YO!

Well. This week was something else. :)

Wednesday we played ultimate frisbee in Central Park. It was SWEET!!
Central Park is awesome. The great lawn isn't open quite yet but hopefully it will be soon. Then we went to dinner at a members house.
Then we had our online event that was basically a FAIL but it's fine.
:)

Thursday we had weekly planning and then interviews with some sisters in our zone. We had plans to meet them at the 15th street chapel (side rant, if you haven't google earthed that chapel, you should. I think it's 104 fifteenth street or something.. I almost miss it EVERY TIME) they were in an appointment with the employment resource center and it ended up taking FOREVER.

After they were done we wanted to go to crumbs to get a cupcake. We ended up walking the wrong way and wound up at the Chelsea Market. If I wasn't a missionary.. Man. I would love that place. It's the coolest mall I've ever seen. Google it. It was too expensive for a cupcake there so we walked toward the real crumbs and on the way we passed Kleinfelds!!! I really about died.

After our interview with them it was practically time for dinner...
And then we did a lookup and went home. So, that was a really productive day. I felt horrible. I've been really struggling with how much work we don't do in our area. I think it's been a challenge in our companionship, too. We're working on it though :)

Friday was my first MLC! That stands for Mission Leadership Council.
For you old timers, it is Zone Leader Council.. But they had to change the name when stls came about :) It was so fun to go and see everyone and learn from president and the APs. President ripped us a new one actually.. But it was so good :)

At first he talked about our roles and responsibilities as leaders. He asked what our first responsibility is. Lots of people said to love or to be an example or to train but he told us it is actually to live worthy of the spirit. Crazy, right? Then he talked about how we also need to teach true doctrine and love the people we serve.

All week I've been praying to know how to find a balance in our area and our companionship and how to deal with doing so much sister training leader work and hardly any missionary work. Revelation is real my friends! The next thing president talked about was how our AREA is our first priority and if our area isn't thriving we are doing it wrong. We are to lead by example. There's my answer! So we have to pretty much do a 180 here in Morningside heights... But the beautiful thing is that the atonement is for everyone :)

As if we weren't feeling chastised enough, president asked for a volunteer to show him their planner and area book. No one wanted to...
Which is a horrible sign. To make a really really long story short, he basically told us we suck at planning and if we want to see success we have to plan for it. He kept asking us how bad we really want it!
Obviously every missionary wants that more than pretty much anything else right now.

Then he went on to talk about his interview before he was called as a mission president. He said he was interviewed by President Eyring.
They talked about everything in president's life. Pres was nervous obviously and president Eyring asked him about it. Then president Eyring said The Lord knows your experiences and your heart and YOUR SINS and you are still being called to this position. There are 1000 of people more qualified than you but you are still in this position.
I needed to hear that. I don't feel qualified at all to be in this position but I know president was called by The Lord.... So... That means this is all by inspiration.

Then he talked about how we are the elite of the mission and we set the pace for the other missionaries. It was good to hear. :) I was just in awe pretty much the whole meeting. I cannot describe the spirit there... It's different than anything I have ever felt! They asked me earlier in the week to say the closing prayer at the end of MLC... And then at the end of the meeting they had testimonies by inspiration/invitation... So... I had to bear my testimony and then give the closing prayer right after!! It was kind of horrible because I still hate hate hate talking in front of lots and lots of people :/ but it was fine.

Oh mom! I need to tell you before I forget that i talked to sister Morgan about my knee because my companion made me. She told me to take ibuprophen and ice it and see how it is in 10 days. I shouldn't have said anything to her because the very next day it was hurting worse than it ever has! :P

Saturday and Sunday were conference. You all better have watched it.
I'm going to go all missionary on you for a second. I hope you realize that I spend every minute of every day trying my HARDEST to get people to come to church, come closer to the Savior, and to prepare to make covenants. If you aren't doing one of those, I hope my serving a mission has at least helped you see the importance of it. Here is your invitation to improve and become better. :)

Liliana came to both Saturday morning and Sunday morning sessions.
Saturday morning we took her shopping for modest clothes for church before conference. And no, that wasn't my idea. :) it was my companion's. Isn't she just the best?

Conference was.. Interesting. I was looking forward to being really uplifted but Saturdays sessions were very... Ominous. I think it's very interesting that no new temples were announced and that a TON of talks were about strengthening your faith and deepening your testimony. Saturday night I couldn't help but feel... Heavy I guess is the right word. From President Morgans council and then general conference... I felt like I had a lot of room to improve and not a lot to look forward to.

Then Sunday came :) I can't remember the name of the lady, but someone spoke and said "the gospel isn't a weight, it's wings." That was exactly what I needed to hear. In this life EVERYONE is here to learn and grow and improve. No one is perfect, but that doesn't mean we should stop trying, I love, and have come to love even more, the scripture in Ether about weaknesses.

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
(Ether 12:27)

Read the first line carefully.. IF men COME UNTO ME [then] I will show unto them their weakness.

At first that seemed unfair. Coming closer to God should make our life easier. Elder Holland talked about a god that doesn't demand much. I think at one point or another, we've all felt that way. If there is one thing I have gained a testimony of on my mission, it is that very thing the scripture talks about. The closer we get to God, the more we see the flaws and the imperfections. But keep reading. The promise is that if we are humble, the weaknesses we have will eventually become our strengths. The gospel is SO beautiful! The gospel really does give us wings. I've seen it in the lives of so many people here and most importantly, I've seen it in myself. There is NO other way i would have been able to overcome all of the weaknesses I have... And don't worry, I just keep finding more. :)

Monday we had zone meeting. One of our zone leaders was sick... So..
Sister Campbell and I along with the zone leader that wasn't sick taught zone meeting. I hate hate hate talking in front of people, in case you haven't heard. I am getting better at it I think. Or more apathetic. Either way, it's working. :)

After zone meeting I was determined to WORK! So that day we visited an active member who had surgery, two less actives, at least one lookup and we had interviews with the Harlem sisters :) it was a good day. I went to bed feeling accomplished :)

Tuesday we went on splits with our roommates. It was pretty fun. We spent the first two hours contacting. I haven't contacted in forever!
It was so fun. We did it as a district so sister Campbell and I made up this survey for people to take that asked them if they believed in God, how they knew, etc. People were really willing to talk to us! We taught 3-4 people and gave out a Book of Mormon. Then we visited with a member and an investigator and came home! I love splits. It's so fun to be able to learn from other missionaries and to be able to get to know the sisters. I was with sister Barlow. She went to USU and we had a class together! I didn't know her though.

Well. That's my week! It flew by. This cycle is half over today. Where has time gone? This week should be better. We have one interview and that's it! I'm hoping we can do some solid work in our area.

Sorry for the novel email. My journal writing has significantly decreased now that we have roommates again.. So hopefully this makes up for it a little bit :) love you all! What did you learn from conference? Are you reading preach my gospel like they suggested? ;)


Some pictures!