Hey family!!
So President Pingree gave us permission to write today because on Monday we have our Christmas conference in Houston so Christmas Eve is our P-day and of course the library will be closed.
I got the packages and even though they've been burning a hole in our apartment floor I have held strong and not opened them yet.
For Christmas we will be able to Skype! We're eating breakfast at a members home at 8:30 and then skyping afterwards so it should be later in the morning. I'll call the home phone before hand so we can get everything set up!
I had a really neat opportunity this week. President Pingree called an emergency MLC (mission leadership council) on Tuesday and because I'm a sister training leader I had the chance to go. MLC is a meeting with President Pingree and all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders. Usually we have them at the first of every month down in Houston so we weren't expecting another one until January.
When we got started President told us that he has had a very strong impression from the Lord that as a mission we are doing well but that the Lord expects much more. He went on to tell us that he called us together as leaders of this mission because he needed our help to figure out a plan and set goals for our mission so that we can meet the Lord's expectations. What and incredible example of humility. He wanted our help and input. Before we started he had all of us kneel down in prayer together (there were about 40 of us) and he said the most pure. humble, powerful prayer that I have ever heard in my life. It immediately brought the spirit into our meeting. I could feel the power of faith in that group of missionaries as we all knelt together pleading with the Lord. It is an experience I will never forget.
For the next two hours we discussed what we could do as a mission and it was incredible how the spirit worked through us and how we were all unified in what our concerns and ideas were. It was miracle. Impressions came that we knew came straight from the Spirit of the Lord. By the end we had a solid plan set for our mission. A lot of the things we're changing are going to be hard. Really hard. It's going to push everybody and cause them to give their all and much more, but in my opinion that's how I knew it was the Lord's plan for our mission. I can't even describe the thoughts and feelings I had as I sat in that council but it was a very powerful thing to experience. Good things are coming. The Lord expects more of his missionaries now and we need to meet his expectations. And the neat thing I witnessed in that meeting is that we all want to meet his expectations. We all want to be the missionaries the Lord needs and expects us to be.
As far as the mission is going it's great as always!
There are some ups and downs but it's the best.
As far as the downs go we think we're going to have to drop Mary. We tried twice this week to set up a church tour and both times she cancelled. She really wants to be baptized but she hasn't found the faith to overcome her anxiety and there's no way I can blame her for that. It is a hard thing to overcome. I hope someday she will be able to come to church and I'm very grateful for the chance I've had to work with her. We aren't sure yet what the next step is with her but one thing I know is that she's not our investigator she's the Lord's and He will know what she needs. Whenever we consider dropping someone it's never and instant "oh we're done, see ya!" it's a prayerful process to make sure we've done all that the Lord needed us to do for her. Perhaps in the next life when she is perfect and no anxiety can hold her back she will be ready to accept the gospel more fully.
Lafraya is going through a lot right now so we haven't been able to meet with her but we keep her in our prayers.
Shelby is doing great! Still no word on Aunt Darla giving her permission though. Her new baptismal date is January 25th. We pray everyday that her Aunt's heart will be softened. When we had our lesson with her this last week we asked her, "If Aunt Darla tells you that you can't get baptized does that mean that the church isn't true?" Of course she knew the answer was no. So we talked to her a lot about how she's found the truth and she needs to hold fast to it even if she can't get baptized anytime soon. I have no worries for her future though. She is a wonderful girl and I'm so grateful that she was exposed to the church at such a young age. When I think about her life and what it would be given her family circumstances I know she is going to need this gospel to help her stay away from falling into the same trap her parents fell into. She will be able to look back at this time in her life and remember the things that we and this church have been able to share with her.
We've seen so many blessings lately! Referrals are coming from no where everyday! People are being prepared.
I'm amazed everyday by the people we get to talk to. Its amazing to think that there are hundreds of people I've met since coming out here that I wouldn't have been able to meet If I hadn't come on a mission.
Some times our visits with others are brief and sometimes we talk to them for hours. Sometimes they want to learn more, sometimes they slam the door in our faces. But each person I've met has had and impact on my life. I learn from their life experiences. I learn that every though someone has another religion or church they can still have incredible faith in the Savior. And yes I even learn from the people that slam the door in my face because I realize what kind of person I want to be. What a blessing it is to be able to represent the Savior in this small portion of His vineyard. I love the people of Bryan Texas.
Hope all is well in SLC!
Love you lots!
The Kingdom of God or nothing!
Love, Sister Gregson
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