Faith and Fear

Hey all! :) 

So let's see... this week was certainly interesting. And it definitely did that "missionary time" thing where it feels sooo long, but looking back on it... it was so quick! 

Bucee's...the biggest gas station I've ever seen...the candy 'aisle' is insane.

I wish I could just tell you everything that happened this week... Maybe I'll start photocopying my journal... Just know that I was clawed by a cat, was asked if I was Amish, met a dog named Cosmo that looked exactly like my dog named Cosmo, decided that Texans really like to drive Mustangs and Camaros, visited the biggest gas station to ever be built (it was literally insane... Oh Texas), made blankets for cats because apparently that's a thing, almost froze to death in my apartment because apparently Texas can get cold, found out that black licorice jelly beans make my tongue go numb, and ate dinner at Ty Detmer's house. 

Yes, Mom. Ty Detmer. ;) I wasn't going to say anything, but I guess I will... just for you. :) 

Sister Felix! My Sister Training Leader! She was with me at the Detmer's! :)

For those of you who don't know, Ty Detmer was a quarterback at BYU who won the Heisman and then went on to play in the NFL. I guess he was pretty good or something. ;) Every time I'd go to a BYU football game this fall, my mom would casually mention that Ty Detmer was the quarterback when she was a freshman, and she was so proud of it. So when I just happened to be on exchanges on the exact day that the Detmer family signed up to feed the missionaries in their area... Yeah. I'm not going to go into my reaction. Haha! But it was really cool. He puts his cornbread in his chili, just like me (which means it's totally normal and not something that people should think is weird... :) ). They even fed us pie. It was really neat to listen to his conversion story. He just always had good examples in his life. It really makes me appreciate the great examples I've grown up with in my life. :) (I may also mention that he recognized me later in the week at a stake youth missionary activity. So I guess you could say I'm sort of a big deal. ;) )

My battle wounds from the cat attack... you should see the cat! ;) (no cats were harmed, I promise...)

I'm so excited for Saturday. Why?! Because Alana and Jadon are getting baptized! I love them so much. Alana is a sweet young mother with her 8 year-old son (Jadon) and a 4 month old baby named... Abby! Yep! That's right! She's the cutest thing, but no surprises there. ...Because she's 4 months old... not the name. ;) Jadon is super awesome. He has so many great questions. They're both so great and I can tell they're both so excited! It's so wonderful to watch people take this step closer to Christ and "enter the gate"-so to speak- on their way to eternal life. :) 

Texas...:)

This week I learned more and more that the promises of God will always be fulfilled. Especially the one found in D&C 33:10  "...open your mouths and they shall be filled..." I've definitely come to know that. I used to be silent because I didn't know what to say, but I'm finding more and more that if I'll but open my mouth to speak, even if I don't know what I'm going to say... It comes. And it's amazing. (D&C 84:85)

I was also studying about fear and faith. The relationship is best summed up in Matthew 14 (22-31). Yes, the walking on the water story. When the disciples first see Christ walking on the sea, they get scared and cry out in fear. He "straightway" tells them to "be not afraid". Peter takes that to heart and says "...bid me come unto thee on the water." This amount of faith is rewarded: he gets out of the boat and walks on the water. I like to think that as he is walking, he's keeping his eyes fixed on the Lord. He's demonstrating his faith and walking on water to meet his Master. But then he gets distracted. Peter notices the "boisterous" wind and was afraid. As soon as he is afraid, his faith --which was enabling him to walk on water-- disappears. He begins to sink and cries out for help. Jesus IMMEDIATELY reaches out, but says "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

In this story we see illustrated the simple fact that fear and faith cannot coexist. Where there is any fear, there can be no faith, and where there is any faith, there cannot be fear. Letting fears and doubts become our main focus chases away any faith that we think we may have. Peter had enough faith to walk on water, but as soon as he feared and doubted, he couldn't do it anymore. Let's make sure to not fear. Let faith lead and guide your life. You'll be immensely blessed for it. I know because I've experienced it. Cast any fears, doubts, or burdens you have on the Lord and have full faith in His plan for you. He is always there and He will always help you. Have faith! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! :) 

Love, 

Sister Waite

Howdy Y'all!

