Week 16: #sassyfingersnap

Wow what a week!! All I can say is the church is true and God loves us! Okay remember Hector and Carmen, the Venezuelan couple who came to the Christmas party. Well we had two lessons with them and they were both AMAZING!!! They love the Book of Mormon!! The Spirit was so strong. They only speak Spanish so we need to have a translator but it's amazing to see the Spirit work. I don't know very much Spanish, but before Sister M even translates I can feel what they said, I don't know word for word but I understand what they said. We taught them the Restoration and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and not only did they read the chapter we gave them, they started reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning. They said once they read they we're converted. Carmen expressed to us that this is what they were looking for and Hector, who doesn't talk as much, feels the peace he has been searching for and learns more and more. They are getting baptized on April 9th!! I am so excited, they have so much faith! They started talking about families; Hector expressed a desire to be with his family forever. We bore testimony that that can happen!! They lit up and tears were brought to all of our eyes. This is what it's all about.

This week I had my first Zone Conference!!! It was so fun! All missionaries are asked to prepare a 5 minute talk, the topic this time was "how has my study of the Book of Mormon, increased my testimony of the Savior and His Atonement." I'm really glad I prepared. After lunch and our Zone’s musical number, I had a feeling I'd be called up, and sure enough whose name was the first they called? Me …  It went better than expected. And singing the mission song is always fun even though I don't know it yet! Haha it was only our zone (12 Missionaries) and Anderson zone (10 Missionaries) so it was super tiny so we just had it in the relief society room. We got to see the Easter initiative and it is SO GOOD!! I want to encourage you all to go to Mormon.org and watch it and share it on social media and show it to as many people as you can!!

Tuesday we went on exchanges!! I LOVE EXCHANGES WITH SISTER S!! They got into an accident on Sunday so we were on bikes and it was so much fun!!

Friday was my 4 month mark!! I can't believe I’ve been out that long, which isn't long at all, but it's gone by sooo fast!!

We taught Relief Society which was super fun! We taught on the topic "finding Joy in troubled times" or something like that! We think it went super well!! It's lesson 4 in the Ezra Taft Benson manual and I'd invite you all to read through it!!

We have seen so many miracles this week! I can't say it enough! I know this church is true! God loves each one of us!! I read President Utchdorf’s talk, "Be not afraid, only believe" and it's so good!! One of my favorite quotes was: "I wish I could help everyone to understand this one simple fact: we believe in God because of things we know with our heart and mind, not because of things we do not know.  Our spiritual experiences are sometimes too sacred to explain in worldly terms, but that doesn’t mean they are not real." I want to encourage you to focus on the truths you do know and
understand and not to let the things you don't know discourage the things you do. Don't let Satan get you down!!

I love being a missionary!
Love,
Sister Gore

week 15: #aintnorestfortherighteous

I feel like missionaries well may be not all but at least me suffer
from multi-personality disorder. As missionaries we take upon us the Name of Christ. So for 18 months I am Sister Gore, a Representative of Christ. But I also know that I am Emily, (that's the natural man part of me) and it's become much clearer the difference between Emily and the Sister Gore. What Emily wants is different than what Sister Gore wants; it's a pretty real struggle. I hated high school, hated it. I was trying to be something I wasn't, while trying to live my standards, it was impossible. I went to BYU-Idaho and although I made stupid choices, I began to figure out who I was and wasn't afraid of being myself. I find myself now, trying to figure myself out again, trying to be real, but also remembering that I am not Emily right now. Her wants and desires don't really matter to an extent. I represent Jesus Christ, the Son of God, my Savior and Redeemer, I need to live as he would. I need to say what he would. I need to talk as he would. I need to do as he would. I need to see as He would. So I've decide that each day (or week, I haven't started so idk what will work best) I'm going to focus on a Christ like attribute. And I may break them down so that it can be more focused. Like today (Wednesday) I am going to be more Kind. I am going to be more loving with my words and less sarcastic. I am going to compliment people instead of poke fun. I don't mind being "the sassy one" but it often comes off as being mean and I don't like that. I am trying to be like Jesus.
This week has been so strange. I don't even know what happened.
But it was soooooo good!! We found a new investigator and over
achieved our LARCs and other lessons!!! We were going to have a lesson with T but at the last minute had to go to work so we were super bummed!! But we stopped by the next day and had a lesson on his doorstep. We committed him to keep the Word of Wisdom so please keep him in your prayers!!! He planned on coming to church and he even wanted to bring his mom! He was so excited!! But he didn't show up. We're not sure what happened but hopefully he'll come next week!
Friday we went to see a potential investigator who wasn't home. He lives on the same street as a less active. He's pretty lonely and depressed and never answers the door. Well, I felt prompted to knock on his door anyway. We did and he answered it! He was so happy we dropped by! We set up a time to come back and he said he wanted to start coming to Book of Mormon class! I bore my testimony during Sacrament meeting on Sunday!! I've never done that voluntarily so I was pretty excited and proud of myself! The spirit was just so strong and I don't know if I'll be transferred before the next opportunity. I am just so grateful for the Book of Mormon! I'm grateful for the power it has and the special Spirit it brings!! Our mission president challenged us to Read the Book of Mormon in 60 days and to mark with red pencil all of the references in it that refer to Jesus Christ and the Atonement.  As the pages are turning red, I am even more convinced of the truthfulness of the Book!! I am more and more grateful for my Savior and His Atonement! Sorry this sounds lame!! But it was an amazing week full of miracles I just can never describe them!
I love being a missionary!!!
I love you!!!

