Hello family!
How is everyone doing? I hope you all had a wonderful week. It feels like I haven't talked to you in forever. It was definitely a long week full of ups and downs and I am grateful for the new week that is ahead of me. I always love new weeks. As I'm sure you all heard, our lovely Carolina Panthers didn't quite make it yesterday. So sad! I actually wanted Denver to win, so I was pretty happy when I found out haha.
Everyone here is just not having it though. It's been a pretty intense weekend here in NC. Everyone was going crazy. I wish you could've seen it. It was pretty fun. I mean come on now, it's a game. Last night we didn't have a whole lot of success because the game was from 6-9, but we were still able to teach two lessons to some older ladies who didn't care too much about the game. Although I missed watching the game with y'all and spending time with some of my favorite people, I am grateful for the chance that I have to be here and know that the Lord will bless me for my sacrifice. :) There is always next year.
I don't really know where to even begin with this email haha. Please just forgive me in advance. It's probably going to be all over the place. I also don't have very much time today so I will try to type fast. :) We had a zone activity today and went bowling and played lots of sports at the church so I haven't had a whole lot of time to email today. Unfortunately. This past week was super super busy. We had lots of meetings and administrative stuff! The first week of the month is always chaotic. I literally feel like a chicken running around with my head cut off. We have to do so many things and it's almost impossible to remember everything. From numbers to miles to averages to exchanges to zone meetings to MLC meetings to reports to missionary work, it's pretty overwhelming. God definitely blesses me because there is no way that I can remember everything. It's amazing the spirit that comes into my life during that week. We had a mission leadership conference in Charlotte that really started off the month with a bang. I absolutely love those meetings. We have some great leaders in our mission. We set a goal as a mission to get 400 baptisms this year and we are really trying to work towards that. I know it's definitely possible if we all come together as a mission and really focus on teaching repentance and baptizing converts. It is what we have been called to do! I loved being able to be with President and Sister Alexander. They are wonderful. I also got to do a special musical number with my two sisters and that was fun! My musical abilities have just increased ten fold so that's been good. I am actually singing in sacrament meeting in a few weeks with one of my zone leaders so please pray for me. I'm going to need some help haha. I don't do solos.
Wednesday was a pretty good day. We spent a chunk of the day planning for zone meeting with the zone leaders. That is always a special experience as well. We really are endowed with power on high as we all come together and seek revelation. It's quite an amazing process. We pull up a picture of each missionary in our zone and pray for them by name and really try to see what our missionaries need to hear and who needs to give trainings and so forth. It's a great experience. We also had the opportunity to go and do service at an old folks home. It's so much fun. It is literally the highlight of my week. We were able to sing lots of songs with them and make lots of Valentines. I love them!
We had some appointments Wednesday night and those were all pretty good. We have a lot of new investigators but are really working on trying to get them to progress and move forward. We need them to come to church and commit to a baptism date. That is always the hardest thing to do.
Thursday was a good day. We had interviews with President Alexander.
Those are always really good! He inspires me and helps me to be better. Our interview was short, sweet, and to the point. I didn't have very much to talk to him about and so I was in and out of there pretty fast! He did something different this week and invited my two sisters to come in with me towards the end of my interview. He asked us to role play the restoration for him in four minutes. Talk about scary! We ended up doing a really good job and the spirit was so strong. Every time I recite the Joseph Smith account I am filled with the spirit. As many times as I've said it, it still rings so true to me. I know that he really did see God the father and Jesus Christ. I know that he restored the church of Jesus Christ back to this earth. I couldn't be more sure. We are really working on teaching simply and powerfully and role playing things in four minutes has really helped us become better teachers.
Friday was great! Our zone meeting was soo good. The spirit was so strong. We had some really powerful trainings and I learned so much.
Those meetings just make me so pumped up and just increase my desire to go out and serve and testify of my Savior Jesus Christ. Oh how I love and adore him. One of the elders in my area had an anxiety attack at the very end of our meeting and we had to call the ambulance so that was quite an adventure. He like stopped breathing and they had to come into our church and get him and everything. At least they stepped foot into the church and felt the spirit, right? Haha. He is doing okay though so all is well. Just added some excitement to the day. It was also one of my favorite elders birthday on Friday so we all went out after the meeting and had a birthday lunch for him! Then some of us went and decorated their apartment. I think it made him really happy. Birthdays on the mission are rough haha. Anything to make someone feel special and loved is worth it.
