7.5.16
Hey there y'all,
Hope you all had a wonderful week and that you all are doing
well! I have learned a lot this week and thought I would take you on a little
tour of my week and the things that I learned and did:)
Let’s start with Tuesday interviews with my Mission
President. He usually starts our interviews about asking us if we have any
questions or if we say we are doing good, he asks how he can help us to be
great. I have learned a lot just from him asking us how we can go from good to
great, always not only looking for way we can feel better but ways we can
improve and progress. This interview was about the fact that I am going home
really soon. Our main focus was on faith. I know that Faith in a principle of
ACTION and POWER, that we must act upon something to feel of the power or the
Spirit. Doctrine and Covenants says in 84:20 the power of Godliness in
manifested in the ordinances, when we do anything that helps us move towards
preparing for any ordinance, mainly the sacrament for those who are baptized
and other saving ordinances in the temple the power of God is manifested. To
make it more simple we need to combine the first principle of the gospel
(faith) and the first law of heaven (obedience) to move forward, to take that
first leap. I love learning about the gospel because I always read these really
cool things and then realize that it is so simple and the importance of
sticking to the basics.
Now to Thursday and our trip with a member up to
Clendenin,WV to help clean up some of the flood mess. So we left Hurricane
about 11 and we were lost for hours and just kept making wrong turns but we
were able to relate a lot of this to the gospel and how important it is to stay
on the path. We finally got to this member’s house around 2:45 and had to leave
about 45 minutes later because we had to get back and proselyte but my heart
just went out to all these people that literally lost EVERYTHING. Our job was
to load the truck with all the stuff that had been thrown out of the house and
sadly we were throwing away old pictures and these peoples lively hoods. But I
felt the Spirit strong knowing that everything was going to be okay and that
God really is in control. This family that we were helping at the time was
rescued by boat from their house, their 2 story house was completely under
water, and this area had not flooded like that since the late 1800's:/ so sad.
Saturday we went into some part of Charleston to help with
the Flood clean up again and this family was on vacation when it happened and
they lost so many things. My companion and I were in the basement cleaning out
the food storage. They were not members but they could have been for sure!!
Super sweet little family. Funny story from this, I was taking all the food off
the shelves because the two holding the bags couldn't handle the smell, Shout
out to being from WY haha. Anyways I was pulling a #10 can from off the shelf
and almost lost my balance and tossed a whole bunch of flood water on my face,
the other 2 almost threw up as I was spitting it from my face on to the floor,
about 20 minutes later they were coming around with masks for us to wear which
made it really hot but not the end of the world. But helping this family was
really the highlight of our week. They were the sweetest family and were so
grateful we were there not only to help them but to be their friends as well!:)
Later that night we were about to have 2 really good lessons and hope to see a
baptism in this area in the near future, not while I am here but the work will
go on!!:)
Monday, Happy late 4th. So we are teaching this lady that
was in the army and brought her a little thank you gift in the morning and
later in the day we got a text from her that she was having a panic attack from
all the fireworks and my heart really went out to her. Her husband had to take
the kids away from the house for a little bit so she could cope with the PTSD.
I never realized how hard it is for those who had been in the army and how hard
it would be to hear sounds like that. The very thing we are celebrating makes
it hard for those who make it possible. But she is a strong woman and we will
see her tonight:)
Next Friday our concert is official! I cannot wait for it
and hope it all goes well! We have talked to 100's of people about it, called
different churches, put 200 some fliers up, and got it in a couple of newspapers
and on facebook. And we are excited to see how it turn out. I am excited to see
a lot of the community come together and praise the Lord though song together.
My companion and I have been practicing a lot of different hymns that are not
in our hymn book and are excited to preform them. One I am really excited for
is "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot":)
I hope you all are doing well! Keep your chin up and keep a
smile on your face, you have a hundred reasons to do so! Have a wonderful week
and I hope to see you all soon:)
Love Sister Mauck
