Jan 17

Hey all.  What’s up?

 

PICTURES

 

1.  sis Sanford said I was all white and frosty...can ya tell?  

2. Sis Sanford and marina

3. Being crazy\

4. Again

5. Us in front of crazy tree

6 me with lubov

7 me playing piano....well plucking out notes..Waiting for the elders

8 me on phone...can't really see in what one it is...if it’s ugly don't put it on the blog :)

9 us at a member’s house

10 me and Nina

11 and 12.  Sister Gibbons came up with a way to hold my bag that doesn't hurt my back haha  so I tried it out.....don't know if it worked.

 

 

 

ps did you get my pictures from last week? and what do you say about my broken camera?

 

Had some crazy fun things this week. 

 

1.  Had a meeting with our favorite eternal investigator at the mission home which was a lot a lot of great spirit and intenseness! It was great. President was great but I think she was a little overwhelmed. She said walking into their apartment was like walking through a space and time warp and landing straight in America.  Which probably isn't the best. I love her so so much and I wish that she was progressing. But she is not.  She won't read the Book of Mormon. It’s the only way to know.  Without it we just chuck info at people and all the stuff that they can or hear from everyone else. It helps, but the only way to know for yourself is to read the book and to ask God.  That’s it.

 

2.  Interviews with president. Which were incredible!  He is great. I love him so much.  I took all sorts of notes of course.   Some quick points. He said that missions are like living reservoirs (sp?)  And that I will be able to draw on what I learned and my experiences forever and ever until have 3 great grandchildren!  (Ok that was my added in part. he probably just said great grandchildren).   He also talked about growth. He compared it to a tree. You can see the growth of a tree by the rings right?  well he said that some were thicker than others and it seems as though they don't grow very much during the cold hard years, but really those rings that are small are the thickest and strongest and they are what makes it so throughout the trees life it won't fall over WHEN the winds come.  He talked to me about finding and reaching my "Divinely Inspired Objective" that the Lord has for me on my mission. He said sometimes we feel as though the winds are at our sails and everything is pushing us to our goal but sometimes it feels as though all the winds everywhere are pushing against us.  but he said that when sail boats need to get somewhere like into a harbor but they can't sail into the wind, they send a row boat out and the row boat drops and anchor that is tied to the sail boat and you basically pull yourself in to your goal or your "divinely inspired objective". He challenged me to find and get to my anchor.    President LOVES Lehi's dream.  He thinks it is the greatest and can be related to everything in life and in missionary work. It has actually been really cool cause he asked me to imagine where certain people were in the dream. It actually helped a lot to see what we needed to do for them. 

 

3.  Wednesday we spent the whole day in snig and had some really crazy inactive meetings with 4 different people all on different levels and years of inactivity. It was intresting to see how it happens and how we can get lost and or find our way back to the fold of the Savior. 

 

4 WE HAD A MIRACLE!!! You remember our little girl Anya?  Well her family came to CHURCH!! WHOOOAAAHH!! I was so excited and shocked!!!  We called on Saturday and the mom said "maybe" which is huge for her! Usually she just says "net" but I thought maybe today and they came and it was so great! And they are planning on coming next week! I would be so happy to get Anya baptized. If anyone deserves it it is this little 10 year old who has wanted to be baptized for 2 years now!!! 

 

5. Yesterday realized how much I love all the members here. They are incredible and loving and faithful and great.   I love going in and getting huge hugs from all the women and hearty handshakes from the men! They are all so wonderful.  

 

I have been studying repentance a lot this week.   If you didn't know, Repentance is Hope and Joy.    I have found through my studies and experiences and seeing others go through the process that Repentance is Hope!  Hope in the Savior, Hope in HIs atonement, Hope that it applies to us and we can use it.  Hope that we can be forgiven and we can become clean.  Hope that through Him we can become better everyday. Hope that we can become perfect as He is and be worthy to live with Him in our Heavenly Father's Kingdom.  We as a companionship read through Elder Christofferesons talk on Repentance and I couldn't take it all in, I loved it. I want to try to apply it in my life and in my work.  

 

I began studying the stories in the book of Mormon. I want to use them in order to teach principles through stories. So far I have done Alma the Younger and Title of Liberty.  I’m excited. 

 

I know the church is true.  I know this is the greatest thing I could be doing. I’m so thankful for what I have learned and the perspective I have found.  I don't even want to think about how my life would have been without it.  I love you!

 

Love, Sister Trottier