I did not anticipate liking this format very much when it came to writing my thoughts of the week, but I feel I quite enjoy it. It may be making an appearance a little more frequently than originally intended. Sorry :)
(awesome moment to kick it all off: right now as I write this and feel maybe the reason for this being how my thoughts are coming rather than in a day by day history type of format --like how I began my mission-- is because now I am not as focused on what we do, but rather how what we do changes me. Kinda cool.)
Clean up time:
cleaned the apartment a little extra
got sick #lotsofwater #cleanourinsides #thankscoldweather #...probablyourfault #notthebestideatowalktwomilesinablizzard #thoughtwewouldgetawaywithoutgettingsick #thinkagain
cleaned our desks! 'bout time we did that
washed the car for the first time in almost three months #oops #disobedient #sorryelderwilliams
Awesome spiritual moment/Tender mercy: teaching Monday night. The Lord blessed us so much, it is crazy. That lesson was amazing. We were teaching in French and English as usual, but we felt incredibly unified the whole lesson. I understand parts of what is said and can usually follow pretty well in French (thank you Spanish and knowing the topic of conversation) but of course I don't understand to the extent at which I probably should. Last Monday the Spirit was so strong. We were able to teach effectively where we now know how we can better prepare him for his baptism, even with a language barrier. Such a blessing.
Fun (but probably crazy) moment: the big snow storm? Yeah, that was fun! We weren't allowed to drive and didn't know how long it would last so we decided to walk to the closest less active family: one mile away! It was so fun! We were trekking through a foot of snow in most places, but the wind had blown some huge piles up in some areas where it was all of a sudden three feet deep! Haha. We had fun to say the least. We got to the door and looked at each other, just busted up laughing! Our mascara was everywhere but on our eyes. It was hilarious. We just wiped it all off with our scarves and carried on without for the rest of the day. It was quite the adventure. Also took us 40 minutes with a broken borrowed shovel to get our car out once we got permission to drive again. It was a great time.
(And no. No pictures, sorry. We felt like it was more enjoyable to just experience it! Haha! We concluded the day with my compagne declaring "that was...an original day." Sums it up well!)
Funny moment: taking some extra food over to the elders' apartment on Wednesday night. Their landlady is a cop and was at the door talking with them when we pulled up to drop off the food. She saw us walking up as they came out to grab the food and she went into her side of the building and just watched through the window the whole time we were talking with them! She was still watching even when we drove away.
Fun service moment: translating at the doctor for one of our most favorite Spanish women in the ward. Technically that was just me I guess. I was so stressed about it! Haha. But I was praying the whole time that I would understand everything okay and it went well. Point to el Don de Lenguas.
Awesome spiritual moment: planning for a favorite less active in front of said favorite less active. We have felt for a while now that we needed to plan in front of him; that we needed him to see us doing this for him to try and understand what we do and what every sister before us has done for him. Well, Wednesday after almost hitting rock bottom - having tried our second-to-last idea for helping him progress and seeing it fail - we decided it was time.
It began very awkwardly cause we didn't really know how to get into it. We were anxious, but after praying and a few minutes of awkward at the beginning, we finally got into it. That was the best thing that could have ever happened for him. Something different clicked in him then. He came to himself in a new way. We pray he will choose to allow the Savior to carry him. He needs it. The Spirit was really strong and I really think he is going to change. We hope so. #noloweredexpectations #letitgo #prayersprayersprayers #darnthatagencything ;)
Awesome spiritual moment: district meeting paired with Wednesday morning. The talk within companionships that we had at district meeting thanks to the revelation of Elder McConkie, and then the continuation (sort of) of it the next morning together. We just had a really good talk about some things relating to the work and revelation, a few things that helped us build our unity and testimonies a bit.
Awesome spiritual moment: mega zone conference!! Goodness gracious just the whole thing! Seriously. #somanythingstochange #imeanimprove #aaaahhh #soexcited
We had workshops on commitments (extending/following up), the new standards, conversion, and using the Book of Mormon. We also got a new mission challenge to do this study of the BoM by the end of the May transfer and I am very excited about it. :)
Not-so-awesome moment: Included in the awesomeness that was Mega Zone, I also ended up giving a talk on obedience and singing a musical number with Elder Thomas. That was stressful! Haha. (The way it works is Sister Reynolds asks everyone to send in a 3-5 minute talk on obedience then she picks three people or so to give theirs at the meeting. Well, I got chosen to give mine. Ha. Also the singing thing was fun...ha...we sang a song called "Oceans". It was pretty but didn't help that I am sick.)
