Yesterday we had Elder Gavarret of the Seventy come visit our mission! It was so cool to have him there and listen to his training to us. Elder Gavarret is from Uruguay so his accent is super thick and honestly hard to understand sometimes. But it was so cool because during his training, it was so easy to understand everything that he was saying. I have been studying spiritual gifts a lot recently and it reminded me of something I recently read in the Gospel Principles book. Under the Gift of Interpretation of Tongues it shares a story of how Pres. David O. McKay had to speak to the people in New Zealand in Dutch. He decided to speak in English and promised that they would be able to understand what he was saying without an interpreter and IT TOTALLY WORKED. I feel like that seriously happened with Elder Gavarret. The spirit just totally took over and I understood everything he was saying, despite his insanely thick accent. It's also so cool to see how God calls people who feel inadequate to do His work. Elder Gavarret has to speak to people in English all of the time and he mentioned how it kinda low-key freaks him out. But God has this work for him to do and he does it so well.
So recently I've just been having this question nagging on me about what I can do to be a better missionary. It's just been in the back of my head a lot and I've been trying to think of ways I can be better. Yesterday during our Zone Conference, our Mission President got up to give his training and started off by saying that this entire week he had no idea what he wanted to talk to us about until 4:30am yesterday morning. He had 2 questions come to his mind, "How can I be a better companion, and HOW CAN I BE A BETTER MISSIONARY." It was probably the most direct answer I have ever received in my entire life. I LOVE how inspired my Mission President is and seriously, the love I have for him and his wife is unreal. I LOVE personal revelation and the way that God can use others to answer our questions. Seriously, neatest experience. I'm dang grateful for worthy leaders so that they can be so in tune with the spirit.
It's getting HOT over here. It's starting to get real humid and super high in the 90's but I'm actually seriously loving the humidity. Everyone complains about it but I think it feels GOOD. God's probably just helping me out. I've heard July is horrific though sooo probably going to be saying lots of prayers but it's fine.
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT- I've been studying Alma chapter 5 a lot lately and I really like the questions that are asked throughout the chapter, specifically verse 14, "And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?" I think this is why I've been asking how I can be better, because I truly want God's image in my countenance. I think it's so cool that each of us has the chance to receive His image. And seriously, the way we do it is by being obedient.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson asked, "How can you make the Gospel of Jesus Christ not just an influence in your life but the controlling influence and, indeed, the very core of what you are?"
LOVE YOU xoxo,
Sister Beal
pic 1: Exchanges with one of my cute STL's
pic 2: DOLE WHIPS WHAT.
pic 3: the love I have for these 2 states is enormous so I made these cute, random cards lol