What a great day it is to be alive! This week has
been filled of amazing small miracles everyday! And I am sure it is the
same with you all too. Where to even begin! This weekend was like Christmas for me. I loved General Conference. I wish it would just keep
going. We had the opportunity to listen to the first three sessions. We
watched both morning sessions live with you! So it felt cool to know
that we were watching it together. I think my favorite talks were.. OH! i don't know! I loved Eyrings! I love the way he speaks. I loved
Hallstrom's about the gospel verses the church. I loved Elder Hollands
because it was about a simple story in the bible.. and he put a whole
new spin on it. It is amazing how you can understand the same story with
a few new points of views. I loved Ulisses Soares about how this world
is going towards a scientific atheism and they are tone deaf to the
music of the spirit. I see this every day with people I meet on the
streets. I worry about the world and its people...how can we stop this
from spreading?
I could just keep going! As I took notes I tried to do the
two column thing. One side was on what the person said and the other side
is just little thoughts and ideas that come to me. As Syster Sprague
and I headed home that evening she looked at me with big eyes and said
"I have received revelation! For almost all of my questions!"... I had a
small sense of disappointment because I didn't really feel like I'd
received a lot of inspiration. But when we got home we took out our notes
and just talked about all our favorite parts... and after going through
my notes a few times... I HAVE RECEIVED REVELATION! my right hand
column is full everywhere.. And the same thoughts and ideas came to me
through each speaker.. no matter what topic they were speaking on. That
was pretty neat. Did you receive revelation? And if you haven't, go
through your notes! and if you still cant find it talk to someone else
about what your wrote down in your notes. I still feel like talking my
way through certain ideas is how I received inspiration.. or writing it
down in my journal.
Ok last boring thing. I LOVE READING SCRIPTURES! have I said
that before? Just in case I haven't... Reading the Book of Mormon every
morning and then telling Syster Sprague about it is perhaps the best
part of every day. Right now I am in Alma and I read through chapter 31
this week. I loved verses 5 where Alma talks about how he is going to go
out and test the word of God instead of picking up a sword. Do you
realize he has already served a long mission.. and now he is going to go
out again! Its kinda like we keep being missionaries through our visiting teaching and home teaching.. because the people he goes to
teach in 31 are the Zoramites. The Zoramites used to have the gospel but
have fallen away.. :) Get the correlation! I love it. and then in verse
38 it talks about the power of prayer. Not just any prayer but a prayer
in faith.
38 And
the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should
they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should
suffer no manner of aafflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in bfaith.
So miracles! As a missionary you often
times have goals. Well Syster Sprague and I were trying to reach a goal
of talking to 10 people every day.. outside of what we had scheduled.
In Allingsås this can seem very hard.. because the town is very small
and there are not so many people out and about. BUT! We made this goal
and we were going to try our best. We had been promised if we tried to
reach this goal the Lord would help us get 5 new investigators that
week. SO! last Sunday was our first successful day of reaching 10.
Through out the week we tried our best. Monday..our preparation day we reached ten
again! Tuesday was a crazy day and it started going off schedule. So as
we rushed up to our first appointment we were about 5 mins early. We
parked our bikes. As I hopped off mine and we went to lock them I just
spoke out loud to Sys Sprague and Heavenly Father. "Heavenly Father, we
are ready to talk to some prepared people.. if you feel like sending
them our way." Right then a lady walked past. Syster Sprague and I were
startled and thought... oh geez.. I hope it wasn't her! I wasn't QUITE
ready. So after parking the bikes we headed down the little road to our
meeting place. A younger man rounded the corner and lit up a cigarette. I
looked at Sys S and said.. should we do it? She said, why not! (I love
her!). We stopped him. and He gave us his number!!!!!!! First person
we contacted! THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR MISSIONARIES IN SWEDEN! :) The
rest of the day we were so busy we didn't get a chance to talk to 10
people. I felt like it was Heavenly Father knew we were not going to
have time so just gave him to us first. :)
Wednesday.. the same thing happens. we are running late. We have
to quickly hop on our bikes and cycle to the church to print something
out to then quickly head back for a teach. This does not make for good
random contacting on the way. We were rushing up to 5 o'clock. finally
the day slowed down and we went to go by some old investigators. As we
walked up to the apt complex of the family there was a man and his son
sitting on a park bench. I looked at Sys S and said.. should we talk to
them? she look at me and said "why not!" He said we could come back
next week on Thursday and teach him. yay!!! This kept happening to us
throughout the week. And guess what! We got 5 new investigators! I
really shouldn't be so surprised because with the Lord anything is
possible.. but! I still was!
Syster Sprague and I have decided to make April a month of
perfection (thank you dad) and we are going to try to do our best and
let the Lord do the rest. I am super excited!
There is so much more that happens to us each day on a mission. It is
just too much to write down.
Two neat small experience were around
conference. On Saturday we were sitting in the chapel listening to
conference and we have big widows on the sides. We saw a man outside
walking his dog. Conference is so amazing.. who wouldn't love listening
to this and feeling of the spirit and power of God. Syster Sprague got a
smile on her face and said.. should we go out there and invite him!? I
thought for a moment.. are you crazy! but then remembering all those
times she stood by my side and said.. why not. I looked at her and said
"Why not!".. big smiles came upon our faces and we headed out. We
walked up to the man and told him that we were listening to a prophet of
god speak and he would be welcome to join us. He said no.. but it was
at that moment that I realized.. I need not have fear. We can do all
things. And even if they reject our invitation.. that does not mean it
doesn't count. Every invitation counts. On Sunday morning we decided to
walk to church. The buses don't run on Sundays and it would take us
about 40 mins.. but we thought it might be the only way we could reach
our 10 contacts. There were not too many people on the streets. By the
time we rounded the bend with the church just a minute ahead.. and
woman pushing a stroller came walking towards us. Well! we decided to
stop and invite her. She unfortunately had to rush to her friends
house.. But she said "I got your little note yesterday".. I thought..
what? who are you? you got a note from us!? Syster Sprague
with surprise said, Oh! are you Marta!? She said yes. She was quickly
past and headed on her way. I was stunned. Out of all the people out we
run into an old investigator we have gone by a few times but she was
never home. We have noticed that we never just "run into people". The Lord really guides us and puts people in our path. Even when they don't
want our message. He still wants us to invite them.
SO! I love you all and I love this gospel!! Have a great day!
Love Syster Schneiber
ps.
There are these flowers that have just popped up in the middle of
little patches of grass. Spring is here! it reminded me of the "lupine
lady!"... but It also reminded me of Mulan. I looked at Sys Sprague one
day riding the bus and told her to look at all the flowers. Then I
said.. in my best imitation of Mushu.. "did you see those huns! they
popped out of the snow! like daisies!"
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