One last thought

2 John 1:12.

 

Love you.

Sister Maynard.

Hey Everybody!

  

This week has been strange. But I guess in a way they all are. The last year and a half of my life has just been strange. But a totally good strange.

 

Sites has been awesome. Ohhhh I love sites! We had an awesome training meeting in the Kirtland Temple. Our sites theme for the transfer is "Stand in Holy Places" and so Elder Jones talked about all of the miraculous things that happened in the Kirtland Temple surrounding the dedication which happened in April 1836. Then Elder Sorensen got up and talked to us about how we serve in all of these sacred places but it's us as sisters that bring the spirit to places and how we get to serve in such sacred spots.. It was great. I love the temple.

 

We took a lot of tours this past weekend and I had a connection with almost everybody we took. It was so cool! Some of them knew Mads' family. Some were from Simi. 2 of them had served in the Ventura Mission and knew a lot of our elders.. It was really neat. I can't wait for everybody to come to Kirtland! I love it so much.

 

Conference was amazing!!!!!! I can't even explain how much I loved it. I have been thinking a lot about my potential as a daughter of God and what that really means. Of course in my mind they ALL talked about that. It was really cool. I'm really starting to understand that I am a daughter of God and that I have a divine role and plan here on earth and I have unlimited potential. I guess the next step is to figure out how to tap into that.. But we have all been given gifts and talents to help us build the kingdom of God on earth. It's an amazing plan God has for us.

 

I don't know what else! So I guess have a great week full of missionary opportunities!

Sister Maynard.

Easter Miracles

Over a month ago a snow plow truck ran into our car.. Awesome, right?? Well, we are FINALLY getting that fixed. Which is great but the downside is that our car is now in Cleveland and we're forever away, in the country, without a car. So this week we have to have people dropping us off and picking us up everywhere. It's going to be difficult but the ward is very supportive and we're grateful for that. It totally doesn't help that we don't live in our area either.. But it will be awesome and we're going to see so many miracles because we'll just be stuck in the middle of nowhere and have to come up with things to do!

 

Like yesterday for instance. It's Easter and people are with their families having a good time and pretty much the only thing we could do was have the other sisters drop us off in a neighborhood after church and tract until dinner. I felt really uncomfortable about this because I would just rather not bother people when they're having family time.. The first two doors we knocked on were so rude. Oh, it was awful. It just confirmed to me how bad of an idea that was. Hahah as I was about to start crying and asking Sister Joseph if we could give up I said one of the most sincere prayers I've ever said in my life in my heart. I simply asked Heavenly Father to bless us with the elect. That prayer changed everything for me.. I was excited to share our message. I knew that we would be led to people who were searching for the gospel and we totes were! We now have 2 new gators and like a gazillion potentials! Everybody after saying that prayer was very kind and my heart had changed. Which goes right into my next story..

 

It's been everybody's spring break this past week so we've gotten a TON of tours. Like 3 and 4 a day for each companionship with like 15 people in each tour. So fun. We took a tour with these 2 young families and it was a great tour. I really enjoyed the families and they loved seeing everything. In the Johnson Inn we get to kind of take a break and let everybody look at our kiosks and look around and I got talking with one of the moms. She was so sweet and she asked how long I've been out.. It's a valid question and people don't realize that I go home so soon but it's just a reminder of that and I don't like it. So I told her I was going home in 3 weeks and that it's been pretty hard to come to terms with that. She explained that she had served a mission and she remembers being in my position and how hard it was for her (She also served in Greece so that must have been even harder!). She gave me advice on what I should do. But the one that stuck with me the most was when she said that I have learned to trust God throughout my mission. I've learned how to rely on Him.. All I have to do is keep that going. I just have to trust that Heavenly Father knows what's best and He will guide me to whatever I need to be doing. Which is what I'm learning daily out here. How to rely on Heavenly Father through things like praying and reading my scriptures everyday.. Life will still be hard and I still don't want to go home but I'm coming to terms with. I will also be very weird and I'm okay with that as well. She said it will eventually die down and I'll be normal again. Everything will work out.

 

Yesterday morning we were able to attend the Easter sunrise service the Comm of Christ puts on in the Kirtland Temple every year. Ohhhh I love the Kirtland Temple! It's so beautiful and so amazing to know that Christ has been there and stood on those puplits. Everybody needs to experience the Kirtland Temple :]

 

 

I love you all so much! I hope you had a happy Easter!

Sister Maynard.