We found two new investigators! They were both really good lessons too. Other than that, our week has been kind of empty. A lot of finding, tracting, contacting etc. It would be easy to get discouraged here in Liberty Lake because of the people’s general reaction of missionaries on their doorstep, but that’s ok, the gospel is still true.
We have some investigators who keep telling us that they don’t want to be baptized. Which is fine. We aren’t here to force people to do anything, but then as we leave they ask us when we’re going to see them again. We’ve explained what we do over and over again. We teach and invite people to receive a confirmation for themselves. If they don’t want to know, that’s as far as we go. And they STILL want to meet with us. They don’t want to change, but they don’t want us to stop coming over. They love how they feel when they are with the missionaries. They love it. And they don’t want it to go way. Which makes it hard, because we love them, but we have got to move on. We have got to go talk to people who really want to know.
Sister Salisbury is SO fun! She is such a light! The Wards miss Sister Bruner but are loving Sister Salisbury. She is ready to work. She is a little shy and very quiet but it’s so good! She’s not that quiet with me. She talks A LOT to me, which is so fun. It’s been awesome to get to know her. Again, because of our differences, it doubles the amount of people we can teach.
We had zone conference this week and it was awesome. As we went over the verse in D&C 18 that says, “And if it so be that you should labor all thy days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save one soul unto me, how great will be your joy with him in the kingdom of my father!” My mind was drawn to a line that has never stuck out to me before. I have always been fixated on the promise, “How great will be your joy” and never really the predication of that promise, “in the kingdom of my Father”. “In the kingdom of my Father” implies obedience, hard work and faithfulness. For any of this to matter (on our mission and in our lives) we have GOT to live up to those covenants.. It made me think about a family in the Liberty Lake ward that was just sealed in the temple. They stand as a testimony that just because missionaries are completely disobedient doesn’t mean they won't see baptisms. A testimony that the equation of F+HW+O equals success, not baptisms. They were converted by the truth and baptized by missionaries that had broken their covenants. The Smith family, with their recent sealing, are able to partake in that joy that that verse in D&C is referring too. And as they live faithfully, they will continue to feel that joy in the “Kingdom of [His} Father”. As for the missionaries though, unless there is repentance, unless they use the atonement in their lives, and fix the things they’ve broken, that blessing is not theirs. In order to share in the Smith’s joy they must be in “the Kingdom of [His] Father”, and in order to be there, they must be obedient and faithful to the Lord’s will here on earth.
I know this gospel is true and it fills me with so much joy and hope to see Eric excel so much. He is filled with so much light. He spoke in stake conference on Sunday. It was awesome. He did so well. He shared his experience in gaining a testimony of the gospel. Who he is now compared to who he was before he had a testimony. I couldn’t find a specific thing to write down from his talk but I compiled it all into one main point that I feel like I have really grown on and continue to grow on. I AM WHO I WANTED TO BE, NOT WHO I EXPECTED TO BE. THAT IS THE RESULT OF PERSONAL REVELATION. As we grow closer to God and seek the revelation He has for us, we get to be the person we want to be, not the person we ever expected to be.
The other experience I had was late at night as Sister Salisbury and I were biking. My bike has a flat tire so I am using a bike that doesn’t have a light on it right now. I ride in front and Sister Salisbury rides behind. Her light is very dim, but it is there. It’s the only thing that lets me know she’s right behind me, the only thing that helps me regulate my speed. It reminded me of the gospel. It is it’s light that helps us regulate our lives, that helps us stay close to God and helps us progress and grow. When that light is gone it is dark and cold and we are alone.
I am so grateful to have the guiding light of the gospel in my life. I am thankful to have the priesthood in my life and to have the knowledge that there is a living Prophet on the earth today.
Sister Bailey.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Wake up tired, go to bed exhausted
We’re expecting to see a lot of miracles in Liberty Lake. (Because a lot of miracles are needed)
We’re teaching a family now. I’ve never taught a family. They’re fantastic. The daughter is 12 and is a real strength to the lessons. We’re teaching 6 people and each one has incredibly unique needs and concerns.
