Sunday, June 9, 2013

6/03/13
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