This week has been crazy.....you want to know why??? Because we are now on BIKES!!! Yup thats right! We get to do it like the Elders do, although we do get a car part time. We are sharing a car with the other set of Sister Missionaries in our ward. Its been very interesting figuring it all out, that is for sure!
Sorry that ya'll are FREEZING while we here in Florida are absolutely BAKING in the sun!!! HAHA! Its been crazy....two days ago while we were on bikes it was 88 degrees outside...we were DYING!! LOL :-) And then I get on facebook later that day and find out that it was like a -9 back at home....what is up with the weather!!! HAHA!!! Not quite sure what to make of it. I am definitely enjoying the warm though, much preferred over the cold ya'll have going on right now. :-) Its also funny...cause we get down into the low 60's and I start shivering...LOL :-) I actually kind of get mad....cause I hate the fact that the thermomiter says its 61 degrees outside and I feel like winter is coming on.....I'm sure ya'll would die to have 60 degree weather right now!! I say I am sorry, but I am also laughing cause its just so strange! Life is just awesome!!
We are teaching a guy named Larry, who hasn't been to a church in years! He loves everything that we have taught him so far though and he said he would read and pray about the Book of Mormon. He even committed to be baptized but made sure that we knew that it would be in his own time and not super fast. He is a great guy....has a super thick accent and is really hard to understand...my companion swears that she can't understand what he says half of the time....amazingly i have been given the "gift of tongues" and can understand him as well as our other investigator Dee....who seems to slur everything together. My companion cant understand her either....makes it a bit difficult to teach. Who knew that it would be so difficult to understand people that speak my own language....well...maybe its the same language?? LOL :-) I love these people to death. They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet in your life that is for sure!
We had an awesome lesson with Momma Dee last night and took a recent convert Ylonda with us. They connected with each other soooo well. It was such a powerful lesson and Ylonda, being baptized only a couple weeks ago, is on FIRE! She rekindled the fire within me, that didn't necessarily go out, but just faded a bit with being sick and tired the past couple of weeks. I have finally kicked the sickness though. After discussing things with the mission Doctor, Dr. Rose. We concluded that I needed some antibiotics, I went on the antibiotics and poof in just over 24 hours I was feeling like a million bucks....wish we had just gone with them sooner instead of dealing with being sick for over 2 weeks. HAHA! Live and learn!
Did ya'll get to watch the Christmas Devotional on Sunday?? If not, you should go find it online and watch it...it was amazing! I LOVE CHRISTMAS and the spririt it brings into our lives. I wish people could hold onto this Spirit during the year. Its amazing and what the Lord would have us feel ALL the time! My companion and I were able to watch most of it, but then the Bishop came to us not quite half way through and told us that a car had run out of gas and that the husband, Curtis...was going to get gas and his pregnant wife, Kristy was sitting out there. We decided to go out and talk with her. We were eventually able to convince her to come inside and enjoy the music and the messages shared in the Devotional. She was able to listen to Elder Neilson speak and then her husband came back. It was a wonderful missionary opportunity and they were happy to let us come over and share another video with them about the Savior later. It was wonderful!....although we found out that they live in the Timuquana ward, so we will be handing them over the the Elders or Sisters in that ward. A seed was planted and thats all that really matters right?? We are here to invite all men to come unto Christ, we dont take them there we invite them there and if they accept the invitation we are thrilled. We succeed when we invite!! :-)
I have learned some amazing lessons since coming into the mission 8 weeks ago....that is crazy! Next monday I will "officially" have been here as a full time missionary preaching the gospel for 2 full months! CRAZY!!! LOVE IT!!! The time is just flying by. There is nowhere I would rather be though. I love it! Maybe I will be able to extend and come home with Larissa....who knows?? Anything is possible!! :-)
I wanted to share something from my studies this morning that was incredibly powerful for me and has had me on the verge of tears all day. I LOVE THE SPIRIT! I was reading this morning in D&C 5. Towards then end of the chapter the Lord talks to Joseph about how their are many that lie in wait to destroy thee and I began to feel like that, I have had so many things that have happened over the past 2 months that have been so incredibly trying, that i feel like there are many "unseen" that are trying to destroy me and all those who are trying to do the work of the Lord, then I was completely overwhelmed by the Spirit as I read the Lords words from verse 34: "Yea, and for this cause I have said: STOP AND STAND STILL until I command thee, and i will provide means whereby thou mayest accomplish the thing which I have commanded thee." I was so taken back, as I felt the Lord was telling me to STOP AND STAND STILL. He is not necessarily asking me to stop moving and progressing, but stop trying to move forward by my own volition and not by His way. He wants me to "stand still" and listen to what he has to tell me, because this is His work and it must be done his way. These are His children that we are talking with each day, he knows them better than I could possibly EVER know them. I felt comforted in knowing that He will provide a way for me to accomplish the goals and desires of my heart here in this area, despite the difficulties that we have had...but he has asked me to stop pushing forward and trying to do things "without" Him. I honestly think that is one of the reasons I have been sick lately, because I have forgotten to hand everything over to him and STOP AND STAND STILL...taking a moment to let him really speak to my mind and my heart, to bring me peace in this troubled world, and know that He has it all under control! It was such an incredible reminder!
I love the Scriptures. I wish i had time to share with you all my spiritual insights from the entire week, it truly has been a week that I can say I FEASTED from the scriptures and oh how FULL I am!! :-) I love this work. I love the Gospel and most of all I LOVE MY SAVIOR! He is my rock and my salvation. He is my never failing energy source. He is my best friend and someone I NEVER want to be without for as long as I live! It is his PERFECT LOVE that i seek daily and desire to share with all those around me! He will NEVER fail us! I know that He died for me and for you! I know that through Him we can find peace in this life and eternal joy and happiness throughout the eternities! I am so grateful for this knowledge. I know that we have a living prophet here on the earth that leads and guides us in righteousness. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, as is the Bible. I know that we can receive personal revelation that these things are true and so much more, as we get on our knees humbly before the Lord and ASK!! :-) I know all that i have said is true and I say it in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN!!! :-)
Happy Holidays
-Sister Heckel
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