How Great Reason I have to Rejoice!

Dear all, 

I could say that nothing spectacular happened this week, but that wouldn't be true! Something spectacular happens every hour of every day!

Rain! All day Saturday it rained - Thanks hurricane Patricia!
(Abbie said it was so fun and she loved it!)

The life of a missionary is an incredible one. The work in this area of the field is booming. We are working with members like I never have before and seeing the fruits of it. We are working harder than ever to use our time effectively and make the most of the time we have to work here. The love that I have come to feel for the people here is without measure. People are coming out of the woodwork, just waiting for the restored gospel to bless their lives. 

I can't write of everything that happened this week, but I have some bullet points: 

• An investigator's teenage son who had never joined us for a lesson finally sat in with us and expressed so much interest! He asked about youth groups that are available, and accepted his own copy of the Book of Mormon. With him joining us, we now have the entire family on track for baptism! ¡Que milagro!
• We had a special sisters' study this week and it was incredible. The things that you can learn from the Spirit if you are prepared are endless! 
• An investigator we haven't been able to see for a couple of weeks accepted our invitation to the ward Trunk or Treat and showed up just in time to eat a potato and help clean up... but HE CAME! 
• It rained ALL DAY on Saturday and that made for quite the adventure! I just love the rain! And traffic was basically nonexistent, which was pretty nice. ;) 
• We gave a church tour to a new investigator and he agreed to be baptized next month! November 21! 
• I learned so much on an exchange with Sister Snyder! Some people just know how to lead. I just love her! 

No list of bullet points can adequately describe this week, but I hope that gives you a good taste. 

This week, I fell in love with the Book of Mormon all over again. As I've had the opportunity to really study and teach from it, I have learned SO MUCH. The Book of Mormon truly is an evidence of our Heavenly Father's love for us, and I can feel that love every time I open its pages. 

I don't know if I've already done this, and if I have, you'll have to excuse me. I re-read my favorite chapter of the Book of Mormon this morning, and I'd like to paraphrase it for you. Give you a little look into the mind of Sister Waite: 

Alma 26: 

1: My brothers and sisters, behold I say unto you, how great reason have I to rejoice; for could I have supposed when I started from the land of Arizona that God would have granted unto me such great blessings?

2 And now, I ask, what great blessings has He bestowed upon me? Can ye tell?

3 Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon me, that I have been made an instrument in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

4 Behold they do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God...

8 Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to His praise, yea, let us give thanks to His holy name, for He doth work righteousness forever.

9 For if I had not come up out of the land of Arizona, these our dearly beloved brethren, who have so dearly beloved me, would still have been strangers to God...

 11 I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in His strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise His name forever.

 13 Behold, how many of our brethren has He loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of His word which is in me, therefore have I not great reason to rejoice?

 14 Yea, I have reason to praise him forever, for He is the Most High God, and has loosed our brethren from the chains of hell.

 15 Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, He has brought them into His everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of His love; yea, and I have been an instrument in His hands of doing this great and marvelous work.

 16 Therefore, let me glory, yea, I will glory in the Lord; yea, I will rejoice, for my joy is full; yea, I will praise my God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of His great power, and of His mercy, and of His long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel...

 27 Now when my heart was depressed, and I was about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted me, and said: Go amongst thy brethren and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

 31 Now behold, I can look forth and see the fruits of my labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us...

 35 Now have I not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never was anyone that had so great reason to rejoice as I, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for He has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; He comprehendeth all things, and He is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on His name.

 36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people...

 37 Now my brothers and sisters, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, He numbereth His people, and His bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. 

May we all realize the great reason have we to rejoice! 

Love, 

Sister Waite

Where are you Camping?

Dear all,

This week has been incredible. I feel like it's been 1000 weeks pressed into one. I don't have a whole lot to say, but my heart is so full of joy!

