Reflection

At the start of the week, we went on exchanges with the Cherry Hill 2nd Sisters.  I went there with Sister Jolley.  She is on her last transfer of being a Golden.  She was nervous taking over her area for the first time.  I reflected back on to when I took over my area for the first time.  It was nerve racking and is somewhat what caused me to dislike exchanges.  I tried to let her know I was here to help, not judge, and for us to learn together.  I wish someone had told me that and so I hope it helped her.

On the way home from exchanging, we stopped by this gal who formerly had met with the missionaries.  She has two adopted kids and they are so cute!  She welcomed us in, even though she opened the door with a confused look.  She had been gone for three months to Florida for legality issues with the kids and had come back that day!!  She was confused because no one knew she was back yet, she wasn't expecting anyone, it was late, she thought maybe it was someone for upstairs, but she recognized who we were (missionaries from the church).   We talked with her for a bit and set up a time for us to come back the next day.  We did and although she didn't have a lot of time to talk because her son had a doctors appointment, she was warm and receptive and desirous to come to church.  I think this helped relieve Sister Jolley a bit, allowing her to know she could take over her area.

Tuesday night was the Relief Society PJS activity!

We taught P: prayer.  It went over well.  We started with the question "have you prayed and been lifted beyond yourself?"  We based a lot of our lesson on the June 2013 talk "Improving Personal Prayers."  I read it last year and loved it.  I appreciated this time to review and learn from others and their experiences.  Here are a few key points from that night.  We asked how people prepared to pray: remove distractions; picture myself flying through the Heavens, bowing at Heavenly Father's feet, and speaking; just talk.

I told them about the wooden plaque Grandma Stoddard made for me for Christmas one year; "You are a Child of God.  Call home often."

We also talked about how prayers should not be talking at God, but with God.  Prayer is aligning our will with God's will, not trying to change His will.

I also shared with the women the challenge that Sister Anderson had given the missionaries a few months back.  She asked us to pray for 30 minutes for 30 days.  A casual break down for this for me was:

Morning prayer (1 min)

Meal prayers (3 mins)

Lesson prayers, opening and closing (8 mins)

Other prayers, in car, in and out of apartment, at studies, etc. (8 mins)

Night prayer (10 mins)

It was harder than I thought.  Again I reflected.  Do I only take the time to talk with my Father in Heaven for 30 minutes?  If even?  Sure this does not include prayers in my heart and it depends on the day and how much I have to say.... But what about what He has to say?

A couple quotes from Preach My Gospel (Chapter 4: How Do I Recognize and Understand the Spirit?) continue to bring things into perspective for me as well as how I can help others with their personal prayers; to have sincere prayers.

    “The trouble with most of our prayers is that we give them as if we were picking up the telephone and ordering groceries--we place our order and hang up. We need to meditate, contemplate, think of what we are praying about and for and then speak to the Lord as one man speaketh to another” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 469).

    “If prayer is only a spasmodic cry at the time of crisis, then it is utterly selfish, and we come to think of God as a repairman or a service agency to help us only in our emergencies. We should remember the Most High day and night--always--not only at times when all other assistance has failed and we desperately need help” (Howard W. Hunter, The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1997], 39).

I know that God hears an answers prayers.  Be patient.  Have trust that He knows all and has a greater perspective and plan for you.  I have been trying to take more time to ponder as I pray, especially at night.  Reflect on experiences; your past, present, and future.  Be accountable for what you did that day. 

Again we had exchanges.  This time with Sister Lewis from the Woodstown Ward.  She is on her last transfer.  This again gave me time to reflect on myself, past, present, and future; dos and don'ts.

Thursday was our dinner day with the Place family but a different gal had signed up.  We went to hers for dinner.  She is a great lady and has been through a lot.  Her kids don't want anything to do with the church anymore and her husband is not a member.  She served a mission and she says that bearing her testimony over and over on her mission has helped keep her strong today.  She owns a horse and took us to go and see him!  A taste of Heaven for me and for Sister Hyatt.  It reminded her of Texas.

Then we went to the Places to visit and shared a message, "let your light so shine".  We mentioned that we wished we had brought a candle for a visual and so Sister Place took one out!  Of course!  Always on top of things!  They lit it and their grandkid thought it was so fun.  Brother and Sister Place lit it a few times for him to blow out.  Shortly thereafter, they were done. The little boy was not.  He decided to lite a match himself; and so he did.  Yikes!  Keep matches far away from him!

Friday morning and Saturday morning were tough ones.  (Cancelations and no one home.)

We spent a few hours in Bridgeton each day.  On Friday, still not having luck, we decided to go to the library to do Facebook; our usual of seeing if people are on to talk to or answer messages and to promote Meet the Mormons.  It came out to the closest theater yet; in Oaks, PA, about an hour away.

It was then that we met Steve.  He was there to tutor a kid.  He came over and asked us for a pen.  (Reflecting back in this encounter, he did not really need a pen.  Not only is he a teacher and tutoring so he would use pencil, but he was using his laptop and the kid he was with had his school supplies.)  Anyway, he asked us who we were and what we were doing at the library. He thanked us again and said he would give the pen back.  We were thinking, "okay we will be talking to him again because we will get the pen back."  We wrote on a mormon.org card to give him.  Before we left, we gave it to him and he clarified that we were Mormons.  He seems like an educated man and that he would look for truth in the right places.  As we walked to the car, we received a text message- yep from him.  We figured we had had a bad morning to lead us to Facebook at that exact time to meet him!

We have been texting a bit back and forth for the past few days.  Still trying to discern his interest level/ intentions.

Anyway, to make up for our difficult days, we got pizza and Saturday was the last day for the Rita's Italian ice and Custard in Bridgeton to be open.  We had to go.  Okay we didn't have to, but when again will we get the chance?  It's winter and who knows if we will be back for a summer here.  Thinking ahead, you know.  Plus, they had pumpkin pie Italian ice and it is great for the season!

Sunday the Elders had a baptism.  I played prelude and got volunteered as tribute to play for the baptism.  Yikes again.  Don't people know by now that I do not play?  Well, I think the Lord is trying to teach me other wise.  I was reminded of my New Year's goal to play more. (Ha, I'm a missionary.  When do I have time to practice?  I made it back when we had a keyboard in our apartment, though; in my defense.)

You know how some churches have a memo board out front?  Well we saw this one yesterday and we loved it!  "Aspire to inspire before you expire."

I read Elder Quinton L. Cook's talk from the Priesthood session today, "Choose Wisely."  Something that stood out the most to me was how we should spend our time.  I have always loved the phrase by Elder Oaks "Good, Better, Best", which he quotes in his talk.  Time is an interesting topic.  I know that it is good for us to evaluate our lives and ask if we are doing what the Lord would have us do?  The Lord would always have us do the best.  I know that being on a mission is the Lord's time.  But really, shouldn't my whole life be dedicated to the Lord?  The purpose of life is for us to prepare to meet God.

[To end it all, a quote, continuing with my theme for the email: "Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me?"]

Sending all my lovings to you!!

Sister Hanson