(Mom's note: this should have been posted last Monday February 16, 2015)

I've officially been in the field for half a transfer! Texas certainly has been treating me well! And I don't know how y'all will feel about this... but y'all is definitely a thing I say now. Hopefully that's as far as the accent thing goes, though! Haha! :) 

It's always fun for me when people ask how long I've been on a mission. I guess it's mostly the guesses. As soon as I say three weeks, though... No one seems to believe me. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing! Haha! :) 

Sister Gagon and me in our matching Texas t-shirts

Sister Gagon and I got to do some plumbing! She dropped her necklace down the sink and I expertly helped her get it out of the pipes. It was quite the adventure! Don't worry, though. No pipes were harmed and nothing flooded. :) 

Me with our Valentine's Day Candy Stash... :)

I love my area, but we're in downtown Austin, so the stars are few and far between. I loved being able to see the stars on the exchange! Kind of reminded me of home. :) 

We've had a lot of finding opportunities this week, which has been a real learning experience for me. Talking to people has never been my forte (if you don't believe me, ask my mom). But I find that the Lord's promise is true! As we open our mouths to share the gospel, they'll be filled! We'll know what to say and it won't be as hard as we make ourselves believe it will be. 

Sister Best and me on exchanges

We also got to do some teaching! We got to teach Moby outside, because we didn't have another sister with us, but the other set of sister missionaries in our district showed up halfway through the lesson and decided to sneak some pictures. We were teaching Moby about the restoration and just like before, my testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon was strengthened. :) I've actually gotten really comfortable teaching! 

Teaching Moby

I got to give a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday! I'll never get tired of speaking about how important family history work is. There is missionary work going on on both sides of the veil, and we need to do our part to help the work move along on both sides! Who better to help an ancestor take a step closer to Christ than you? 

I've continued in my Book of Mormon study this week, and I'm still loving it! Something I really love about Nephi (because that's where I'm studying) is his commitment to keep the commandments. We know the familiar "I will go and do" verse, but his love for the commandments is even deeper than that. He himself keeps the commandments (because he knows how important they are) and then pleads with his brethren to do the same. However, when they don't, he keeps doing it. We need to follow that example. Keep the commandments and ALWAYS keep them, no matter who else is not. Nephi says "...if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them... (1 Nephi 17:3)" That promise is true! Keeping the commandments of God will bring blessings into our lives. So many that we won't know what to do with them! 

I hope y'all have a great week! :) 

Love, 

Sister Waite

A Day In The Life

Dad told me that waking up at 6:30 would be hard, but he didn't realize that I've been waking up at 6:30 for an 8 o'clock class for the last four months! Haha! We get up, we exercise (or sit and stretch, depending on the morning), we get ready, we eat... All in about an hour! 

Study time is literally my favorite part of the day. A whole hour to study the gospel and learn and grow! I've been taking some time to read the conference talks from October, and I feel like they're totally brand new! I love studying the words of the living prophets. And then from the Book of Mormon! I don't know what it is about being out here, but I feel like I'm reading a brand new book and it's amazing! 

(my study area)

After studies, we go out and serve. It depends on the areas we'll be in and what we've got scheduled, but we're usually pretty busy teaching lessons and helping out less active members. Building the kingdom, as President Slaughter would say. :) 

This week wasn't the most exciting week ever, but it was definitely really great! I really didn't know what I was going to write about today, but then I got a list of questions from my mom... so that's definitely happening. Moms are great, right? :) 

I love my companion! She's so great! I'm really learning a lot from her. I was scared that I'd get a companion that I didn't really have a lot in common with, but the similarities keep popping up in random places! It would take forever to list them all, but she's been really good for me. We agree on how we need to spend our time... mostly because I'm still training! Haha! But I do get some input and it's been a great learning experience! :) 

(It was super cold in our apartment... so we put on extra socks)

Our members are really great. We don't get a meal every day, but it works out, because then we can just eat a quick dinner and have some extra study time! (... Sometimes we take naps... but only sometimes! It's hard work! Haha!) They're really great at coming to lessons with us. Some of them are even working on getting their neighbors ready for missionary visits! :) 

