6/29/15
hey ya'll!!!
well...it was a hard week...but that doesn't mean it was bad. it was actually really really good, just hard. but all in all, i'm grateful. I'm learning a lot and (hopefully) growing. Henryetta has been good for me. I'm learning to rely on the Lord more than ever. Previously I've relied heavily on myself; my personality, abilities, & strengths. But now...I really know that it isn't about me, or what Sister Bailey can do. It's not Sister Bailey's mission or Sister Bailey's area or Sister Bailey's investigators, it's the Lord's mission, area, and investigators. I'm being humbled and slowing I think I'm changing into the person Heavenly Father wants me to be. That's the goal anyway (: I'm very grateful to have Sister Buttars with me through all the craziness, she keeps me laughing.
We had a week full of miracles!! Our zone set two new goals 1) to double our prays 2) to talk to 5 new people every day. Sometimes we get too busy running from appointment to appointment we forget to look around and talk to the people around us who could absolutely be prepared for the gospel, as a result we met so many awesome new people this week! And the zone we started this thing were we dare our companion to talk to random people, it's pretty entertaining and something good always comes from it!! As we doubled our prayers, things just worked out way more perfectly and smoothly. I can't tell you how many times we went into a lesson without a member and ended having a member present lesson! It seemed like every single less active had a friend over and introduced us to them. It was awesome!! The work is really starting to pick up here, we are keeping ourselves really busy, which is so nice!
We had zone training this week up in Muskogee, which was the greatest thing (: Our zone is sooooo tight. All the instructions from the Zone Leaders were sooo good, probably best meeting I've been to in a longggg time! It was just so spirit filled, everyone was participating, sharing experiences, and teaching each other. It also had a good balance of fun and being serious, sometimes making jokes and messing around can kill the spirit, but it was just perfect this time! The OTM is huge on asking inspired questions, and we talked about how when President made that a focus around this time last year it totally changed our mission. We talked about testifying about what your companion says, one Elder piped up and was like "it's basically combos for the knockout!! you teach your companion testifies then you testify and they agree to be baptized!" hahaha it was classic. then elder day got up to instruct on obedience and said "today we are instructing on disobedience..uh..i mean...obedience? man, i killed that one pretty fast..." ahaha but it was actually super good and he talked about how we obey today and understand tomorrow. I remember in Zone conference President talked about finding your own sacred ground, and Elder Day talked about when we are obedient all the ground we walk on becomes sacred. Cool right?
This Wednesday we will officially become the Arkansas Bentonville Mission, with our new mission President, President Loveland!! We are so excited! It's going to be interesting to see the difference and go through the whole change but I know that it will be wonderful(: someone this week said "change exposes what is in your heart" and I've learned how true that is. Because things in life are always changing, whether they are big or small, our attitude towards them makes all the difference. It can greatly help or hinder us, but most importantly it is up to us! After all, change is good because it helps us grow (: This time through the Book of Mormon I've been circling every time is references the HEART. It's clear to me now more than ever that the Lord knows what is in our hearts<3
The highlight of the week was Saturday!! We were so blessed to be able to attend the greatest baptism ever!!! It was for this man, Donald, who is in the Muskogee ward! Sister Buttars was trained there and taught him. He has the most amazing story...he is evidence that the Atonement is real. President Shumway did his baptism interview and spoke at the baptism and bore a powerful testimony of the cleaning and enabling power of the Atonement...the spirit there was unbelievable, we all balled like babies! It was a great thing to be apart of and it was sooo great to see the Shumways one last time before they head back to Utah. I <3 them so hard! Then the greatest tender mercy of all was running into my adopted parents from Tahlequah, the Warrens, while we were still in Muskogee and going to lunch!! It was so so fun to see them and catch them up on all my crazy mission stories. I'll attach a picture with them (: (:
Yesterday the Stake Presidency attended out ward which was AWESOME!! President Cluff just the greatest...the highlight was sacrament was when the piano player didn't show up and the bishopric was working on playing the recording from the electric organ (which quite frankly any hymn on there sounds like a death march) when President Cluff jumps up and starts playing the opening hymn on the piano. It was so funny, and turns out he is a great piano player! hahaha all the talks were great and they focused on ministering. At the end President Cluff got up and talked all about missionary work...it was perfect, exactly what we needed! I am soooo grateful for him (:
Lastly, big congratulations to my sister Rachael and her HUSBAND Michael!!! While ya'll be eating wedding cake I was eating baptism cake in Oklahoma!! I am so happy for ya'll and just know that I was thinking about ya'll all day! I was definitely there in spirit! I was so thrilled to hear it was all so lovely!! Plus everyone looked real good (;
I LOVE YOU ALL!!
here's the mormon message i quoted in my subject line (;
all my love,
Sister Bailey
the wedding!
the warrens!
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