Yah,
so yesterday was a holiday and the libraries were all closed.
Bummer.
That's
ok.
Guess
what happened last night!
It snowed.
Guess
what I did this morning?
Scraped
ice and snow off of my car.
That
was the first time for me and definitely not the last.
My
hands are still cold.
Boy
do I have so much to tell you!
The
last couple of weeks, I have to be honest, were tough.
I
was grumpy and mad. I don't know why.
I'm
a happy person!
My
being grumpy made Sister Taylor grumpy,
Which
made me more grumpy,
Which
made her more grumpy.
It
was just a domino effect.
So
annoying.
Oh
well, we got over it. :)
I'm
over the grumpies now :)
Sister
Taylor got to go to a leadership training and I didn't.
BUT
I got to go on exchanges with Sister Bailey, one of my MTC companions.
I
love that girl.
I
have to tell you though, I was so ticked when Sister Taylor got home.
She
came home all excited about missionary work and oh my gosh we're going to get
so many baptisms and find the elect.
This
was my face ---> 
I
wasn't too happy.
Sassy
Emma came out.
Not
good.
I missed out on all this cool stuff!
I'M
DOOMED!!!!
I can't be a better missionary if I missed out on this awesome training!
Then
Sister Taylor told me what they learned.
It's
all stuff I've wanted to do, but I've been too afraid to try it.
Or
I tried it, but no one understood what I was doing or didn't want to do it.
So
yes, I was more ticked.
My
face started to look like this ---> 
Then,
I found out that we would all be trained later on all the same things.
WHAT?!!!
They had this special meeting with just some people when everyone was going to
hear it anyway.
My
face turned to this ---> 
Yup
that was it. I was mad.
Super
mad.
So,
then I had a choice.
I
could continue to be mad and bitter.
(I
wanted to so bad. I wanted to be angry and kick and scream and punch holes in
the walls. That's what I wanted to do.)
OR
I could choose to be happy.
Choose
to be excited and let Sister Taylor teach me.
I
didn't want to choose that, but I tried really hard to.
I
prayed that I could feel better about it.
I
prayed to be happy.
If
I'm not happy, the Spirit can't be with me and then I really can't be an
effective missionary!
Well,
it worked!
I'm happy!
AND
we have had so many blessings from this training.
We've
learned a new way to teach.
IT'S
AWESOME!!!!
We
teach with the pamphlets now.
It's
simple.
Lessons
are 8-10 minutes and the Spirit is stronger than it's ever been.
PLUS
the Spirit comes in quicker.
This
has changed EVERYTHING!!!
Now this
is my face. ---> 
Boy oh boy is it wonderful!
I'm in love with this method.
And,
Sister Taylor and I have added our own twist to it.
Music.
We
have a couple songs that we do with harmonies and the ukulele.
We
start with the song and BAM! the Spirit is there.
It's
amazing.
Then
we start teaching and BAM! the Spirit is stronger.
Then
when we end, there is no way to get rid of the Spirit!
It's awesome!
The best time this has happened is with a less active couple.
The
Hunts.
We
haven't really known what to do with them.
We've
seen the wife twice and know why she doesn't come to church.
She
told us why she doesn't, but really, the root of it is that she doesn't have a
testimony.
We
met the husband for the first time this week.
He's
so sweet.
We start off by asking what is on the cover of the pamphlet.
It's
Christ holding the lamb right?
How is He looking at that lamb?
With
love right?
Yah.
Do
you think that's how He looks at you?
He
does.
I
know He does.
He
loves you so much.
And
that's how we start.
Did
you feel the Spirit?
I
did just typing that.
For
those of you that don't know what the Spirit feels like, it's a good feeling.
That
is the Holy Spirit telling you that what I just said is true.
We
continue to use the pictures as we teach and it's awesome!
Brother
Hunt kept looking at that picture so longingly.
My
heart melted!
He
knows it's true!
He sure does!
What
else has happened this week?
Let me tell ya'!
We
got a new investigator.
She's
a referral from a member.
We
had an awesome first lesson (using the pamphlet of course).
She
has a baptismal date.
And
she moved.
She's
not ours anymore, but she wants to keep learning and going to church.
We're
all on the same team though, so it doesn't matter if we teach her or not. :)
What
else....
We
had an awesome lesson with a member family.
We
taught the Restoration and it was super powerful.
We
then told them that we were going to pray together and ask who they should
share the gospel with, and when we're done praying, we'll wait until they come
up with a name.
We
did that.
The
wife came up with a name and wasn't very comfortable doing something big.
She
was scared to share the gospel.
We
almost said, "well, that's ok," BUT we didn't.
We
followed the Spirit and pushed and were bold.
We
set a game plan with her.
We wrote it down and left her with a copy and took a copy for us.
We'll
keep checking up on her and see how it goes.
What
she is doing is super simple.
All
she is going to do is invite her friend over for lunch so that her friend can
feel the Spirit in her home.
It's simple.
It's
not big.
It's
something this member is comfortable with and she's going to do it and receive
countless blessings for doing so. :)
This
church is true. I know it!
I
love you all SO much!
Have
a great week!
Love,
Sister
Heywood
PS
What did I learn in the reading?
Chapter
23
21 Nevertheless
the Lord seeth fit to achasten his people; yea, he trieth their bpatience and their faith.
22 Nevertheless—whosoever
putteth his atrust in him the same
shall be blifted up at the last
day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.
23 For
behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into abondage, and none could deliver them but the
Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.
24 And
it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty
power unto them, and great were their rejoicings.
27 But
Alma went forth and stood among them, and exhorted them that they should not be
frightened, but that they should remember the Lord their God and he would
deliver them.
Chapter 24
13 And it acame to pass that the voice of the Lord came
to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good
comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will
covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
14 And I will also ease the aburdens which are put upon your shoulders,
that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage;
and this will I do that ye may stand as bwitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may
know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their cafflictions.
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were
laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did astrengthen them that they could bear up their bburdens with ease, and they did submit
cheerfully and with cpatience to all the will of the Lord.
16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith
and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be
of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.
17 And he said unto Alma: Thou shalt go before this
people, and I will go awith thee and deliver this people out of bbondage.
21 Yea, and in the valley of
Alma they poured out their athanks to God because he had been merciful
unto them, and eased their bburdens, and had delivered them out of
bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were
the Lord their God.
The Lord will deliver us from
"bondage" when we obey Him.
People always think that rules take
away their freedom, but it's just the opposite. When have rules and follow
those rules, we actually have more freedom.
Trust me, I've put this to the test.
Follow the commandments and you will
be blessed beyond belief!
Let's finish Mosiah!
