Gifts

Dear all, 

I hope you had a very merry Christmas! It was wonderful down here in Texas, and 80 degrees! Can't complain about that! We saw many miracles and found so many people who want to learn more about the gospel! Christmas really is a time of miracles! 

#ASaviorisborn

The opportunity to speak with my family was the greatest gift of all! To see that Dad is still stubborn about his beard, Mom is still finding joy all around her, Jacob is still preparing for a mission of his own, Lydia is still working hard at all she does, Rachel is still as wonderful as ever, Betsy is still as funny as she was a year ago, and Esther is still just as cute was a huge blessing! Words cannot describe how much I love them and how much I've come to appreciate them as I've come to understand the gospel more and more.

As I pondered about the gift (the ETERNAL gift) I've been given in my family, I was overcome by much gratitude. I felt much like the wise men must have felt when they finally found the Christ child. Matthew tells us that they were filled with exceeding great joy and fell down and worshipped Him (see Matthew 1:10-11). They had also come with gifts; even gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I was left to think about what I could offer our Redeemer in return.

My thoughts turned to a verse in Omni, written by a prophet we know little about. He says: 

"And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."

I do not have much gold to offer my Savior. I don't own any frankincense, and I hardly even know what myrrh is. I do not have many material things that I could offer the Child in gratitude for the tremendous blessings He has given me. But I can offer Him my soul, my very being. I can serve Him with my whole heart, might, mind, and strength. 

Isn't that all He asks for anyway? 

Love, 

Sister Waite

The True Meaning of Christmas

Dear all, 

What a wonderful week! We are seeing MIRACLES! It's so incredible! The Christmas season has always been my favorite. In fact, I've been thinking about really celebrating Christmas this year. With the business of missionary work, there is no time to sit down and watch a Christmas movie. We don't have many decorations. If we listen to Christmas music, it's the same 5 hymns over and over again. There aren't many gifts under our tiny tree, and I can safely say that we won't be baking any Christmas cookies this year. It's not a 'normal' Christmas. But I love it! Celebrating in this way has helped me reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. 

Sister Gagon (my trainer) and I matched one last time!

Christmas is much more than a Babe being born in Bethlehem. It goes back much farther than that, even to before this world began. The Father knew that we would need help in returning to Him, so He presented a plan. He sent His Son to die for us, then rise with living breath! God so loved us that He sent His Son (John 3:16). This has been the plan all along! We accepted this plan before we came here! We knew of it when we saw our first parents cast out of their garden paradise and we know of it now! 

 In this April's General Conference, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: "In our increasingly secular society, it is as uncommon as it is unfashionable to speak of Adam and Eve or the Garden of Eden or of a “fortunate fall” into mortality. Nevertheless, the simple truth is that we cannot fully comprehend the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ and we will not adequately appreciate the unique purpose of His birth or His death--in other words, there is no way to truly celebrate Christmas or Easter--without understanding that there was an actual Adam and Eve who fell from an actual Eden, with all the consequences that fall carried with it." 

This year, as I have learned more of the Creation and the Fall, I have come to understand as never before our need for the Atonement. Without the Atonement, all is pointless and lost. Without the Savior, without the Father's plan, we are lost. A Savior was born so that we may return to our Father. Unto us a child is given! 

*******

The marquee in San Antonio

This week, the Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon" opened in the Majestic theatre in downtown San Antonio. Sister Johnson and I had the privilege of handing out flyers to people as they went in to see the show. When the assistants called us on Friday night, I do have to admit that I panicked a bit. I figured it would be like the Alamo on the first day in the mission field... and I was right. But it was so much better this time around! The growth I can see in myself is incredible to me. One year ago, I was terrified to open my mouth about the Book of Mormon, but this week... I wasn't! It was so exciting! I spent my personal study poring over Preach My Gospel and other words of the prophets, finding how they would introduce the Book of Mormon. I felt like I had quite the impressive list of lines to use to spark interest in the Book of Mormon. However, I didn't get to use any of them. I was disappointed at first, but then I realized that I had had the opportunity to strengthen my own testimony of the Book of Mormon. Not to mention, I was able to use some of those lines later while contacting referrals. What a blessing! 

