Mission Life

Hi y'all!

This week has been great, but it had its ups and downs mainly because we got dropped by everyone we were trying to teach.  Mission life is the real deal and mission life is hard.

MLC was this week and we talked a lot about the training we received last week with the missionary worldwide devotional.  As I've been studying it these are some things that I enjoyed. :).   Because this week was a fail I thought I'd share the quotes and my thoughts!!! Love y'all Hope you enjoy this!

"I think too often that we as members of the church have a cookbook checklist mentality about living the gospel.  So faith is this little separate thing and repentance is a separate thing and then there is this ordinance of baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. All things are gathered together in one in Christ.  So faith is in the Savior in him as the son of God, in his nature and his attributes, repentance is a dependence upon Him, faith in Him depending upon him is repentance.  Following Him is baptism.  Pressing forward with Him is enduring to the end with the companionship of the Holy Ghost its all gathered together in Him. As we are proclaiming dependence upon Christ that is repentance which leads to the mighty change of heart."

Elder Bednar

I thought this was really cool because we so often just go through the motions of just checking off our to do list of the gospel that we miss the truth and big picture of Christ permeating our entire life.  Application is key. It is all done through Him.

How does a missionary know if they are being successful?

"I hope I don't sound harsh, but part of how you know is when you quit worrying about it! The success Is not given to the missionary for him or her.  Success is a blessing and a gift from the Lord. Alma 26:22  Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing--unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.

emphasis on given.  Many missionaries read this and say if I just read this and follow this checklist I'm going to baptize thousands...only if God gives it to you! Alma 26:27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. I will give unto you success. So I think the measure is will a missionary do the simple things each day he or she knows he or she should do regardless whether or not the Lord chooses to bless them with success."

Elder Bednar

So true! When you worry about it it doesn't make it happen.  Heavenly Father will make it happen at the right time in the right way and until then we gotta just keep working and doing all that we can to move his work forward. So that's what I'm gonna do.

"You just have to be as good as you can be and God will magnify you and make you more than you can ever become."

Basically that quote speaks for itself.

"A way to know if a missionary understands the doctrine of Christ will show up in the way a missionary acts and the way they behave.  If a missionary really understands the doctrine of Christ and what it stands for they'll act differently. they are going to be more obedient and they are going to develop a better lasting relationship with their companions and they're going to seek the spirit more fully and fervently."

So as I have strived to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ it has been working within me.  Like this quote says I changes you from the inside as you share it with others!

I Love y'all!

Keep smiling!

Sister Kendrick