Fun moment: finding some gems in the billions of CDs that occupy the deepest recesses of our car #jennyphilips #mercyme #"...Mulan? No waaaay!"
Song I now love: Says something about how we have the prophets to guide us, the Spirit inside us, and angels walking beside us; therefore, we will take up the shield of faith and be who we are, defend the truth we hold, and witness of Him at all times, in all things, and in all places. I just like that. :)
Song I now love: The one I was asked to sing with Elder Thomas for Mega Zone. It talks about Peter - and really all of us - walking out on the water to Christ. It went beautifully for me with the workshop Sister Reynolds gave about conversion. She used Luke 22:32 and the song came to mind, how He knew Peter had the faith necessary to make it; he walked on water! But He would pray for him that his faith would not fail, that he would be able to keep his eyes on Christ and make it. This promise is true for me, you, all. He is praying for us. How does that make you feel to know that the Savior of the world is praying for you, for your faith in Him to remain strong enough to endure tests and trials and afflictions because He knows you can and He knows you will call upon Him and He will be able to help you? How would you live if you knew this? Anyway, so there was that. Haha.
Awesome moment: Realizing I am not really stressed about anything anymore. Now, don't even dare think that my missionary work just got so easy all of a sudden that I don't have anything to stress about, because doing so would take God out of this experience. The things that could cause me stress have increased in the last week if anything, but the cool part has been seeing as I have sought to be more still and as I have asked for Him to help me in this, He has. The moment I start to think about all the stress of something or get worried and anxious about things (because for me those worry and anxiety go with stress), I stop myself. I remember who is in charge, and I carry on in peace. It is amazing.
The uncertainty is still there when it comes to the things that worry or stress (for example, transfers. I still don't know what is going to happen there) but choosing to turn it over to God, to trust in Him and know it will all work according to His will means peace, and that is amazing!! (So, no...I am not stressed for transfers, I know His will is to be done and it is best; bring it on!) His peace does not mean everything is just peachy keen and perfect with no problems and hardships; it just means that you endure such times differently - with Him and with His hope. So cool.
Awkward moment: Realizing I really am becoming mom. Like, seriously. It is terrifying. Haha. We were at Sister Charite's and she had fed us. I took the plates and silverware back to wash them. She told me not to/to stop and I dunno, just the way the conversation went, what I said, how I said it, I felt like I was watching mom! It was the weirdest thing. I remember thinking right as it was happening, "mom??" It was scary. Haha. But hey, I always said I wanted to be like grandma. Well, I see more and more now how much mom is just like grandma. If that means this is where I'm going, then bring it on, haha! I just thought it was funny. :)
Fun moment: visiting some of the older sisters in our branch this week (along with one of our new investigators who is a little older) and getting marriage advice. 😂 Every. Single. One of them asked us if we each had a boy and what the "love story" was and then they proceeded to give us really bad marriage advice. Haha.
And here we are. It is ridiculously windy outside and we thought we were going to get blown away getting from the car to the door. We can still hear it outside. I am rather impressed by the power of the wind actually. Kind of reminds me of that one time in Hawaii (and dad's hair of course!) :) I love you lots, and hope this is a great week.
Muchísimo amor,
Hermana Karra Gourley
PICTURES: We did really bad with the picture thing this week. I would say I will repent but we all know that just...ya know...it is a struggle. Sorry. Haha.
Love you!! :)
We have...
all the sisters of our two zones (at mega zone...there are nine zones by the way, this is zone four and zone five) squished at one table cause we wanted to and cause we could
#whatdoyoumeanitisonlyfor8people? #butwecanfitfourmore #partyattableseven
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| I had to take a picture of this pasta we found in our cabinet because #loveyoutoTexasandback I thought of my hermanita of the CCM! :) |
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| #weeklyplanning |
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| the frantic it-is-Sunday-and-we-have-no-pictures-to-send-so-we-will-take-pictures-with-whoMever-we-see pictures :) |
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