6th Transfer

(Sorry it took me a few days to post.  Alas, here is her most recent letter!) 

Dear Family,

 

Another week has passed.  I am still here in Bartlett.  I am beginning my 6th transfer here.  While my location stays the same, I am seeking to change each day.  Sister Martell has helped me greatly in that.  I got another companion this week.  Her name is Sister Heaton.  This is actually the last transfer of her mission, so I am praying that I can help her make it her best one.  Being in a trio again is...good.  An adjustment.  The tri-force 2 is much different than the tri-force 1.  I know it will be excellent though, because I have this awesome vision for us.  I want us to be able to walk into a home and have the people there feel the spirit working through all three of us as we teach and testify in the most simple way possible.  Sometimes missionaries just like to listen to themselves talk- and this is not teaching by the spirit!  If you have 3 missionaries doing that, it gets a little overwhelming.  That is why it will be that much more important to focus on teaching simple truths in a concise way, testify, and then let the spirit work with that person.  The title of this goal is:  success in the spirit.  The Holy Ghost is what makes us strong.  Read Helaman 4:24.  The Nephites did not have success because they did not have the spirit.  It made them weak.  Then read Ether 12:27.  Does it give you a different perspective?  I have been thinking about that and also the Book of Mormon in my studies lately.  Something I came to understand more fully this week is something a dear friend taught me. It is that while the Bible asks us to follow Christ, the Book of Mormon more clearly teaches why we follow Him and how we might effectively do so. Alma 7:14-15 teaches us the importance of baptism as a covenant. Our covenants to Heavenly Father are truly what sets us apart from everyone else. As we remember and obey the Savior, we will have His spirit, and will therefore be strong.  Covenants are so important!

 

I had a wonderful experience this week.  We are still teaching Maria, and have been struggling to help her to see the importance of these covenants.  We were in companionship study when we felt that we needed to take Maria for a lesson at the church.  We planned to do 3 mini lessons.  One in the Relief Society room(for Maria), one in the Primary room (for Gaby), and then end in the chapel.  We decided that we would choose a hymn to sing for them in each room and teach them the purpose for those classes.  Great idea, right?  I knew it was gonna be good, I could feel it.  As we came to the last part of planning our lesson, we needed to choose a song to sing in the chapel that focused on the Savior.  Sister Heaton said, "what about hymn 187?"  It was right then that I remembered a sweet experience Mom shared with me in a letter I received the night before.  I thought, oh that's the one we need to do!  As I opened the hymn book, I came to see that it was the exact same one Sister Heaton had just suggested.  God loved us, So He sent His Son.  I knew the spirit spoke to Sister Heaton and also my dear sweet mother as she shared her thoughts about that hymn.  The best part is the 3rd verse when it talks about how we hold a place in the Savior's heart.  Well, we put our plan into action.  We sang that hymn for Maria.  Afterwards, I read my mom's testimony/experience from her letter to Maria.  I shared with her how much  I love my mom and am grateful that she showed me the reality of the kind of love Jesus Christ has for us.  It is evident in the covenants we make to serve, remember, and follow Him.  Then I gave her one of the bookmarks my mom made.  The best part was that our lesson was on March 15, my mom's birthday.  I felt happy that I could do something small to honor my mother who has given so much of herself so that I could understand more clearly what love is.  

 

For the closing hymn in church yesterday, we sang "I am a child of God".  It was great because all the primary children knew it-and it was like the room came alive! The children sat up straighter and sang with all their hearts.  "Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way".  I couldn't help the smile that came to my face, and as I looked around, everyone else was smiling too.  The spirit of the Lord was there.  It just was!  It was unmistakable.  I think of the power I felt then and all the new missionaries that are coming out now and pray that we can purify ourselves so that we can carry that to the world.  When we truly have the spirit of the Lord with us, it will be unmistakable.

 

One of the speakers in church yesterday was Sister Boston. I. Love. Sister. Boston.  I have thought this before, but realized again yesterday that Sister Boston is like the southern version of Aunt Denise.  What could be better?!  She said in her talk, "It's good to give talks. It's good to teach lessons."  She went on to say that it helped you learn things you didn't know before, but I felt like I could really hear my Aunt Denise saying that.  Always encouraging me to serve faithfully in my callings cause she always did. I get sorta homesick for my Aunt Denise when I am with Sister Boston.  Someone was trying to guess my name the other day and one of their guesses was Anna-lou.  More memories of Aunt Denise...

 

We found 3 legit investigators this week.  I'll tell you about them next letter..I think my letters may be too long, especially judging from Cameron's. :)  I am proud of him though.

 

I love you all.

 

love sister wilde