1/20/15 Half a Month Left. Wow!

Yeah. Half a month left. Wow.

So, I love national  holidays. I do! But why they ALL FALL ON MONDAYS. So annoying as a missionary. Libraries get closed! :P Which is why this is coming on a Tuesday. Which means I only have one Monday pday left! Wow. Crazy! Time has really flown.

I don't have too much to report from this week--we had zone conference with Elder Teh of the Seventy. That was really good, and a nice reminder to not be trunky (getting ready to go home too soon, basically). I want to endure to the end so much. Sometimes it's hard because I'm just SO TIRED but each time I think that I think "I can do anything for [x amount] days." It's worked remarkably well.

Hmm.....Lessons with Joe have been going really well. It's been incredible to see the change in his and his family's life, even just since last week. There's a greater peace in the house, and even though he was already living the way he needed to to be baptized just that one commitment has allowed the Spirit to more fully be in the home.

I've been thinking a lot about sacrifice lately, especially since zone conference. In my scriptures, where Abinadi is getting martyred, I call it my Elder Ryan page because I have "What a stud" written in there I think three times. But I also have a saying on the top of the page from him. It says "if it's not worth dying for, it's not worth living for." I've been thinking about that phrase a lot. It kind of relates to the scripture "greater love hath no man than this......" you know it. The greatest sacrifice we can make in THIS battlefield, the battlefield for souls [Elder Ryan is on leave from the army, so that's where that came in], is to lay down our life, our desires and our will for God's. So it's a really hard sacrifice, there's no getting over that. But we know that nothing we do that's worth anything is going to require a sacrifice. Otherwise we can't possibly have the power we need to help in saving souls. And you know as well as I do that the greater the sacrifice, the greater the blessings. Even if to the world it doesn't seem like a hard sacrifice. Heavenly Father knows where we're coming from and how difficult each sacrifice we make is. And as a missionary, you don't just have to sacrifice the time of 2 years-18 months. There are a whole lot of sacrifices we have to make out here to become more than just missionaries, but true disciples of Christ.

I don't know, I was just thinking about this when I've been emailing today. And throughout the week. I guess Joe has also triggered that, looking at all he's given up on this path. We were talking to him last night and they were saying that a year ago, you wouldn't have even recognized their family. But the Spirit works pretty well on people, and prepares them to be in the right place at the right time so that they can accept the gospel.  Anyways. I know we all know the concept. But sometimes we just forget. That's just what's been on my mind today.

We went on exchanges with the McComb sisters this week--I love exchagnes so much. It's been such a privilege to work with these sisters. I loved going on exchanges with Sister Greer this week because I went on exchanges with her her first transfer and it's been so cool to see her grow as much as she has.

I played a musical number for the Amite branch this weekend, that was fun. It's fun how interconnected the wards and branches are in this area, because the missionaries are so connected. We're kind of the ones that bridge the gap. Also because one of the members of the Amite branch presidency is in Hammond ward but lives right accross the street from the church and LOVES missionaries and is super involved in our ward too. They also bridge the gap :) it's fun.

Yesterday we went and hung out at the church, and played phase ten and went to a hibachi place. I forgot my camera so I only have the pictures from Sister Monk.

My kind of restaurant!

So, those were the highlights of my week. This week will be really good :) Exchanges, we get to see the all my favorite people in the ward, and then the baptism on Saturday!!!!! It's now been over a year since anyone I had taught was baptized. I'm so grateful the timing was right, because if I had had my way I would have gone out the June transfer (which entered the MTC June 12th). But the Lord clearly had another path for me, and if I hadn't been here at this time with these missionaries, I wouldn't have gotten to be a part of Joe's story. I'm so grateful I don't write my own! It'd be awfully boring.

Alright. I'll talk to yall next week (EXCEPT FOR KATIE I'M SO EXCITED FOR HER and a little sad I won't get to see her)! Love you!!!

Love,

Sister Steele