Hello my dearest family and friends!
It's been another lovely week in Cambridge topped by an excellent Stake Conference about Hastening the Work of Salvation!
First, funny story I forgot to write last week: We were headed to district meeting on Friday the 11th and as usual, saying hello to people we passed. We stopped to talk to one man and as soon as we said we were missionaries, he pointed at my bag and said, "Do you have a sandwich in there?" and I couldn't lie, so when I said "Yes" he was like, "Can I have it?" and I felt like I couldn't say no because I'd just told him I was a missionary. So I handed him my sandwich. And he wasn't really interested in what we had to say, so we parted ways, me feeling slightly used and amused. And that is how a homeless man stood me up for my sandwich. :)
Update on Allison: Haven't heard back from her about meeting again, but she said her concert on Wednesday went well. I'm trying not to panic about not hearing back from her (teaching investigators you love is so much like the dating game, it's not even funny!). Sister Hyoung thinks she's probably having trouble with her phone. Keep praying for her please!
Update on Dusya: We had an excellent lesson about recognizing personal revelation on Tuesday. We asked her if she has received an answer about the Book of Mormon and she said she has. We invited her to be baptized on the 8th of December and she accepted! She's praying about it as well. We have been teaching her because she is planning to move to Cambridge, but it looks like she won't be able to move before December, so we are passing her off this week to the Boston sisters. It's been so fun to teach her! We taught her again on Sunday and it is so inspiring to see the light of the gospel already filling her countenance! And she said the most sincere prayer to open our lesson where she asked for forgiveness for getting upset with her mother. It was such a lesson to me on being meek and submissive and childlike.
Speaking of the gospel lighting up faces, we saw Ran, the Chinese student Sister Hyoung taught a month ago at the bus stop, exiting a lesson with the University Elders and his face was beaming! The gospel is changing his life and it is so beautiful to watch! We get so excited just hearing about his progress!
We had a couple of first lessons with potential investigators this week with members helping us teach and it was so great to have them there! They add validity to the lesson and it is inspiring to watch them share their testimonies and grow in their ability to articulate the gospel and grow in their desire to teach the gospel to their friends after the lesson. The missionary bug is infectious! :)
Stake Conference was AWESOME! We think it's really going to help the missionary work in our ward. President Packard spoke and talked about all the concepts we've been teaching our members and leaders and it added validity to what we've been saying. I think the members will trust now that we haven't just been making stuff up. :) Our bishopric has expressed to us a desire to take the ward's missionary work to the next level. I am stoked! I think things are really going to take off now.
Speaking of validity, can you share your personal member-missionary experiences with me so I have some to share with my members here? Sometimes, sharing experiences from "real life" people seem to have more validity/applicability to them. :)
Also, I want to hear your plans for reaching out to someone to share the gospel by Christmas! #mrussellballard Please share! I'm excited!
President Packard also shared an amazing story of a sister missionary in our mission who's brother joined the church and then passed away a few years later. As he was sick in the hospital, he expressed that one of his regrets was that he found the gospel too late. That is why that sister is out serving now. She never wants anyone else to feel that way. The story struck me so deeply. That is exactly the desperate love I am trying to develop and keep at the forefront of my mind and heart as I serve. I remember reading Mosiah 28:3 last summer for what felt like the first time and being so overwhelmed by their desire to share the gospel with EVERY creature so that they could all make it home to Heavenly Father. That's exactly how I want to feel about sharing the gospel! When we feel that way and have an eternal perspective, it makes the work so worth it and so joyful. President compared it to the prodigal son and his father's reaction when we arrived home. It was amazing.
Must run! I love you all so much and am so grateful for all you do for me!
Love,
Sister Wheeler Jr. :)
P.S. I might need to add a new section to my email each week: funny things I said in my sleep this week. :) Sister Hyoung claims I said, "Alright, I'll say it. (and then I yelled) I LOVE MY WARD!" then I giggled and said, "Okay, I win." and then I whispered "Cambridge 2nd. Boom!" She said she repeated it in her head as she was falling back asleep so she wouldn't forget. Hysterical and so embarrassing! I feel quite vulnerable every time Sister Hyoung says, "You were talking in your sleep last night!" So funny. :)
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