We’re teaching a family now. I’ve never taught a family. They’re fantastic. The daughter is 12 and is a real strength to the lessons. We’re teaching 6 people and each one has incredibly unique needs and concerns.
It really is only through the Lord that we are able to do this work. We wake up tired and go to bed exhausted. There is plenty of work to be done. It’s been a little hard but it will be okay. The work is going forward and we’re going to do our best to help it. We’re doing a lot of finding activities, a lot of contacting.
That less active woman we tracted into that came to church, came to church again this past Sunday and will be at our dinner tonight. She is wonderful. She attentively listened and took notes on the talks that were given and when I asked her to stay longer her response was “I’m not quite ready for that yet” YET. She is working very hard to come back. She’s is so ready it is amazing to see how the Lord prepares people for this work. At the last dinner we shared with her she was telling us of how she had re-connected with a high school friend who was a member of the church over the Christmas break. They had talked a lot about the church and their testimonies and a couple days after her friend left the sisters knocked on her door. It was then she decided to come back to church.
Sister Salisbury is so fun and we get along great.. She loves her family. She loves the gospel and I love teaching with her. We talk about the gospel most the day. I am excited to see what I can learn from her over the next 6 weeks.
We taught Eric his last missionary lesson on Sunday. It was bitter sweet. He’s speaking in Stake conference next Sunday on personal revelation. He is going to do great. I am so excited.
I love the gospel. I love to share it. Things get hard sometimes. Sometimes it feels like everything is falling through our fingers, but that is when miracles happen. I am praying for eyes to see the wisdom in the Lord and if not to see it, then to feel it.
(Mosiah 2:20-21)
Sister Bailey
God Bless
That less active woman we tracted into that came to church, came to church again this past Sunday and will be at our dinner tonight. She is wonderful. She attentively listened and took notes on the talks that were given and when I asked her to stay longer her response was “I’m not quite ready for that yet” YET. She is working very hard to come back. She’s is so ready it is amazing to see how the Lord prepares people for this work. At the last dinner we shared with her she was telling us of how she had re-connected with a high school friend who was a member of the church over the Christmas break. They had talked a lot about the church and their testimonies and a couple days after her friend left the sisters knocked on her door. It was then she decided to come back to church.
Sister Salisbury is so fun and we get along great.. She loves her family. She loves the gospel and I love teaching with her. We talk about the gospel most the day. I am excited to see what I can learn from her over the next 6 weeks.
We taught Eric his last missionary lesson on Sunday. It was bitter sweet. He’s speaking in Stake conference next Sunday on personal revelation. He is going to do great. I am so excited.
I love the gospel. I love to share it. Things get hard sometimes. Sometimes it feels like everything is falling through our fingers, but that is when miracles happen. I am praying for eyes to see the wisdom in the Lord and if not to see it, then to feel it.
(Mosiah 2:20-21)
Sister Bailey
God Bless
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Transfers
Transfers.
I’m pleasantly surprised to say that I am staying in Liberty Lake. I really felt like I was going to get the boot. It really did a number on me this week too. I spent a lot of time trying to come to terms with it. Sister Bruner and I are parting ways. She is headed to Hayden Lake to be with Sister Adams who is heading to Mongolia in about three weeks, so that will kind of be a weird set up. She’ll get a new companion mid-transfer and at this point the source of that new companion is not really clear because we have an even number of sisters in the mission now. She’s very excited to move on from Liberty Lake. She spent 7 ½ months in her first area and, ever since, doesn’t like being in one place for too long. She will be missed by the members as well as myself. I’m excited to fall in love with Sister Salisbury. Sister Bruner was companions with her once and loves her. I’ve met her twice. She seems really sweet.
We’ve been “on the edge” of stellar investigators for a while now. It’s a little disheartening actually. But we have some appointments with some of them this week so hopefully things will begin to look up.
