We had MLC (Missionary Leadership Training) all day Friday, it was really amazing! Sister Allen went on exchange with Sister Price's companion during it. I am so happy Sister Pryshchepchuk is an STL as well. There are so many solo STL's is crazy. We talked all about chapter 8 in Preach My Gospel and the importance of Inspired Goal setting and planning. Our mission has been focusing on this for awhile and Just this week it really has all clicked how important and crucial it is we are doing everything with the direction and guidance of the spirit. We set plans each month to achieve our goals, which are our key indicators for the month and going more into depth of the why and how behind it has opened my eyes and breaking traditions of those that have come before us. We have to work smarter so we can overcome the adversary as he is increasing his attacks. if we don't learn and improve, we aren't just staying stagnant, we are decreasing in effectiveness.
A little background on our friend Barbra, she had a kidney transplant this past summer and has been in a care facility ever since. She hasn't been getting better and has had lots of infections and problems with it. She went to the doctor on Friday and did not receive good news. Her kidney has not been working so they are going to have to do a biopsy on the 11th, well she though it was the 11th, but really it is the 10th. So she told us she wants to be baptized before that. so thinking it's the 11th, we plan for her baptism the 10th and get everything coordinated, and yesterday she had her baptism interview and she wanted us to stay there with her so that was my 1st time apart of one of those haha, but we had everything set, then she realized her biopsy is the 10th! So we have to move everything and it's already tricky because it's in the middle of the week haha. So just a little bit stressful! But the Lord provides away for His will the happen! So if you can pray everything will work out and that Barbra can stay healthy, that would be great! :)
So we had someone the Elders in Seattle were teaching move up into our area. Her name is Yasmin, she is 33 and from India. She was an orphan in India, but was adopted at 17 and came to the U.S. but for some reason that adoption didn't work, so she has always been in the adoption place. She is so sweet. She did graduate from high school at 21 and then took some classes in college. She one day just walked into the church building down there on Sunday and wanted to learn. So they have taught her a couple times, but knew she was moving soon. We were able to get some of our Elders and help her move in. She has gone though a lot in her life, but really wants to be baptized. We are very excited to teach her!
We had Stake Conference this week and guess who came!? Elder Brent Nielson from the Seventy! He does a lot of the missionary stuff and is way amazing. I felt so blessed to be there, it was probably the best Stake Conference i've been too, and i've been to many amazing ones! The spirit was incredibly strong and he is an amazing speaker. The very 1st thing he was saying was about how many of us, if not all of us have moments when we look back and wish we lived in another time. Things like, "If we lived then, life would have been so much easier" and so forth. Then he looked back at all the years we might say we wished we lived in and was like, well that was when WW11 was or that's when so and so happened and life still had it's own challenges then. Then he shared that Nephi in the Book of Helaman had those same thoughts. Helaman 7:7-8. He wanted to live back when Lehi and his family came to the promised land because the people then were slow to do iniquity compared to his time now. But said the same thing, they had a lot of struggles with things as well! How much tribulation did Nephi the son of Lehi have with his brother's Laman and Lemual? A LOT! So to get to the point, he shared how amazing it is to live in this generation and all the prophesies that are being fulfilled in the Lord's work. It is so true! We sometimes are worried about what is happening in our little bubbles and not looking outside of our selves to see the Lord's work is moving forward, and we can be apart of it! He Showed us this amazing video the church has made starting from when the church had just a few thousand members, and then from there the growth of it and how it has covered the Earth, it was powerful. I learned so much from his stories he shared. Something that stood out to me was when he shared the time he was called to be a seventy and had to sell his practice and move to Utah. He said the 1st day in his office, he was between Elder Holland and Elder Scott's offices! He said his 1st day, he literally just sat in his office waiting to here was he was supposed to do. He was very confused. No one came to see him. That happened the next two days as well. Finally, He was called into one of the Apostles office and he said it was the shortest interview he has had. He was asked a couple questions, then was told to go back to his office and become. He went back to his office and just thought, "how do I become? and what does it mean to become?" He opened his scriptures and started just trying to figure out what he meant to become. He shared a lot about what it means to become. but the main thing is to become truly converted. That we are changed like the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's. We bury our weapons of rebellion and don't fight against God anymore. We need to be true disciples of Jesus Christ, not just doing to motions, we have to change. So what he asked us at the end was, "If someone told you to "Go and Become," what would you do?" So I hope you all can ponder that and do something today to start becoming who Heavenly Father needs you to be.
I truly love this Gospel, it gives me the direction that I need, it makes me a better person, and it points me to what I desire most, to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again. I know The Book of Mormon is the most correct book that has been written, I have put it to the test
and the spirit has bore testimony to me of this truth. I am grateful to be living in these remarkable times, where we are seeing prophesies fulfilled. I hope and pray we all can keep our sights on what is important in this life and what leads to everlasting Joy.
Love,
Sister Stokes
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