So a really exciting week! Elder Renlund and his wife came with President Adams and Sr Adams this Wednesday to talk and teach us at Zone Conference and it was SOOO AMAZING!! Elder and Sister Renlund both taught us full interactive lessons. They were moving around the room and asking us questions and it was so enlightening. I was just so grateful to have the opportunity to learn from a general authority. You can tell they are such diligent servants of the Lord! So that was really great, I took away a lot of things that I've been trying to implement in my missionary life or in my character.
But the greatest lesson that I got out of it is this: If you imagine a graph where attitude and effort are on the axis there are four different quadrants.
Bad Attitude, Bad Effort
Bad Attitude, Great Effort
Great Attitude, Bad Effort
AND
Great Attitude, Great Effort
He said this last quadrant is called the "quadrant of miracles" And he shared a story about his brother who was a REALLY hard working missionary but was kind of down about his mission because it was in Sweden and no one ever listened or got baptized. He said that in the last three months of his mission he changed his attitude and pushed himself in the quadrant of miracles. Those last three months his companionship had as many baptisms as their whole mission had the year before! He said that we ALL have to work to put ourselves in this quadrant and that many times throughout the day we are in all four! But that as we work to have that hope and optimism that comes from faith in Christ and work hard too, we begin to see miracles. I was so inspired by that and everyday have started praying for help to stay in the "quadrant of miracles". Mostly I need to work on my attitude because it is so easy to trudge through the work and just get things done without staying completely upbeat or optimistic.
There is not too much to write about because we still don't have any solid amis. So we did a LOT of porting this week - almost 16 hours. We are hoping that some of the people we met will prove to be really interested in the gospel and want to hear our message.
I had a crazy allergy attack this week! One morning I woke up and it was like BAM!! Suddenly my nose was running and also stuffy and my head felt like a million pounds and my throat was starting to hurt. While we were walking around all day I had to carry multiple packets of tissues and I was quickly going through them. It was not fun. It took me pretty much all week long to get back to normal. I don't know what it was that suddenly triggered it because everything has continued as normal here but I was really struggling this week. Mostly I just thought I was going to die because I couldn't ever breathe! Not literally ever, I could breathe through my mouth. However, I have been blessed once again with health so now I'm back to normal again!! Yay! I am incredibly grateful and know that it is a blessing from the Lord.
I have had such an amazing testimony boost about PRAYER! Guys, it is so real and so powerful! I know that Heavenly Father listens to us and is there helping us. I also know that if we ask humbly and in faith for righteous desires he can help us accomplish them. I have been working so hard on taking my weaknesses and worries and opening up and talking talking talking to my Heavenly Father about it. Because if we want to develop a quality or ask for strength in an area of our life, the best place to start is with prayer to our Heavenly Father. He knows us perfectly. And he is just waiting to help us out or give us a blessing but we have to ask in faith first. It's like the scripture in 2 Nephi 32:9. We should pray unto the Father first that HE may consecrate our efforts so it can be for the welfare of our souls. I think that is SO powerful! Also you have to find and read an address by Elder Bednar called "Ask in Faith"! As one of my Christmas gifts, please do this for me! I know that I have a lot of weaknesses and I'm working on them but the best way to work on them is to council with the Father first and then to get up on your feet and put it into practice. Already I have seen this principle played out in my own life. And it can be anything: more courage to share the gospel, a greater sensitivity to others feelings, knowing what to say when you get a missionary opportunity, more patience, the ability to think more positively, or being less critical and having less negative thoughts. The Lord wants to help you develop Christlike talents and attributes and they are a gift from Him. Who better to help you change your character than the one who made you! Anyway, that is my testimony of prayer!! So everyone, make sure you say them every day and make sure you MEAN them!! Be completely honest. Tell him about your biggest worries, your fears, the things that bother you. Talk to Him.
I LOVE you guys!! Hopefully I'll be able to tell you more about the progressing work soon!
Soeur Stewart
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