Aaaand.. the flyer we handed out!

If I had had the opportunity to say more than "Enjoy your night!" and "Merry Christmas!" to those people rushing to see the performance, I would have said something like this: "The Book of Mormon is more than a musical, it is powerful evidence that God loves all of His children. It is evidence that God has again called prophets to lead His children in righteousness. It has brought me peace and joy, and that same peace and joy is available to you as you read, ponder, and pray about the truths contained in the Book of Mormon." I love the Book of Mormon! 

********

I love this mission. I love the gospel. I love the Lord. I love you all! 

Have a very wonderful Christmas! Especially as you reflect on it's true meaning. 

Love, 

Sister Waite

The Mighty TSAM

Sisters Waite and Johnson - Merry Christmas!

Sister Waite and her trainer, Sister Gagon

Dear all,

What a privilege to have been fed by one of the Lord's special witnesses this last week! I learned so much! One of the biggest things that I took away was how important our missionary purpose truly is! We are here to boldy invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. In this mission, we baptize and retain. I have been called through a Prophet of God to serve in the Texas San Antonio Mission. I am here to baptize and retain. Everything I do must be focused on that purpose. EVERYTHING, including exercise and eating. I had never thought about it like that before. 

I think this meant so much to me, because I've never really had an answer when people ask "Why did you choose to serve a mission?" or "Why are you here?" That question used to make me squirm inside. I would think, "Well... One day I decided that a mission would be good... so I met with my bishop and called my parents... and then I reported to the MTC when they told me to." I never had an overpowering, awe-inspiring experience. I simply decided to serve. For that reason, I've always felt uncomfortable answering that question because I felt like I needed an incredible answer. But now I have an answer: I am here to accomplish my purpose. I am here because I was called of God through a prophet to serve. I am here because I love the Lord. I am here because I am needed. The Lord knew who He was calling, and where He was calling her to. He knows why I am here, and now I do as well. 

Another thing that stood out to me was how many times Elder Pino would tell us that we have a good mission. Every time he said it was so sincere and he would always say, "I would not lie about that!" What really got me thinking about it was when he told us that when he first received his assignment to visit us, someone ELSE told him that he would be visiting one of the greatest missions in the world. I remember when President Russell M. Nelson, Elder David F. Evans, and Elder Stephen B. Allen said much the same thing. I remember feeling like we had just beat Round Valley or something, if that makes any sense. But this time, instead of feeling competitive or proud about it, I asked myself: "What is it about the TSAM that makes visitors- people who have never served here- say it is one of the greatest missions in the world?" 

As I asked myself that question, I reflected on the Articles of Faith. When asked to describe the Church and what made it different and so great, the Prophet Joseph wrote 13 short statements about our beliefs. My thoughts also took such a form as I pondered on why the TSAM is different and so great: 

