Hi!
Today has been a crazy week. We've taught a ton of lessons this week. We are getting better at teach on the spot while we talk to people at their doorsteps and on the streets. We are handing BofMs out like candy.
Cool miracle for this week. We were tracting and we saw someone cleaning out their car so we went to talk to them. It was a 20 year old girl and when we asked if we could share a message with her, she said sure and ran inside to get her mom. I was thinking, "Oh no. The mom will probably kick us out". But instead the mom, Vicky, warmly invited us in and she seemed very open about letting us teach her. We left her with a BofM and committed her to read it. We then planned to do a Book of Mormon followup in 3 Nephi 11 and stress baptism and correct authority (she's a catholic). When we came back we asked her if she had read, she said that she had read 52 pages from the BofM. That surprised us. She then told us that she felt so much a peace and could feel the power from the BofM. Her daughters read with us and when we asked about how they felt when we read, they said that it wasn't confusing, that the BofM answers itself. But then we wanted to hit our heads against the wall when she said that she was catholic and had been for 40 years. The Holy Ghost was so powerful when we were reading with her and she had felt it when she read on her own but couldn't connect the dots. But she was willing to work towards baptism, she just said that it would take along time. We thought that she was really solid for church because Vicky and tried to go and find it a few days ago but got lost. But an hour before church started they called and told us that they were all sick. We asked them if they could come to just an hour. We even stopped by on our way to church but it was a no go.
But the best thing that has happened to me on my whole mission, showed itself this week. We were teaching a lady, Christine, and would have the lesson at her friend's house, who was a less-active/recent convert (we hadn't been able to meet with her before because she would always avoid us or make excuses). As we progressed through the lessons with Christine we started to notice a change in the recent convert. She started praying, reading from the BofM, stopped drinking coffee and started to ask alot of questions, soul searching questions. The investigator would never come to church but the recent convert started to come back. When we met with just her the other day, she told us of the difference that we had made in her life. She even started to cry when she talked about how we would eventually have to leave this place and she would miss us. She even disconnected her phone because she didn't want to talk to her old friends because they were a bad influence. Her parents, also recent converts, told us of how she is always talking about us and thanked us for helping get back to church. The mom started to cry too. I felt so happy to know that I had actually touched someone and helped someone. Probably a lifechanging thing for her.
Remember who you are!
Love Sister Sumsion
Tuesday, April 20
Monday, April 12
"Don't stop Believing; hold onto that feeling." ~Journey
Hi!
This week and transfer has been one of the hardest ones on my mission. Satan has kicked up a notch and his throwing everything at us. We keep having alot of 1st lessons but no one progresses past that. We've probably talked to every single rude person here at least once maybe three times. This transfer has been full of rude, nasty people, one right after another. We keep telling ourselves (and we know this is true) that there is something amazing around the corner. Just remember the trial of your faith before the blessing.
We had a way cool miracle of the Spirit trying to tell someone that the gospel is true. We tracted into a couple who told us to come back and that they were opened minded to everyone's beliefs. We came back and taught them a 1st and the spirit was in strong abundance in the room and working through us. We were able to teach with power and clarity. When it came to time for the 1st vision I was ready for the spirit to hit the ball out of the park, which it did. As Sister Hamilton was sharing the vision, the husband all of a sudden quoted a line (...above the brightness of the sun...) from the 1st vision before she ever said it. It shocked us and it surprised him. When we asked him about it he said that he had heard it before and brushed it off like it was nothing but from the questions he had been asking the whole lesson he didn't sound like he had heard it before. It was cool to see how powerfully the Spirit was trying to tell him it was true and that it was the truth he had been looking for but he chose to ignore it. They later called us an hour before our second appointment to say they were no longer interested. They told us that they had read and prayed about the BofM (in one day span) and they didn't get an answer, so they said it wasn't for them.
There was a great idea from a letter I got from a friend who is serving in Australia. He said that we are like metal that God is trying to mold. He sticks us into the fire to heat us up and then right before we get to the melting point he pulls us out, puts us on the anvil and pounds us then sticks us the ice water to cool us off. So if we are still humble enough to be teachable and we trust his will, he sticks us back into the fire. So when we say, help me to become a better person or better missionary, we are just saying to God, "Bring it on, I'm ready." So back into the fire.
