Aug 4: Another Great Week in San Antonio!

 

Hello all!

It has been a wonderful week.

Sister S and I will be staying here in Castle Hills B for another transfer!

I have learned so much this week!

At Mission Leadership Council, Sister Slaughter did a training (she is incredible!) about how she does her personal study.

1.) Read Straight Through the Story. Get the Flow and Feel of it
2.) Write down ALL the questions that came to mind or that you have about the segment
3.) Study it through the "eyes of the Restoration"

We did an example study about Noah and why the earth needed to be flooded. I learned so much! We first read the story from the Bible, then wrote down our questions, and studied the same story but in Moses, in the Pearl of Great Price. The world believes that the world was flooded because the people had become so wicked. Which is true! -But there is much more! We learn this through the eyes of the Restoration!

At Mission Leadership Council, we had so much incredible training. We have a lot of missionaries going home this transfer! Several of them were at the meeting and did training. All of the missionaries who were going home bore their testimony at the end of MLC. They were asked to share the "pearl" of their mission - just one thing they had learned. It was so inspiring to hear all of the different pearls and to be surrounded by such powerful missionaries. They are all examples to me, and I hope to be like them someday! The pearls were everything from "Now I KNOW that my Savior lives." to "Progression" to "I've learned to TRUST in the Lord." to "My Heavenly Father loves me." to "REPENTANCE."

I left feeling thoroughly uplifted and chastened, as I always do at those meetings! It was great!

I loved what one sister said, "Repentance isn't something I do morning and night when I get on my knees. Every single minute of my mission has been repentance."

All of these pearls got me thinking - if I were leaving my mission tomorrow, what would I share as the "pearl" of my mission?

Two things came to mind.

1.) "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;"

2.) God loves broken things.

Before leaving on my mission, I chose D&C 18:15 as kind of a theme for my mission. Over the past 11 months of my mission, I have come more than ever to know that this promise is true! God is always aware of the one. When we go after the one, and bring them to the fold, the joy is indescribable.

God LOVES broken things! Starting at the MTC, I have noticed that every time I am among missionaries who are bearing powerful testimonies, I can look around and see that everyone of them has become broken in some way. When we are broken, Christ can fix us and make us a little better, and a little better. Every time we are broken, we gain a few more cracks, and when we are put back together, a little more of Christ's light can shine through us.

D&C 56:18

"But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance..."

One more pearl: THE RESTORATION! As President taught, we know can see "the kingdom of God" when we can recognize that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly Christ's church - the Kingdom of God on the earth. When we have broken hearts we can see so much more! I left MLC with a longing to be broken.

A sister in the ward said something during testimony meeting that really touched me. She said, "Their (Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's) love is not to be comprehended, but to be enjoyed."

I love this gospel. I know that it is true! The Restoration is real!! It was prophesied of anciently by prophets in the Bible and Book of Mormon! I have been studying the prophecies that were made of the Restoration. There are more and more as I really begin to dig in!

When Joseph Smith was 14 years old, he saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ! Through Joseph Smith, the FULLNESS of Christ's gospel was RESTORED to the Earth! The priesthood authority - the authority to act in Christ's name with HIS power - was restored to Joseph Smith by John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John!

I love being a missionary! I love the gospel!

I hope you all are well and have a GREAT week!

Love,

Sister Greenall