Hello family!
What a special week we had
with Elder Lawrence visiting. I wish I could describe just a small
portion in words - but you're just going to have to bear with the fact
that my letter will probably completely miss the mark. What else is new.
For one, we had a great Mission Leadership
Council. For the past few months, President Packard has felt inspired to
set a goal as a mission - something that we have never reached before
in terms of baptism. We had set the goal for a month over the summer and
despite our diligence and the outpouring of the spirit, we didn't quite
make it. It was still a revolutionary mark for the mission. As we
discussed as a council, we knew that November was the month to complete
this goal of 70 baptisms. We created a plan of how we are going to work
with the missionaries and wards to bring unity and facilitate this
miracle. We were interviewed as companionships by Elder Lawrence which
was neat, but not as life shattering as you'd think.
The Lord
has been preparing us for November. It was not a coincidence how
everything is lining up like clockwork. We had Elder Lawrence's visit,
MLC at an unusual time, it's right before November, and we had Zone
Conference where it was a good time to announce the goal. In Zone
Conference we learned some literally remarkable things about the gospel
that I had never thought about as deeply before. Changes everything
about the way and the why of my missionary work. If only I would have
known this a year ago. Sister Layton and I are of course beyond excited
about this goal and experience - I tell ya, the spirit works perrty
quickly around here. In less than 24 hours we had prayed and laid out a
plan individualized for the branch, met with President Dusty for his
counsel so that it could come from him when he announces it, printed
inserts of our unit goals for the programs, and invited a family to fast
for the first day to kick it off. Oh the powerful things the spirit can
allow you to do in less than 24 hours. We feel so confident that these
ideas were directly from the spirit to solve the branch's concern for
unity and sharing the gospel. We don't need to please one or the other!
Both are knit as one!
So we are calling it the North
Brookfield November 3. The 3 things each member of the branch is going
to do in the month of November to assist in bringing about a branch
baptism this month.
We woke up to November 1st
and we knew that the spirit and the devil were already awake. It has
been an emotional contemplative weekend. The power of the adversary is
real. The harder we work, the more weapons he seems to try. We are
praying harder than before and helping our investigators understand
this as ever as before too. I've never felt like I had to be more on my
guard. It will take more faith than I currently have, more work than I
currently give, and more sincere prayers than I currently offer. In fast
and testimony meeting I bore my testimony about the power of these
goals and the promise that we'll have a baptism conditional upon our
obedience to these goals that President Dusty has asked us to do.
Elder
Lawrence taught us 6 steps of faith. I invite you to apply these
principles to what you are working on or know you should be working on. I
wont go into depth on each one - ill let you do you own homework on
that. He reminded us that righteous goals are those that have a gap -
those that require divine intervention in order to be accomplished.
1. Choose a righteous desire/goal
2. Be believing
3. Plead your cause to the Lord
4. Commit yourself fully
5. Expect trials and obstacles
6. Expect the Lord to preform. [Jacob 4: 6-7]
We
don't have quotas - but we do know that so many people right in front
of our eyes are looking, waiting, and ready for the gospel. We do know
the Lord preforms when we do our part and set worthy goals by the
spirit. Doubt and fear can't reside in the same room as faith. We can be
doing so much more in our lives that we currently are. Not more as in
adding something to the to do list - but it may require that we change
some of the things on the to do list, or change the way that we do them.
Please keep the MBM in your prayers this month. See, I told you I couldn't accurately snap shot it!
Love,
Sister Bell
Don't forget your sword and shield at home folks. Ain't nobody got time for that this month.
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