Learn to stop saying prayers and begin to PRAY

Every Sunday we go over to the Ward Mission Leader’s home for lunch after church with the elders and the whole fam. I love it because it reminds me so much of Sunday dinners at the grandparents…but with a lot less people. It’s always a good time and prone to deep doctrine conversations. Today as I munched on a tater tot casserole...it was all about Kolob, and who Adam’s parents were, big foot and such-always a good time.

In regards to the simple beauty of preaching the gospel, here's how the Anderson part of the Lord's kingdom is coming...

Went to a specialized training this morning, of course speculating that we’d be getting ipads. I didn’t have the highest hopes because I’ve been hearing about ipads coming “some day soon” since my mission began. We did however talk about online training, and how “soon” we’ll be using facebook and such. We also had some other great trainings.

It’s about an hour drive to and from Simpsonville so we got to listen to a couple talks that Sis Godfrey owns, they were both so amazing! One was “Learning Not Earning Heaven” by Brad Wilcox and the other was “The Mortal Christ” by Jack R. Christianson. Both taught me so much!!

Some of the things that stood out to me…

-We lived with God, if going back to him is our only pursuit why did we leave in the first place?! We were at home with him, however we did not feel at home, we were uncomfortable because we were not like him.

-we need to stop saying prayers and begin to PRAY

-Brad had a friend tell him that he’d stopped coming to church because he prayed and God told him he loved him just the way he was. Brad responded that’s true, just like I love my Grandkids just the way they are, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want them to learn to walk, talk, read or write. Heavenly Father knows we can do better.

-Christ’s life purpose was to do the will of His father. If we ALWAYS seek to please ONLY God, and not compare ourselves to others. We may be lonely at times, but we will always be happy

Went over to check on Sis Patricia Lomax, she was baptized a while back and has recently really been wanting to get back into church. This lady is the epitome of joy. Like when peanutbutter met chocolate, or Lehi partook of the fruit, that kinda joy. She’s just always got the biggest smile plastered on her face, and knows that when she’s living the gospel, THAT is what brings her greater joy. She’s really set on coming back, and has such a strong desire to bring with her-- her family and boyfriend! Yes!-part member and less active families are such goldmines, because so often their friends and families aren’t members, AND their friends/families already have that fellowshipper built in.

We actually got a Mormon.org referral, those things were pretty special out in Hartsville. We drive out to this guy named Grant. Cozy little home off the edge of a lake (Anderson has a big ol lake right next to it, Lake Hartwell) and the couple who answered was very shocked to hear that their son had actually requested missionaries. He was at family’s in Kentucky at the time, but they told us they’d give him our number when he returns. According to them he’s a lost 19yr old searching to find himself, might be atheist, but is at least interested in religion. Walking out I could totally imagine this little lost sheep (in the form of a 19yr old man), finding out about the church, praying sincerely for the first time and WHAMO, getting baptized! Oh-then I just had the grand fantasy of him popping out wanting to serve a mission. Faith in the Lord’s church, love for these people and hoping for those miracles-that’s what makes missionary work and life so fun and meaningful.

*sigh* it's really nice to be able to look back over the week and see...oh hey, I think I might've made a difference somewhere.

Hope y'all enjoy the last bits of january :D
love y'all
SISTER SMITH:D:D