Hi!!!! How are you doing? This whole week has been a roller coaster. This was our first week in Manhattan Beach and to start it of our leaders in the Zone wished us the best of luck knowing fully well the stereotype that Manhattan Beach is a rich place with tonnes of wealthy people. Sister Matheson and I are really learning to exercise our Faith a lot! One Morning we got out the door with 2 hours to spend talking to people and trying to contact people. We set a goal to talk to at least 5 people and then we decided to stretch it and have a goal of 8. We said a prayer and talked to almost everyone we saw even though people were on the go not alot of people were outside, We came back to our apartment having had 10 meaningful Gospel Conversations. It was really a great feeling! To set those goals and exercise Faith and really talk to Everyone and see how the Lord truly does consecrate our efforts and help us accomplish his purposes.
Something I've been thinking about a lot lately is a quote from Preach My Gospel that says: "Goals reflect the desires of our hearts" it's so true! When we set goals we are telling Heavenly Father that this is what we want to accomplish, this is the desires of our hearts and as we make plans and do all we can to reach those goals we are exercising Faith and we allow the Lord to work miracles through us. I feel like setting goals was never really something I've been really good at as I've always felt like I'll just do my best and whatever happens happens. I feel like learning the importance of setting goals and doing all we can to achieve them and trusting that the Lord will help and provide for us as we act has really helped me to exercise and strengthen my Faith and really come to learn that when we set goals that stretch us we can truly fulfill and become our true potential and not live below that. I love this quote from Elder Ballard and wanted to share it with you:)
“I am so thoroughly convinced
that if we don’t set goals in our
life and learn how to master the
techniques of living to reach our
goals, we can reach a ripe old age
and look back on our life only to
see that we reached but a small
part of our full potential. When
one learns to master the
principles of setting a goal, he
will then be able to make a great difference
in the results he attains in this life"
I know that God lives. Sometimes I just feel him soo close to me I don't want to lose him near me and I can also clearly recognize those times that I feel so far away from him. It's usually when worldly things start coming to my mind. Today we were at the Laundry Mat and while waiting for our Laundry to be done Sister Matheson and I went to the Clothing Store next door just to window shop and it was all great but the Music was loud and it was one of the songs I would listen to before my Mission. it was soo hard and strikingly lulling. of that makes sense. I could just feel myself drifting away in my thoughts to my old self and the things I used to like and do. Wow! that really was a little scary to think of how much impact music has on me. I told my companion that I didn't really want to be there anymore. She was so great even though she still wanted to look around she helped me and decided to come out as well. Wow I really don't want to go back to the old me. That music just took my mind back to how I used to feel before and it wasn't good because I knew that I couldn't really feel the spirit as clear while I was in there.Wow the struggle is real.
Besides all that this week we had a great Miracle happen. Our first night here in Manhattan Beach we received a referral from the Korean Elders for a woman named Reshmi. They had just been knocking on doors and came across her and she lives in our area! They set a return appointment for Sunday but the next day (Wednesday) we felt prompted to contact her anyway so we went to her home. We got to meet her and guess what?!?! she's Indian and is from Fiji!!! Wow! that was such a miracle. She's Christian and it turns out that last year when I was here in Manhattan Beach we had had Family Home Evening with one of our Members the Clark Family and they had invited their neighbor over we got to meet them and found out that their neighbor's wife was from Fiji as well:) This neighbor was actually Reshmi's daughter they live right down the block. It was so great to see the Lord's hand in all things. I pondered alot about all of this as we came back and I was just amazed at how the Lord works truly through small and simple things and even small and simple invitations. On Saturday night my companion and I again felt prompted to go by Reshmi's home and invite them to church. We went by and her husband was home. His name was Deo and he was reading the Bible and had already marked up the pamphlet we had left with his wife. We talked a little with him and he speaks Fluent Fijian so that was pretty cool:) We had great laughs with them all and invited them to church. Sunday came and as we waited no one came as church was starting but as we looked out the door we just from the corner of my eye this Indian man walking in! It was Deo! He came to church!!! and he stayed for all 3 hours! WOW!!!! We were SUPER Happy! he was happy to be there as well. He slowly took everything in and during Sunday School he gave really good insights. He sounds like a born again Christian and is very passionate about it especially with the fact that Bible is the only word of God. That night at 7pm we went by his home with one of our Members Brother George and that lesson was a little crazy as Deo just knew alot! about the Bible and wasn't really accepting the fact the god calls Prophets today. My Companion and I did a lot! of praying during that lesson and tonight we will be seeing them again for dinner. Please Pray for Deo and his family that their hearts will be softened.
This week another Miracle we had was that on Saturday night while my companion and I were out trying to visit people, we didn't really have much time and weren't really sure who else we could visit as it was getting late and the people we had planned for weren't really there. We said a prayer in the car and as we prayed the name Brian came to my mind. I tried to ignore it because I didn't know who Brian was but it kept coming to my mind so I told my Sister Matheson about it and we looked in our area Book to see if there was a Brian that lived nearby. We looked and the only Brian we saw was Brain George a member who's super active and lives with his wife and kids just a couple of blocks away. Sister Matheson and I were both a little scared to go by and see them at that time of the night knowing that they had little kids and that it was getting late. I prayed really hard to know if this was what Heavenly Father wanted us to do and I just felt so comforted knowing that if it's good it's from God and I really just wanted to follow every prompting the Lord would trust me with. So we went by anyways and as we knocked no one came. Sister Matheson and I stood out there waiting patiently and still a little scared. On the 3rd knock the door opened and it was their Babysitter at the door! her name was Chelsea and I had recognized her because I got to meet her last year when I was here. She explained that she was home with the kids and that their Parents were out. We talked with her about why we were there and that we felt prompted to come. We shared our role as Missionaries and she expressed how she's been super busy lately with work and school and especially that her Mom was sick and had been in the hospital for almost a week now, We shared God's love for her and her family and how he had a plan for her. We prayed with her at the door and she expressed how grateful she was that we come by and how she just felt so much better now. As we said our goodbyes and walked away I just felt so much love and Gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father who truly does care about us. I was so grateful that he not only gave me that prompting through the Holy Ghost but also that he helped me to have the courage to follow that prompting as scary as it was, I am grateful for Sister Matheson and her willingness to help me with that!
I am so grateful to be back here in Manhattan Beach! I know it's not as easy as other areas I've been in but I also know and feel that there are truly people here who are ready to receive the Restored Gospel with Joy. I know that God lives. I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost. I know that truly this is the Lord's work and I am truly nothing without his spirit. I can truly testify that with the Holy Ghost leading us and magnifying our calling the Lord can do miracles through us to bless his children. I love this quote from President Weidman: "This work has little to do with us and more to do with how you and I respond to the promptings of the Holy Ghost" I know this is soo true!
I Love you so much Sister Matheson loves corned beef! I think I got her converted to Corned Beef :)
I Love you!!!!!