But during that "fire", God will still aid us and let us know that he is watching out for us. Let me share a tender mercy I had this week. After this long week of rude, nasty people, then came Sunday to finish it off. Sunday seems to be the hardest day for a missionary probably because of church. It started out with us missing the passing of the sacrament because we were trying to get an investigator to church. She didn't come and it bummed us out and it was extremely hard on us because it seemed like a cherry on top of this nice week. But we still needed to work. We didn't feel like talking to anyone, we didn't feel like working, but we knew we needed to. So I kept saying a constant prayer for help and encouragement. I felt prompted to open the new Gospel principles book and I opened it to one of my favorite quotes. It's by Heber J. Grant and it says, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased." In high school, I kept this quote on my nightstand and read it all the time. So it was a reasurrance that God is there and that I just need to keep trying. But still bummed out, we went to walking the streets and tracting. As we were tracting, a song came blaring out of someone's car. It's by Journey and it goes "Don't stop believing; just hold on to that feeling..." My attitude changed. That song was directed towards me and God was telling me "Don't give up, continue to have faith and hold onto that 'feeling' from the spirit." I love my Heavenly Father!
During those struggles and trials (or continous trial), I just need to keep my eternal perspective that this is all for my good. We all do.
Love Sister Sumsion
This week and transfer has been one of the hardest ones on my mission. Satan has kicked up a notch and his throwing everything at us. We keep having alot of 1st lessons but no one progresses past that. We've probably talked to every single rude person here at least once maybe three times. This transfer has been full of rude, nasty people, one right after another. We keep telling ourselves (and we know this is true) that there is something amazing around the corner. Just remember the trial of your faith before the blessing.
We had a way cool miracle of the Spirit trying to tell someone that the gospel is true. We tracted into a couple who told us to come back and that they were opened minded to everyone's beliefs. We came back and taught them a 1st and the spirit was in strong abundance in the room and working through us. We were able to teach with power and clarity. When it came to time for the 1st vision I was ready for the spirit to hit the ball out of the park, which it did. As Sister Hamilton was sharing the vision, the husband all of a sudden quoted a line (...above the brightness of the sun...) from the 1st vision before she ever said it. It shocked us and it surprised him. When we asked him about it he said that he had heard it before and brushed it off like it was nothing but from the questions he had been asking the whole lesson he didn't sound like he had heard it before. It was cool to see how powerfully the Spirit was trying to tell him it was true and that it was the truth he had been looking for but he chose to ignore it. They later called us an hour before our second appointment to say they were no longer interested. They told us that they had read and prayed about the BofM (in one day span) and they didn't get an answer, so they said it wasn't for them.
There was a great idea from a letter I got from a friend who is serving in Australia. He said that we are like metal that God is trying to mold. He sticks us into the fire to heat us up and then right before we get to the melting point he pulls us out, puts us on the anvil and pounds us then sticks us the ice water to cool us off. So if we are still humble enough to be teachable and we trust his will, he sticks us back into the fire. So when we say, help me to become a better person or better missionary, we are just saying to God, "Bring it on, I'm ready." So back into the fire.
But during that "fire", God will still aid us and let us know that he is watching out for us. Let me share a tender mercy I had this week. After this long week of rude, nasty people, then came Sunday to finish it off. Sunday seems to be the hardest day for a missionary probably because of church. It started out with us missing the passing of the sacrament because we were trying to get an investigator to church. She didn't come and it bummed us out and it was extremely hard on us because it seemed like a cherry on top of this nice week. But we still needed to work. We didn't feel like talking to anyone, we didn't feel like working, but we knew we needed to. So I kept saying a constant prayer for help and encouragement. I felt prompted to open the new Gospel principles book and I opened it to one of my favorite quotes. It's by Heber J. Grant and it says, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased." In high school, I kept this quote on my nightstand and read it all the time. So it was a reasurrance that God is there and that I just need to keep trying. But still bummed out, we went to walking the streets and tracting. As we were tracting, a song came blaring out of someone's car. It's by Journey and it goes "Don't stop believing; just hold on to that feeling..." My attitude changed. That song was directed towards me and God was telling me "Don't give up, continue to have faith and hold onto that 'feeling' from the spirit." I love my Heavenly Father!
During those struggles and trials (or continous trial), I just need to keep my eternal perspective that this is all for my good. We all do.
Love Sister Sumsion
Monday, April 5
"Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice."
Hi!
So the highlight for this week was conference. I never fulling appreciated it until my mission. Now I listen and write notes and just love every second of it. It seems that the theme of conference was the family and death which involves the eternal families. Interesting. I wonder what is in store for this world in the future. My favorite was Pres. Monson when he talked about that picture and the boy who died in the hospital. It brought tears to my eyes. For Conference, I wrote down a lot of questions that I wanted to see answered through the talks. But what happened was something I wasn't expecting. The impression I got during those talks was that God wanted me to work harder at finding those questions. He wanted me to ask, seek and knock harder by praying, looking for the answers in the scriptures and relying upon personal revelation. So it was interesting to get a smack down from God but in a very loving way. But it was wonderful to see the love he has for me. Because then he had talks about overcoming adversity and how to push through it and just other talks about how much he loves me and the wonderful loving plan he created for us and then the inspiring talks about our Savior.
