Week 43: I Fear No Man!

Monday, September 26, 2016

This is something that I am still working on, and Sister D is as well. I have learned that I cannot change people's personalities nor do I want to change Sister D’s. But, in missionary life, we cannot remain as we were. We are in a big stretch zone. But as President Marston says, "There is no growth in comfort zones, and no comfort in growth zones." The Lord is molding us into who he wants us to be, it can be uncomfortable, but the more we are molded the more like Him we become.

Just a thought. Let's move on to my week shall we?

Monday we just hung out at the church because it was transfer pray so it was filled with signing journals and reminiscing in old memories. That night Auburn 3rd put on a ward BBQ! We were a little late because we were up in Grass Valley, but the food was delicious and we got to meet more of the ward!

They get free food once a week at Pacos Tacos!

Tuesday we went over to Bob and Cathy R's home and did some yard work for them. It was nice to serve and be in the outdoors. Sister Dee and I worked on differ t tasks so it was nice to be in nature and think and ponder.

Tuesday was also transfer day. So after our service we got Chic-fil-a and headed over to the church to say hello and goodbye! Sister M and Sister V were both there and it was so good to see them! It was a sad day though because a few of my very good friends have honorably and successfully finished their missions and headed home to begin their new adventure. As much as I was excited for them, it was sad to see them go. 

That night we went over to the M Family's home (our WML) because their daughter McKenna got her mission call!! She's come to a few lessons with Justin with us and we can tell she will do fantastic! She is going to the Chile and she's pretty excited because she leaves 3 days after Christmas! It reminded me of when I got my call, just about a year ago and the nervousness and excitement that came with it! I just love missions!

Wednesday we went to a store called Women of Worth and helped fold linens. We had a great time chatting with the other sisters and helping them out. It's all the way in Nevada City, which is about a 45 min drive from our house so we probably won't go very often. Afterward we went to Paco’s Tacos for lunch! Members own it and they let the missionaries have anything they want for free once a week! We are so blessed!

The next day we had an appointment with Sister B., who is a member in the Auburn 3rd Ward. She is raising her two children alone and running her own company. She is the definition of busy. She had just a little bit of time, but we showed her the "The Will of God" video. It tells a story of a current bush who grows and flourishes into a beautiful tree, but the gardener comes and cuts it down. The bush seems to cry and asks "I thought you were the gardener here, I was doing well, why did you got me down?" And the gardener responds "You're right, I am the gardener here but I don't want you to be a tree, I want you to be a current bush. And one day you will thank me." The video goes on and at the end he says "Thank you for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me." The Lord knows our potential and will help us take the steps we need to reach it, even if it means hurting us. Tears filled Sister B’s eyes as she watched the video. We know that her life has not been easy, but she testified of the truth of the message. She was so grateful we came and gave her "a few moments of peace for the day."

On Friday we were able to go to the N Family’s home and teach their son-in-law Sergio. We taught Sergio the restoration and invited him to read and pray about the book of Mormon. He accepted a copy and said that he would! Unfortunately, he and his wife, the N’s daughter, live in Carmichael which is outside our mission boundaries. So if they progress, we will have to pass them up to other missionaries. But, we will cross that bridge when we come to it! In the lesson he had a lot of good comments and questions. He didn't really know about the book of Mormon or Joseph Smith which is honestly a blessing because most people don't hear good things about them. Sister D and I were able to share our testimonies and show them my red highlighted copy. I definitely know that the book of Mormon is the word of God and was translated by Joseph Smith by inspiration. I know that it really does bring us closer to our Savior. So we hope that we can continue to meet with Sergio and help him to come closer to Christ!

That night we went to the P. Family’s home for dinner and it was so good!! They are from Hawaii and make the best food! They introduced us to a drink called a POG which is pineapple orange guava and it is heavenly!! They are such a fun Family!!We were able to talk to them about following the promptings of the spirit and they were shared several experiences with us about the importance of heat in the warnings of the Spirit brings to us. We were also very blessed because they sent us home with groceries that night! We are so blessed in this area to have so many memories will take care of their missionaries!!

Saturday was a great day! We were able to meet with Laura in the morning it was a less active member in the Auburn third Ward. I'm not sure if I talked about her before but she showed us around her studio in our backyard and all the fun crafts she's been working on! She has baby heads everywhere ha ha it's kind of her thing right now! We talked about loving everyone as God's children and not judging them because it's not our place. She's just she's such a fun lady!

That evening was women's conference!! We went over to the M's  home with some other sisters and watched conference together. People brought snacks, salads, fruit and desserts to eat while we watched! It was so yummy! And conference was just too good. I especially loved President Uchtdorf’s talk called "Fourth Floor Last Door". It really made me think about my diligence as a missionary. Am I willing to climb all the stairs and knock all those doors just to find the one? I would like to yes to that question!! It is soooo worth it!!

Sunday was an interesting day.

We went to go find a referral from a brother in the Auburn 3^rd Ward. We have tried before but no one's ever been home but today we actually got to talk to people. The first door was a nice lady who was Christian and not interested. The second door was a Seventh-day Adventist who also wasn't interested. The next-door didn't answer so we left a note at the last door we knocked on we asked if “Troy” was there and he said, "Troy doesn't come around these parts anymore, if he does I'll shoot him!", so we got quite the variety of responses from that four door apartment complex. 

This week was great!! A great start to the transfer!! 

Love y'all!

Sister Emily Gore