Hey sweet things,
How is everyone doing? I hope that this letter finds everyone doing well! I hope that you all had a wonderful time in Lake Powell this past week! I am so grateful that you all made it back safely, and that you had a good time! I was thinking about you all week long! I'm sure you are all looking wonderful and sun-kissed! I am just over here as white as ever, all sticky and sweaty. It rained a few times this week, which caused the humidity to bump up a little bit, which was good and bad. This past week was bike week and it was a rough one! I walked up to so many doors looking like a hot mess! No wonder we got a few door slams! Nonetheless, I am grateful that I have a bike to ride, and that my body is capable of going 10-15 miles a day. :) We got our car back on Friday and I have never been more excited. It's going to be a glorious 2 weeks!
Last week was another life changing week. Oh wait, every week is life changing. We had a wonderful zone meeting that I will never forget. I had to give a training on "Missionary Conduct" and I really had a good time studying and preparing for that. I learned a lot, and I definitely know that I was supposed to give the training. It was something that I needed to learn apparently. :) We went over the basic missionary rules.. and I cracked down on my elders and sisters. They have all decided that I am the bold one of the bunch. Which I never really thought I was... but surprisingly I am. I just tell them straight up. I lay it all out on the table and just tell them how it is! It's quite funny actually. Anyways, as the rest of the meeting went on, I found myself pondering so much. We had a zone council, which consisted of all 29 missionaries in my zone. It was the last time that we were all going to be together as a zone because transfers are tomorrow. We got in a huge circle and counseled for a good hour and a half. We talked all about three words. OBEDIENCE. SACRIFICE. and CONSECRATION. And wow was my life changed.
I came to the conclusion that obedience+sacrifice= consecration. We are a very obedient mission and that is something that I have been really grateful for. I am so grateful for what President Craven established. We truly have a solid group of missionaries out here in North Carolina. Obedience is something that as missionaries we always need to be reminded of, but not something that President Alexander really needs to focus on. At zone meeting we really focused more on the sacrifice and consecration part. Sacrifice is truly a principle of power. As we sacrifice, we will be endowed with power. The more we give up, the more power that we will receive, in every aspect of life. Sacrifice has been something that we have done from the beginning of time. It is something that we have been commanded to do. As I have been thinking a lot about sacrifice lately, I have been thinking a lot about what we as missionaries had to give up to come out on a mission. I gave up almost everything that I had to come out here and serve. Everything that I was used too, and comfortable with, I gave up. The only thing that I didn't give up was my testimony of this Gospel. Everything else, I basically gave up. I often wonder why we are asked to give up so much for a mission, but then am reminded that sacrifice is a principle of POWER, and missionaries power to teach and to serve. And- the more we sacrifice and give up, the more power we will be endowed with, so it makes sense why I left my family and why I gave up what I did.
Consecration, however, is slightly different. I have come to know that sacrificing is simply giving up something, or going without something, but either getting it back, or getting something different back in return. Where as consecration is to change ourselves or something forever and permanently, never going back, or getting back what you changed. Consecration is such a strong word. I am truly trying to become 100% consecrated to this Gospel. When I think of consecration, I think of conversion. If we are truly consecrated, we will never go back. We will never go back to our old ways, or habits. We will always strive to be better and we will only move upward. I have been trying to work so hard that I come home at the end of every day completely exhausted. I know that the miracles always come at the very end. The very last door and the very last second of the day, right before I walk in my door at 9:00. If this were my last day in the mission field, would I have given it all that I could've? I don't know if I can say that I had given it my all at this point. I will only get this opportunity ONE TIME. What am I going to do with what I've been given? I have been trying to continually ask myself, "What more can I do?" to lose myself in this work. I have come to know that changing your behavior vs. changing your nature are two very different things. I am trying to change my nature so that when I come home, I am a changed person and a new creature. Not just a changed behavior, that will slip right back into my old life and old habits. If we are truly consecrated, we will have purity. We will live a life full of labor. We will respect our bodies. We will have a life full of service, and we will have a life full of integrity.
I hope that we can all work more diligently to do all that we need to do to become consecrated. It is the INFLUENCE of a consecrated person upon others that is most important. Especially those whom are closest to you. As we truly become consecrated, others will follow. "True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives- that is, our time and our choices- to God's purposes." We need to submit our own will to the will of the Lord. We need to be willing to give our time, talents, strengths, and all that we have to the Lord.
Sorry I am running really short on time. We have had a really good week here in Waxhaw. We received transfer calls last night, and both Sister Stratford and I will be staying here in Waxhaw together for at least another transfer. I am excited to stay in this area, it is just crazy that I will be here for at least 6 months of my mission. I know that I am really needed here though! This Saturday will be my first baptism and I am SO excited!! You don't even know. I don't know if I have talked much about Melissa or not, but she is getting baptized on her birthday, this Saturday! She is a young single mom, with a 7 month old baby, and it's been so fun to see her change her life around! We met her just 6 short weeks ago, and everything has just been going so well! We have been able to meet with her many times a week and have taught her all of the lessons. She has come to church for 3 weeks in a row now, and even bore her testimony yesterday! I will keep ya'll posted!! I love you so so much, I gotta run! Have a good week! xoxo
Sister Ky Worthington
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