This
week has been full of revelation! I love being a member of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! I love having living prophets
and apostles who lead and guide this church. What is interesting though
is that they are not the heads of the church. The head of the Church
is Jesus Christ himself. The prophets have that authority from our
loving Heavenly Father to share with us what Christ and our Father have
revealed to them. I think this process is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!
On Thursday,
we had a special zone training. President and Sister Smith were there
to teach us! That was so great to see them and hear what it was they
have been planning for a while to teach us. They had been traveling
around the mission doing the same training for all the zones in the
mission. The Pensacola Zone was the second to last training, because it
is so far away from the rest of the mission.
In August,
Elders Stanfill, and Neilson of the Seventy came and toured our
mission. They gave us great council and taught us about the Atonement
of Jesus Christ. They received some revelation during their visit. We
all know that revelation comes straight from the Lord himself through
the Holy Ghost, so this was some pretty intense stuff :) They shared
this revelation with President and Sister Smith who then over the last
couple months have thought carefully and prepared a way to share this
revelation with the mission.
It was announced at Zone
Conference that our mission is the first mission in the United States
that would be implementing this into our work as missionaries! So that
got our attention right away. We will no longer be focusing on finding
people to teach and baptize. Our main focus for the next year is going
to be completing families, and re-activating the Less- active members in
the mission.
When i heard this, i was overcome with the
spirit. For the last little while, i have felt that it is my purpose in
this area to reach out to the less actives and bring them back to the
joy of the gospel. I have been a bit overwhelmed because that was a
HUGE undertaking, and we were supposed to be focusing our time and
efforts on finding and teaching new people. I was just super frustrated
not knowing how i was going to fulfill this purpose that I felt I had in
this area. So when President and Sister Smith announced that we will
just be focusing on the Less-Actives from now on, I was so excited.
I
am so excited and honored to be taking part in such a sacred
work. Re-activation is very close to my heart because it is happening
in such abundance in my own family. It brings such joy to know that I
will be helping other families experience this same joy!
We
received some great training that will help us work in unity with the
ward councils. Missionaries cannot do this work alone. It is only
possible if the members and the missionaries work as one. I know that
this will be a great change for this mission! Especially in Pensacola!
The Pensacola Stake has over 2000 less-active members! So we have our
work cut out for us!
We also had some great training on
Family History. President told us that the Ancestors of those we are to
teach are leading us to them and helping soften their hearts. Because
it is only through that descendant of theirs, that we teach, that it is
possible for their work to be done.
Think back to how
excited you were when you were going to be baptized! Then a few minutes
before your baptism starts, you are told you cannot get baptized yet.
You have to wait for your great, great, great grand-daughter to do it
for you. That would be absolutely devastating! I know it would be for
me! So that is why family history is so important! We are finding them
and gathering their information so they can get their work done! So
not only is missionary work being done on this side, but it is being
done on the other side as well. I found that to be so powerful and very
motivating!!
Saturday and Sunday
we had the privilege to watch General Conference! I love General
Conference and always have. As a missionary though, it has a greater
meaning. Its like a Christmas for the soul!! haha :) Every talk I felt
was just what i needed to hear. I also received some great revelation
for our investigators. Ermilisa attended the Saturday Morning session with Sister Peterson and I. That was really cool. She enjoyed every second of it.
After
the first session, Ermilisa was able to get a priesthood blessing.
That was AMAZING! To hear the council that Heavenly Father had for
Ermilisa was incredible. I know that our Heavenly Father is VERY proud
of her! She has such great things in store. What i thought was
absolutely amazing, was that in her blessing it said that " Heavenly
Father, and your Ancestors are pulling for you." That was powerful! I
felt so honored to witness such a statement.
I
absolutely LOVE being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints! The Gospel is what makes us happy and brings true
and lasting Joy to our lives. The church is just the vehicle that gets
us moving, and encourages us to endure faithfully to the end. The
Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know that with all of my heart. The
Gospel is so simple, yet so profound. It is perfect. I know that we
have a loving Heavenly Father who knows and cares for us individually
and collectively. I know that the only way to return to him is through
His son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the one that makes all things
possible. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me."
I hope you all get the chance to ponder and study the talks given at General Conference. They are truly inspired.
With Love,
Sister Melissa Jean Wood
I got to have REAL southern food!! It was SOOO good haha. And to my surprise, I really like collard greens!
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