Hola!
The weeks just keep getting better and better! Can you believe I have already been here for a month? I'm halfway done here at the MTC! This time next month I will be packing my bags and getting ready to leave for CA. I leave on December 11th, by the way, but I don't have any of my travel plans yet. I'll let you know when I do.
Some awesome things that happened this week:
Earlier this week we were teaching Carla. One of our teachers role plays as Carla, and after our lesson, she pulled us aside and was crying, and said "thank you so much for your lesson to Carla today. That actually turned out to be a lesson that I needed in my life and you answered a question that I have had for a very long time, and you helped me realize what I need to do to turn some things around in my life. Your lesson today was an answer to my prayers." How cool is that? Here we were, just doing role play lessons with our "investigator" and it turned out that we were led by the spirit to teach what our teacher needed to hear. The Spirit is so powerful! Never ignore a prompting you get! Even if you've planned a completely different lesson!
Also, on Fast Sunday, one of the elders in my zone bore his testimony about how his whole life he has loved fasting because it has blessed him so much and answered so many prayers. But, a year or so ago, he found out that he has hypoglycemia, and so that does not allow him to fast as much as he would like to, and so it really bothered him that he would not be able to fast as much as he would like to. But, he said with the Lord's help he has been able to fast every Fast Sunday for two meals because the Lord has been helping him... When I heard that testimony I was like, What? You're bummed about not being able to fast all the time? And then I thought, how selfish am I? It's important to not take for granted all of the blessings and opportunities that come from fasting. We should be so enthused and have gratitude for the easy task that fasting is in our lives, and for all of the blessings that it brings.
We've been learning a lot about how essential the Book of Mormon is in the conversion process. The only lasting conversions are the ones that were built upon and through the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon can answer any of your questions and will bring you closer to Christ than anything else in this world. It is the keystone of our religion. Investigators will not progress until they have received a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and once they do receive that testimony, it's amazing how quickly they progress. There is much power in the Book of Mormon.
Guess what? Ever since Oct. 6 until now, there have been more sister missionary applications submitted than there are sister missionaries serving in the world!! Holy cow! This is truly the Lord's work and it will only continue to move forward. It makes me think of the hymn "battle hymn of the republic" when it says "come join the ranks, come join the ranks!" (that is the right hymn, right?).
I learned something awesome in the devotional the other night. Elder and Sister Zwick (of the 70) came and spoke, and sister Zwick talked about a culture in Central America (I can't remember which one) that greets each other with so much love. When they greet each other, they hold your shoulders, look into your eyes, and say "how is your heart?". HOW INTENSE IS THAT? And so, it made me think about how lame and fake our greetings are here in the U.S.A. where we just say "hey, hows it going?" without even staying around to hear the answer. And so, I've committed myself to greet people with a sincere "how is your heart" question, and then I'll stick around until after you've told me about the state of your heart. I encourage you all to do the same and be a little bit more sincere. :) Entonces, como esta su corazon? Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now.
The Halloween party sounds like it was a ton of fun! Those pictures are hilarious!! Thank you! haha. Congratulations to Leah! How exciting! I was wondering if they would ever get married haha. Youth conference sounds like it will be fun, is the Phoenix temple almost done? Thank you for all of the spiritual insights, quotes, scriptures, and thoughts! I love them! Mom and Dad you are both great examples of wonderful home and visiting teaching. We have a great responsibility to look after those we are assigned to. We are assigned to them for a very specific reason.
How's work going dad? Why have you been so busy? Did you do Zumba yet? How exciting about Torie's patriarchal blessing that is coming up! That will be the best blessing you can ever receive! Mine continues to help me, and as I grow older I find new insights to the things that it says in mine.
I hope everybody is doing grand! Don't forget to read the scriptures and pray daily. Miracles happen every day, remember to look for them and then thank Heavenly Father for them. He is so generous. Share the Book of Mormon with someone this week, it may just change their life!
I love you all and I miss you. Thank you for helping me get to this point in my life. Serving a mission is the greatest decision I could have made.
Love,
Hermana Lacey Inman
Thanks again for your prayers, thoughts, and letters
