I have been learning a lot about prayer and its power more fully this week as I have been struggling with some personal things and have received such incredible personal revelation as I have been on my knees pleading with my Heavenly Father. Its been such an "awakening" type of experience. Its been so incredible to see the hand of the Lord so directly in my life! I know that he is there and he wants me to excel in all that I do. He wants that for all of us and I have seen that as I have also been praying fervently for investigators and members...I have seen so many blessings come. Its wonderful!
Let me tell you a bit about our week. This week seemed to be mostly focused on our less active and recent converts. It was a wonderful week. We were able to meet with some amazing members who have just been struggling with coming to church. We met with this wonderful woman named Kecia. We had lunch with her and we laughed so hard. She was baptized back in May and just hasn't been to a whole lot of church since. It was so amazing to be able to see her walls come down as we talked with her. We were able to answer some of her questions that she couldn't seem to figure out when it comes to the Plan of Salvation, because she didn't want to be connected to her actual dad when she was not raised by him. We were able to let her know that we didn't have all the answers, but God would never make us be with someone that we didn't want to be with, but the sealing ordinance was what really was important, being sealed by that priesthood so that you can live with God.
I love the Plan of Salvation....we were able to teach that a few times this week and it was wonderful. One of the greatest and most unified lessons Sister Boucher and I have taught together happened last night (Sunday night) . First off, we were invited to go to church with one of our investigators. We went to the evening service at this Baptist church and it was great. The people were very kind, the pastor spoke truth, but it was lacking that spirit. Sister Boucher and I talked about it afterwards how you could just tell that the Spirit wasn't fully there. We could feel it every now and then because he did speak truth as we were focused on Hebrews 11. But you knew that he didn't have that mantel and his words weren't as "piercing" as you would feel from a general authority or even a bishop. It was very interesting. After the service we had planned on having a lesson with Meagan. We were going to have it in a members home, but her Papa (grandpa) had brought her and so she went back to his house. She invited us over there though and we had an amazing lesson with her, her sister Niki and her Papa...Ronnie! They were so intent on what we were saying. Meagan was a little hesitant on some things, but Nikki (who we have never met before) was eating it up. You could just tell she was feeling the Spirit, her eyes were sparkling the whole time. It was kind of funny, because there were parts that weren't apparently very clear to Meagan and Nikki would turn to her and explain to her what it was all about, like the Spirit world and stuff. She completely understood it and it seemed to ring true to her. We were able to recap the Restoration lesson a bit to help Niki and Ronnie know about the importance of all these things and how they could come to know that all we had talked about was true. They said they would both read and pray about it. We were unable to set up a return appointment because of their crazy work and school schedules, but we will be back as soon as either one of them has a second to sit down ...they both go to school and work 1-2 jobs. Its nuts! :-)
We were also able to meet this less active woman that we have been hearing about from other members ever since we got here...but she went like MIA for over 2 months, and then just showed up out of nowhere. She is quite the character. She apparently had gone down to Jacksonville to have some surgery done and didn't really tell anyone, she also...from what she told us....was really mad with God for a little bit and was trying to get over that. She is an amazing woman and has been through a lot, but she is also one of the most upbeat people I have ever met. She just exudes happiness and excitement, even when she feels like she is a bit "down." For real. HAHA! She also thinks she is the funniest person you will ever meet and she tells you so :-) I love her confidence and her directness. Learned a lot from her that day, especially since it was a hard day for me. It was good to be around her and to feel of her spirit!
We had a wonderful dinner and a lesson with a recent convert in our ward Cherry. She and her husband, JH, (they have been married for 2 months) came over and had dinner with us and the Mathis family. It was so wonderful These people are just the best. When Sister Boucher and I had been planning their lesson we just felt impressed to stick with some basics of Prayer and Scripture study, welll the lesson ended up being all about Prayer and it was phenomenal. We were able to commit Cherry and JH to pray together as a couple and we just know that this is going to strengthen the both of them so much, because JH has been less active for years before he met Cherry and they decided to start going to church. They are both progressing right along in the gospel, I love seeing them every week at church! Having member that were able to fellowship them and love them has been so crucial to Cherry deciding to get baptized just two weeks ago and to JH coming back to church. Member missionary work matters!!! Are you doing your part??
