9/10/14

From:	Victoria Paige Johnson (victoria.johnson@myldsmail.net) This sender is in your safe list.

So! This week was a weird one. First of allllllll!!!!!!!!! I am emailing you today, which is Wednesday which makes it feel weird. hahahah but that is because we went to the temple this morning! Boy. Oh. Boy. Was that fantastically beautiful. So much joy packed into such a small temple.  

I am not quite sure how to describe this week.. it was probably one of the most joy-filled and spiritual weeks of my mission. It was a week where all of our appointments cancelled and no one seemed interested in the message we had to share.. So Sister Martinez and I spent a lot of time in prayer, seeking for guidance, asking Heavenly Father what we could do to build up the ward here... Because let's be real. It needs some help. But all wards need help. And of course--Heavenly Father answered that prayer. 

So I definitely know I am in this ward for a reason. Heavenly Father has some wise purposes that I am not sure of.. But after this week I have realized that one reason I am here is because up till this point in my mission, I haven't been the kind of missionary Heavenly Father wants me to be. Up till this point, I have been obedient, diligent, and successful. But I know there is more to missionary work than that. SAY WHAT? hahaha!

As missionaries, our purpose is to "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them recieve the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End." I've been so darn focused on investigators and less-actives that I haven't done so much focusing on the ward as I should have. So, Sister Martinez and I recognized that. And with some heavenly help, we devised a plan to help the ward. Whether or not anyone gets baptized in the next months, is not what matters right now. What matters is that we are helping prepare these members to usher in the coming of the Savior. So instead of making plans to help the ward and then not following through with them like usually happens--- we actually got to work! We prayerfully chose specific families to focus on, and we have already seen miracles come of it. We have had floods and floods of inspiration and revelation coming in on how to help these specific people. 

I have developed a new sense of love, passion, and dedication to the Lord's work. I feel like I am finally starting to become who I am supposed to become, and I know Sister Martinez and I have been prepared through our past experiences for this transfer. I don't know if any of this is making sense. But I truly feel like running and jumping and singing, and laughing and have never been as happy as I am now! The key to missionary work is revelation. The key to revelation is submission. and the key to submission is humbleness and obedience. I know without a doubt that I cannot do this work alone, I need the Lord's guidance and direction through the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I have realized that right now, we are to focus what we teach on the Atonement and the Temple. We are setting hard core visions, goals, and plans for our companionship, our ward, and everyone we teach. We are committing everyone we talk to- members included- to do something and then following up. We are studying harder, learning more, and applying training we receive better than we have before! All because we had one crappy week and decided to ask heavenly father how to make it better. I know the Lord knows how to do His work, and I have every intention of helping Him do it. 

And the icing on the cake was going to the temple this morning. 

I love you! I love the Lord. I love the temple. I love love love this work.