Doctrine and Covenants 123:11-17

10.19.15

Hey Y'all

Hope you are all doing well! I love and miss you all but man is time just a flying by out here! So our district decided that we wanted to memorize the scripture that is the subject of this email. So my companion and I have decided that we are going to take 2 versus a week to memorize it because it is kind of long but it is a really good scripture, especially for missionary work but in general, I would invite you all to look it up. So sorry I didn't write last week, I kind of ran out of time but it feels like our time is filled up so much faster since we have made this area an STL area. But so just a few incites from 2 weeks ago. We went on exchanges with some sisters in Radford who are in a YSA area, meaning they do not have a car and boy am I grateful that I have a car in my area. Trying to walk everywhere gave us opportunities to talk to people but it took so much longer to get to appointments but it was a really cool experience and I learned a lot about their area.

This week was kind of uneventful. We did go on another exchange and had to drive more than 2 hours round trip to get there but it was a great experience! The area had like 500 members but only 50 are active and the sisters in the area are working so hard. It has been really interesting to go on so many exchanges and learn so much from them!

Interesting story from this past week. We went to meet with someone that we have been working with a lot and brought a sister member with us and she drove with us because she really doesn't like driving at night. Anyways so on the mission we have a rule of sight and sound. Meaning that we always have to be within sight and hearing of each other with only a few exceptions for our own safety obviously. So we were leaving and the lady that was with us got in the car and I thought my companion got into the car and so I drove down the street to turn around in the cul-da-sac or however you spell that, and as we were driving the lady was like what are you doing, and I looked at her with a puzzled face and then she said "Sister Kelly?????" and I was like what and I looked in the back seat for her and she wasn't there and I started freaking out and started driving really fast back. She was running after me and I felt so bad and on top of that I really thought I was going to have a heart attack. Anyways we laughed about it the whole way home and for the past week if she does something and I say something about it she says, " Well at least I would never leave you," and then I roll my eyes haha. It really was weird and it felt like the worst but it ended up being okay.

I love being a missionary and getting to see the gospel change people’s lives! It really is the best! I hope that I can reach all those I need to and make the difference in the lives that Heavenly Father needs me to! I hope you all take every opportunity you can to share the gospel! I love you all and keep up the great work!

Love Sister Mauck

CRAZY Week, then Conference!

10.5.15

Hey there!

Was conference great or what?? Let me take you on a journey of my past CRAZY week as a brand new set of inexperienced Sister Training Leaders. It is crazy to think that I have only been with my new companion for less than 2 weeks! Anyways so the rest of last P-day we went to the institute building in Blacksburg and hung out with some of the missionaries that were there while we waited for the Zone Leaders to bring us the Express Pass for the tolls that we were going to have to go through to get to Charleston. We had a great rest of the night meeting  a few members who we had never met with before and invited them back to church. They declined but they did say that they would open their Book of Mormon again and maybe watch conference. We will be following up on that in the next few days. One thing that I have learned on my mission though is that 1) no effort is wasted and 2) that if you don't ask you will never know, so just ask.  All the person can say is no. They may get a little defensive as I have experienced but their loss, at least you asked or invited.

Anyways then Tuesday came and we had to wake up before 5 in the morning because we had to be to Charleston a little before 9 for a Mission Leadership Council. It was super good and really nice to go to at the beginning of the transfer because now we have some insight that we can take to exchanges that we have. But some sisters met us at our house in the morning and we drove them up and it was really fun to get to know those sisters that we would otherwise not interact with much. One of the things that we talked about a lot is what we were going to do for the winter because last year around this time we lost lots of momentum in the mission and lots of improvement was needed. Our mission is doing great things now and we talked about how important our diligence and faith was going to have to be as it gets cold and dark and windy outside. One thing that our mission really has been focusing on is exact obedience and how that is what truly brings blessings. I know that as we do obey with exactness and do the work the Lord's way blessing flow and miracles happen!

Wednesday was for the most part normal. We got our assignment for what we were to teach at the next zone conference and were not really sure how to go about it and were just hoping that during our companionship study that we would be able to put all these things together. One of the most intimidating things that came with this assignment is how often we would be teaching missionaries. I know that I have learned a lot and that the Lord qualifies those he calls but teaching bunches of Elders and Sisters that have been out longer then both my companion and I was intimidating at first but when we remembered once again that the Lord qualifies those he calls we were able to work together to know what to teach and work though prayers as well.

Thursday was weekly planning and that was really long but we have lots of ideas that we have been now working on to find new people and work with the community. We got the mayors number and have called him to work with the community and build their trust in the missionaries:)

Friday was our zone meeting where we taught the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion and that was really cool. There was so much involvement/incite from everyone that it felt more like we were leading a discussion then teaching and that was really cool because I learned so much in that little amount of time. Later in that day we went on exchanges with some sisters in our zone who are struggling and that was really cool. I stayed in our area and brought one of the sisters back here and really saw her desire to work and that strengthened my testimony as well. We talked a lot about how the little things can make the biggest difference and it was really cool when President Eying’s talk testified to that, when we act upon the little things that it will make all the difference and we will be able to have the true constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Although I was the senior companion on that exchange we both learned so much!

And then Saturday we exchanged back and Conference began! Oh it was wonderful to me, the things that were taught of, nothing really new just great reminders of the things that really do matter in this life.  Hopefully I can apply all the things I wrote down. One thing that I would like to start sharing on my emails is the scripture that I will be "Ponderizing" for the week. This week my companion and I wanted to really focus on finding new people to teach about the restored gospel. Our scripture for the week is Alma 31:34-35 talking about how each soul is precious and that it is only though the Lord that we can bring our brethren back into the fold. I hope all of you took that challenge to ponderize (20% memorized and 80% ponder) a scripture each week!

I would love to hear all of your incite on conference and what you learned! Both from the prophets and apostles and from the spirit as well! Maybe even some fun experiences from asking the question to our Heavenly Father "What lack I yet?" Our Heavenly father has a plan for each of us and if we ask him what that is and how to accomplish it, that is what will bring us true happiness! I hope you are all well and that you learned much like I did this week! Keep up the great work and remember to just "Do it."

Love Sister Mauck