Oh my goodness I have to tell you that since coming out on my mission I have really come to love the youth. They are so amazing. We had a little FHE at the Boatrights this past Monday night. First of all, let me tell you how amazing Brother and Sister Boatright are.....they are AMAZING! They are in their 70's and have 9 people (including themselves) living in their home. Their daughter, her husband, and their two children and then their other daughters 3 children live with them because she got herself into an interesting situation and cant take care of them right now. So they are raising the 3 grandchildren right now. The FHE was happening because Sister Boatright was concerned for one of her granddaughters, Chloee who is 19. Chloee was talking with Sister Boatright about how she didn't believe that the Book of Mormon was true and all this stuff, so Sister Boatright gave us a call and asked us to come present a FHE on the Book of Mormon. We, not wanting to put this in Chloee's face decided to teach the whole family the Restoration. It was perfect and Chloe was able to get some of her questions answered. We have met Chloee about three times before this and we have NEVER seen her smile, and that night as we talked and discussed we saw it and it was so beautiful. She is such a beautiful girl. I love her. I love all the kids in that house. During that entire lesson I was keeping the 6 year old Wyatt entertained with his match box cars. It was fun, somehow I was able to go between playing with him while my companion spoke to teaching when I needed to teach. It was very good and allowed everyone to really discuss and feel the spirit. I love all the kids in that house. :-) The youth have just grown on me. I love them and I want to be around them more and more.
We have just been working hard and I wish there was time to tell you about all the amazing lessons and opportunities that the Lord gave us this week to love and serve people here in the Waycross 1st ward. It was wonderful! I have learned so much from being here in the Waycross area. I love being a missionary and I am so grateful that I have had this wonderful opportunity to serve! I feel like I am becoming more and more like the person my Heavenly Father wants me to become each day. I know that I have a long ways to go, but its always a good feeling knowing that you are going in the right direction! I am so grateful for the ability we have to pray and the power that comes as we pour our whole heart and soul out to our Heavenly Father, not only for ourselves, but for those around us. I have seen so many answers to prayers come this week for myself and especially for our investigators and other members. Its been wonderful. I think I have become very relaxed and casual with my prayers and this week as i have focused more on my Savior and Heavenly Father and really communicating with them it has made a huge difference. I am so grateful for my Savior and the fact that he allows me to start over each day, each hour, and even each moment. I can strive to do better and be better each moment. I can partake of his infinite atonement and be filled with peace, joy, happiness and love NOW...not later. I can become a little more like him everyday. I am so grateful for the knowledge of the gospel that I have. I know that families can be together forever, there is not a doubt in my mind about this and once again...this I know because of my Savior. I know that He lives and He loves each and every single one of us....he certainly loves me....because he has brought me through so much with my own silent battles within my own heart. Its been incredible! I know that God lives. I say this all in the name of JEsus Christ, amen!
Love
Sister Heckel :-)
P.S I love the attached picture about Attitude. This has so much to do with how well things went this week. Attitude is huge! I have heard all the time growing up that Attitude is everything....well this week I found out that really prayer is EVERYTHING.....because prayer shapes your attitude. If you are in the attitude of constant prayer in your heart. Turning your heart and mind to God and thanking him and seeing the blessings in your life....it will shape and mold your attitude which will then bring about an abundance of blessings. So yes...attitude is everything....but having an attitude that can really shape and mold your life into something that is fulfilling and happy comes the best through PRAYER!!! Do a little searching in the scriptures and you will find this to be true! :-) I KNOW! I've done it!
I love it!
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