Brother Walker was baptized and confirmed this week and it was incredible. His testimony was so sweet: "This is real. This is true. This is just. This is right." I can't believe the change I've seen in Brother Walker. The atonement and love of God are so real!

Brother Walker's baptism

This week, I learned that sometimes the Spirit prompts us to do or say something and we may not know the reason why. We encountered a very vocal atheist man yesterday. The contention he was trying to stir up was almost tangible, especially after he found out that we were the "Mormon missionaries". All I could think was "DIFFUSE! DIFFUSE! DIFFUSE!" and then a strange second thought "Salt!" I tried to think of some way that we could politely leave the situation, but the only thing I could think was "Ask him if he's ever tasted salt." I didn't think that would do much to diffuse the contention, so I ignored it. But I felt as though someone was shouting it at me. So I did it. I asked him to describe the taste of salt. And it was much like President Packer's experience (January 1983 Ensign, The Candle of the Lord) when he asked an atheist to describe the taste of salt. He couldn't do it... and that made him even more angry. He kept spouting words at us and then finally got so fed up that he said "It's been charming," and walked away. The only reason that I can think of that I would be prompted to ask something that made the anger worse was that he wouldn't have let us leave; it had to be him. I may never really know. But I've learned that it's okay to never know. (As a result of this experience, I also learned that it is indeed possible for me to be still when someone ridicules the gospel that is near and dear to me, instead of crying or wanting to shout at them. Just to be still. Which is hard to believe, really. But really neat, too!)

I surely love the Texas San Antonio Mission. I know that this is where I am supposed to be. I love Texas so much. It's much like the Waters of Mormon to the people of Alma (Mosiah 18:30).

Bishop Aldridge said something yesterday that really struck me. He was telling a story about taking scouts camping. He told us that their usual place was the soft, level grass of a baseball field, but they didn't feel like they were helping the scouts learn what they needed to, so they decided that instead of going back to the baseball field, they'd go camping in the woods, without even a car in sight. He told us that it was definitely harder, and not nearly as comfortable, but the scouts learned skills and leadership qualities that they wouldn't have learned otherwise. He said "What if we had only camped on the soft grass of the baseball field?" He went on: "What are you doing to make your life extraordinary? Are there goals? Are there plans?" Are you learning the things that you need to, or are you camping on the soft grass of the baseball field? There's no growth in a comfort zone, and there's no comfort in a growth zone.

May we all decide to stop camping on the baseball field! (That's not what they're for anyway!)
Love,
Sister Waite

He Knows

Dear all, 

To quote my journal: "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." 

I feel like that adequately summarizes the week. But in a good way! :D 

That quote happens to be from Tuesday... the day that a man we've been working with for almost four months, Brother Walker, texted us and said that he loved conference... and felt like he needed to be baptized!! ... Which was incredible because he was always super noncommittal about it. And he wanted to be baptized on Saturday!! ... Which couldn't happen because there were some things we needed to go over... He's changed and grown so much!!! And I'm just so excited for him! :) So this Saturday is the day! :D

We had Panda Express on Wednesday (my hump day) because that's how you celebrate things! :)

I continue to love this work. And I love my companion. And I love the people. There's just a lot of love in my heart! I can hardly imagine how much more there will be in another nine months! I don't know that it'll all fit! 

*****************************************

The miracle of the Atonement is real! Christ lives, and He knows how to succor us! The Lord knows what we need! 

This week, we visited with a woman we'd been teaching for as long as I've been in this area, but hadn't heard from in a while. We knocked on her door when we were in her area, and she answered with her arm in a sling and a tired look in her eye. She invited us in, but I wasn't entirely sure what we were going to say. Nothing we had planned seemed to be what she needed. I prayed that I would be able to recognize promptings and help Heavenly Father lift His daughter. She sat down and began to tell us all that had been going on in her life. I listened, still not knowing where to go. But then a video that I hadn't seen in a while popped into my head. So I pulled it up, and we watched it. About halfway through, she said, through tears, "I feel the Holy Spirit so strong right now!" It was all I could do not to cry! 

