January 21, 2019

Hello again! I am proud to say that I now know what it feels like to have your snot freeze in your nose haha. Anywho I hope y'all have had a good week! This week was awesome but it was SO COLD. It blows my mind that people were able to live in the snow just using fires before heaters were invented, because even with our heater it's freezing!

So we got a bunch of snow and freezing rain this week, which has made driving and walking more of a challenge. We have had church canceled this Sunday and the Sunday before because of dangerous road conditions, and yesterday our entire mission wasn't allowed to drive. Our car doors have been frozen shut a few times, which blows my mind that that can even happen. Earlier this week I was scraping ice off of the car windshield and I slipped on some ice on the ground. I had to catch myself on the lip of the car frame, but I still ended up slamming my face into the driver's side window and pulling a muscle in my arm because I had to catch myself so fast. It really hurt but every time I think of what it must have looked like I can't stop laughing haha. Good stuff.

This week we've been focusing a lot on working with the ward members to help them feel more confident and comfortable doing missionary work. We had zone conference on Friday and we talked about how important it is that we treat ward members just like people we are teaching in that we are bold and faithful in the invitations we give them. President Welch invited us to challenge the families we visit with to prayerfully set a date as a family by which they will have someone in mind they can invite to be taught by the missionaries with them in their home. I know this is a big thing to ask of members, but only now as a missionary I am realizing how essential it is for members to be involved in missionary work. Here in the Ohio, Cincinnati mission, for every 500 people the missionaries find who are interested in learning about the gospel, only 1 is baptized. For every 18 people the missionaries have found and become new people we teach, only 1 of them is baptized. But, for every 5 people members of the church invite to be taught by the missionaries, 1 person is baptized. At zone conference we talked about how this is because scattered Israel is drawn to gathered Israel. President Nelson has talked about how the last 2 things that need to happen in this last dispensation are the gathering of Israel and the 2nd coming of Christ. We're so blessed to have knowledge of the fullness of Christ's restored gospel today, but because we are blessed with having that knowledge it's our responsibility to share that knowledge with others! I'm so pumped to be able to better work with members and help them see how their lives will be blessed as they work to share their knowledge of the gospel with others. It's awesome!!

I have just a couple of things I wanted to share with y'all before I have to leave, so hopefully this makes sense!

This past week I have really had to think about why I am on a mission. As we've been walking from house to house in the freezing rain, the only thing that's kept be going is knowing that Jesus Christ always understands what pain I am going through, physically and emotionally. And He understands that because He performed the Atonement, and took upon Him all the pains and sins of the world. And He did went through all that suffering for ME! If I had been the only one on earth who had need to saved by the Atonement, He still would have done it for me! And if you had been the only one in need of the Atonement, He still would have suffered and died for YOU because He loves you more than you will ever know. We will never be able to fully comprehend Christ's infinite love for us because our human minds simply cannot comprehend it! And it's that overwhelming love Christ has for all of us that I've been able feel in my life. So even though Sister Gatchalian and I were soaked with freezing rain and our fingers, toes, and noses were burning and numb, we desperately want anyone will listen to learn of Christ and how His restored gospel can change their lives and give them hope to keep moving forward. So, we pray to God that He'll help us to push through our pains, mentally and physically, and He has, because He wants all His children to learn of Him and the peace He can bring just as much and more than Sister Gatchalian and I want. So I just want to tell all of you, that no matter what you are going through right now or at any time in your life, CHRIST UNDERSTANDS YOU ALWAYS. If you don't know that Christ is there to help and uphold you, please just get on your knees and pray to feel of His love and comfort. Please read the Book of Mormon along with the Bible, because they are testaments of Jesus Christ and of Heavenly Father's love for us. God doesn't expect us to be perfect in our journey to come closer to Him and to His Son, He just expects us to try. Even if you feel like you don't have enough time in your day to pray and read from the scriptures, just give all you can, and Christ will help you with the rest, and more. I know that prayer and scripture study have made me grow so much closer to Christ and Heavenly Father as I give as much as I can to them, and I known the same can happen for you. I love you all, but Christ loves you more!! Have an awesome week!!

This is a frozen pond nearby a member's house.

A member in the ward who had us
over for dinner has the cutest dogs.

 

Sister Gatchalian and I called a bunch of
potential investigators when we couldn't drive.

We have 50 mission scriptures to memorize,
so I tried to memorize some while we were stuck inside.