It's so weird to think that I was in the MTC at this time, a year ago! I remember getting several pumpkin pies and cupcakes in the mail and sharing them among the Sisters in our zone. But my most favorite memory of Halloween last year was getting a box full of all of Jordan's Halloween candy! It wasn't the candy so much that made it special rather than the thought and love that was put into it--Jordan sending his precious candy that I'm sure he'd been carefully collecting. :) Thanks Jordan, I'll always remember that.
I also really appreciated your Halloween card with the little extra funds to "treat" ourselves. Two preparation days ago Sister Gibson and I enjoyed a very needed and very appreciated massage. :D The best part is that it only used 1/2 of the money, so we can go back once more! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Oh yeah, and Sister Gibson and I went shopping at a special store this week and guess what we found?? CANNED PUMPKIN!! So, please can you send me the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe? We bought some and we're wanting to make some for the missionaries here as a fall treat :D
We got to celebrate Halloween here by dressing up as missionaries and attending a Zone Conference with Elder Gong of the Seventy and his wife, who are here on a tour of the mission. (Hence why I'm writing a day late... sorry they didn't tell us till late last week that preparation day would be changed to Tuesday!) It was a wonderful day of training with the theme of being "quick to observe" (Mormon1:2). (By the way, he interpreted "sober" in that verse to mean focused on things that matter--of spiritual importance. I though that was very insightful as I had never understood exactly what it meant by that. He said that we need to useevery sense we have to find out what people's concerns are, not only our ears. He also emphasized that only with spiritual senses can you grasp the entire picture. I'm trying harder and harder to use other senses to grasp the full measure of the needs of our investigators, other missionaries, and all we teach or talk to. I know Heavenly Father has been helping me to develop that gift. I'm sure it will be a precious gift as a parent!
The weather has been really pleasant lately, and I don't want it to get cold! Luckily, we've still got a little more than a month left of this really good weather. However, the thing I've noticed is that the church really is the same everywhere... including the freeeezing air conditioning! Hahaha... mom, I think of you every time I get cold in Sacrament Meeting :P Maybe I'll finally have to wear my long-sleeve blazers again.
The work here is going really well. Of course, not without the bumps along the way, but we've been blessed with 4 wonderful progressing investigators. Interestingly enough, they are all member referrals--just goes to show how important the members are! We've been working hard to try and help the members here more fully participate in missionary work. This last Sunday we had a 5th Sunday meeting in one of our wards in which the Bishop outlined the ward plan, the Elders taught about members helping us in our lessons, we Sisters taught about inviting friends and family to investigate the church, the RS shared about how to help less actives, the Elders Quorum President shared about members and missionaries working together, and the sister who gave us one of our progressing investigators shared her testimony on doing missionary work. It was a wonderful meeting, full of the Spirit. The theme was Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-4, the Spirit of Revelation. Often the Lord works through the thoughts in our minds and the feelings in our hearts to tell us who He needs us to help. Those are impressions of the Spirit that when acted upon draw people closer to Christ and help them receive the Restored Gospel. I'm sure you have, as I have several times throughout my life, had someone in mind that you've wanted to share the gospel with, or someone that you feel like you should reach out to. "This (the Spirit of Revelation) is thy gift... apply unto it." We invited everyone to write down any names they thought of (especially during the meeting) and to go home and pray about them, then to extend an invitation to them throughout this next week. We've been preparing carefully for this meeting and have high hopes that it will bring a lot of success in this area. We feel so blessed to have a ward that is so willing to work with us in this kind of a way!
I just love being a missionary. Even though it's hard, I feel secure in that the Lord is blessing and guiding my life and is blessing you all back home. As I've been a little more worried I've prayed more fervently, but one night I got a clear impression that this was the best place I could be, because if I just focused harder on the work, the Lord would take care of everything else back home. I know Dad also gave me that counsel before I left, and I'm so grateful that my whole life I've been taught to trust in those promises. I know that I have no need to fear when I'm in the Lord's service. I love each of you dearly :) Keep "enjoying" to the end!!
All my love,
Sister Morey :)
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