The investigator that we gave to the elders is still really progressing in the gospel. Her daughter Brittany is also. It’s so good to hear that she’s been able to make it to the lessons. Her (Brittany’s) schedule never let her make it when we were teaching.
Good things are happening in Liberty Lake.
Eric is still the best. Whenever he interacts with us I really feel the joy of missionary work. I’m never very prepared for it and it’s overwhelming every time.
We had a little miracle this past week. A couple showed up to church that we had met in the parking lot of an apartment complex just as they were moving in. They were exhausted and we offered to call in the troops for them. As we made calls to the Bishop, the Elder’s quorum president, and some other strong members we found out that the woman is a member of the church! She’s not been very active for about three years and is ready to come back. Her fiance is not a member. It was SO good to see them in church! They are some of the best people I’ve met! They are so welcoming and so open. We’re hoping to tech them so that they can be sealed in the temple for eternity! Another small miracle was that she was very nervous about seeing a family in our ward who use to be her in-laws. She saw them at church and it was absolutely wonderful. It was such a good reunion and there was so much love. We’re going to see them later this week and are looking forward to the visit.
The Fentons were also in church this Sunday. Brother Fenton has been opening up to us and they’ve been talking about wanting to be sealed in the temple!!!
I love missionary work. I love to see the light. I love to see the joy shine through people's faces amidst adversity. I love everything about this work. I love it. My testimony is strengthened everyday. We’ve hit some hard spots and had some struggles here in Liberty Lake, but I feel like it’s because we’re on the verge of something good. The really good things in life generally come after we can’t stand the heat or pressure any longer. As much as the adversary pokes and prods I know that this work is completely in the Lord’s hands and, after all, He knows exactly how much we can take. As we turn to him all the trials, all the heat, and all the pressure will make us better. It’s when we try to take things into our own hands that we then get burned.
God be with you.
Sister Bailey
I’m pleasantly surprised to say that I am staying in Liberty Lake. I really felt like I was going to get the boot. It really did a number on me this week too. I spent a lot of time trying to come to terms with it. Sister Bruner and I are parting ways. She is headed to Hayden Lake to be with Sister Adams who is heading to Mongolia in about three weeks, so that will kind of be a weird set up. She’ll get a new companion mid-transfer and at this point the source of that new companion is not really clear because we have an even number of sisters in the mission now. She’s very excited to move on from Liberty Lake. She spent 7 ½ months in her first area and, ever since, doesn’t like being in one place for too long. She will be missed by the members as well as myself. I’m excited to fall in love with Sister Salisbury. Sister Bruner was companions with her once and loves her. I’ve met her twice. She seems really sweet.
We’ve been “on the edge” of stellar investigators for a while now. It’s a little disheartening actually. But we have some appointments with some of them this week so hopefully things will begin to look up.
The investigator that we gave to the elders is still really progressing in the gospel. Her daughter Brittany is also. It’s so good to hear that she’s been able to make it to the lessons. Her (Brittany’s) schedule never let her make it when we were teaching.
Good things are happening in Liberty Lake.
Eric is still the best. Whenever he interacts with us I really feel the joy of missionary work. I’m never very prepared for it and it’s overwhelming every time.
We had a little miracle this past week. A couple showed up to church that we had met in the parking lot of an apartment complex just as they were moving in. They were exhausted and we offered to call in the troops for them. As we made calls to the Bishop, the Elder’s quorum president, and some other strong members we found out that the woman is a member of the church! She’s not been very active for about three years and is ready to come back. Her fiance is not a member. It was SO good to see them in church! They are some of the best people I’ve met! They are so welcoming and so open. We’re hoping to tech them so that they can be sealed in the temple for eternity! Another small miracle was that she was very nervous about seeing a family in our ward who use to be her in-laws. She saw them at church and it was absolutely wonderful. It was such a good reunion and there was so much love. We’re going to see them later this week and are looking forward to the visit.
The Fentons were also in church this Sunday. Brother Fenton has been opening up to us and they’ve been talking about wanting to be sealed in the temple!!!
