January 17, 2011

Hi Momma!

So good to hear from you today! Thanks for both of your emails; I love reading your emails so much, it helps so much to hear from you!!!

Anyway, please tell Grandma thank you for her package. I wrote her a letter and sent it to her, and then got her package a day or two later, and I haven't had time to write and thank her again. I will try really hard to write her by hand today.

 Mail is really slow to get to us from the mission office. I got a letter from Julie 2 weeks after she wrote it/sent it, so you know. But I'm just grateful we always eventually get it.

What are you all doing for MLK day?

Here is the letter I wrote to my mission president just now:

Dear President Pike:

I hope you are enjoying the beautiful sunshine today.

This week, Sister Casperson and I put forth a real effort to strengthen the members in Glendora, and to find those ready to hear the Gospel. We had the opportunity to study Mormon.org on Tuesday, and have encouraged members to create profiles and investigators to utilize this website to answer questions and understand the doctrines of the church better. The Mormon.org pass-along cards have been well received by members, investigators, and in contacting alike.

Yesterday, it was really special to see John F, a recent convert, pass the sacrament for the first time. He was nervous, but really happy, and he is looking forward to blessing the sacrament.

Saturday night, Sister Casperson and I took two of our investigators, Marjorie and Ellen, and one less-active woman, Carol, to a single's dinner put on by our stake. All three woman had a wonderful experience at the dinner. Also present were recent converts Victor and Stacy and they enjoyed their time there as well.

We have received several referrals from members this week, and this morning, we received a media referral, so we look forward to following up on that this evening.

Last week, I worked on talking more during lessons and while contacting, and also worked on utilizing consistent eye contact in teaching, and I feel great improvements occurred. In personal study, I spent several days studying the Accountability section in the Using Time Wisely chapter. Particularly helpful to me was reading in Ezekial 33:1-6 where I learned what it meant to "speak with the sound of a trump".

This week, I am focusing on chapter 5, The Role of the Book of Mormon, in my personal study. This is to strengthen my testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon so I can testify with greater power. I've found that most of the people we contact or teach believe in God and are trying to live the commandments, so I'm trying to be conscious to testify of the Book of Mormon/the Restoration so that they understand that there is more to salvation than accepting the grace of Jesus Christ into our lives, although that is a very good start :)

Sister Casperson and I are getting along well and working hard to be obedient. I've found great strength in regularly listening to uplifting, Gospel music, and in watching clips of the district during meal times at home.

I am struggling with feelings of inadequacy in doing this work, but I am trying to remind myself that this is God's work, not mine, and to trust God, and press forward. My tendency is to be hard on myself, so I'm trying to learn to let that go and trust that if I'm faithful and exactly obedient, the Lord will be able to use me as an instrument to do His work in a manner which would please Him.

Thank you for all you do;

Sister Snow

Anyway, this week was so much better than last week, so much. I know missionaries have the whole world praying for them; even in Glendora, there is a bullet point asking the members to pray for Sister Casperson and I specifically by name. Thank you for praying; you are right that we are surrounded by prayers all the time. Good thing, we need it :)

So Mormon.org is mostly amazing. We got permission to look at it so we can learn to use it and then show members how to create profiles, and show investigators how to navigate about the site. It's really simple, user friendly, but I love the new Mormon.org pass-along cards and the direction the church is going to share the Gospel. You and Dad should make a profile, and Kaitie can in in just a couple of weeks when she is 18! Incredible :)

Anyway, I'll be so excited to read your blog entry whenever you have time to finish writing it and send it. I love your blog :)

I will do my best to handwrite the girls today. I haven't heard from them in a while, but either mail is coming or they are busy being back in school; either way is great.

Love you,

Sister Snow