grande Valley - ánimo.  Happiness is not a matter of luck, but rather it is a choice independent of circumstances.  As I've learned to apply that every day, I've learned to become a better missionary and a better person and I've been better able to help others come to Christ.

Zone Conference! Be Happy!

We had zone conference this last week.  It was really good .  President Maluenda spoke about the importance of having "ánimo" or "excited motivation" (I honestly don't quite know how to translate that word) in missionary work and in life in general.  It really is a choice for us to be happy.  He said that when we truly work hard, plan well, and repent every day, we will always have ánimo.  He said that if we plan well, we can accomplish anything we want in life.  It really applied to missionary work because attitude really is everything.  If  you have a good attitude, you'll do better.  People mirror your mood.  So if investigators think you're happy, they'll be happy, they'll feel the spirit, and they'll get baptized.  Easy as that!

Stake Conference!

We attended stake conference.  President Maluenda was presiding.  Elder Martino was the general authority and the topic was "Hastening the Work."  It was seriously one of the best church meetings I have ever been to!  They talked directly to both the members and the missionaries and gave us counsel on how we could better work in unity.  What was said there was gold.

President Maluenda left every member the commitment to ask everyone they know if they would be willing to listen to a message about Jesus Christ.  If the answer is no, just keep being their friends.  If the answer is yes, get the missionaries over there! :D  He promised that in the future, we will be very thankful that we had shared the gospel with those around us.

Elder Martino pointed something out very interesting.  He first defined that priesthood keys were the right to receive revelation to direct the church or an organization in the church.  He then said that the mission president has the keys to direct the missionaries and determine who gets baptized.  However, the keys over missionary work belonged not to him, but to the Stake President and the Bishop.  Isn't that interesting?  

He then read Moro. 10:31 and said that it's a commandment to us as members that we extend the boundaries of our stakes. There are three parts to this commandment:

1) Finding those who don't have the gospel

2) Retaining new members - they're babies in the gospel!

3) Reactivation! - these are people who have been baptized, but are not participation in the sacrament which means they're not renewing their baptismal covenants week after week.  Covenants are important because only through them can we participate completely and fully in the Atonement of Jesus Christ

He read Moses 6:31-34, which talks about Enoch being called to preach the gospel.  Enoch was super scared, but the Lord promised him that he would receive the help he needed and he would succeed if he worked, did his part, and opened his mouth.  The same is true with us as missionaries and as members.  We need to work, do our part, and open our mouth and we will have everything we need to participate in the hastening of the work.

The meeting was so awesome!  He shared with us the story of Alma and Amulek and pointed out that Amulek was a less-active member who became reactivated then he helped out the missionaries (Alma) by being a Member Present during the lessons and because of that, he was able to help convert more hearts to the gospel than Alma was able to by himself (Alma 8-12).  It's really good.  I encourage y'all to read those chapters with that in mind. 

"Disfruten la Misión. No la Sufran."

President Maluenda is famous for saying, "Disfruten la misión.  No la sufran."  Which means, "enjoy your mission, don't suffer through it."  I've found that to enjoy your mission, you've got to let yourself have fun, don't sweat the small stuff, and constantly work to be better.  That's what I've been working on this transfer, and every day is more enjoyable.

Yes, life is great down here in Southern Texas...not without its stresses, but it's still fun! :D  Hope all is going well for you!

Member Missionary Work Continues!

There has been an added emphasis on member missionary work in our mission.  The President wants us to really focus on working with the members.  We're having our members read Preach My Gospel.  Every time we visit them, we share a little message, talk about the chapter they read, and commit them to read another chapter.

The Work Continues...

Yesterday, one of our recent baptismal candidates got confirmed!!!! :) :) :)  It was a sweet experience.  She has started going to Young Women's, and is now good friends with the Mission President's daughters.  We want to start working through her to help the rest of her family set baptismal dates soon.

President and Sister Trayner's Homecoming!

My parents and brother attended President and Sister Trayner's "homecoming" in Utah this morning. Afterwards, they went to the Trayner's home to visit.

"Disfruten Su Misión, No La Sufran"

President Maluenda also told us: "Disfruten su misión, no la sufran."  I think the same could be applied in everyday life.  We need to enjoy life, and not suffer through it.  Another thing that I have learned out here is that happiness is a CHOICE --- and perhaps also an act of faith.

2 Nephi 2:25 teaches us that "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." 

The Fall of Adam created mortality which in turn created pain and suffering.  However, the reason for the Fall was so we could have joy.  In mortality, despite all the hardships we may go through, we are told that our purpose here is to have joy.  It's going to take faith sometimes to look at your life with all its hardships and injustices and LEARN to find happiness, but it is possible.

Recent Pictures!

Photos courtesy of President and Sister Trayner

(Outgoing mission president and his wife)

Edinburg Zone

Zone Conference

Find this scripture...

...Ready, Set, GO!!

We love Zone Conference!

Greeting the "New" Mission President!

Greeting the "New" Mission Mom!

"Changing of the Guard!"

Faith Without Works is Dead!

We had a surprise zone conference and President Maluenda gave a wonderful talk about what it means to have faith.  He told us how faith is an action word --- something I have come to really understand here in South Texas.

We have often been told that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20) .  I had heard that all growing up, but it was not until I was with Sister Dudding that it really became clear what that meant.  And its significance is soooooo simple!  All it takes is common sense!

The example President Maluenda used:

If I want to lose weight, I might exercise faith by praying to God for help losing it.  If I pray, but just continue to sit around eating cake and ice cream every meal, am I going to lose any weight?  No, of course not! But if I pray for help, and I exercise every day and watch what I eat, I'm going to lose weight.  God will help me perhaps have the willpower to do it, but it's up to me to take the first steps.

So, in the mission field: if we pray to find investigators, but we don't open our mouths on the street, we won't find them!

For all you regular members: if you pray to have a stronger testimony, but you don't read the scriptures, pray every day, and go to church, you're not going to get a stronger testimony.  You may have a strong belief and even knowledge that prayer works, and yes, prayer is an act of faith.  But after that prayer, it is up to us to take the next step.  We can't just wait around for things to happen.

It sounds simple and like common sense, right?  But if you really try to apply this concept in any and EVERY aspect of your life, you will see that acting on faith really IS an act of faith.

Fourth of July!

 

This is the - can you believe it - LAST week of the transfer!  Talk about time flying!  It feels like I just barely got to my second area.  It's true what they say: on the mission, days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days.

This week, on none other than the Fourth of July, I got to meet President Maluenda and his wife.  They are fantastic!

Good-bye and Hello!

This week, President and Sister Trayner are going home and we will get President and Sister Maluenda.  We have a zone conference with the Trayners this week - then they'll be off!  I don't know if much will change for us missionaries in our day to day activities, but it's an exciting time.

President and Sister Trayner

 

 

President and Sister Maluenda