I love missionary work. I love to see the light. I love to see the joy shine through people's faces amidst adversity. I love everything about this work. I love it. My testimony is strengthened everyday. We’ve hit some hard spots and had some struggles here in Liberty Lake, but I feel like it’s because we’re on the verge of something good. The really good things in life generally come after we can’t stand the heat or pressure any longer. As much as the adversary pokes and prods I know that this work is completely in the Lord’s hands and, after all, He knows exactly how much we can take. As we turn to him all the trials, all the heat, and all the pressure will make us better. It’s when we try to take things into our own hands that we then get burned.
God be with you.
Sister Bailey
Moroni 7
"Have miracles ceased? I say unto you nay! Niether have angels ceased to administer among men."
Monday, January 4, 2010
Joy to the World
We taught Eric about family history and he was like, “Yeah, I’m already talking to my Dad about doing the work for my grandpa”. Sometimes I don’t even know why we’re teaching that kid. He’s so amazing. He has such a strong testimony of the gospel. He has been so ready from the very start. This Sunday he passed the sacrament for the first time. He also got up and bore his testimony of the gospel with out being called up. HE loved it. He said it was the best part of his Sunday.
Sam is gone.
The investigator that we gave to the elders still comes to our ward. The elders just told us this morning that she and her daughter are now on date for the 30th (to be baptized)!!! We’re so excited.
One miracle that happened this past week was that we tracted into a member who has lived here for about a year. She was baptized a number of years ago and graduated from BYU-I. We talked with her about church and how much we’d love to see her there. We closed our visit with a very powerful prayer that Sister Bruner offered and then walked away not thinking anything more about it. On Sunday I got tapped on the shoulder and I turned around to see Bethany (the member) standing there!!! She smiled and said “I made it!” I gave her a huge hug and told her how happy I was to see her! She sat with me in sacrament and then stayed to meet with the bishop. During sacrament she was reading her scriptures and really pondering. The meeting was amazing. It felt so catered to her. I hope to see her again.
This past Sunday I had so many moments where I could really feel the joy of missionary work. Really feel it. When Eric bore his testimony. When he smiled at me as he sat back down. When Bethany was sitting next to me. As I listened to all the testimonies born. As Scott, our other investigator, who insists on sitting up front turned in his seat before the meeting and gave me a huge smile followed by a thumbs up. As we walked through the halls and greeted the members we passed. Yesterday was filled with so much joy. D&C 18:15-16
We love it here.
Sister Bailey
Miracles happen Everyday. I wish I could write it all down. There’s not enough time.
Sam is gone.
The investigator that we gave to the elders still comes to our ward. The elders just told us this morning that she and her daughter are now on date for the 30th (to be baptized)!!! We’re so excited.
One miracle that happened this past week was that we tracted into a member who has lived here for about a year. She was baptized a number of years ago and graduated from BYU-I. We talked with her about church and how much we’d love to see her there. We closed our visit with a very powerful prayer that Sister Bruner offered and then walked away not thinking anything more about it. On Sunday I got tapped on the shoulder and I turned around to see Bethany (the member) standing there!!! She smiled and said “I made it!” I gave her a huge hug and told her how happy I was to see her! She sat with me in sacrament and then stayed to meet with the bishop. During sacrament she was reading her scriptures and really pondering. The meeting was amazing. It felt so catered to her. I hope to see her again.
This past Sunday I had so many moments where I could really feel the joy of missionary work. Really feel it. When Eric bore his testimony. When he smiled at me as he sat back down. When Bethany was sitting next to me. As I listened to all the testimonies born. As Scott, our other investigator, who insists on sitting up front turned in his seat before the meeting and gave me a huge smile followed by a thumbs up. As we walked through the halls and greeted the members we passed. Yesterday was filled with so much joy. D&C 18:15-16
We love it here.
Sister Bailey
Miracles happen Everyday. I wish I could write it all down. There’s not enough time.
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