This week I dont have a whole lot to report on. Besides having a wonderful Zone Conference, this past week was a bit frustrating, but still produced some wonderful learning experiences! It was frustrating in the fact that everywhere we went to contact former investigators or less active members, we would find that they had moved and that if the house wasn't empty, the people there were not very nice to us and didn't want to hear anything that we had to say. We also seemed to have lost contact with all of our investigators that we taught last week...we will continue to reach out to them this week. On top of it all we had to stay inside all day friday because Sister Orton came down with a bit of the flu, we will pray that I stay healthy!! This week has taught me so much and I hope that next week we will be able to work harder to find those that are being prepared to hear the word of the Lord.
Saturday we received a tender mercy from the Lord though. That evening we were able to contact a former investigator named Nicole. She is 19 and really enjoyed our visit as we talked about some questions concerning her purpose in life. It was wonderful. We committed her to read from the Book of Mormon and we will be going back to see her this week. We were also able to contact some people via facebook and are starting to do some teaching there :-) I LOVE THIS WORK!! We were also able to participate in a baptism on Sunday in our ward. The other sister missionaries in our ward found this amazing woman Ylonda and she was so prepared to hear the word. She has had such a strong desire to be baptized from the very beginning and it seems like Satan himself was doing everything he could to keep her out of that water, even on Sunday as she was not able to attend church due to circumstances way beyond her control. She was able to be baptized though yesterday afternoon and it was so joyful!! This gospel is soooo true! The Spirit that was felt at her baptism was such a unique spirit that I have never felt before. It was so sweet and so pure. I didn't get the opportunity to teach this woman, but just being around her you know that the Lord has great things in store for her! :-)
Even though the week went like it did, I continue to feel the love of the Lord in my life and I learn and grow each day. I know that there is a reason why everything happens and that there is something to be learned from all of our experiences. I know that we can be strengthened through our trials and become more like our Savior, as we draw near unto him through those things that are hard. For i know that as Elaine S. Dalton shared, "Hard things are not bad, they are just hard." I feel incredibly humbled by the week that we had and I know that the Lord is continually trying to teach us something and I hope that i am getting the message :-) I want to be more like my Savior and it is not always easy....because Satan knows our strengths and our weaknesses and it he will slip in at any moment of weakness to try to stop our eternal progression. This is why we must continually turn to the Savior, especially in our weakness and humble ourselves and let Him guide us and not let the influence of the devil and his angels take hold of us!
I am so happy to be out here on my mission and would encourage anyone who is contemplating a mission to GO!!! It is the best! I have never been more happy in my entire life, even with the frustrating week we seemed to have. The Lords hand is in it!! He will spread his word throguhout the whole world...and eventually EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ!! :-)
You might be wondering why I titled my email: LOOKING BACK......here is why......
Saturday, the 16th....not only marked a full month since I started my service as a full time missionary here in Jacksonville AGAIN, but it also marks 18 months since I first embarked on my mission, entering the MTC. It also marks 1 year since I was sorrowfully send home from the Florida Jacksonville Florida mission...... and the journey that i went on for the next 11 months to recover and come back out to serve the Lord as a full time missionary again. WHAT A JOURNEY IT HAS BEEN. Something I hope I NEVER have to go through again, but so glad that i did. The past 18 months have been life changing! I have been pushed, pulled and stretched physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and mentally! Its been WOW!! Its hard to even put into words!
As I have looked back on the past year and half and thought about all that I have learned I am reminded of that talk in this past conference by Elder Edward Dube. Even though I have accomplished much and have come a long way in my life in so many different areas.....I love the advice his mother gave him saying, "Never look back. Look ahead at what you still have to do!" It could be easy for me to look back and see where I am compared to where I used to be and become complacent and just enjoy where I am.....but there is still so much to do and to become! I KNOW that i am a different person than I was 18 months ago, no doubt about it, but I know that the Lord has so much more in store.
Elder Holland is quoted in Elder Dube's talk stating, "The Past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed to the future!"
This is how i feel now. I am sure that I will have more experiences like this, but it is time for me now to leave the past in the past. To take with me what I have learned and continue to grow, but to look towards the future with faith and know that there is still much left to be done and to become!
Life is incredible with its up and its downs. We chose to be here....lets be happy that we are here! We chose to come and live and learn. We chose to have trials and struggles. We chose to come here and make the promises with God to help his other children return with us! We chose this. Be happy you chose this....because the alternative is not so appealing.
I love the Lord. I love this Gospel. I wish I could be a missionary FOREVER!! I never want to leave!
Have faith everyone. Learn from the past, but LOOK to the FUTURE! :-)
Have a wonderful Week
Love
-Sister Heckel
P.S. I cant remember if I mentioned that we are going to be getting Ipads in our mission.....YUP....thats right. We are unsure when they are coming....it is looking like they will be coming at the beginning of next year. But it is going to be an incredible tool to help us be more effective in our work. I am so excited! Its going to be so great! I have already heard all the success that other missions have had since they received their ipads and the different ways they are able to share the gospel and how much more efficient it is to be able to keep records of teaching and everything. As it is used properly, it is going to be an incredible tool to hasten the work of the Lord. Its so exciting. The Lord is truly hastening his work. His hand is in it everyday. This as Elder Perry talked about his past June......This hastening of the work is just as great of an event as that of the First Vision!! Think about that!
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