What a WONDERFUL week it was! So many great learning experiences and joy to last a lifetime!
For preparation day last week we got to do a cooking class with Sister. Dalia Thomas! She is the BEST cook of mexican food in the whole wide state of Texas! If you serve in Alief, people without fail ask you if you tasted Sister. Thomas's food! She is that popular! She is amazing! And Sister. Williams and I got to go and cook with her! It was marvelous! :) Loved it! We made taquitos, sopes, refried beans, salsa and macaroni and cheese! It was the best! Such a blessed sister missionary am I!
I had my quarterly interview with President. Ashton this past week! That man is inspired of God. No doubt about it. He was so personal, as he always is, in my interview. I felt like he knew just what I needed to hear. Amazing! So grateful to be serving here with him as my mission president! He's an amazing leader and example to all of us!
For district meeting on Tuesday we talked about our vision for the Alief Ward (We all serve in the same ward. All 8 of us.) It was AWESOME! We went over the strengths of the ward and how we could help build them up and make them stronger! We're here to bring people unto Christ and that includes the members! Alief is filled with many converts, which is the BEST because they are all FIRED up and excited about the Gospel! Now… a vision is only complete with a title! Of course. So … are you ready? The title … of the Alief Ward Vision is …. drum roll please… OPERATION: BEAUTIFY ZION! Don't you love it? We sure do! It's so much fun! And we are in a service scavenger hunt/war/blackout competition with the elders. We each have a bingo looking sheet of different types of service we can do. Clean dishes, vacuum, wash windows, was the car, etc. Whoever gets their sheet filled out first wins! :) I love Alief!
We met with a less active this past week and he has some "unique" views on missionary work and at one point said "the goal of missionaries is to go around making people Mormon". That really bothered me. I was sad that he felt that way. I was sad that he didn't see or understand that our purpose is to invite people to become disciples of Jesus Christ. We can sometimes get too caught up in "being Mormon" and forget that really we are all trying to "become disciples of the Savior". That's what our earthly journey is really about. Becoming.
After this lovely interaction with this less active we were driving to our next appointment and we were stopped at a stop sign and waiting for a break in traffic. I had to go across 3 lanes within about 30 feet to get to the right position. Cars started to file up behind me and somebody's hand accidentally "slipped" and they honked the horn at us. People of Texas. I finally got a break in traffic and the car went squealing out from behind me. The rest of the cars followed him. I saw out of the corner of my eye one of the trucks roll down their window and wave their arm out the window. Or something like that. I thought he was holding up a specific finger that is not very nice to hold up… About 20 seconds later we get a phone call from a man in the ward. He has never called us. He said "who in the world is Driving Miss Daisy"? He let out a laugh! He was the one who had rolled down his window and waved to us! :) So funny! He thanked us for driving safe in the mission vehicles! Glad somebody was thankful for my driving! ;) Good memories! Good laughs! Joy is found in everything!
Good old Elder. Nilsen stopped by for a SURPRISE apartment inspection this past week! I got to tell you, nothing makes you anxious like that. Ha ha ha. Luckily our apartment was spick and span! Phew!
We have a potential investigator we have been trying to contact for 4 months now. We've never met him. Stopped by and knocked about 20 times. Talked to him on the phone. Had appointment after appointment cancelled and never could meet him face to face. We stopped by again this past week and guess what happened? You'll never guess! He was HOME! We met him! And he is awesome! He has a business associate who is a member of the church and so he already knows a lot about the church! He talked about listening to Elder. Holland's sermon's on his phone and he just LOVES them! This guy is prepared and ready! He is the elect! Yahoo!
I had Missionary Leadership Council this past week with all my Sister Training Leaders, the Zone Leaders, the Assistants to the President and President. Ashton! It was a great meeting! I am so thankful to be a part of it! Such a blessing! We talked about the reason why we talked to everyone. Who we open our mouths (OYM). In the Doctrine and Covenants in section 33 verses 8 to 9 it talks about OYMing and it says that as we OYM we "become even as Nephi of old". Now let's talk about Nephi. He was bold, he had the power of God, he was respected, the was responsible for bringing at least 30 million people unto Christ and he had full trust in God. Who wouldn't want to become even as Nephi of old? Talking to everyone is just as much about us as it is about the people we talk to! I love the Gospel! It's so wonderful and perfect and amazing! Love it! We also talked about grace and how God give us power to become better. We don't have to be perfect. "grace shall be as your day". Grace will come when we need it. Everything will be okay. Really. Everything will be okay. One of the elders said something that stood out to me. "The only time failure exists is when you've fallen and choose not to get up"! Isn't that wonderful! We can all repent when we fall. We can all get back up through the Savior! We don't have to get discouraged when we call. We have to repent. And there is nothing discouraging about repentance! It is such a wonderful thing!
Alief Ward has the most amazing Bishop in the world! Bishop. Bassett! He is one of a kind and my favorite! He has all 8 of us missionaries over for breakfast on Saturday and we had such a wonderful visit! I learned a ton about how we can more fully help the ward! :) On Sunday for combined 3rd meeting Bishop was teaching and he begins his lesson by walking over to the chalkboard and writing two words down. STEP. UP. I love this man! He is my hero!
We had an investigator come to church yesterday for the second time! And she brought both her kids with her! It was awesome! The best part though was in the middle of somebody bearing their testimony I hear a quiet "hello… yes… I'm in church … I'm in church … okay… love you… bye". HAHAHA! She answered her phone! You just have to laugh! And laugh! And laugh some more! People are priceless! I love them!
In 2 Nephi 2:14 we read "both things to act and things to be acted upon". If you look at the footnote to ACTED it takes you to Doctrine and Covenants 93:30 where you read "act for itself". It's talking about us. You and me. Are we going to act or be acted upon. I remember a friend shared with me an insight one time about how each of us are sons and daughters of the ultimate creator! Our Father in Heaven. Are we going to be a creation of our circumstances or are we going to be creators of our circumstances?
The General Women's Meeting was AWESOME! Historic event! I LOVE it. I love being a part of it! We live in such a marvelous time! Some things that I liked from the conference …
- As we strive to keep our covenants, our feelings of inadequacy begin to fade! That is an AWESOME promise.
- As individuals we are strong. Gathered together we are unstoppable.
- "perfect" = complete
- The plan of happiness enables us to get through our trials safely
To all those out there that are reading this. I hope you know how much I love each one of you! How much you mean to me! How thankful I am to you for your prayers on my behalf and on behalf of all the missionaries serving. We feel so much strength from your prayers! Thank you.
I love you all!
WIth Love,
Sister Kunzler
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