This week we were moved to a new district in Pueblo. Our new District leader is Elder Oakes and we had a great, intense meeting with him. Let me share the insight he gave us.
Alma 43:37, 39-45: Lamanites in their nakedness fought like dragons but were still defeated. Then Lamanites wise up and use armor but the Nephites still beat them because they were more prepared. Apply: We are going to battle (in life) naked (without the Spirit). We still fight hard and may have a few wins but we will still be defeated. We may wise up and do a little better by keeping some the commandments which gives us some of the blessings. But we need to keep ALL the commandments to gain all of the blessings so then we will have the spirit in its fulness and we WILL win against satan.
Alma 49:25-27: Moroni Kept the commandments, so they won
Alma 43:16-21: Moroni was appointed at 25 years old (so there was probably a lot of opposition from older men who thought they knew better than him) but Moroni was appointed by God. The Nephites had good leaders and they were willing to obey. Apply: We need to obey our leaders because they are called by God. Especially, the prophet and apostles. It was sad to see this weekend how many people didn't watch conference, especially on Saturday. It just isn't the same when it is not live.
Alma 43: 48-51: Rely upon the Lord! Turn to him! Ask for help! With the power of God on your side, it doesn't matter who or how many you are fighting against.
Alma 48:11-17: Become like Moroni, so that the gates of hell will shake.
So this applies to all, if we keep the commandments fully and exactly, then the powers of satan will not prevail against us and we will win!
Love Sister Sumsion
Remember this:
Preach My Gospel pg. 11 "You show your love for the Lord and his Atonement by bringing souls unto Him."
We've all been commanded to share the gopel so be a member-missionary. Through the members, are where the strongest converts come.
So the highlight for this week was conference. I never fulling appreciated it until my mission. Now I listen and write notes and just love every second of it. It seems that the theme of conference was the family and death which involves the eternal families. Interesting. I wonder what is in store for this world in the future. My favorite was Pres. Monson when he talked about that picture and the boy who died in the hospital. It brought tears to my eyes. For Conference, I wrote down a lot of questions that I wanted to see answered through the talks. But what happened was something I wasn't expecting. The impression I got during those talks was that God wanted me to work harder at finding those questions. He wanted me to ask, seek and knock harder by praying, looking for the answers in the scriptures and relying upon personal revelation. So it was interesting to get a smack down from God but in a very loving way. But it was wonderful to see the love he has for me. Because then he had talks about overcoming adversity and how to push through it and just other talks about how much he loves me and the wonderful loving plan he created for us and then the inspiring talks about our Savior.
This week we were moved to a new district in Pueblo. Our new District leader is Elder Oakes and we had a great, intense meeting with him. Let me share the insight he gave us.
Alma 43:37, 39-45: Lamanites in their nakedness fought like dragons but were still defeated. Then Lamanites wise up and use armor but the Nephites still beat them because they were more prepared. Apply: We are going to battle (in life) naked (without the Spirit). We still fight hard and may have a few wins but we will still be defeated. We may wise up and do a little better by keeping some the commandments which gives us some of the blessings. But we need to keep ALL the commandments to gain all of the blessings so then we will have the spirit in its fulness and we WILL win against satan.
Alma 49:25-27: Moroni Kept the commandments, so they won
Alma 43:16-21: Moroni was appointed at 25 years old (so there was probably a lot of opposition from older men who thought they knew better than him) but Moroni was appointed by God. The Nephites had good leaders and they were willing to obey. Apply: We need to obey our leaders because they are called by God. Especially, the prophet and apostles. It was sad to see this weekend how many people didn't watch conference, especially on Saturday. It just isn't the same when it is not live.
Alma 43: 48-51: Rely upon the Lord! Turn to him! Ask for help! With the power of God on your side, it doesn't matter who or how many you are fighting against.
Alma 48:11-17: Become like Moroni, so that the gates of hell will shake.
So this applies to all, if we keep the commandments fully and exactly, then the powers of satan will not prevail against us and we will win!
Love Sister Sumsion
Remember this:
Preach My Gospel pg. 11 "You show your love for the Lord and his Atonement by bringing souls unto Him."
We've all been commanded to share the gopel so be a member-missionary. Through the members, are where the strongest converts come.
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