I'm writing a day late this week
because yesterday was President's Day, so all the libraries were closed.
So a Tuesday P-Day it is! It'll be back to normal next week, though.
Where
to even start... This past week was really good and really hard. You
grow and learn at such a fast rate that I feel like I'm having growing
pains. If that makes sense. All the growth is good! But, man, the
refiner's fire is hot. Scolding. I've been quickly learning that I have
to let go of my own desires on this mission. I can't not do things
because I just simply don't want to (like talking to people). I can't
just take naps when I'm not feeling up to things. I can't "skip class"
like in college and take an hour off and hide in a practice room (NOT
THAT I EVER DID THAT...). Bottom line, is you have to be ready to work. I
find myself constantly praying all day every day in trying to keep
going, but it does get easier, I've found.
This
past week, I attended my first Zone Conference and it was soooo good!
President and Sister Eaton are so wise and awesome. The theme of the
conference was "Agents, Not Objects." Meaning, we need to treat our
investigators as agents, not objects. We are to not just teach, but help
others discover the gospel and act on the message, not just take the
message in. Sometimes we get into the mindset that there is only one way
to teach, and one way only. To talk at people. But, as I was reminded
and taught at zone conf, we are to help other act and discover the
message. Granted, sometimes it's fine to just talk and explain, but
interaction is much more meaningful. We were taught Elder Bednar's
forumla for teaching/learning: 1. Prepare to learn, 2. Interact to
edify, and 3. Invite to act! Also, a great quote by Elder Jay Jenson:
"Learn to put more of the burden of your learning on the student. You
assume too much of it. Shift it." SO GOOD! Everything we learned in the
zone conference was everything I was taught as an education major at
BYU-I! President Eaton used to work at BYU-I as a professor so he talks
about the learning model and such from BYU-I and I was so happy because
it's something I'm used to and know all about! What I've realized about
myself is that I understand how to do things and have great ideas, but
when the time comes to actually do them, I forget and get nervous. But, I
just need to keep practicing. Something else President encouraged us to
do is to ask inspired questions that help people open up and talk about
themselves, as well as helping them know that we are interested in them
and their lives. It's straying away from the simple yes and no
questions and really wanting to know what people think by asking things
such as "What can we learn from _______?", "Why is _________ so
important?", or, "What do you wish you knew before _____?" A question I
came up with is, "Why do you do what you do because of what you know?"
Cool stuff! And, of course, in all things, be in tune with the spirit.
It's the real teacher.
SOOO, a cool thing they
do at zone conference is they check people's cars to see how clean they
are (as well as general maintenance) and who ever has the cleanest car
gets the GOLD PLATES!
Haha, so if you win, you get a gold license plate cover that says
"GOLD PLATES" and you have it on your car until the next conference.
WELLLL, GUESS WHO WON THE GOLD PLATES??? That's right. Sister Loeak and
I! We worked suuper hard at cleaning our car! SO AWESOME. It'll be on
the car til about May or something, haha! I forgot to get a picture. I
will for next week. But, we feel pretty awesome having the gold plates.
:)
So things are interesting with
investigator's right now... Randy agreed to be baptized on March 5 if he
gets his answer by then! We have high hopes. He is still unsure, but
learning and growing each time we teach him. He has come to church 2
weeks in a row! Even this past Sunday where we had a Regional Conference
broadcast from Salt Lake! WHICH WAS SOO GOOD! C. Scott Grow, Bonnie L.
Oscarson, James J. Hamula, and Dale G. Runland spoke. We basically had
our own personal general conference. It reached us, Orgeon, Alaska, part
of Canada, and I think the San Fran area..? Pretty cool. Most of the
messages were about standing up for our beliefs, being firm in our
faith, and sharing the gospel. Dale G. Runland shared a great insight
for when people ask us why we, as Latter-Day Saints, do things, such as
not drinking coffee or wine or why we don't do things on Sunday, etc.
Anything. He said, instead of just bringing up things such as "oh health
benefits.." or "it's a family day.." or what have you, he inspired us
to do what his wife does. When his wife was asked once why they don't
drink coffee, she said, "Let me give you the short version! In 1820, a
14 year old boy knelt in a grove and prayed..." and then she goes on to
share the entire restoration (quickly), and finishes with telling them
that everything we do is because of revelation! Because we have a living
prophet that receives revelation from God. That's why we do what we do.
We can go around and around about health benefits (basically, man's
reasoning), or we can just be straight forward and say, "Well, in 1820 a
14 year old boy...", ending it with revelation. :) Really cool! You
should try it the next time someone asks you why you do what you do
because you're Mormon.