1. We love the Lord. We seek to please Him first in all that we do. We know and trust in His promises. We strive to make His will our own.  
2. We love and follow our leaders with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. We recognize them as servants called of God through His prophet on the earth today. 
3. We recognize our sacred responsibility. We take ownership and assume responsibility for our stewardship. We know that God uses us to gather scattered Israel. We understand who we are and act accordingly. 
4. We have the blood of the Restoration flowing in our veins. In all things, we refer quickly and simply to the Restoration. We know and love the Book of Mormon, the tool of the gathering of Israel. We recognize it as evidence that the Prophet Joseph Smith was the instrument God used to restore the true gospel and Church of Jesus Christ to the earth. 
5. We have an immovable testimony built on the solid bedrock of truth. We rely on personal revelation, the scriptures, teachings of modern prophets, and Preach My Gospel. We believe the scriptures. 
6. We understand agency: an essential gift given to us by our Heavenly Father. We know that we must use it and ACT, instead of be acted UPON. There is power to being an agent of the Lord, as opposed to only an instrument. We choose to obey and do all we can to accomplish our noble task. There are no bad days, no bad areas, and no bad companions. 
7. We are purpose driven; all that we do is done with our purpose in mind. We are urgent. We move forward with unshaken faith to accomplish that purpose. The reason we are here is the same as our purpose. We baptize and retain. 
8. We follow the unwritten order. We draw upon observation, revelation, and experience to know the proper order of all things.  
9. We are quick to observe and quick to remember. God does not work in trends, and neither do we. We are quick to learn what we can do better and strive to apply it always, not only for a short time. 
10. We are part of the solution; we are not the problem. We do not let others do our homework for us. We are constantly seeking revelation and solutions for ourselves, instead of relying on others to solve our problems for us.  
11. We are focused outward and do all we can to follow the Savior's admonition: "Feed my sheep." We recognize the attributes we are developing and the things we are learning are not only for now, but for always. They will always help us to serve God and serve others.  
12. We have a deep sense of collective foreordination. We respect the sacred nature of EVERYONE'S calling. We love our mission, and encourage others to love their missions. We recognize that we have all been called to serve in the same work: the work of salvation!  
13. We are all in, all the time.  
14. WE ARE THE TSAM. 

It is an honor to have been called of Jesus Christ through inspiration to serve in the Texas San Antonio Mission of the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will keep my purpose at the forefront of my mind as I do the Lord's work in His way and by His power. 

I will stand for truth and return with honor. 

I love you all. Have another incredible week as Christmas approaches! 

With love the size of Texas,

Sister Waite

Becoming

Dear all! :) 

This week has been yet another wonderful one! My vision of practically EVERYTHING has risen and expanded. It has been quite the memorable journey and I am excited to see it continue. 

There's so much to talk about, but I'll start with Sister Moorman! (Yes... it's pronounced like Mormon. It's too perfect! Haha!) She's incredible! She tells us every time she sees us that she can feel the truth in her heart. I love her so much! When we invited her to be baptized, she didn't even let us get the words out of our mouths before she shouted "YES!" Amazing!

Mom sent us a Christmas tree and we got it all decorated. It's the cutest thing ever :)

We also had another lesson with the man from last week's letter. It was an incredible experience. I knew it was coming, so all week I prayed and studied and hoped and it paid off! I was prepared to receive every single one of his questions and there was more than one pause while he tried to figure out how to prove us wrong. He just couldn't do it! I could feel the Spirit leading me to what scriptures to use and what to do. Just amazing.  Funny thing was, though, that he told us that love is the greatest motive of all. Go figure! Haha! I may or may not have had to fake a coughing episode to hide the giggles that him telling us that brought on. I guess he just needed a week to let it sink in. :) 

I had the opportunity to attend MLC (Mission Leadership Council) and it was a life-changing experience. I don't know that I have room or time to really explain all the revelation I received, but it was incredible. The fire and Spirit in that room was almost tangible. I felt like I could reach out and literally touch it. I left that room wanting to share that vision with EVERYONE that I met: investigators, contacts, members, and other missionaries. How great is my opportunity as a historian to catch that vision and record it so that anyone can feel it? It's incredible. 

I've been thinking a lot about what helped me catch the vision of the mission when I was a "younger" missionary. (I still have a whole month before anyone can call me old!) I can still remember the day when Sister Montclair showed me the "Qualities of a TSAMer" list and we talked about each one. I took that list and every day following I would pick a quality and find scriptures to support it. That was when I first saw the higher vision for missionaries and when I first began to realize that this is much bigger than 18 months. I still continually ask "What lack I yet?", especially relating to the Qualities of a TSAMer. It is always a humbling experience, but I'm excited to continue working on those things and become better and more of who my Father sees me becoming. 

I am excited to be trained by Elder Rafael E. Pino of the Seventy this week. It's going to be an amazing experience. We have been praying and preparing as a mission and it's sure to be incredible.

Isn't everything about the gospel incredible, though? 

Love, 

Sister Waite

P.S. If you would like a copy of that list, I'd be happy to send you one! Have a wonderful Christmas season! IT'S HERE! :D