Sister Davis, Continuing in Patience

CLAM (California Los Angeles Mission)

The sisters and the assistants . . . who invited them?

At the temple with my companion

Sister Olsen and Sister Davis

Friends and Family,

The Lord blesses those who continue in patience. I'm sure that I could have been much more patient, but we have been working hard and were blessed to see some miracles this week! We had a lesson with Richie that went really well. He wants to make a change in his life and he likes us which are all good things, but says he isn't sure if the "Mormon thing" is for him. He told us that since he started on this new path with us that he has felt better. He has been praying sincerely which is great, but he used to play tennis professionally and seems to attribute most of the changes to playing tennis again. Earlier this week he cancelled on us which started out as a major disappointment, but turned out to be the Lords hand moving the work along. When we would have been teaching Richie we met Rob and Cade; a father and son who lost their wife and mother to cancer a little over a year ago. We talked to them on their porch for a bout a half an hour and when we returned the next day Rob had read the pamphlet we gave him and was all dressed up for the lesson. When we were about to get started his phone rang and he answered it briefly because it was a brother-in-law that he hasn't heard from in over a year, and he commented on how odd that was that he would call just as we were there. They have busy schedules but I'm hopeful because they were the ones that brought up a time for a return appointment. I'm excited for them because they just seem ready. The spirit was present in their home and I was impressed that when we asked Cade what he thought it meant to pray with faith he responded that it is when we believe and are willing to commit. He's 13! Anyway, they're awesome. Richie ended up calling us and saying that he decided he would like to continue to meet with us. Just when I thought this week couldn't get any better... yesterday, which would have been p-day if we didn't have our temple trip today, we saw another miracle. We knocked on a door near a potential investigator we were hoping to contact, and met Zach who told us that he would normally never give us the time of day had he not been praying for the first time when we knocked. Wow! I am amazed. Neither of us received inspiration about a certain house in a certain neighborhood in either of these instances, but as we were diligent in planning and going to contact a less active and potential we were blessed with three new people to teach. I feel like I just keep saying "wow". God is good at what He does. We were also able to have a wonderful two-day training at the Visitors' Center which has changed my outlook on serving there, or rather brought it back to what it was when I was in the MTC anticipating it. It's hard to kind of find yourself at a Visitors' Center. In the past I have felt so pressured to get referrals and give good tours and at times I've wondered why I was called to a VC because I honestly don't feel like I'm cut out for it sometimes. It's easy to get caught up in thinking that we have to fit a certain mold as a Visitors' Center sister, but all of the sisters here are incredibly different and I learned through the trainings that is fulfilling a more meaningful purpose than just giving our lives variety. Everyone that comes into the Visitors' Center is there for a reason and while all the media and exhibits we have are great, nothing they leave with will be more meaningful than a personal connection they made with a missionary that took the time to get to know them and share with them something that they needed in that moment. I just needed a reminder of how important it is to get to know people a little bit even if we only have a few minutes with them, or they come in knowing exactly what they want to see. It has also made serving there more enjoyable for me because I learn from everyone that comes in and get to hear about their lives and experiences. We threw around a lot of ideas on how to better utilize what we have in the VC to improve our teaching. Sister Bodily and I were able to sing "How Great Thou Art" at the first training and it filled that little hole I start to feel when I don't get to for a while. I've heard that music is the most powerful communication second to prayer and it must be true because it seems to be the only way I feel that I can adequately express my testimony sometimes. I always see people I know or that know someone I know in or around the Visitors' Center, but this week I got to see Aunt Mary Jo and her family which was a special treat, I took a family from Puerto Rico on a tour and they heard Vocal Union and said they really enjoyed it, and Sister Flake who served here is apparently in Bishop Kidd's ward back home. This world is getting smaller all the time! I love you all so much. Remember the blessings that are promised as you continue in patience :)

Sister Davis

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#continue-in-patience