Heavenly Father knew what He wanted His daughter to hear; He knows all of His children. He knows exactly what you and I need and He will give it to us! We just need to be willing to accept it. 

Our Father knows all of us. He loves us all individually. Remember that. 

Love, 

Sister Waite

Not Another Conference Email From a Missionary

Dear all, 

Yet another incredible week here in Texas! Transfer week is always full of miracles! Since Thursday, we've taught 10 lessons, set two people with baptism dates, and met so many other wonderfully prepared people! 

Of course, with transfers comes change. I am still here in the Miracletown area, but dear Sister Risenmay was transferred to San Antonio. Sad day! But I've received a new companion! ... Okay, a mostly new companion! Sister Harrison! The same Sister Harrison who was my companion in the MTC! She's incredible and I look to her so much! I can already tell that this is going to be an incredible transfer! 

Also, I may have lied a little. This is definitely another conference email from a missionary. I'm sure you've received so many emails, seen so many posts, and had many, many discussions about General Conference already, so one more won't hurt! Haha! My heart is full to the brim with joy! All my prayers and questions were answered and I can hardly keep from singing! 

Here are some of my 'highlights' taken straight from my notes:

* "Exaltation is the goal, discipleship is the journey."

* "We don't need to be more of anything to become who God will make us."

* "Hold tight and sail on."

* "It will all work out."

* "Will I love Christ more than I love myself?"

* "Shipshape and Bristol fashion"

* "Never deliberately fly into a thunderstorm."

* "Only your resolve to be obedient can change your life."

* "As you come to yourself, Heavenly Father will come to you."

* "Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are."

* "Rely on the Savior."

* "We will stand out because we are different."

* "Nothing we can do will change His love."

* "The Atonement is central to everything."

* "The Lord has called you for what He needs to do through you, and it will only happen if you do it His way."

* "We need you to speak up and speak out... Step forward, take your place, fulfill prophecy."

* "Only through the Holy Ghost can we see people and events as God sees them."

* "God's ultimate purpose is our progress."

* "Don't be too critical of the barrier, it's the only thing keeping you from being devoured."

* "You want me to wear my seatbelt because you love me!"

* "Truly these men are called of God by prophecy."

I testify that the Lord Jesus Christ leads and guides us today through living prophets and apostles. As I listened to and saw these men bear witness of the Savior and of the Father's great gospel and Plan, the Spirit bore witness to me that our leaders are indeed called of God. 

It was especially affirmed as I watched the President of the Church and Prophet of God stand and speak to us, despite the difficulty of his age. I felt the love our Father has for President Monson as I watched him courageously struggle and all I wanted to do was leap through the screen and support him as he addressed us. 

Elder David B. Haight said:

"When we sustain the President of the Church by our uplifted hand, it not only signifies that we acknowledge before God that he is the rightful possessor of all the priesthood keys; it also means that we covenant with God that we will abide by the direction and the counsel that come through His prophet. It is a solemn covenant."

I have sustained President Thomas S. Monson with all my heart. I have covenanted to heed his counsel, to love, and to support him. He is a man chosen by God to lead and love us today. 

"President Monson has taught us the way to live our lives with his wonderful and inspiring messages at general conference. He has taught us how to be followers of Jesus Christ by his remarkable and wonderful personal example. Truly the Lord has given us a pattern in all things, and one of the patterns we should seek to follow is that of our beloved prophet.

I testify that there is a God in heaven who knows us and loves us. He has given us a prophet--to guide us, to teach us, and to lead us in these latter days. I believe the Lord expects us to love the prophet, to sustain him, and to follow his example.

I count it a great blessing to live in the day when Thomas S. Monson is the Lord’s prophet. As we follow him and try to be more like him, we will inevitably succeed in being more faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ."

-Elder William R. Walker

How blessed we truly are! May we all remember and apply the things we learned this conference! 

Love,

Sister Waite