Transfer meetings are always wonderful -- especially when you know where you are staying and who your companion is :) Hehe. But, it is a great time to see friends and a fantastic opportunity to "start fresh" every six weeks. It was especially fun this transfer to feel a stronger connection with many of the sisters, after having exchanged with so many of them. I love that as time passes in the mission, you just know become friends with more missionary and each reunion is so wonderful!
We didn't have any exchanges this week because we had a lot of planning to do and MLC again on Friday. It still seems surreal to me that I'm sitting at a monthly council with the mission president, aps, and zone leaders but I am so grateful and blessed for the opportunity of this calling! I have great examples in the other leaders and missionaries and feel privileged to follow their examples. Plus, it's a great group of people to work with!
As I mentioned, we've seen some miracles this week! Mostly, it was being in the right place at the right time and having NO DOUBT that God helped things fall into place in the order they did. We were able to teach Manny three times this week! He still seems to have a little bit of a wall up, but I know that eventually he will desire to be baptized. We're going to do everything we can as if this transfer was the right time, but even if it isn't, we know the Spirit is there when we teach and we are pointing that out to him in our visits.
Another huge miracle this week? We celebrated Manny's birthday on Saturday and had wanted to visit the home of a member after who we've been working with lately. She comes to church each week, but also lives on and off with her boyfriend. He had been taught by missionaries last year, but he has no interest in joining the church. We had been wanting to have a chat with her .. .a serious chat about keeping the law of chastity. Everytime we had attempted in the past few weeks, her boyfriend was there or her kids were all in the room. With 4 children, it is nearly impossible to be alone with her. BUT, on Saturday night, we drove to her house, not even sure if she would be home but guess what? She had planned to go to Boston with her bf but was ironically called to work instead and had just gotten hom when we got there. And, her kids weren't there either. We knew the moment was right! We had a little heart-to-heart chat and she said she had been feeling "for the past few weeks" that she needed to make the decision to keep the law of chastity. That she had felt, especially Friday night, that she needed to make that change. It was incredible, and again, a powerful witness to me, that the Spirit prepares people and then prompts us to tell them something they've already felt. We had a great talk & I asked her how she felt. She said, "So happy. And relieved." She seemed to have a weight lifted off of her shoulders. We know that she will struggle and that her bf will NOT be supportive of this, but we will be and hopefully she will be strong enough to follow through with this decision!
Other miracles this week? The Lord is hastening his work and we found out this week that Little Neck will soon become part of the newly formed Lynbrook Stake. Right now, we are in Plainview Stake and there is the Lynbrook District. But, come April 13, a new stake will be formed! Before my mission, I never understood the importance of a stake being created. But, not only does that mean the church is growing, but it means that there is another priesthood holder on Long Island with all of the priesthood keys. THIS IS HUGE! President Calderwood advocates for the priesthood leaders to work with the missionaries. If they turn their keys and work together, miracles really do happen. It is only when members and ward leaders work ALONGSIDE missionaries, instead of separately, that the hastening of the work will happen in this area. It is happening in other areas of our mission -- in Flushing, a nearby zone, they have had a baptism in the ward every Sunday since December and are on track to baptize 72 people this year. AMAZING. But last year, they struggled to have 2 baptisms. The difference? The bishop and ward leaders are working WITH the missionaries and members. I have gained such a strong testimony about this. It's really not just us with the nametags. I mean, L. Tom Perry referred to the hastening of the work as important as the first vision. And we are all a part of it!
Wow. I sound like a missionary, right? But really. It's important stuff. We also were able to talk to one of the awesome members here about her going to the temple. She is in her 30s and has been active for about 4 years. We have had her on our minds for awhile and finally had the opportunity to invite her! She is going to get her patriarchal blessing, and then prepare for the temple. I am super excited!
Those were some of the highlights of this past week. We also have the best ward mission leader ever. He even came to early morning indoor soccer (at 6 am on Saturday) to play with us. And, remember how I said this transfer was crazy? Here is a breakdown of our transfer in numbers: 9 exchanges, 6 leaders meetings, 4 zone conferences (President has asked that the STLs give a workshop for the zone conferences where we have sisters with whom we exchange), 2 stake conferences (with Plainview and then the creation of the new stake), 2 temple trips (one for each of us),1 General Conference and 1 Relief Society broadcast, 2 MLCs, and 2 new Chinese sisters arriving the 24th (which means another airport pickup/fireside at President's house). Phew. Take a deep breath and ... get to work!
And, a nugget from my personal study: "Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an ENDLESS HAPPINESS than that misery which never dies --- because of the praise of the world?" -- Mormon 8:38
Do you realize that? We can have endless happiness. Or we can choose misery. Sometimes, I find it easier to choose to be sad or discouraged, but endless happiness is an option for us. Make that choice!
Love you! Hope you enjoyed this ridiculously long email :)
Sister Peacock
{ny south|forever changed}
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