Anyway, Randy. He has
met a LOT of members and is really being fellowshipped and it's great.
We are teaching him tonight in Bishop's home. We're going to teach him
about the Atonement! Why we need (NEED) it and what it really means to
us and the entire history of eternity. He understands the concept of
Jesus Christ, but we don't think he really comprehends what He is to us.
We hope to help change that tonight. We have also helped him a lot with
his family history! Family History is so important... Our ancestors are
waiting!
We have been struggling with finding
people to teach, as Maple Valley is a large, spread out place, but we
found a NEW neighborhood that Sister Loeak says she's never really been
to (she's been here for like 5 months or something). I had a REALLY good
feeling about it and for good reason, because we found 2 people and
they both gave us return appointments. One of them is named John and
he's a 92 year old war veteran. Very very nice! He wanted to let us in,
but he was home alone so we couldn't (the rule is we have to have an
extra sister when we teach single males). He told us his wife is in a
nursing home. I reckoned he had a lot of really great stories and I said
to him, "I bet you have a lot of great stories, I'd love to hear some
soon!" and he said, "My motto used to be, 'you don't get away without a
story'"! Haha! Love it. I told him we'd love to hear his stories if he'd
be willing to listen to a message. :) We teach him Wednesday. The other
person we met is named Cathryn and she's probably in her 60s and has
rad long, blonde hair. She said she doesn't believe in organized
religion, but was SO friendly and agreed to have us come. She even gave
US her number. We left her with a prayer and she's so funny and spunky,
she ran up and grabbed our hands and wanted to pray holding hands. So we
did. It was cool! We hope to see her soon. Those two were huge miracles
and blessings because I've REALLY been struggling with tracting. I have
been having a lot of anxiety about talking to people, but I've been
trying to just get over myself and do the Lord's work. I found a
scripture in D&C 60:2-3 that was, like, the perfect chastisement I
needed,
2 But with some I am not well pleased,
for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I
have given unto them, because of fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them.
3 And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have.
BAMMM.
When I read that, I was like, "Yup. Okay. Got it. I'll stop being
selfish now." Those verses seriously helped so much. Yet, at the same
time, I think it's also that we were in the right place to tract that
day! The Lord placed us there. So, it was honestly easier to open my
mouth. The words just came. I just need to have more faith and stop
fearing man. Because, man can do nothing. God is greater than all. I
also thought of the scripture D&C 122:8, "The Son of Man hath
descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" Are my afflictions
really greater than the Lord's? Honestly? Just because I'm afraid to
talk to people? Come on, Sister Eldridge, get a grip! It's a process,
though. I'll get better each day.
Today, I
went to missionary choir for the upcoming missionary fireside this
weekend. It was wayyy cool and I'm happy to be around music. :) There
was someone playing violin and I was like ahhh I want to play, too! So I
talked to the director and told her I'd be willing to play and she was
THRILLED to find out I have an actual degree, haha. So I'll be playing
at a future fireside. I'm so glad I get to share my talents. Actually, I
got a violin that was in the mission office, but it turns out it's too
small. It's weird, it looks like a full size, but the neck is too short
so it's awkward to play. But, I'll hopefully find another violin. Still
not sure if I want mine sent up here. Maybe. I'm thinking about it. I
dunno, it makes me nervous. We'll see.
I'm not
sure what else to say. I'm learning. I'm growing. I'm being as obedient
as I can. Except, hahaha, yesterday, Sister Loeak thought she set the
alarm, but she didn't and we woke up an hour and a half late to the
phone alarm that goes off to prep us for morning study and we were like,
"WAIT WHAT! NO WAY NOOO!" Hahahaha! It was sooo funny.. We felt bad, of
course, but it honestly wasn't our fault. Don't worry, today we got up
on time! :) Things happen. Hahaha. We just laugh about it, though. We're
super obedient otherwise, though.
Maple
Valley is treating me well. The members here are amazing. We visited a
few yesterday and one of them let me play their baby grande piano.
Yeaaahhh. It made me happy.
When reading your
scriptures, liken them to yourself. No, really. Think about how you can
apply what it's teaching to yourself. And if you're in the war chapters,
look at general themes. Like what happens when people heed the Lord in
their battles and those who don't. Stuff like that.
Well, until next week.
Love,
Sister Eldridge
PS: I BOUGHT STAR WARS GUMMIES. And, yes, I brought that Darth Vader from home...
Also, my mission sweatshirt from the MTC came in the mail! I love it! It says "Federal Way Mission 2016-2017"
And my goofy companion!
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