The Errand of Angels: Week 15 I love being a giddy missionary! I was almost a squirrel killer!

Hi Everyone!!!!

 

I hope you are all well!!

 

I always LOVE to hear about your missionary experiences so please send them my way if you would like!!

 

So, I decided that missionary work makes me giddy. Yes, giddy. I am sitting here with a giant grin on my face just about ready to burst into a fit of, well, giggles. Why? I am that happy. Haha. It's strange. But AWESOME!! Wow, I love being a giddy missionary. I feel like a little kid of Christmas with so many presents and just wanting to tell everyone about them!! And wanting to play with all of them but there are so many that its hard to decide want to touch first!! I think that is a good picture!! Giddy and happy and so overwhelmed with blessings.

 

I think some of my pictures will also represent the lighter side of missionary work. Missionary work is not only spiritually intense but also just fun. The picture I included with this email is of the last day of last transfer - Sister Foster, myself, Elder Woodard and Elder Hendly (the missionaries in our ward).

 

This week was quite excellent. It was one of those weeks that I knew I was truly a missionary. It ended last night and I realized that I was pretty exhausted. Truly and honestly, I just absolutely love weeks like that and love being a servant of the Lord!

Christ and the Atonement is truly the center of everything. I think one of the biggest takeaways from this week was knowing that I was doing the work that Christ would be doing if he was here and loving the people as such. I know I still can improve, but this week I felt as though I had a deeper sense of charity for everyone I saw.
Okay, so on to the highlights!!!

WOAH, so I have really felt the power of prayer this week and the authority of being a missionary. We were at a less active, part-member family home. During the lesson with the member, her non-member mother-in-law and her children, the mother-in-law started clutching her chest and having severe, sharp chest pains. We asked if we should call 911, but the member said no... so we asked if we could prayer. Siter Mikolajcik, the member, and I knelt in prayer. I prayed that she would feel relief. After the prayer she felt instant relief. Wow. The experience was a catalyst for strong faith and blessings to that family. The member has been telling all her family about it. Yes, that is the power of prayer and faith. The power to know that when you kneel and offer a prayer that God will answer, especially as you l

 

We have had a HUGE increase in support from the ward. Our ward has always been VERY supportive, but I feel it recently jumped even higher. We were able to do splits this week (my first time and it was great!!! One member said she knew she was alive now so that she could testify of something to one of our investigators. Woah.) and teach with members during almost every lesson with our progressing investigators (plus, even some new investigators!). That was really cool. People are also realizing even more so how much we are trying to help the ward with activation and serving leaders and are very grateful. Members have also been giving us rides many places and the Bishop has called some sister ward missionaries to teach with us at night. I think the bikes have helped a lot because people have pity on us. Bikes are great! 

So speaking of bikes. I really do love biking. We have had some really awesome experiences biking and following the Spirit. It's interesting... I feel like I don't necessarily realize the Spirit in every day "where to go" type situations, but I try hard to pray and follow whatever little promptings come. We have had some amazing experiences on who to talk to and where to go this week, especially yesterday.
Yesterday we were kind of rushing to an appointment, which I try to not deter me from talking to people. I know that Heavenly Father put people in our paths. As we got closer to the place I promised Heavenly Father that I would talk to the next person we came across. We met a woman at a bus stop. She needs prayers and God's help more in her life. She knew God sent us to her. We set up an appointment for peace and blessings prayer. We made it to our appointment right on time.
Later that night we were biking home. We were all set to be home on time, but we passed a woman who had a black-eye and I knew really needed Christ (I have a yearning for all I see and a realization of what the gospel can do for them, but her I just felt it stronger)... Sister Mikolajcik said she also realized that. We passed her... biked for a minute... then I stopped. Sister Mikolajcik and I decided to go back. Sister Mikolajcik biked so hard and when she reached her said something simple but divinely inspired words, essentially... "We felt like we should come talk to you. We are representatives of Jesus Christ here to tell you that God loves you." The woman broke down in tears. We then talked to her about her life... it was a rough one. We walked for a little bit with her. Sister Mikolajcik gave her a copy of The Book of Mormon. I added my testimony to hers. She is currently homeless and has no phone number, but has ours so she can contact us. I was so proud of Sister Mikolajcik because I knew all her words were inspired... I could feel it. Amazingly enough, we still made it home pretty close to 9:00. Oh! And I really felt the power of doing Christ's work at that moment.
Our time was very much stretched this week. We hit more lessons that I have ever before had as a missionary. It was awesome!!!!! During the day I put the number out of my head and didn't let myself count. I tried and prayed for my focus to be... who does God want us to talk to next and how can we help them come unto Christ. Essentially I have been trying to fully give my will to God and striving to listen to the Spirit. I am not perfect, but I love seeing the progression and enabling power of the Atonement working in my life and in the Carrollwood B area.
Oh, and we are trying to flood the mission with copies of The Book of Mormon. Yes, flood. Everyone should have a copy :) Along with The Bible (of course!!!) We are helping members and less active members give them to friends and non-member family members. We are giving them to those we meet on the street and testifying. Wow, its been pretty cool! Sister Mikolajcik and I try to have about 5-6 copies between the two of us when we leave so that we can give to all. Its been awesome. One girl we met (her parents weren't interested but said we could talk to her... she's probably 10), just ate up our message and hugged her copy of The Book of Mormon to her chest like it was a treasure (which it is). It was so touching.
A kind of humorous note... I ran over a squirrel with my bike... we think it was just the tail because it rain away hopefully unharmed. I didn't realize that was possible... we had a good laugh after we decided we didn't damage it too much. SO if you see two sister missionaries biking and laughing, you may know why...
I am grateful for all mission rules. We recently gave away our investigator with a baptismal date (Luis, the one that we set up the baptismal date with peace and blessings). We have taught his sister who has kids and his other sister is a new investigator of ours, who also has kids. Luckily the Spirit spoke this week and gave me the realization he is YSA (young single adult). It was initially hard but felt so good turning him over to who needed to teach him. Plus, he was SO excited about the YSA ward (it even works with his work schedule!!).
Well, it was a good week! Busy week!! Honestly, I loved it!!
Your invitation for the week: Write three tender mercies of God and decide on something you can do to come closer to Christ this Easter!

Have a great week!!

Sister Jenkins