Sister Gore

week 14: #IBELEIVEINMIRACLES

This week was by far the BEST WEEK EVER!! Well so far. But oh my
goodness SO MANY MIRACLES!! But it actually didn't start out that way.
I was for the first time, feeling kind of homesick. I missed my family
and the environment I used to live in. I struggled to have the desire
to do work. But as I prayed for guidance, the Lord blessed me with the
courage and strength to preserver. So I had a change of heart and
change of attitude and the week got better. So because we don't have
many people we are teaching, we have been teaching the missionary
discussions to active members. It's actually a lot of fun, really good
practice, and helps the members see what we teach people. So we were
teaching the Gardner family, well the mom and the three teenage kids,
and the spirit was so strong! Well Sister G called us Thursday morning and told us that after we left they had scripture study and talked about the lesson, and her kids were just shocked that we need to teach people that God loves them, and that it's not common knowledge. So they decided to pray to find someone for us to teach! And the next morning Sister Gardner got a phone call from Carmen and
Hector who came to the Christmas party and sacrament meeting and she
told her that she wants to meet with us and take the lessons!!!!! Like
what!?! Miracles are real! God knows us and loves us! I know He has a

plan for each one of us and everything happens in His timing! We then
did greenie hour with Elder J and Elder S and the other sisters! I'm not a greenie anymore… but it was so amazing! We practiced taught and it was super helpful learning how we can be better teachers! We went over some of the first lesson and just how we can make sure we are focusing on the investigator and how the
gospel can help them in their lives, instead of just testifying how the gospel has helped us in our own! I love learning from other missionaries!!

FRIDAY- okay wow! Okay I don't even know where to begin!! Well we had
weekly planning and that was good! But then it was just a cruddy day.
I was not in the mood at all to do work and I wanted to cry and sleep, my self esteem was down the drain and it was day that Satan was real, just telling me I wasn't good enough! I don't like Satan. Pretty much we both just weren’t happy, but we did work anyways. We tried seeing some potentials but nobody was home, which is probably a good thing because I just wasn't happy. T called and we had to push back the lesson and it was a miracle Sister T could still come because she made a big difference in that lesson when she shared her testimony. Well first let me just say that T IS ON DATE!!! HE’S GETTING BAPTIZED!!! We were reviewing the Restoration with him and he brought up baptism and asked why we needed to be baptized. We explained that it's a covenant we make with God, and that our sins are washed away and we can start with a clean slate. We explained that it needs to be with the proper authority. And he said (and I quote) "oh, then I'd like to get baptized in the Mormon church" so we officially asked him and he said yes!!! He has sooo much faith!! He can't read very well, but has told us since the first lesson that he knows God will help him! He's golden!! I am grateful to know T! I am grateful for his great faith! I am grateful that the Lord trusts me to help him, to be able to experience the joy of watching him grow and learn in the Gospel. I am grateful to be here. I can't described so I'll let the scriptures in Alma 26: 11-12 11 "But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." This is how I feel, my heart is to the brim with Joy, it is the Spirit teaching T but I am grateful to be an instrument in the Lords hand!
Sunday was fantastic!!! T came to church!! Carmen and Hector and their son came, too!!! It's was AMAZING!! We taught the Gospel Principles class,  which was so good because the lesson was on the Atonement. It was a bit of a challenge because everything we said had to be translated into Spanish for Carmen and Hector, but 14 people (usually there's like 5) came!!!! I'm just sooo excited!!!

This week I have realized that the ‘want’ and ‘shoulds’ of missionary work
are not always the same. For example Sister W will ask, "do we want to go Tracting?" And I say well what I want is different than what we should do. I don't like that they are different and so I am going to try to make them the same so that I want to do what I should do. Missionary work is hard but it's also so rewarding and I have never ever been happier.
Love y'all so much!
This church is so true!
Sister Gore 

Week 13: #Iwillnotforgetthee

This was my first week of not being a greenie!!! And it was absolutely
fantastic!!We found two new investigators!! And T. is progressing.
We plan to put him on date for baptism this week! So lots of prayers
for T. please!! He just has this desire to follow Christ. It's just
beautiful and inspiring. Our lesson even had a member present, which
we never had before so we are accomplishing our goals!! He couldn't
make it to church, but is coming to Book of Mormon class this week and
church next week for sure!!
Tuesday was a great day of finding!! We met a lady who opened the door
and said, "are you Mormons?" And we said "Yes!" And she said "I LOVE
MORMONS!!" So she said we could come by anytime we want!! She was sooo
sweet!! We got a referral who wanted a bible! We actually haven't met
her but we're going back this week!! We are just super excited!!
The rest of the week was filled with finding and teaching and I just
LOVE being a missionary!! I am grateful for all the people I get to
meet and interact with each day. We went over to a less-active member’s home last night and talked about what happened at church. One of the talks given
was on gratitude and she said that's exactly what she needed to hear.
We read 1 Nephi 21:15-16 about how Christ never forgets us and she
just cried and cried. She's been having a hard time feeling His love
but the Spirit testified that He loves her and will always be there.

We started reading Alma 34 and challenged her to finish it, she said
it has helped a lot already so she will. I am grateful for the Spirit that
led us to her home and that through my preparation in the morning I
was able to be a small part in helping her. It's through experiences like
those that make me especially grateful to be a missionary. To help
people find happiness and hope. I am so grateful for this gospel.
I know the church is true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. We
have a Savior who loves each of us.
Love you
Sorry it's short this week, it's been so crazy busy
Sister Gore🙌🏻