Hi all!
Well, this last week was pretty busy--lots of running back & forth
between Reno & Sparks to pick up & drop off people, & to go to a
leadership training. Sis Verkist & I had Sis Firmage with us for a couple
days; we went to transfers & they got their new trainees; and then Sis
Briggs was with me for less than a day as we waited to pick up our new Temple
Square companions, Sisters Behrndt & Davis. Sister Davis is a great
missionary from Oceanside, San Diego County :) We've had a pretty good week so
far & we're looking forward to really getting the work going here.
With the transfer last week, Elder Hall (my 1st District Leader) &
Elder Altamirano (my 3rd District Leader) finished their missions, along with
Sister Porter, whom I met a while back. I wish them the best on their new
adventures back home!
This week, I would like to share with you some of what I learned from the
leadership training. We talked about desire & how it affects our attitudes
& the way we do our missionary work. When we're out & about, sometimes
we get discouraged or tired, and we let it get the better of us. We may think
"I'm not good at talking to people" or "No one is going to want to listen to us"
or "Nothing has been happening, we might as well call it a day" or even "I'm not
cut out for this work--I should just go home." Dallin H. Oaks, an Apostle,
shared this in his talk in April 2011 General Conference: "Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our
becoming." http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/desire?lang=eng
(I definitely recommend reading the entire talk).
In order to change our attitudes & the things we do, our desires will have to override whatever is holding us back, be it discouragement, insecurities, tiredness, and so on. So how do we get our desires to become more centered around spiritual things than earthly/human things? How do we as disciples of Christ gain a stronger desire to share with others the good news that through Jesus Christ, we can overcome anything; find true happiness in this life?
Alma 32:27 says: "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."
(I definitely recommend reading the entire talk).
In order to change our attitudes & the things we do, our desires will have to override whatever is holding us back, be it discouragement, insecurities, tiredness, and so on. So how do we get our desires to become more centered around spiritual things than earthly/human things? How do we as disciples of Christ gain a stronger desire to share with others the good news that through Jesus Christ, we can overcome anything; find true happiness in this life?
Alma 32:27 says: "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."
With that, what are we waiting for?! Take the challenge; try your faith by studying the scriptures & words of the prophets! Then take the things you learn & apply them into your life, and pray for the ability to change, and I promise you that you will see awesome things happen inside you and, consequently, around you.
Hope you are all having a wonderful week! Love ya'll!
Be strong & faithful because Jesus was :)
~Sister San Diego
p.s.--I was checking out mormon.org & saw Lindsey Stirling's video! I knew of her
in high school & she's so awesome :) http://mormon.org/lindsey/
p.p.s.--many thanks to Elder Moyle for the lesson on desire & change
p.p.s.--many thanks to Elder Moyle for the lesson on desire & change
the 2-day trio--Sis Firmage, me, Sis Verkist
one-day companionship: me & Sis Briggs
My new companion - Sister Davis