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| Kenz and her companion for a week, Sister Harker :) |
MOM's Note **this is a separate thought Mckenzie was having that I decided to include in the beginning of this letter...that's why it seems out of place***
I know its also important to remember that Heavenly Father doesn't expect us to fit into this "perfect member missionary" mold. In D&C60:13 it tells us otherwise. We have the talents we have for a reason and that is to bring our friends and neighbors closer to Christ. I think it can be applied to missionaries and wards by using it as the foundation to an effective ward mission plan that involves the members and missionaries. It's definitely time to work smarter AND harder, as missionaries we can't do it alone. We need the members to know their neighbors so they CAN warn them, we need the missionaries to truly love the members and do everything they can to earn their trust so that the members feel comfortable referring their neighbors to hear the gospel... etc. I could go on for days. But its so true that NOW is the time for members and missionaries to work together to hasten the work of salvation.
This week has been MIGHTY strange. I spent the majority of the week in the Aurora Zone in the Sable ward with Sister Harker as my companion. In Bible Park we live in an apartment and the apartment got bed bugs so they didn't want anyone carrying them to another area so they kept Sister Hardy and Sister Packer as companions for a few days. The whole week it just did not feel right, I couldn't unpack my things because I knew I would be leaving later in the week so there wasn't much point and it was kinda sad not being able to settle in. Sister Harker was awesome though! Sister Grenfell got to be my Sister Training Leader for the week so it was cool to see her at district meeting and stuff. Sister Harker and I worked hard for the couple days we were together. We picked up a few formers despite all of our set appointments cancelling, it was like they knew I wasn't supposed to be there ;) jk! Anyways, on Saturday I got to go to my assigned area, Bible Park, in the Denver Stake. I have only been in the area 2 days but I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Sister Packer is amazing and I love her to bits. We cover two different zones as sister training leaders and go to about 6 missionary meetings a week versus 1. We have wonderful missionaries in these two zones. A few of them either came out the same time as me or after, aside from Sister Harvey, so that is interesting. I never knew how much disobedience was a problem until I got here though. Some of our sisters, sisters i know very well, are having a lot of struggles, much bigger than waking up on time, going to bed on time etc. Its scary man! But it will be alright! On Saturday I was able to go to a new leadership meeting where the new leaders of the mission, which was at least one new zone leader in every zone, got to meet to talk about what it means to be a leader and what the Lord expects of us. What I got from the meeting in essence was
1. Just LOVE the missionaries, when they feel your love and sincerity for them and the work, they will want to improve.
2. As a leader, I do not plead the case of the missionary to the Lord, I represent the Lord and stand with him to help the missionary.
3. I am no different than any other missionary, my purpose is the same, I just go to more meetings and have more responsibilities that the Lord has asked me to do.
I am excited for this new challenge and have found that my prayers have become a lot more sincere and much longer as well. Leadership is definitely a call to repentance and I'm happy I've been asked to change. I will start going on exchanges with the sisters next week so that'll be an adventure too! Sister Packer and I had a few interesting experiences yesterday. We went to go visit a less active member and she was literally insane. She kept us for an hour and 15 minutes but every time we would tell her we had to leave she would get mad and tell us we couldn't leave because she never got visitors and that she was going to die soon and needed someone with her and that she was being punished because in the womb she was a boy and ate her twin brother and that her dad was like her spouse because she hadn't ever been married and when he died she died as well and has been dead ever since. Holy cow, it was just crazy and we couldn't feel the spirit and we were late to our dinner appointment. But then later that night we tried to go see a former investigator who wasn't home but we were able to teach his new roommate, Jeremy, on the doorstep. He accepted to be baptized and we are meeting with him again on Tuesday! MIRACLE! I am really loving it here. I'm sorry there's not more to share yet but next week will be a lot better! :) I will also have more pictures! The only one I have is the one of Sister Harker and I. But I hope all is well back home! I pray for you and everyone else in the family by name every day! XOXO
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