Life is Great!

Hey Family,

 

My life is kind of awesome when you really think about it.  I wake up and exercise. (not for long enough-that's a down side).  Then I get to eat oatmeal and toast, which I really enjoy.  I've been eating the same thing for breakfast for about 7 months..I don't know why!  I just get in moods where I only want to eat one thing and then I eat it till I can't stand to eat it anymore.  Then I get 3 hours every day to study the scriptures.  Then I get to pray the rest of the day that Heavenly Father will lead me to those whom I can bless and help.  The two most important things a missionary does is to invite and to help.  The more I come to understand this, the better work gets done, and the less I focus on myself and feeling guilty for not doing more. 

 

Well, we have been working really really hard on our missionary music devotional.  It is titled "Ask in Faith".  The missionaries from the Memphis area are presenting it.  We are basically teaching the first lesson, The Restoration, in the form of song and testimony.  I am arranging a few of the pieces.  I am trying to have a lot of faith because I hardly have any time to practice.  But mom, you might be proud of me, I notated all the voice parts for the choir, so now they have music.  This is turning out to be a lot more work than I expected.  Also, it is becoming bigger than we expected.  We only expected about 10 wards to be involved in it, but a few of the missionaries talked to the stake presidents of both the Memphis and Memphis North stakes and now it is involving all of the two stakes!  I feel very strongly that this is part of the reason I am called to Memphis for this time.  This is my way of expressing my love for the Savior and inviting others to come to Him.  He truly will draw near unto us as we draw near unto Him.  When we truly look unto Him in every thought, use our words and actions to turn toward Him, He will abide with us. D&C 88:63, D&C6:36, Proverbs 3:5-6.  I know this devotional can change people's lives.

 

We had a very special experience with Debbie this week. One day, she was very upset about something. We had planned to go over to her house that day, but the way our day worked out, we felt that we needed to go over earlier than the time of our appointment. Right as we pulled up to her house, she called and asked if we could come over. She said she really needed to talk. I said, "Well we're at your front door!" "What?? So fast? How did you do that?" she said. She opened her door and then exclaimed "Oh my three little angels!". :) Well, over the course of our visit, it became clear to me that we needed to ask her if she would like a priesthood blessing. We asked and she accepted. Some elders came to give her a blessing. After it, she commented on the peace she felt. We had a discussion about the power of the priesthood and how it works according to her faith in Jesus Christ. She does have faith in Jesus Christ! Then Elder Shepherd said, "Debbie, do you mind if I ask you something? Are you preparing yourself to be baptized?" Now let me interject- We have been inviting Debbie for months to be baptized. She has some concerns. But to my surprise, she said that indeed she was preparing to be baptized but wouldn't set a date. Smoking is one of her hold ups. Well, Elder Shepherd looked at me and said, "Sister Wilde, invite her to be baptized right now!" As I waited for the right moment, these words came to my mind "Debbie, I promise you that if you will set a date to be baptized that the Lord will help you stop smoking". As I said them, for the first time, Debbie was silent. She just stared at me. After a few moments she said, "okay. I have faith in you." She had the faith to accept that invitation not because of me, but because of my calling as a representative of Jesus Christ.

By the way Cameron, Gladys Knight is coming to our mission!!  Don't rub it in too hard... :)  We get her in May.  I am really excited for the turn out, after hearing that cameron's mission got 201 self-referrals.  That's money right there.

 

Remember last week when I told you that Sister Boston was the southern version of Aunt Denise?  Well, I found the southern version of Elliot.  I'm in heaven!!  I don't know why I didn't see it before.  We just had a new ward missionary called- Buzz Rayman.  He is a firefighter :)  The more I talk to him, the more I miss my brother Elliot.  He reminds me of him because whenever I'm done talking to him, my face hurts because I've been laughing so much.  I don't really know how to describe him, but I wish they could meet each other.

 

We found a few legit investigators this week..I really get excited about it.  Sister Heaton told me that my reactions remind her of Giselle off of Enchanted.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing.

 

Well wanna hear a cool story?  It didn't happen to us, it happened to the Millington elders.  Last sunday they were having a rough day.  At the end of the day, they were walking in to their apartment when they saw a girl sitting on the stairs.  She looked upset.  They decided to go talk to her and give her a pass along card.  The more they talked, the more she opened up.  She told them that right before they came walking in, she had been praying for a friend to come to her.

Heavenly Father is so cool!

 

I love and pray for you all.  Hope you have a good week, and hang in there.

 

love sister wilde