God Prepares People for the Message of the Restoration

7.27.15

What a week it has been, all over the place. Let us take it one day at a time.

Monday: We had a fun P-day and had dinner at our stake presidents house with the elders in the area and they shared a really awesome message with them and we received a couple referrals from them. Later that night we went and knocked on a door because a member told us that there was a family on this street and we had knocked on a couple of the doors on that street, they didn't give us a name or exactly where they lived but we were sent to that area for a reason. So we went and knocked on one of the random doors on this street and a really nice lady answered and invited us in and she told us that she wanted to get back to church. We talked about the savior and the book of Mormon and she was really excited to learn more about it and her grandkids were excited to learn more about it as well.

Tuesday: We had dinner with a member and I left my book of Mormon there but she lived really far out and we couldn't turn around because we were running late for interviews with or mission president (if there is anything you should not be late for it is that) We ended up being on time and I learned lots of wonderful things from him. One thing that he talked about was that we must live a life with purpose and inspiration. He talked about how important it is to apply the things that we learn from the spirit (inspiration) to our lives. Really great interview!  And later that night we also found a new investigator.

Wednesday: We had day of falling though appointments ALL day so we went and had a lesson with the lady who we met on Monday, the one that was really prepared by the Lord. She had great questions and was really excited about church on Sunday and talked about going to church Sunday.  We also told her a little about the word of wisdom and she though it was really cool and wanted to try to start following and living it. She also wanted to keep reading the book of Mormon because she loved it so much. And a couple funny things from that day. We went and knocked on a door by a referral from a member who we had seen. A lady came out and told us she was not really interested and told us that she knew all about that Mormon thing because her neighbor’s daughter had a boyfriend that was a member of the church at one point in his life. We told her that we could answer questions and she said she had no problem. It was just really interesting that she thought she knew it all because of the relationship she had with someone that knew it really well. And the actual funny thing that happened was the member called us that I had left my book with and she said that she wanted to bring it to our house. She got there and started talking about the people who owned it and that they had 2 and a half kids. At first I didn’t catch it and when she left my companion was laughing really hard... How do you have 2 and a half kids. haha

Thursday: We had Correlation today (Correlation: a meeting that we have with our Ward Mission leader each week to talk about the things that are going on in the area and tell him if we need any help with anything.) Anyways we had it at the library, terrible idea because we had to whisper like the entire time. It got to the point after whispering for a time that that we all lost it and couldn't speak with out laughing. We have decided that we needed to not have it there again. One of the elders sitting right across from me was kind of quiet and then all the sudden he was like I can’t hear anyone because I am in a jungle over here. We all looked over at him and he had a plant that was all over him and it was just kind of funny, maybe one of those you had to be there moments haha.  But at the end of the correlation the WML give a wonderful spiritual thought of how important it is to ask questions when we are teaching. (Alma 32:7-11)

Friday: This day was really weird day. Although it started off with a wonderful district meeting. We had talked about how we were going to help one of our investigators, who we had planned to see with a member later in the day. We had been running a little bit late to his lesson and felt kind of bad because the member was already there but we parked our car and started walking toward the member to talk about what we were going to be teaching him and before we got to her the guy across the street came out and asked if we were going to see Leo. With a smile on my face I said that we were:) and then he apologized to us and said that he had passed away from heart complications the day before. My mouth probably dropped open. I was taken away and didn't know what to say or what to think. After we had talked to him for a moment the member comforted us and told us that we had been preparing him for the spirit world. I realized that we had talked to him in the 4 weeks we knew him about the plan of salvation. Heavenly Father really has a plan for everyone that we come in contact with. I have really understood the plan of salvation a lot more lately and really see why it is important for people to know about the plan of salvation especially after losing a loved one.

Later in that day though we were knocking on the door of this guy we were trying to find and he wasn't home so we knocked on a few more and the second door we knocked on a tall guy, opened the door and we talked to him about who we were and what we do and it was really cool because he asked when church was and we told him and told him we could get a ride for him:)

Saturday:  We went to a baptism for the sweetest 12 year old boy the elders had been teaching. Seeing that ordinance makes every hard time and every hard thing alllll worth it!

Sunday: The tall man we met came to church, LOVED IT and told us that he wanted to come back and that his mom would enjoy that church! And we met a less active that wants us to come and teach her girls more often:)

Missionary work really is the lord's work. As missionaries and members, when we are more obedient to the things we know we are supposed to do, the Lord's blessings poor out on us. If you imagine the lord's blessings as rain that flows upon us all the time. When we are not receiving blessings it is not because the Lord has neglected us, it is because we have closed ourselves off and put up an umbrella. The blessings are right there and falling off to the side. We must close our umbrella to partake in all the blessings that our heavenly father has to offer us. So what are you going to do to close your Spiritual umbrella? I know that our Heavenly Father really does love us and wants to bless us! I love this gospel and the knowledge of the plan of salvation that comes with it! I know that it is all true.

