Week 3

Family and Friends,

I can't believe another week has come and gone!! Can I just tell you that there is nothing greater then being a missionary.  My life is so much cooler than yours j/k, but no really!! Missionary work is so great!!  This week has been the changing point in my mission.  This week has shaped me into the missionary that I want to become.  Yesterday I was extremely humbled and changed for the better.  I realized that Heavenly Father is truly aware of me.  He knows I can do this and knows that I will be a great missionary, but I won't be a great missionary because of the things that come out of my mouth or the things that I do, but I will be a great missionary because I finally realize that everything happens because of God.  That this is his gospel, and through him we are nothing.  He deserves all of the credit.  It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks, but only what God thinks.  I finally realized that I needed to step it up.  I needed to learn the doctrine of christ and have confidence in myself that I can receive revelation and teach through the spirit.  I had a really neat experience happen yesterday.  Our teachers told us that we need to plan, study, and teach for our investigators that we would be teaching last night.  She told us that Heavenly Father will speak directly to us and be specific with anything and everything we need to know about our investigators.  She said you will know if they are a less active, member, or a non member.  You will know what there needs are and concerns, and you can know this before you even meet them.  That Heavenly Father will speak to you through revelation of the spirit.  This seemed a little crazy to me, and a little scary that god could really be so specific, but I realized that if this was gods will I would do it.  So sister F and I will all the faith that we had prayed for gods guidance and help that w could receive revelation.  After we ended the prayer I was immediately filled with the spirit stronger that I have ever felt.  My chest was literally filled with a power that is indescribable.  I looked and Sister F and said she will be a Less Active and she said yup!! I then said she feels as though god has abandoned her, and she needs to feel of God's love, and she agreed.  We were then asked to prepare our lesson for her.  I felt so strongly that we needed to teach her about being humble.  During personal study I studied Alma 32, and during companion ship study I found out that Sister F read the same thing.  So then it came time to go and teach our investigator.  She walked in, was a less active, and was struggling with the fact that she had done everything right in her life, but god wouldn't bless her.  I was in awe.  Everything that I had felt that she would be she was.  So we then taught her.  I taught with such confidence, and gained an instant love for her.  It truly was amazing.  I know that this won't happen everytime on my mission, but it was a huge testimony to me that Heavenly Father truly does hear and answer our prayers.  That he is aware of us, and our needs, but most importantly it showed me that I need his help, and that he is there to help me through every step of my mission.  It was a very humbling experience. 

I am now officially in Visitor Center training.  I am with 30 other sisters, 22 of who are going to Temple square.  Part of training we have been able to go to Temple square twice.  The first time we went we were able to have a tour.  It was such a great experience.  I have been to temple square many times, but this day was different.  The spirit that I had with me was different.  It was great to be on the other side of things.  Today we went as well and got paired up with a companion.  I was with Sister Kang from Korea.  She was great.  She has been serving for 6 months.  She struggled a little bit with the language, but she definitely had a strong spirit about her.  We only talked to members which was different.  I won't lie I am very grateful to be able to go to a prosiliting mission as well as visitors center.  I will get the best of both worlds.  It was great to be up there and play as a real missionary. I am entering the field on Tuesday and could not be more excited.  I am so nervous, but so ready to serve.

So as a missionary you pray a lot, and so sometimes we start to do funny things when we pray.  Last night I went to say my prayers, and I started out with Labor and Delivery can I help you ha ha!!  I do miss my job a little bit.  Sister Bullock started her prayer off my counting to ten.   Let's just saying being in the MTC does some crazy things to you, and you literally start to go crazy!!!

Being with a bunch of Elders is pure entertainment.  They are totally scared of the sisters and it is hilarious.  The other day I was walking up the stairs and the Elder literally threw himself against the wall.  It was a riot.  When we have devotional and you want to get in the doors all you have to say is Sister coming and they all freak out.  It gives us a good laugh. 

Our Elders left on Tuesday.  I never realized that I could grow to love people so fast.  We were all put into the district for a certain purpose and reason.  Heavenly Father's hand is definitely in all things.  I learned so much from each of them and will be forever grateful for them.  I was doing really good at saying goodbye until Elder English shook my hand as tears ran down his face as he thanked me for being the missionary I was.  Then I lost it.  They became my family, and I hope and pray that they will be great missionaries. 

Being a missionary is the greatest decision that I ever made.  I am so happy, and I know that is because I am supposed to be here.  I am so grateful for the blessings that Heavenly Father has given me.  For the trials that I have had to go through.  This definitely isn't easy, but I know that it will be worth it.  It will bless my life forever.  Our teacher asked us yesterday to realize all that Christ has done for us, and asked us what we are going to do today and the rest of our lives to pay him back.  This hit me hard. There is nobody else on this earth who will ever do as much as he did for us, but yet at times in our life we forget that.  We will never be able to pay him back for what he did, but we can definitely strive each and every day to become more like him.  I can't wait to bring others closer to christ, and allow them to feel of the love of the Savior and his Atonement.  I hope you all are doing well.  Strive to be a little better each and every day, and don't forget about the Missionary in the MTC.  She would love to hear from you, but also appreciates all of the letters and packages she has already received. Love you all!!!

Sister Whitt