Gish On A Mish: Week 39: Sister Gish Is Heading to Greeley, Colorado!

Hello,

This was quite the week! I am just loving being a missionary!

I had a great P-day last week! It was district p-day, so we got to play sports with our district! We are lucky to have great elders in our district! It was way fun! Then we had a lesson with Cody that night! Before the lesson, we read his teaching record and it talked about how he struggles to know if God is real. So we were really struggling to know what to teach him because he has heard all the discussions and we wanted to really connect to him personally. The lesson was 500% guided by the spirit. We had planned on teaching the restoration again, but instead talked about prayer and how we can come to know God. We shared scriptures in Moroni 7:12-13 and talked about how his inspiration to do good was from God. Then we shared Alma 30:44 and talked about how everything on the earth is literal proof that God exists. Then we assigned him to read Alma 22 (and 18) which is the reference given in Preach My Gospel for the question of the soul "Is there a God?" Our companionship just so happened to feel very prompted to really study the Book of Mormon this week and to use it more powerfully in our teaching! We made a goal to memorize the questions of the soul and their references and to watch the Book of Mormon broadcast on the missionary portal again! Little did we know, it was all for Cody. Divine design is a very real and powerful thing!

As a missionary, one of the hardest things to do is talk to everyone. In Preach My Gospel it invites us to pray for the faith to be bold. I have really been working on that this transfer and the Lord has helped me immensly. On Wednesday we went to try a potential investigator today but no one answered. As we were walking away, this guy, Kyle, came up the stairs and he was super open to hearing what we had to say! We shared Alma 36:3 with him and he accepted a Book of Mormon! We were even able to get a return appointment!

We have been really diligent in setting daily finding goals this transer, and it has been amazing to see how the Lord has consecrated our efforts and help us achieve them, no matter how small. We had set a goal to do some service for someone by walking their dog. The lady we had planned on doing it for cancelled, but we were able to walk the dog of another member we tracted into. We had also set a goal to hand out 3 Book of Mormons that day. We finished knocking our 50 doors before dinner but had only handed out 2 books. So, after dinner we went to an apartment complex we had gone to earlier and literally at the 2nd door the guy that answered was super nice and accepted a Book of Mormon! We also got a return appointment with him!! If you really have a desire to reach your goals, the Lord will provide a way for you to achieve them!

Thursday was a little insane. We received some tragic news, and it was really hard to focus. We were able to have a lesson with someone we tracted into the other day. It went well! He and his roommate were really open to what we had to say and they both committed to read the Book of Mormon. In personal study I was studying questions of the soul in Preach My Gospel. It is just so amazing how the Book of Mormon can answer all of life's questions!

We had another kind of scary situation on Friday. All I can say is that I am very thankful for the Gift of THe Holy Ghost to warn me of risky situations. I pray that we all live worthy of that companionship.

On Saturday we received transfer information. I will be going to Greeley Colorado. It is pretty amazing how the Lord's time table works. For those of you who don't know, my step-dad has been working in Greeley since the beginning of my mission, so he and my mom make periodical appearances every now and then. I'm not going to lie, when my mom told me that they would be in my mission a lot, I was really mad at God. I felt that my call wasn't very inspired, but through much prayer, I was able to accept the Lord's will for me. I can honestly say, it was the best decision I ever made to accept His call. This mission is exactly where I need to be. How incredible is it that just when the Lord needed me in Greeley, my step-dad's project would wrap up? I also have the opportunity to be a Sister Training Leader. This means I will have the opportunity to go on exchanges with many sisters and learn from them and love them! I will be companions with Hermana Lee, and we will be training a new missionary! I am just so excited for the opportunity to lengthen my stride this transfer, as I strive to fulfill my missionary purpose!

The absolute best part of my week was talking to my family. I am thankful for their love and support. I am thankful for the Plan of Salvation and the truth that I will be with them forever! I am especially thankful for my mother! I love the story of the stripling warriors and their mothers! Just like their mothers, my mom has an amazing testimony of this gospel. She has taught me to build my foundation on Christ, and because of that all my burdens have been light.

This has been quite a transfer. I can honestly say that it has been the transfer of the most spiritual growth. I was blessed with amazing zone leaders, wonderful Sister training leaders, and an awesome district leader, but I would definitely have to say the biggest blessing this transfer was my sweet companion, Sister Stapelman! She has taught me so much and I know she will continue to do amazing things on her mission. She is hardworking, obedient, and she loves the Savior. Those traits alone make her an incredible missionary! I will miss her a lot and she will always hold a special place in my heart!

Change can be scary, especially when what you have now is so great! I can just bear my testimony that the Lord has a plan for all of us. It may not be what we want, but it is always what we need. When we get too comfortable we stop growing. I am thankful for the changes in my life. They have strengthened me and have also opened my eyes to the abundant blessings of the Lord that he freely gives to all of us!

If you made it to the end of this weekly, I'm proud of you! You must really love me and know that I love you too!

Love,

Sister Gish