We are all busy in the work over here :) This week I learned that missionary work is fun! The biggest highlight was Zone Conference, how awesome! We had training's (aka lessons) about planning, the atonement, and more about teaching with the BofM. President Baker is just such an inspired servant of the Lord, I gained so much personal revelation and answers to my concerns as he and the other leaders taught! Our zone leader Elder Dudley said something super cool: "Heavenly Father doesn't expect you to make every point of the game. All He wants is for you to show up and try your best." Love it! Do your best, and give God the rest!Our song for Zone Conference went well! I just went up there in did what we practiced, and it was good! That's something else super important: preparation! That's why we have 3 hours scheduled out on Thursdays to plan and PREPARE for the upcoming week. So good :)
Thursday was also my 1 month mark and Sister Brakeys 15th!! Wahoo! Crazy that it's already been a month! I hope it can continue to go fast, but at the same time, enjoy every day :) I would not have said that last week, I'll tell ya that!
Wanna know something crazy? I've heard more cars honk in one day here that I have in years of living in Utah! These drivers are cranky, and every night, without fail, sirens go off. Most of the time cop cars. I pray for those poor people. We met one the other day actually. She told us she was going to jail for a year to 4 years on Monday. We showed her the new Easter video and told her that through Christ she can find new life and change. We then gave her a bible and a BofM to read while she is locked up. She totally said she would! Glad we could help her out! She was also glad that we weren't the cops when we knocked on the door. :) Super funny!The ward members here are really warming up to us, and doing some great missionary work! Members are so important, and they really help us out a lot! So if the missionaries ask for help, they mean it!
We are getting so pro at painting! No worries about painting clothes, I've already got my black Les Miz shirt almost white! That's why I brought it :)
We had some traditional southern/Irish meals this week. Corn beef and cabbage with potatoes. Twice. Man, it's good, but salty and the meat is super fatty! If you guys get a chance, try it out! It's not on the top of my list, but it's not bad.
Sister Brakey told me something important. “Say yes!” If they offer you something, you take it. Southern hospitality. I'm gonna get so fat, cuz people offer us sleeves of Girl Scout cookies... and we take them. Thank heavens for exercise time!
The atonement is so real. Every Sunday, we go to the LDS Addiction Recovery Program. It is so neat to hear people talk about how the current step they are working on has helped them. One of the Elders struggling investigators came too, and you could tell he just felt the spirit, and the love of the atonement. We encouraged him to keep coming, and that we and the Elders are here to help :) What a cool dude.
Thought for the week: Trust in the Lord. I've had lots of opportunities to just simply trust in God. Not all I took, but some I did, and I saw the blessings. We taught T, the lady with the big dogs, and our new investigator (her husband, R) a little about the Plan of Salvation and followed up on their reading... They are actually reading it!!! How cool is that?!? They are just loving it, and I really felt the spirit as we talked and taught. Listening is important, cuz that's when you know their true concerns and can really help them.
Other than that, this week was just filled with the feeling of the spirit as we visited active members and less-actives. I truly feel the spirit with me at all times, such a cool feeling!Challenge for the week: Make it to the temple. Sister Harding spoke on temples Sunday, I miss it so much! Truly, my heart hurt because I can't go. So try to make it there, because it is such a blessing! Even if you are just on the grounds, The Spirit of the Lord truly dwells there.
Hope you all have just a fantastic week! I know I will :) Pray for the spirit to be with you, because it is just so cool! Good job with praying and reading! I know you will see the blessings come :)
I love ya, Christ loves ya! Have a wonderful Easter Sunday! "Christ beateth, so you could be unbeatable."
Till the next time, Sista Poulsen
