Week 2/Day 14 is coming to a close people and the time has come for Sister Reynolds to head out to Ohio (the time being tomorrow at 3:30 AM). It has been a long 2 weeks but I have learned so much about the spirit and all of the blessings that can help me teach as a missionary. here are a few of the things I've learned here in the wonderful land of Provo:
1. Teaching is my favorite. We've had the opportunity to teach two wonderful investigators during our time here. They're two very different people in very different stages of life, and in teaching them we had two very different experiences but Sister Lonnecker and I learned so much form each of them. I loved being able to take what I know makes my life better and helping to show them how they can do the same things and find the same amount of joy. It can be a little scary to start whipping out Gospel Truths and throwing around baptism but it's so worth it when they accept what you're telling them and make their lives better.
2. Missionaries are weird. So weird. As we've spent more time together, our district has gotten so much more spiitually strong but also so much more weird. We spend our days laughing at Nacho Libre quotes and we have all become true missionaries by quoting scriptures as jokes at least once. On Tuesday Sister Lonnecker was complaining about the squats I made her do at gym time and she said, "My legs are weak, but weak things can be made strong if we come unto the Lord (Ether 12:27) and then started laughing, but then crying after she realized what she had just done. My favorite one came during one of our five devotionals on Sunday. sister Lonnecker leaned over and told me she wasn't going to make it through anymore devotionals away, and I reminded her that "We can do all things through Christ" and even though I really believe that, I had to laugh at myself. Being cooped up in a gated community in Provo Utah can do some wonderful things to you but watch out for the missionary humor.
3. Don't Call People to Repentance, you can declare repentance, and teach about the process and even suggest a little repentance but don't be that guy calling people to repentance. Don't. Be. That. Guy.
4. God knows You!!!!!!! I have been here for 2 weeks and every single day God sends me a reminder he's watching out for me and knows how to help me. He gave me a great companion, a stellar district, fantastic teachers, friendly faces (Shout out to Elder Garff, Elder Smith-Driggs, Sister Miller, and Sister Jones), and even an incredible devotional by Sister Jenny Oaks Baker and her adorable family on Sunday night. they [played so many beautiful hymns and she told great stories about building faith and it was great.
5. The Spirit is literally the teacher. People say to teach by the spirit, and it sounds like you are teaching with the spirit but NO! We had an amazing lesson with an investigator week where sister Lonnecker and I said probably 2 sentences each. The whole time she was just looking at the book of Mormon, telling us about what she read, asking questions, but then finding the answers herself and she basically just ended up crying and telling us how great we were and begging us to come back to teach her more the next day. It was cool to see her working through her own problems and see God talk to her not even through us but through the scriptures.
6.Prayer is great. Just really take advantage of your prayers guys. the last 15 minutes of the day are usually just a solid prayer time for me to catch up with God and let him know what I've learned and how I'm feeling and figure out what I need to do. It's a great time. Be grateful for the chance you have to do that and take advantage of it!!!!!!
7.You can feel the spirit when you are laughing, even if it's not a scripture/dumb Mormon joke. I promise, it's really cool :)
8. Everybody needs a companion, they're great for laughs, strength, long life talks, dumb jokes, and a few extra laps on the track/squats at gym time.
9. Quote of the week: "The mission is a time to build a foundation for you lives, what kind of foundation will you build? what things are you willing to give up to build that?" -Elder Sitati (member of the 70) in a devotional on Tuesday night last week. I know it doesn't apply to all of us but think about what you are doing in your life now, what kind of life are you building up? should you be giving some things up to make it better?
It has been a packed 14 days and I could go on and on but I only have 1 hour. Thanks for all the words of encouragement and updates. As missionaries all we want is info about the outside world and you guys so feel free to write me anything and everything. I'll leave you with my favorite scripture of the week; D+C 84:85. It's a great one. Next time I get to email, I'll be in Columbus. Woo hoo :))))))))
Love,
Sister Reynolds
1. Teaching is my favorite. We've had the opportunity to teach two wonderful investigators during our time here. They're two very different people in very different stages of life, and in teaching them we had two very different experiences but Sister Lonnecker and I learned so much form each of them. I loved being able to take what I know makes my life better and helping to show them how they can do the same things and find the same amount of joy. It can be a little scary to start whipping out Gospel Truths and throwing around baptism but it's so worth it when they accept what you're telling them and make their lives better.
2. Missionaries are weird. So weird. As we've spent more time together, our district has gotten so much more spiitually strong but also so much more weird. We spend our days laughing at Nacho Libre quotes and we have all become true missionaries by quoting scriptures as jokes at least once. On Tuesday Sister Lonnecker was complaining about the squats I made her do at gym time and she said, "My legs are weak, but weak things can be made strong if we come unto the Lord (Ether 12:27) and then started laughing, but then crying after she realized what she had just done. My favorite one came during one of our five devotionals on Sunday. sister Lonnecker leaned over and told me she wasn't going to make it through anymore devotionals away, and I reminded her that "We can do all things through Christ" and even though I really believe that, I had to laugh at myself. Being cooped up in a gated community in Provo Utah can do some wonderful things to you but watch out for the missionary humor.
3. Don't Call People to Repentance, you can declare repentance, and teach about the process and even suggest a little repentance but don't be that guy calling people to repentance. Don't. Be. That. Guy.
4. God knows You!!!!!!! I have been here for 2 weeks and every single day God sends me a reminder he's watching out for me and knows how to help me. He gave me a great companion, a stellar district, fantastic teachers, friendly faces (Shout out to Elder Garff, Elder Smith-Driggs, Sister Miller, and Sister Jones), and even an incredible devotional by Sister Jenny Oaks Baker and her adorable family on Sunday night. they [played so many beautiful hymns and she told great stories about building faith and it was great.
5. The Spirit is literally the teacher. People say to teach by the spirit, and it sounds like you are teaching with the spirit but NO! We had an amazing lesson with an investigator week where sister Lonnecker and I said probably 2 sentences each. The whole time she was just looking at the book of Mormon, telling us about what she read, asking questions, but then finding the answers herself and she basically just ended up crying and telling us how great we were and begging us to come back to teach her more the next day. It was cool to see her working through her own problems and see God talk to her not even through us but through the scriptures.
6.Prayer is great. Just really take advantage of your prayers guys. the last 15 minutes of the day are usually just a solid prayer time for me to catch up with God and let him know what I've learned and how I'm feeling and figure out what I need to do. It's a great time. Be grateful for the chance you have to do that and take advantage of it!!!!!!
7.You can feel the spirit when you are laughing, even if it's not a scripture/dumb Mormon joke. I promise, it's really cool :)
8. Everybody needs a companion, they're great for laughs, strength, long life talks, dumb jokes, and a few extra laps on the track/squats at gym time.
9. Quote of the week: "The mission is a time to build a foundation for you lives, what kind of foundation will you build? what things are you willing to give up to build that?" -Elder Sitati (member of the 70) in a devotional on Tuesday night last week. I know it doesn't apply to all of us but think about what you are doing in your life now, what kind of life are you building up? should you be giving some things up to make it better?
It has been a packed 14 days and I could go on and on but I only have 1 hour. Thanks for all the words of encouragement and updates. As missionaries all we want is info about the outside world and you guys so feel free to write me anything and everything. I'll leave you with my favorite scripture of the week; D+C 84:85. It's a great one. Next time I get to email, I'll be in Columbus. Woo hoo :))))))))
Love,
Sister Reynolds
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