I'm grateful for Zone Conference and MLC and the things I've been able to learn so I can be a more effective missionary. From Zone Conference, the biggest commitments that I have taken away is that I am going to be more bold in contacting, and that I am going to use the new and returning member progress sheet more. The part that really hit home for me about the new and returning member progress sheet was the idea that the progress sheet should be used as a teaching record for less actives and recent converts to help them progress. As we've thought about the progress record that way, we were able to talk to our less active K W about getting an interview with Bishop, since that is one of the first steps in coming back to church. As we addressed that with her during her lesson, I felt so much more fulfilled because I felt like I wasn't simply helping her feel the spirit and uplifting her with a nice message, but that I was truly helping her make steps in coming unto Christ.
Besides that, to increase my faith this week, me and Sister Fuglistaler have really worked on finding more boldly (we took some things away from MLC) and have worked on being much more prepared, and leaving earlier for appointments. This has helped IMMENSELY and it's really nice to be able to have time to actually focus on contacting, and not have to worry about running to and from places. It has provided some really good opportunities to talk to people, and I feel like Heavenly Father is a lot more proud of me because I'm taking the time to talk to people around me all the time. Also, I really like the new key indicator because I really feel like it is helping me reflect on my contacting and see where I can improve! Like, I can be better at inviting quicker, and trying to get people to meet with us instead of just sharing the gospel and giving them a pamphlet or card. I don't feel like I struggle to talk to everyone, even about the gospel, sometimes I'm just not as effective at talking to everyone as I could be.
Another thing about faith this week that I liked was the idea of faith, too, being one of trust and when things got discouraging, I simply remembered that "This is God's work, and if I keep going with faith, things will be fine." That simple mindset made all the difference for me, and it brought an added measure of peace into my week.
The miracle of the week was C! I'm so grateful for the spirit, and how it guides the work. I prayed before weekly planning in my heart that it would be a positive experience and that we would be able to truly get the revelation we needed to be able to help our investigators. As we were pondering on C and her church attendance, instead of thinking that she just needs to strengthen her testimony and then she will desire to come to church, I decided that we needed to pause and think. Instantly, the thought came into my mind that we should utilize the primary program to be able to get her and her boys to church. So, we told her about the program, and she came on Sunday for the first time in a long time! And, she was glowing. I've never seen her happier. When we talked to her about seeing her on Friday, she looked at us and said, "Yes! And next Sunday!" I'm so grateful for the spirit, and the spirit of revelation that helped us understand that utilizing something the ward was doing, was exactly what our investigator needed to desire to come and partake of the gospel at church.
Besides that, we got a new investigator! We contacted a really awesome referral this week at a baptism (we contacted a lot of referrals this week) that we were going to try and make a new investigator and we prayed pretty hard for it. However, we got to church on Sunday, and found out that things just weren't going to work out. I sat in sacrament meeting and felt pretty debilitated because I felt that we had put such a hard focus on finding and seeking referrals, and we hadn't seen any results. In that moment, I looked back, and saw a man who I had seen at church before. We had talked, but he hadn't really expressed an interest in learning. However, I felt that he could become a new investigator. I told Sister Fuglistaler, and we went over and talked to him after sacrament. After listening to his life's story, we found out he has been at church for the past 5 weeks, and has been meeting with the Bishop to learn about the Atonement. He said he's been reading the Book of Mormon, and he feels the gospel working in his life. We asked if we could share some messages with him to help him as he searches for truth, and he was totally open. Such a change from the last time we talked to him. We were able to share about the plan of salvation, and he is willing to meet us consistently. I'm so excited to work with T and help him see how the Gospel really can bless his life. I'm grateful also that Heavenly Father answers prayers, as I remember Sister Fuglistaler praying for us to be able to find "another way to find investigators" if the referral fell through.
We worked with members by contacting numerous referrals from Halloween and having our Ward Mission Leader help us by scheduling appointments with members for us. It made a HUGE difference, and relieved a lot of stress from us. Yay for Ward Mission leaders.
Some random thoughts...
The work is slowly progressing, and I know because I can feel the spirit that I am a successful missionary. P Q has a baptismal interview this week, and although things got really hard at certain points this week, we were able to muster up the faith enough to keep going. I'm grateful for Heavenly Father and His role in our lives.
Love,
Sister Crabb
These are some pictures one of the senior missionaries posted on Facebook from Zone Conference.
No comments:
Post a Comment