This week has been filled with miracles and crazy stuff! Just read and see!
Sister Smith has a cold, and my back and joints are hurting. Have a PT member in our ward helping me out. Apparently I have weak wrists and ankles, which makes all the pain I'd be in from cross country make sense. No, the pain was not actually normal like I'd thought.
I've been exercising in the morning, not just stretching like I usually do. I am feeling the difference in my energy level and awakeness. I'm so glad my Sister Training Leader, Hermana Brighten, was able to help me this past week to finally understand the pre-studies morning schedule in a new way. We exercise 30 mins every morning because it is revelation from God, not just a suggestion. I'm grateful I have learned this lesson before it was too late on my mission.
We haven't gotten anyone on date for baptism, even though we have invited people to it. We are working so hard to fulfill the Lord's vision that each companionship has a baptism monthly, with little success. I'm starting to get worried about the children of God we haven't found yet who are aching for the truth and perishing by the way side... every missionary's nightmare. We want to know what we need to change! We are already striving an increasing our diligence and effectiveness of personal and companionship studies, and role playing, and improving our prayers, and relying wholly upon God because we have the desire but we're weak with out Him. We read 2 Corinthians chapter 4 today though, and that has helped us put all of this more into perspective and to keep being diligent and effective. We both can feel there are people out here that we need to find, people that are ready to be baptized. It's driving us crazy and really making us work on our patience too. Where are they?!???!!???? So, yea, that's my struggle this week and really since actually 2 weeks ago. Hope you've enjoyed following my train of thought. I know it will all work out though. We need to be patient and trust God. This is His work and we've got to do it in His way, by His timetable.
It is going very well in Selah! The Stake President was inspired to come to our Ward yesterday and he talked about how all this snow and the prosperity of the work in our ward was because of their faith in fasting and praying. He testified that faith is a principle of power and action. He said that we need to be prepared for the miracles that will be coming. It was so cool! We talked about it with the members we had dinner with yesterday evening and we all felt like he had been talking to us personally. Amazing how the Holy Ghost works! It was a spiritual uplifting and an encouraging thing to hear, that's for sure, and definitely inspiring! Our Ward is so amazing! I am so grateful and humbled that the Lord is trusting me to work in this area. I continue to exercise patience and charity. I'm really striving to get myself out of the way so the Spirit can work. It's not happening over night of course, but I have felt more things slowly clicking into place in my heart and mind as my understanding grows and I'm consistently applying myself. It's such a cool feeling! The enabling power of the Atonement is real and it works! I still have lots of work to do, but there is improvement!
I learned so much on exchanges with the STL's this week. I went to their Spanish area in Yakima, which actually covered my old area in Yakima! I knew all the streets there and we even ended up having lessons the first half of the day with people I knew, and ran into two investigators that I taught while there that I hadn't gotten a chance to say goodbye to. I got to say good bye to them, and checked up on whether the missionaries were still coming, which they weren't. So, I have sent the missionaries back to them. I was so happy to get to see that I did in fact make a difference in that area. It was such a sweet experience. The Lord and His tender mercies... I'm so grateful.
Sister Smith is an awesome companion and example to me of diligence and humility and love, exactly the things I'm striving to improve in myself. We have really done well this past week at teaching together. I can be talking, then I can just stop when I've said what's needed, and turn to her and she picks it right on up. We're getting better all the time.
Sister Karony-ism: Last night I read my "Unicorns Are Jerks" coloring/story book to Sister Heffernan whilst in my Darth Vader onsey pj's, while my companion was showering and hers was writing in her journal; all while we were drinking our hot coco......... Hahahahahahaha
!!!!!!!!! (Thanks Tina for the coloring book. It was such an awesome 20th birthday present! You rock!)
!!!!!!!!! (Thanks Tina for the coloring book. It was such an awesome 20th birthday present! You rock!)
My Ponderizer for this week: Alma 13:28 What I need to specifically pray for, and let the Holy Ghost lead me to become.
Thank you to everyone in the family who sent me cards and packages. And friends too! I actually even got Christmas presents from the moms of a couple of my companions, so thank you to them as well! I sent a bunch of holiday cards this past week (if I had your address) as a way of saying thank you. I love you all and appreciate all the support you've given me on my mission, whether I've heard from you or not. I can feel that I've been in your prayers and I know that your faith has kept me safe and helped lead my companions and I to those who are ready for the gospel. That means so much to me! I feel like "Thank you" just doesn't cut it, but it will have to do for now.
I can't even begin to describe what my mission has done for me. But what I hope is that I've done more for others in my time out here, than I have for myself. It's not about me, it never has been. I love the people of Washington and Oregon. Serving a mission, and then choosing to come back out again to complete it, has been the best decision I have ever made.
Love,
Sister Karony