I love you all and hope that you are all well.

Love Sister Mauck

Don't Give Up On Promptings

7.20.15

Hey Everyone!

We had a really busy week! We went to parts of our area that have not been visited in a long time (a little town called Riner, VA) and met lots of cool people out there. We got to meet lots of less active members and lots of them were really nice. Also while we were out there we found this guy in our area book that had been interested in the church a little while ago but the missionaries never went back to visit him is what he said. He said that he still had lots of question because he was kind of upset with God because his wonderful wife died when she was kind of young like 15 years ago and also had a son that died when he was very young. He said that he had lots of questions and we told him that the church still had lots of answers and he was really excited to learn more about it again. We got his number and are really excited to teach him!

We had a fun relief society activity this week as well, an ice cream social, it was pretty great. We had 3 less active members that came and an investigator who really got even more excited about her baptism date after she had met all the wonderful women in the ward and how much it felt like a second family. I really love this new ward and love working here. The members here love the missionary work and come to lessons with us all the time and really have seen blessings come to our investigators and less active members we are talking with progress as we involve the ward.

I had a really cool experience on Sunday. So before this weekend we had been looking through the records of members and trying to pick out some less active members we wanted to work with. One name in particular stood out to me. So we went and tried to contact him and couldn’t find where he lived. So we told the elders to go and find him because he was now in their area. They couldn't find this less active so I didn’t think much about it anymore. Next time we had ward council I wanted to bring his name up to the bishop and see if he would be some who would be receptive to missionaries. So yesterday at church there were a lot of new faces that I hadn't seen before and we were in gospel principles class and they went around the class and has us introduce ourselves and the guy that had stuck out to me was in the class. So we went and talked to him after church and he said he was interested in getting back to church. It was really cool to see the face of the name that had really stuck out to me. A testimony was born in me to never give up on strong spiritual promptings that I have though out my life and especially on my mission.

Funny story of the week: So we were at a lesson with someone for the first time with a member who just got back from her mission like less than a month ago and we were done with the lesson and asked him if he had any questions. He said that he had a personal question and so we said he could ask it. He asked if as missionaries we were like nuns and asked if we were ever going to get married. We explained that we are only on missions for a little while and told him that family is really important to our Heavenly Father. He then asked if we were married yet and we explained that we were not and then He then asked me personally again if I was married. Of course I said no  and asked him why. Then he asked if I get asked out a lot on my mission and I told him no and then he told me that maybe if I didn't wear the ring I have on my ring figure that I would get asked out more often, all three of us on the couch just laughed really hard. (the ring I wear is a CTR ring and the only finger it will fit on is on my ring finger haha) it was kind of weird but super funny.

Love y'all and hope all is well!

Love Sister Mauck

God gave us Talents for a Reason!

7.13.15

Hey there Everyone!

Hope you all are still doing well. I have had a crazy week still trying to adjust to the new area and what is our area and what is the Elder’s area but I think we are getting that all figured out. In the mean time we have met lots of new people; actually the crazy thing is I have met like 4 people with the name Courtney and we are teaching 2 of them. It must be a sign that I really was supposed to be here;) Anyways we have been able to teach lots of people here as well. There is a recently returned missionary here who LOVES to go out and teach with us and she comes out with us often and she is the best. She has already taught me a lot and given great insights of how to better teach. The people here in Christiansburg are so nice and the ward here is sooo excited about missionary work and really wants to work together as members making this a combined effort, a work that is all the Lords and it makes it so much more exciting and much more success comes from it. When we first got here we had no investigators who had accepted the invitation to be baptized but now we have 3 of them who are so excited to be baptized and are excited to come to church and learn more about the great and marvelous work.

Yesterday we had a lesson with an older guy who has been talking with missionaries for a long time but he has never talked with sisters before and it seems like just having different insight he has progressed so much more and hopefully in the next couple weeks he will be at church. Anyways thought I would tell a funny story about him. So we took a different member then we had the 2 times before and we sat down to get ready to start and the member was introducing herself and talking about how she had just moved from Utah and out of nowhere he asked if she was going to be bringing him some string beans soon. We all just looked at each other and she said no maybe I could bring you some cookies sometime. And we just laughed a little when his response was oh well I just wanted to make it easier on you. We had a great lesson once we said a prayer and invited the spirit but he is quite the interesting guy. 

