enjoy!
GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL(S)
Hello everybody!!
I am so sorry I didn't email last week! i'm struggling to manage my time well in emailing time but i promise i'll do better. (YEAH, MOM! Stop stealing all our missionaries time! we wanna hear from her too! ;) )
This week was a roller coaster of disappointments and surprises but Sister Christensen and I are trucking along. We had really solid referrals that we were certain were going to turn into investigators and some super solid street contacts that we were very excited to meet with again, but they all either cancelled meetings with us, told us they weren't interested, or didn't pick up their phone. We're struggling to figure out where we are going wrong and why things never seem to work out for us but I have faith and hope that incredible things are right around the corner. Miracles are coming and we're going to work hard for them.
So, i'm going to share a little about what i've learned in the past few weeks. If you know me at all, you know that i am not good at setting goals. I set them but i'm not usually good at achieving them. But mostly I just do things spontaneously and I hope that everything works out. Usually by "sheer, dumb luck" things do work out for me but, missionary work is not like that. All of you that are preparing for missions (and life?), be smarter than Sister Adams. Learn how to set goals and work to achieve them. We've been talking a lot about SMART goals and being accountable when we don't achieve them and I can honestly tell you that setting goals is changing my mission. There's this quote in Preach My Gospel that says something like, "If you don't learn how to set goals and work to achieve them, then someday you're going to look back on your life and see that you only reach a small portion of the person that you could have become." I can testify that that is true. If I had been REALLY striving to set goals and achieve them, I think that there might have been some differences in my life. So i invite you all to analyze your life, find an area that needs improvement, set some SMART goals, and get it done!!
On a more spiritual note, I was reading in Helaman 5 the other day (i love this chapter) and there's a part of the story that I found really interesting. Nephi and Lehi (brothers not prophet and son) are preaching to the people. They get thrown into prison and the wicked people are wanting to kill them. While they and the wicked people are inside the prison a terrible darkness and fear overwhelms the wicked people and they become very terrified and upset. In the midst of the confusion and darkness, we can read that the Spirit is talking to the people, Nephi and Lehi are encircled by fire and angels are ministering to them. Pretty incredible. The part of the story that catches my attention is in verses 40 and 41. Once the wicked people realize that Nephi and Lehi are not surrounded by darkness like they are, they start to wonder how they too can be released. They ask, "What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us?" The reply is simple: "You must repent, and cry unto the voice even until you shall have faith in Jesus Christ... when you shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you." As soon as they prayed and repented, the darkness dispersed and a pillar of light and fire encircled them.
We all have darkness and fear that seem to overwhelm us at times. The first step is realizing that there can be a difference. The next step is praying and repenting until you have the faith necessary. I know that faith in Jesus Christ will bring light to your lives, just as I know that it can change lives in Hong Kong.
I love you all so much. Share some light this week.
Sister Adams
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| Sister Mindy eating her favorite street food in Hong Kong, egg waffles. |
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