This
has been such a good week! I know it is only been probably 4 days or
something since you last heard from me but still!!! Mostly because on
Saturday Sister Soliven and myself had the opportunity to watch Flor
Vasquez enter into the waters of baptism! It was such a special
experience!! I love baptisms because they are a moment or an hour of
time that show the changes that people have made in their lives and the
faith that they have gained. Flor is amazing! She has such great faith
and love for the savior and I am so very privileged to have been able to
be a step in her pathway back to our Heavenly Father. But even more so
the members who have helped and guided and supported her through making
this step they are so privileged to have her in their ward and in their
lives. I'm so excited to be here in the Pueblo West Second ward for a
few more months because I will get to see even a little bit more of her
process! One thing that I have heard a lot on my mission is that the
Lord is hastening his work and the longer I am out the more I am able to
see how true that statement is. Before my final decision to serve a
full time mission I was always all 'I can do missionary work without
being a full time missionary.' You know making up excuses because I was
kind of scared to come on a mission. I felt inadequate and many other
things. But! Sister Soliven shared with me this week a scripture that
really helped her out because she was in my same situation. Its in
D&C 4:3 "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to
the work." We are all called to the work. If we have a desire to serve
then we need to get out and do it! God will qualify us and make us equal
to the task he has set before us. This week Sister Soliven and I have
been listening to a talk titled 'the missionary next door' and it is
about a lady whose family was super missionary oriented. They had a
non-member at church every Sunday for years! But one thing she talks
about is the 2 types of conversion necessary for enduring conversion and
lasting membership in the church and the two things are 1. Spiritual
Conversion and 2. Social Conversion. Then she pointed out how the
members have a huge job of providing that Social Conversion. I think one
of the things that I was worried about when doing 'missionary work' was
having to teach the lessons. But really, we can make the missionaries
do that and just back up their teachings by our example and our
friendship. Its so important for us as members to reach out to all those
who are coming into the church because its a scary thing to do! We are
asking them to make a pretty big lifestyle change and if we ask them to
do it alone their success will be slower and they will have a harder
time remaining and doing the things they are supposed to do. As you may
have noticed I really like Jeffery R. Holland and one of his talks he
states "'Asking
every member to be a missionary is not nearly as crucial as asking
every member to be a member!" It is so important for us to just be who
we are and to be an example of the belivers. As we do that and we answer
honestly questions we are asked and invite our friends to activities
then we can so many doors open before us! I love you all! Have a
wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Bice
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