A lot of our referrals are from people requesting copies of the Book of Mormon online. We get a text with their address and then get to go find them and deliver their book! It's really fun. Sometimes you can tell that a friend requested it for them, but people are usually really nice and take it. We've been planting some serious seeds here! :) 

We just got a brand new mission leader, but he's going to be great! I can already tell! He's from Bomont (Where's Bomont? ;) ) We only cover one ward, but it's a pretty big ward. Lots of work to do! :) 

There's a building that does this (a longhorn) with their windows every night...

 it's actually pretty cool! :) 

This week I got to re-read President Uchtdorf's talk entitled "Living the Gospel Joyful" from last October. And I loved it. The commandments are a blessing. They're not for our Heavenly Father, they're for us. To help guide us back to Him. Our Heavenly Father loves you. And that will never change. Always remember that! 

If you haven't read it, give it a read! Living the Gospel Joyful

The gospel is true! What else can I say? 

Have a great week! :) 

Sister Waite

PS I forgot to mention that Sister Gagon and I and two other sisters helped a family of potential investigators move into their apartment this week. We were only able to get a few men from our ward to help, and they had to leave before we got most of the heavy stuff up the stairs to their second story apartment. So the sisters and I got to carry a couch and other heavy things up the stairs. But we're super tough, so it was nothing. ;) We're hoping to be able to go back and begin teaching them soon! :) 

Testimony

In an effort to write a more organized email and know exactly what I wanted to say and all that, I wrote a list of bullet points to share. Of course, being who I am, I seem to have left the list at home... Haha! Well, maybe I'll remember next week! :)

This week has been pretty great. We went and played chair soccer with our zone last P-day, and may I just say... I totally won. It's a little complicated to explain, but just picture me totally dominating and that's all you need to know. Haha! (It was actually an accident.) I also got my first package from home filled with green goodies and it was literally my favorite thing. Now I have a "greenie" shelf in the pantry! :)

This week was filled with more and more testimony building experiences. I get to testify daily that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God and through him we have the restored gospel. I get to feel the Spirit so strongly every day and I just know it's true. We had a lesson turn sour on us one night. The man kept asking "How do you know? How do you know it wasn't made up?" He wouldn't relent. We taught him everything we could to help him understand how to know for himself. Pretty soon it was obvious that he just wanted to argue with us. So I did the only thing I knew how to do. I testified. With all my heart. (I may have even teared up a little, but that's a secret.) I don't know how much I was able to help his faith grow that day, but I do know that mine grew 10x stronger. The First Vision is something that has always been very close to my heart, and hearing myself teach that truth to people every day is something I wouldn't trade for the world. 

And then something super special happened! :D Elder Russell M. Nelson came and spoke to all the missionaries in our mission! All 254 of us! We got to drive down to San Antonio and listen to an Apostle of the Lord give us counsel and it was one of my favorite experiences ever. Growing up I would watch General Conference and think that if I could just shake hands with an Apostle I would know for sure that they are called of God. It was always something I really wanted to do. So when President Slaughter walked in early and told everyone that Elder Nelson had asked for time to shake every missionary's hand, I almost died. I had thought he would be in a hurry! All I could think about as I moved up the line was that I was finally going to have that one testimony-clinching experience, but as I got to the front... I looked into Elder Nelson's eyes... And shook his hand. That was it. There wasn't a choir. There wasn't a light from above, and I certainly wasn't struck by lightning. But I realized something as he said "Well hello, Sister Waite. Thank you for what you're doing.": Testimony isn't a one time thing. I had been building my testimony my entire life. I already knew that Elder Nelson and the other members of the Quorum, as well as the First Presidency, are men of God. While meeting and greeting an Apostle is certainly something that I'll never forget, I think what I'll remember even more is that a testimony isn't built all at once. Even when Joseph Smith experienced the First Vision, he wasn't just waiting for something miraculous to happen and answer his question. No. He was studying and seeking and went into the grove knowing that he would get an answer from God. I'm sure he certainly didn't expect the answer he got, but he knew he'd receive one. He already had that testimony. And that's what I had, too. 

I hope you all had a great week! Keep building your testimony! Remember it's a process! 

-Sister Waite