You Never Know

(Sent Sept 22)

So I hear I'm the star of the Newtown Ward now back home b/c of my amazing Frozen lyrics. I actually parody-ized the rest of the song, but I'll type it out later. It's funny because the only reason I changed those lyrics was so that I could get worldly songs/movies out of my head. So I thought that the best way to do so was by making it (somewhat) related to our missionary purpose. #consecration

Some members that we had dinner with last week showed us this Mormon Message called "You Never Know". It's a quick 10-minute video about a mother who is being the charitable, hardworking person that all moms are, but has no idea what a great impact she's made on other people's lives. Watch it here. Everyone can use a message like this.

Even though this is a message about mothers and the influence they have, this can easily be applied to missionaries of all kinds (full-time and member missionaries) and the impact they have. We invite people throughout the world to accept the message of Jesus Christ. They say it takes an average of 7 encounters for someone to accept anything they are approached with. So even though we may not be teaching too many people right now, we are planting seeds as long as we go out and invite people to come unto Christ.

Way waaaaaaaaay back when G was on a football team, they took a trip to Spain. Apparently, when he was there, he met with the missionaries for a week and they'd taught him. Now, that was at least 40+ years ago, but those missionaries probably have no idea where G is now. They probably have no idea that he was baptized and that, even though he fell away, he's finding his way back! Those missionaries planted a seed and made an impact on G that he never forgot.

The work is difficult here in Parker. There are many things here that make it difficult BUT I will never say that there is no work here, because there is ALWAYS work to be done in every area we're called to serve in. Even when you're not a full-time missionary, there's always someone out there whose life we need to touch and influence. Hey, you never know!

#cheesyending

Love ya!

Sister Wen

P.S. New problems with a new computer. No idea how to upload pictures....

MISSIONS: A constant push for success

(Sent Sept 1)

Transfers! And I'm staying! Unfortunately, Sister Billings left this morning to go to Thornton. She just up and left me. But, for reasons only the Lord knows. And I met my new companion today, Sister L!

Sister Billings and I have been together for 3 transfers (4 1/2 months). Sometimes I think we got along too well and had too much fun. But I'll definitely miss her. Yet, at the same time, I'm looking forward to a new transfer!

So this is my 4th transfer here in Parker meaning I'll be coming up on 6 months here by the end of the transfer. Everyone says that when you're transferred to Parker, it's because you need to learn something about yourself. I have to admit, I'm a little rusty on the investigator lessons because it's rough trying to find people to teach in a 3x3 mile area. And it's so easy to get discouraged, but it's always when I immerse myself back into Preach My Gospel that I receive a renewed sense of my purpose as a missionary.

But, a successful missionary is "measured primarily by [their] commitment" (Preach My Gospel, ch. 1).

Instead, we've been implementing the stake presidency's "Parker Plan" where we teach all the active members in our wards about being a member-missionary. If it's one thing I've learned this past transfer, it's that I want to be a great member-missionary when I return home. It'll be the next best thing to serving a full-time mission!

And G. There was a reason why Sister Billings and I had to stay together another transfer. He wouldn't have been able to deal with the change of missionaries had one of us left. We are best friends with G now! He's come a long way!

Now it's time to move onto a new transfer with a new companion. And, before you know it, I'll be half-way through my mission by the end of this transfer! Time really does fly when you're serving the Lord :D

Love,
Sister Wen

P.S. Trouble with the pics again....Hopefully I'll get them to you next week!

G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G

(Sent August 18 | Initials are to protect the identity of Illia's investigators)

G, G, G, G, G, G, G, G
I know GW,
He is a Latter-day Saint,
He's knows most everything
Since we taught him

WOO!

Someday he will be back,
He'll have eternal life
Oh, how I love the missionary work!

M-I-S-S-I-O-N. Mission! Mission! Teach it again!

If any of you know what song I'm parody-izing, props to you for attending girls' camp. This past week, Sister Billings and I reminisced on girls' camp songs from back in the good ol' Young Women days. I created a parody of "Mormon Boy" to G's life just now. Just. Now. Look at how creative and conceited I am!

But, in all #seriousness, for those of you just jumping in on the story, please feel free to refer back to my last two posts. But G is amazing. He really has come a long way. Four months ago, he didn't have a testimony of God. Now, he has a testimony of God, of Christ, of prophets, of personal revelation, of the Holy Spirit...of everything in the gospel! He accepts everything we teach him.

Last week, we taught him once again the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and how Joseph Smith was called as a prophet to bring Christ's church back to Earth. We shared Joseph's experience in his own words:

I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me, I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of Them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, This is my Beloved Son - Hear Him!

G says that 3 years ago (when he was baptized), he would've thought this was a made-up story. But now, when we explained basically the whole timeline of how the world was prepared for the restoration of Christ's church, G knows it's true.

We are our own prophets.

(Sent August 11)

Met with J! And even though he hasn't been able to come to church, he's still progressing. He's still studying the scriptures and he's even meeting up with the Ms, his former LDS neighbors who introduced him to the gospel, down in Texas! And, just like I said last week, we talked about the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We explained how much more he would get out of studying the scriptures if he just had the gift of the Holy Ghost. And he says he wants it! He really has that desire to have His Spirit by his side! Just not right now. He's still adamant in finishing the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price before baptism. So at least we know the Newlin Meadows ward will always have at least one solid investigator! #thebrightsideofthings

On the other side (of Heaven #classic) of bringing someone closer to Christ is G, who I began talking about last week. When we met with him a couple Saturdays ago, we taught him about the gospel in every dispensation. We taught about how God sends his prophets, or men called by God to act in the name of Christ, to end periods of time where people rejected the gospel (aka. apostasies). Basically a little history lesson of how Adam, Noah, Moses, and Abraham, and all those guys were prophets of God.

Last Wednesday, he said, "You girls missed something big last time."

Uhm. What?

"I have a testimony now."

UHM. WHUT.

Reactivation = Baptism

(Sent August 4)

Something that we've been stressing a lot to the members here in the Parker stake is that bringing someone closer to Christ does not only mean baptisms. It also means bringing someone back to church and back to Christ.

So, today I will talk about G. He was baptized about 3 or 4 years ago and fell away from the church almost immediately after. The missionaries that taught him rushed him into baptism before he even gained a testimony just so they could get 1 baptism in their numbers. By the way, that is not the best way to bring someone unto Christ.

When Sister Billings and I both started meeting with him, he didn't have a testimony of God and His existence. Now, he's getting there. His favorite phrase is: "I'm an atheist and I thank God for it!" He looks around the world and can't help but think there is a higher power out there.

He claimed he never felt the Spirit. We shared scriptures but that didn't help. But we learned that he learns best through examples and analogies. (Makes sense, though, because I guess Jesus taught that way, too.) Both Sister Billings and I grew up in the church, so we had to figure it out ourselves. We both reached a point some time in high school where we had to decided whether this church and this whole gospel thing is true. And where's the best place to go with that in mind? Well, God, of course!

So we both shared our experiences of when we felt the Spirit in our lives and he says he's beginning to believe that God has been directing him throughout his life the whole time so that he could reach this point. He says he's beginning to recognize how the Spirit works.

And when I heard that, my heart leaped! It was the same feeling I had when both K and N accepted the invitation to baptism! I was just so happy for them!

Man, missionary work is fantabulous.

We weren't able to meet with J again this week because of his business traveling. We are planning on talking with him about the gift of the Holy Ghost and how much more he'll learn with that gift. We'll see!

Hope you all have a fantabulous week as well!
Love,
Sister Wen