Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Weapons of Rebellion

March 21, 2016

Hey Family!!

On Monday night we were able to have a lesson with President and Sister Weidman. We took our investigator Oscar. He has had a pretty serious addiction and is working on overcoming that. He also has some depression and anxiety issues, from what I understand. We talked about obedience and the Word of Wisdom. Oscar really wants to change his life, and he has been participating in the ward's activities and things. He must have had a depression spell or anxiety or something, because on Saturday night we stopped by and he said he wasn't able to see anyone right then. We texted him afterwards and he replied saying he isn't going to be okay for a while. We were able to share a scripture with his parents and leave them a Spanish #Hallelujah card, so hopefully that brought some peace. 

By the way, I love the new Easter Initiative, #Hallelujah. It is really good- you should watch it! And the world's largest hallelujah chorus is neat too. They are on followHim.mormon.org.

The rest of our week went really well. It was pretty hot, and that was hard, but otherwise we were alright. We had some really great member meals this week, and one member gave away a Book of Mormon to her friend, and invited another friend to our Easter open house this coming Sunday. It should be good! 

Thursday we had a good weekly planning, and a productive companionship inventory. We had dinner with a couple of members, but there was traffic so they were late getting home and starting dinner. (Cool tender mercy: we got to their neighborhood right when they told us they would be late, so we got out to talk to people. We went down the street and met a lady and her little boy who had met with missionaries a few months ago, but stopped because of transfers and all that jazz. She has the gospel library app, but asked us if we could give her a hard copy of a Spanish Book of Mormon. So we took her info down and now have a great referral for the Spanish missionaries in that area. And we made it back right when the members did - it worked out great!). We helped with dinner, scarfed it down real quick, and headed out to a transition lesson with those members. We had an interesting lesson with a guy who is super excited about the prospect of girls in a singles ward (>.<) 

Moving speedily forward, President Weidman was with us at zone conference on Friday. I really enjoyed this zone conference! We talked about burying our "weapons of rebellion" and focusing on what we are already doing well. It was different than normal and I felt that I was able to internalize the things that I can work on and improve in a different way. I also felt that the atmosphere was overall one of building on the good foundation we have started and continuing to improve little by little, so it felt somewhat empowering as opposed to bringing to mind all the things I do wrong. That tends to happen, as you are aware, what with me being quite self critical and all. So I enjoyed that. 

In doing a study beforehand to prepare for zone conference, I really was impressed with the people in the scriptures we read, and how quickly they accepted the gospel. They didn't turn back or just bury their weapons within a shovel's length beneath the ground. One of the talks in church yesterday was about not looking back, but looking forward and seeking to improve- the story of Lot's wife. That was good to hear following our zone conference, because it got me thinking that those people buried their weapons of war and then DID NOT LOOK BACK. I also appreciated the comment that was made, by President, about how long it took to dig a hole that was big enough and deep enough to qualify as "deep within the earth". It doesn't happen over night, even if you stay up all night with a shovel or a backhoe or what have you. Even with all the tools given to us, it will still be a process. Furthermore, if it is a particularly "potent" (for lack of a better term) weapon, then it will take even longer to bury it sufficiently deep. But the promise is always there, that Jesus is here to be our helper in burying our weapons and moving forward. 

Throughout my mission I have been burying different weapons of rebellion and have seen the changes that have come from my efforts to do so. It is quite the process, but I appreciated your comments about the things you recognized about the changes I have made and the better person I am becoming. I am so glad that I have the opportunity to work especially hard on patience and diligence moving forward. Not just patience with my companion, an investigator or those sorts of things, but the kind of patience that it takes to wait for God's timing, blessings and guidance in my life. There are still plenty of things that I need to bury, and I am so thankful that Heavenly Father has given me this time to work on them.

Another cool thing about zone conference was the new app we got to download - the 7 minute work out app!!! It is so good!! We all got up on Saturday morning and did a work out, and Sister Olson walked in during the middle of it and started laughing at us. But we did it again this morning and it kicked my bootie! I've been trying to do better at exercising, so this will definitely help!

We had a mini-missionary this weekend! She was only with us for a day, because of a scholarship trip she was going on. But it was so fun! She is super sweet and we had a good time. 

Sister Soriano, Sister Green and Sister Hatch

So that's what's been up in my life this week. I am struggling to grasp that it is already towards the end of March!! Yikes time is moving quick!! But things are good and I am doing well. I appreciated your comments on how I looked in the pictures at Saray's baptism. It was so great, I can't even tell you. She's already got a calling too! ;) I love her a lot and she is amazing! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the last week of the spring break!! Love you! 

Sister Hatch :)

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