here's a sugar-free email, we're getting into the reals
Someone draw a checkbox for me and check it off that MISSIONS ARE HARD. This week has been full of feeling unsuccessful. It has been so hard to find new people to start teaching and it's hard to find people who will progress. By Thursday night we hadn't found a single new & we knew that there would be no one at church. Literally, the most frustrating part of missionary work is having the strongest desire to teach but feeling like you have nobody who's willing to sincerely and intently listen. It's frustrating to work hard every single day and give our all but have to patiently wait for the blessings to follow through.
Something I realized after feeling this way was that missionary work is simply practice on becoming more like the Savior and through practice we become better & better.
Friday morning we set a list of goals we wanted to accomplish and let Heavenly Father know what was up and since that day, we have seen a HANDFUL of miracles. At church on Sunday we had one of those "only in the district video" kinds of moment- we walked in after ward council and saw this man in jeans sitting next to a member. We had 2 min until sacrament meeting started but knew we needed to introduce ourselves. Lo and behold, he's a non-member and that was his first time at church. The member he was sitting with randomly brought him and gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon, which he's been reading! We're meeting with him again next week and I know we don't know him hardly at all right now, but Sister Poulos and I feel SO strongly that this man was very much placed in our path and needs the gospel now. We miraculously had 3 additional people we are teaching come to church when we thought we would have no one. After church we had dinner at a members home and got a list of 7+ people they think we could start teaching!
I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who IMMEDIATELY blesses us when we involve Him in our lives and do all we can to align our will with His. I'm grateful for the miracles I witness everyday, no matter how big or small, they're always there. If there's one thing I've learned from my mission, it is that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of His children and will instantly bless us when we choose what is right.
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT- "Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it." I have unintentionally come across this verse 5 different times in the past 2 days. I know that when serving God becomes our top priority, we find ourselves as who we are and who we can become. I know that we choose joy the second we choose Jesus Christ. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ transforms us and makes our life superior.
I love this gospel and am grateful for the COUNTLESS things I am learning.
all my love + some more,
sister beal
pic 1: exchanges w sis ekblad
pic 2: exchanges w sis hoggan- from eagle, id
pic 3: quesadillas bigger than our faces
pic 4: spot the arch
pic 5: a flyer i made for our fireside next week lol