Also yesterday we were prompted to just stop by this guy who was kind of on the way to the investigator we were going to try to go and see next. The guy we were prompted to go see never really has time and so we just stop by and try to get a return appointment so we thought we were not going to be there for a long time, it’s good that we didn't have a scheduled appointment with someone else because this was a great way to end the night we actually had a lesson with the guy, we were prompted to go and see. So we show up to his house and he was having a hard time and offered for us to come in but we didn't have another sister member with us so we could not go inside so he grabbed us some chairs for us to sit on outside, grabbed his Book of Mormon and we shared a scripture with him, Ether 12:27, which is one of my favorites, I would highly recommend it but he loved it. So quick insight about this guy he is a film producer and he LOVES music. So we were talking to him about how we had this idea of helping him learn a little bit of how to read music, so we could see him more often and share a message with him after the piano lessons. We mentioned that we knew how to sing because that is how we knew a little piano but we could try to help him learn the piano a little. Then he asked us to sing for him, without hesitation we ran to our car and grabbed our hymn books and sang “Come, Come Ye Saints” for him and I was able to harmonize and he was almost in tears by the end. He asked us if he could say a prayer to thank God for the love he was feeling. I teared up during his prayer a little because the spirit was so strong. Moments like that is what missionary work is all about and after that he said that he would be baptized as soon as he understood the doctrine a little more and we are so excited for him.

Having that experience I gained a testimony that God gives us talents for a reason and that I was called to a place that I could share my ability to sing with someone and it would make a difference in their life. Heavenly Father has a purpose for all of us and gives us things that will bless our lives so much. I also gained a testimony of how praising our Savior and our heavenly father through hymns can really invite the spirit into wherever we are. I love this gospel and everything that is associated with it!

Hope you all are doing well and that you are all using the talents that Heavenly Father has given to you. I know that you all have many and that He loves each and every one of you dearly! Hope you all have a great week and I will talk to you soon!

Love Sister Mauck

Hello Christianburg VA

7.6.15

Hey there!

So Last week I wrote a long email but the internet was hit and miss and it must have quit working at the very moment I sent it, and I would have resent but it was all gone:( but that's okay because now I have so many things that have happened to me this week!

So Wednesday this past week after P-day was over we raced up to the chapel and were able to witness a wonderful baptismal service of people who we had been teaching for 4 months and it was a wonderful service. Being able to see people enter in to the font and seeing their face after wards is the most amazing feeling in the world! It really is what makes being away from family and friends for as long as we are worth it! I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have! And that night I got a call from my Zone Leaders that I would be driving a car from Charleston to my new area and be driving a few others sisters down as well.

So I was transferred, a very bittersweet moment at first but what followed the drive down to Christiansburg made the bitterness leave very quickly. So Thursday morning we had to get up really early and a very sweet lady drove us down to Charleston, oh by the way last week I found out I was training, again!:) Anyways down in Charleston I pick up my new missionary, Sister Robinson, we hopped in our car for the new area that we opened, yes that is right not only did I get transferred from my area but I had 2 new assignments of opening a new area and training. I was a little overwhelmed when president first asked me to do both those things but at the same time I knew that is where the Lord wanted me. We met the elders from the area that we were going to be splitting the area with, in Charleston, to open the new area and they told us that we were going to have a dinner appointment with, I was so scattered brain that I didn't even think to ask who it was with, or when it was, or any numbers to get a hold of people, and our new phone had like 5 numbers in it, none of them were going to very helpful later when we were trying to get around Christiansburg. Anyways I was asked to drive our new car and a couple other sisters down to our new area. So we drove down to Blacksburg and about an hour into the drive traffic was stopped, yes we were moving forward at 0 miles an hour for an hour and a half and finally once we got moving again as soon as we got to another town we stopped to get something to eat. Little did I know that I forgot my wallet in the car of the person who drove us to Charleston and she was from Morgantown. I have still not gotten my wallet but it is not the end of the world because I have some great missionary leaders who are getting it all figured out and hopefully I will have it back by the end of the week!

So when we finally pulled into our apartment at almost 7 and we had no idea where we were going to be going. So we went inside to get things unpacked and then the elders called us and told us that the dinner appointment we were suppose to have with our Ward Mission Leader was canceled because they were in the hospital with a new baby, WHAT?!? How exciting! Anyways a little after 8 they brought us our new stuff and then we finally got to look at our area a little bit.

Friday night we got to meet our new bishop and our ward mission leader and we were very excited because they were awesome and more than excited to have us there and get to work with us!:) And also we found out when bishop was looking up some things on LDS.org that Elder Packer died;( so sad but he is in a better place I guess.

Miracle story of the week by the way. So on Saturday we were looking though our area book and found a formal investigator and her first name was Courtney and that may have been one reason she stood out to me but we study up on her a little bit and then we talked to bishop the next day about her and he said we could try her but there was somethings that happened with her. SO right after church we went to go and visit her and she was more than excited to see us and she couldn't wait for us to come back she asked us if we could get her a ride to mutual on Wednesday and also a ride to church. She told us she had goals of going on a mission and going to the temple one day and invited us to come back as soon as we could:)... Can you say miracle?? We are so excited to get to know her a little more and help her to prepare for her baptism hopefully in a month.

Anyways hope everyone else is doing well and can’t wait to talk to you all soon!:) And I do have a new address but one that will always work through my whole mission is the 888 Oak road out of Charleston West Virginia, I can’t remember it right off hand. If would like my new address just email me and I can give it to you.

Love you all

Sister Mauck