Jenessa - Week 49 - Its been a GOLDEN week!

Happy "Fall" Ya'll!! :-) 

Its cooling down here in Waycross.....but the missionary work definitely is NOT!!! 

This week was really great! Honestly, one of the greatest weeks of my mission. We had so many miracles and I have never felt so good or been able to work so hard without physical issues. Its been amazing. I think this is just going to continue to be a wonder to me for a while, how a shift in mind set just really truly can change everything. I told you last week a bit about my thought process changing (maybe?) I have been continually examining my thoughts this week and have come to realize that about 90% of the time my thoughts are negative (or at least have a negative tone to them), and I decided that was no way for a Disciple of Jesus Christ to be thinking. I went to my Heavenly Father in prayer and asked for his help to change my thoughts that I might be able to be a better Disciple of Jesus Christ, and help me he did. As I have been able to think more positively and continually fill my mind with thoughts of Christ, the scriptures, hymns, happy memories, happy future memories (having a vision of future Goals being accomplished), and focusing on those things that are the most important in life my whole life has changed. The way I wake up and get out of the bed in the morning, the way that I exercise, the way that I go about each day with purpose in my step, the way I talk to people, EVERYTHING has changed and continues to change daily! I have not had a single headache this week (ok...I had one, but it was because we had FIVE lessons in one day and because of complications with scheduling.....you know how plans change.... we ended up having to go without dinner and so the headache came on because of not eating....but my usual "tension" headaches that I seem to have on a consistent basis have not happened this week). My back has not been bothering me hardly at all, I have more energy and more of a desire to work each day. I feel like their is more purpose in my work and as we have been diligent we have seen miracles! This week we picked up 10 new investigators (1 we gave to the elders and another has already dropped us), but the others are really great and having us back to teach again! Its so wonderful! God truly is blessing us so much! 

Let me tell you about some miracles from this week! First off, our investigator Alisa came to church again!! YAY! She is the sweetest thing, she came to church two weeks ago and then came to the General Women's meeting with us last night. She had a mini miracle happen in her own life because of coming to our womens meeting. This may seem like a very small miracle to you, but to her this was the world and she started sobbing on our ride home. She was just so full of the spirit and the love of God in her heart, and I believe was really filled with HOPE....something she hasn't felt in a long time! She has a son who she has not talked to in years. He never comments or likes anything, even on facbook, but he is her friend on facebook. She posted a picture of us at dinner before the Women's broadcast and her son LIKED it :-) She was so overcome with emotion. It was such a tender moment. :-) Its amazing those little things that bring us joy each day. I wish I was more receptive to those little things that the Lord gives me each day that would bring me that much joy and happiness. :-) I'm working on opening up my heart to that. Anyways....Alisa came to church and it was wonderful. After church is when a HUGE miracle happened! Sister Boucher and I had gone out to our car to get our study stuff so that we could do our studies. We saw a member who had come back and was sitting in her van, so we decided to go over and talk to her for a min. After a few minutes this car pulls up, and I here Sister Boucher say "is that our neighbor?" Guess what? IT WAS. Our neighbor decided to just come to church yesterday. She did not make it to our church services that start at 9, but we were able to get the last half of Sacrament meeting and the rest of the meetings in the Waycross 2nd ward with her. It was incredible! We asked her after church what had prompted her to come to church and she said "you ladies." How sweet! We had hardly even talked to her about the Gospel. We had tried to open up that conversation up once and it was received alright and she took a Book of Mormon, but did not seem all that interested. Apparently we made an impact on her and also another member. She was in contact with one of the Brothers from our ward and one day (a while back) he gave her a sticky note with the directions to the church. She said that yesterday she woke up and was thinking about us and then saw the sticky note and said to herself "I'm going to church." AND SHE CAME!! How amazing is that! There's more.....after church we were able to sit down with her and have a lesson with her and at the end Sister Boucher so boldly invited her to be baptized on November 1st and she said YES!!! How amazing! She made a comment at the end of us talking, just before we had to leave, that was music to our ears. She said that she had been to many churches and she just never felt comfortable, but she was so surprised that she felt comfortable hear...that is one of the reasons she was definitely coming back! How amazing is that! We confirmed to her, that not only did she feel comfortable because the people here in Waycross are incredible and have such big hearts, but that she felt comfortable because this is CHRISTS CHURCH and His spirit is here....that she knows him and he knows her and that is a the familiar and comfortable spirit that she feels! Isn't that amazing! :-) 

Having Elder Golden (a member of the Seventy) come here this week was WONDROUS!! I absolutely loved it. I learned so much! I loved how he talked about how "We are not training you up to be good missionaries but to be true disciples of Jesus Christ who desire to share the gospel throughout your lives." This is so true. Yes, we are hear to bring souls unto Christ as missionaries, but this is a way for us to learn how to continue to share the gospel and be true disciples of Christ throughout the rest of our lives. I have thought about that statement a lot and have thought about that in terms of my investigators and then the members here in the area. How amazing that would be to focus on investigators (and even our own family members)
​with the intent to not only "save them" but to help them become TRUE DISCIPLES of JESUS CHRIST throughout their lives...by helping them make and keep commitment, and eventually make and keep covenants. What an interesting perspective shift. We are hear to help others become disciples of Jesus Christ as we are trying to become. Baptism is only the beginning, we have to see a bigger picture and look beyond what their current situation and character is! :-) 

I loved that he talked about following your first impression. If you are living righteously you should trust your FIRST thought and distrust the second thought. If you are not living righteously you should trust the SECOND thought and distrust the first. Isn't that an interesting concept. Our first thought is from the Lord, when we live righteously. We should not question it, we should go and do. I have been trying to apply that to my work this week and it has worked miracles! Absolute Miracles to just pray, listen and then DO....no questions asked! 

Everything that Elder Golden had to share was just wonderful and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of that wonderful conference! I wish I had time to share more, but I must be off for today! 

Have a wonderful week!

 

Love

Sister Heckel :-)