Monday, December 9, 2013

Adventures of Sister Elsmore 63

Mandy Elsmore <mandy.elsmore@myldsmail.net>


 Kumusta!
Sounds Super Cold over there. O.o Thanks for the pictures. I've enjoyed them. :) Hope things warm up soon! Glad you all stocked up on your 72 hour kits recently. ^_^ I laughed about your scripture Dad about using prophets to warm up the place. HA HA HA! Hope it does not come to that. ^_-
Here is a weekly scripture from my Dad 
[D&C 133:26]
"and they who are in north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves; and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence."
"If it doesn't warm up soon, we may need the prophets over here to fix our ice problems."

So this week has been full of the miracles of the Lord! ^_^ Feel like finally seeing the fruits of our efforts. This Sunday we had a bunch of Less Actives and Investigators come to church. 
The Sacrament Meeting hall was almost filled. In Relief Society, we almost did not have enough room to put chairs in. ^_^ Also, people going up to them and fellow-shipping them. Going up, talking to them, sitting with them, helping them take care of their kids. The church was filled with the spirit of love and service. Also, we received a lot of awesome referrals. Just goes to show what a little love, encouragement, hard work, the gospel, and the spirit and a whole lot of prayer can do to change people. Great to be a missionary! ^_^

The FUTURE! O.o
So, people are asking what I'm going to do when I get back home... Ok... Um, I'm just going to continue what I was doing before. Work, save, go back to school at BYU for Studio Art (maybe go for a Masters, but that is after a couple years...), live the gospel. Yup... in short, LIVE! Just live the way God would have me to live. With a little Sister Elsmore Flair. ^_- Which I think I'm a little bit more prepared to do because I understand myself better now, my weaknesses, and what I want to improve in my life. I don't have all the answers of what I'm EXACTLY going to do, but I have a little direction to my life and that is all I need right now. 

Anyway, right now, still need to focus on the work and the people hear. And keep enjoying the time where I can devote all my time and effort to the Lord in my protected bubble as a missionary. Feel like sometimes really, as missionaries we are COMPLETELY separated from the world. In the world, but not of the Lord at a higher level. Hope that makes sense... Kind-of hard to explain if you have not experienced it...

Patience is a Virtue (and a Christlike Attribute ^_^)
So for the past 5 weeks we have been teaching Vanessa Heart Pendon. Her family is returning less active family and she's SUPER ADORABLE! She will be baptized on Dec 28. She is super receptive and loves reading the pamphlets and the Book of Mormon. The only problem we had with her is that she would absolutely detest praying in public. SUPER SHY! She would pray with her family at night, but not around anyone else. We tried EVERYTHING!!! Trying to get her more willing to pray, teaching her about prayer, encouraging her, getting her friends to pray... Wala (nothing...)

We did the only other thing we could do. Pray. Everyday for her to gain a desire. Which she did! ^_^ On Saturday after teaching about Faith and Repentance we asked her to pray and she was like. Ok! Did not even bat an eye and prayed a sweet sincere prayer. SO HAPPY!!! ^_^ 

Really, no effort is wasted. Sometimes we have to be patient, do all that we can to share the gospel and help people in living it. Just trying is Success. Conversion is something between the individual and the Lord. We just provide the environment and the means for the Spirit to speak and work through us. ^_^ 

Inspiring Good Habits Though Art Projects

Been making little change banks from tin cans with plastic lids for people to learn how to save for palmasahe (money for travel) to go to church or for MariCris and Raffy save for their Marrage. Its been really effective! ^_^ 

Also, giving out the color in sheets for I read the Book of Mormon to people. They color in a box after they read a chapter of the Book of Mormon. They LOVE IT!!! ^_^ They are so proud to show off their sheets of paper every time we go to see them. Then tell us what happened in their reading. YES!!! The Book of Mormon is GREAT!!! >_<

Love Ya'll! Praying for Ya'll! 
Sister Elsmore

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