Hey Family!
Another week flown by!
I
found out on Saturday that I am being transferred out of my area. I
have just loved the people here from day one. I was a little nervous
with the area at first, but as soon as I met the ward members, I knew it
would be okay and I was supposed to be here. I have loved serving here
in Maryville. I thought it was going to be hard realizing that I am
being transferred to a new area. But the Lord has truly just been the
best Friend that I need because He has taken my worries and stress away.
I know I can trust Him and so I know that wherever I go is where I need
to be. There are many of God's children waiting for this Gospel and I
am willing to go where He needs me.
So my precious Sister Gotchy is going to be
training! :D She just finished her training and now she is preparing to
train a new sister. She is a great missionary. I know that she will be a
good example of exact obedience and following the spirit. She really
wants to talk to everyone. :) I'm excited for her as she starts a new
journey with this new sister.
As for me, I have been called to be one of the new
Sister Trainer Leaders! It's kind of cool to think that the sisters
throughout the world who are getting called to this assignment on
transfers day will be the first ones in history, since it's a new
leadership assignment. It's humbling to know that Heavenly Father wants
us to be in these positions. A leadership assignment "must never be
viewed as a way to obtain personal recognition or advancement, but
rather as opportunities to serve others, to develop greater love, and to
learn." (white handbook) I'm actually really excited to do this because
I'll be able to get to know all the sisters in my zone a lot better and
I know that I am going to learn a lot and it's an opportunity for me to
grow and learn to love even greater. I want to be able to be a good
example and be obedient so that I can continue to develop into the
person that Heavenly Father expects me to be.
One thing that I have really enjoyed being a part of
this week, is finding families to teach. A lot of the time when we
teach, there are only a few people that want to learn in the household.
But this past week, we have been blessed to find families. It's golden. A
family can support each other as they progress and come closer to
Christ. They can be there for the hard times and struggles that may come
with change. I love teaching families. That's what this Gospel is
about! The good news is centered on Christ; and Heavenly Father has
provided us with families to help us apply the teachings of our Savior.
Here's kind of a fun story. So we were teaching a
man named Tim. This was our first appointment with him. We had met him
and given him a book of mormon to start reading in preparation for our
meeting. He hasn't had God in his life for a while because of doubts
that have come to his mind throughout the years. He feels that there are
all your "typical" churches and that it gives hope, but he feels it was
all made up to satisfy man. He feels this way because in other
countries they have different Gods (buddha, alla, etc) so he feels that
no one "knows" anymore. When we met with him, he hadn't read anything
from the Book of mormon yet. So we were talking to him about the
restoration of the Gospel and we brought up the Book of Mormon. He asked
us "So what's the difference between your church and the rest of the
them?" I felt I needed to be really straight forward, so I just said,
"Well, we have the fulness of the Gospel." He responds, "And it's in
that book." I nodded my head and said, yes! He then said, "See, NOW
you've caught my interest. I need to read that book. I'm sorry I haven't
yet."
It was really cool :) When we teach by the spirit, we can be bold and loving. I love teaching! It's so great.
Well
family, I love ya'll so much!! Take care! And Megan, heal quickly from
your Wisdom teeth! You are in my prayers! Stay safe, healthy, and happy!
Love you!!
love ALWAYS,
Sister Valerie Preston
