This week has been oh so very nice and I'm happy to say that yes I am staying focused and all is well! I just love Sister T and am so very grateful that she is my companion for my last transfer! I really love Centerville and the people here even more so this week and I don't want to leave... The mountains, the Utah Mormons, the pleasant weather, the tender love that our Heavenly Father has given to me. I want to keep it forever and know that I will be able to. I was able to have so many of my prayers be answered this week and I have tried not to miss a moment of this amazing spirit that I have on my mission!
Monday was just super chill and it was great playing some volleyball with our Zone and writing some letters! I just love our Zone and all the missionaries in our mission. They are so very talented and I am in the middle of it all! I feel so very blessed.
Tuesday was a day to never forget. We were able to have a mission wide meeting with Elder M. Russell Ballard! I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to be in the second row and right in front of him! Wow, he is a powerful man, all about hard work and just have fun! He talked of a few things.
1. We are missionaries and need to know Chapter 3 in Preach My Gospel. We need to immerse ourselves in the lessons. If we have confidence in teaching the lessons then we are going to teach, find and talk to members. It needs to go from your head to your heart.
2. We need two faithful missionaries to teach. You will become fearless when you have confidence. Elder Ballard knows the doctrine so well that he is happy to share it! Treasure it up in your Heart!
3. You have to teach with understanding. Be direct and find questions. He said, 'It's no small thing to take a man out of the world into the gospel. Elder Ballard left us with a blessing and it was so sweet. At the end he said, 'You have a power within so relax. Be warm and share the great news of Jesus Christ.'
Elder Ballard brought with him Elder Marriott and he spoke to us as well! It is so wonderful and talked about what we as missionaries can do to be successful in our mission, in our job and in life. WORK & PRAY at times we have to look for opportunities to be successful. The members need to fall in love with the work!
When we had left I felt so strengthened by Elder Ballard’s spirit and loving words. He talked about those going home... when you get depressed look at a picture of Jesus Christ and then gain strength and work. How powerful that was just for me and I know that I can overcome all things. He loves us to give us what we need to continue on.
We had then left the meeting ready to do the work and change! I knew this week would not be like the rest and it wasn't. All week our day was full of people to see and lessons to teach. I knew that I wanted to do something different so we get up at 6am every morning and walk to the Stake Building down the street from us and just work out and have fun!!! Sister T and I laugh and made some crazy fun work out moves that are just the best to our Primary Mix and EFY Mix CD's
We send out a spiritual thought/ scripture every morning to Less Actives, Investigators and members we are working with. When I found the scripture I gave it to Sister T to send it off. The day went by and we had four lessons and then after dinner we had a lesson with Bro. Call and his wife who are wanting to have the lessons to get back into the swing of things with church activity. So we had our lesson and it was just how to begin teaching and letting him and his wife set some goals and getting to know him better. He told us that when he was at his counseling for his PDS that morning he went out with the rest of the guys to take a smoke and he popped in some tobacco... then his phone went off and he checked it and said it was a text from the sisters and as he read it he thought shoot, I can't have this and spit it out!!!!! I LOVE THE SPIRIT!!!! Sister T was so inspired to send that text off to him! He is just so very amazing and told us that he wants to read the Book Of Mormon again with his wife and told us that he is a return missionary. Yes he went off the path, BUT yes there is a way back! It is only through the atonement of Jesus Christ! I love Him a lot!
The rest of the week went on and I felt the love of our Heavenly Father confirm to me that what I am doing is right. I just need to continue to be patient with Him and my struggles. I can't believe I have made it all 17 months! I know I have changed and feel so very grateful to have these trials in my life that are now a super totes awesome gift that I have taken into my heart forever! The lives I've changed and the lives that have changed mine... oh how blessed I feel right now! We took a little visit to the State Capital... I didn't know when Sister T would ever be here again so we talked about how like in the Book Of Mormon the government went bad the people sinned. We need to have a strong foundation on right principles. She didn't know how we do our government so we had a history lesson! It was cute!
On Saturday we were able to go to Temple Square with the Hamptin Family that are still on date for April 26! They asked so very many questions and it was like the spirit was talking through me to help them understand the temple and families. It was the cutest thing ever when the little boy was talking about age and said, 'I'll be 17 and then I'll have one more year to go on a mission!' He's not even baptized and knows he's going to go on a mission!!! Teach them while they are young and they will be so very strong when they are older! Bearing testimony in front of the Christus was just a sweet joy to me!
I know that in the time we need His love or want to feel someone’s love he sends it in an unexpected way. Sunday evening we had our usual Stake Correlation with the Ward Mission Leader's and then dinner which was so wonderful with the Young Men's president in one of the wards. I can't remember it but we went to our lesson we had with this Samoan family and Sister T was able to talk to the dad! It was pretty awesome. Then out of nowhere he gets his guitar and plays this song. His family is Less Active so he said he can't remember it very well but started to play 'My Redeemer Lives' oh how I miss the Sunday evenings at home and dad would play his guitar and we would all sing and just enjoy our time together! I loved that tender moment Heavenly Father gave to me last night. We visited another family who is Less Active, Holly Jo. She and her daughters sing amazingly and again it was a tender moment for me to know that I love this gospel of Jesus Christ! I know that our Savior lives and guides us every day of our life. The scriptures really do help us repent so then we can feel of His peace, joy and love.
How blessed I am to be with Sister T and go to the General Women’s Meeting coming up and to go to Conference for my last time on my mission here soon! I can't wait!!! I pray for each of you every day and know that our Heavenly Father is mindful of all of our needs! Just look at the sunset tonight and know that He created it all for you and me! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love your daughter and little sister,
Sister Sarah Jane Pratt
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