We are still working with Keith and James. They haven't really made any progress since last week so I don't have very many updates for you. Keith loves everything we are teaching him, he just isn't putting two and two together. He knows the Book of Mormon is true, but he can't see that if its true, than our church is the true church. He just isn't getting it and it's driving me insane. WHY! It's not that hard to understand. It's quite simple actually. James is still having word of wisdom problems and that's been really hard to help him because he's just not totally committed, but he will come. We were able to start Robert's new member discussions this past week and those are going really well. We had him come to dinner at the Henderson's with us and we all had a really good time. I love that family to death. We had yummy fresh spring rolls and had a good night talking about missionary work and the gospel! Melissa is struggling, so please keep her in your prayers. She just feels like she doesn't fit in and is slowly starting to pull away. We are trying to see her more frequently and are really trying to keep daily contact with her. She's a strong girl, but needs some love and prayers.
I am loving being in a trio. I love each of my lovely companions. We get along really well and I am so grateful for each of them. They help me be better and really have been such a blessing in my life. I truly believe your companions become some of your greatest friends and some of your best associations in this lifetime. I love them! We started a
40 day sugar fast and have been doing some intense workouts in the morning so that's been really fun! I miss working out haha. Nothing too exciting has happened this week. Sorry this email is pretty boring. We were out getting wifi at Krispy Kreme last night at 8:55 and all of the sudden one of our ward YSA members walked in with one of his friends. They sat down and started talking to us and I just felt super inspired to start talking to his friend about his past life. He ended up really opening up and sharing a lot with us. We talked to him about how much Christ can help him and we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. He seemed really interested and wanted to learn more. We asked him if he wanted to change his life around and he said yes! We invited him to be baptized and he agreed. WHAT! We set up a return appointment for tonight and I couldn't be more excited.
Straight up miracle. Member present and new investigator all in one.
And at the very last minutes of the day. I know that that is when God gives us the most miracles, is truly at the end of the night. He tests us to see if we are diligent and working hard! Then he gives us miracles. I loveeeee this work.
My studies have been really good lately. All last week I studied about PEACE. And then guess what? I went to church yesterday and the RS lesson was all on peace. It was exactly what I needed to hear. You have no idea. President and Sister Alexander came to our ward council yesterday morning and gave a great training. They decided to stay for sacrament meeting and it was one of the most powerful fast and testimony meetings I have ever been apart of. It was so good. I love the gospel and I love the sacrament. AH! Literally life saving. Then back to RS, I was just so overwhelmed with the spirit. I needed to hear the message of peace.
Our teacher started off by telling us that the Holy Ghost is the teacher and that we needed to open our hearts and our minds to be receptive to him. Not the teacher. I really liked that. She started talking about how Jesus Christ is our source of true peace. He can bring us perfect peace. In Isaiah 26:3 it says, "Thou wilt keep her in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because she trusteth in thee." I love love love that. He will give us PERFECT peace. Not just peace. We can cultivate peace as we live the principles of the Gospel.
All we need to do is keep our covenants. All we have to do is be faithful to them and we can be at peace no matter what situation we are stuck in. That also made me really think of the eternal perspective of things. How grateful I am that the gospel gives us an eternal perspective. It makes living life so much easier. The Savior can also help us find peace within regardless of the turmoil that is around us. All we need to do is surrender ourself and give everything to him. By fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ, we can triumph over elements that would destroy peace. I was looking at a picture of Christ when he was a baby and was so amazed at how peaceful he looked.
Then I thought about every picture that I have seen of Christ. He looks so peaceful in EVERY PICTURE. He is the prince of peace. He is so peaceful, and so WE need to be peaceful. That is what he wants for us.
We have all gone through things that we had no idea were going to come our way. And, we are all going through things right now that we didn't think we would ever have to go through. We must each PRAY FOR PEACE and he will grant it unto us. I have seen that come to me especially this past week. God is real and his peace is real. It passes ALL understanding. WE HAVE NO IDEA. Like the story of Peter in the waves and the darkness, Christ will always be there to lift us up and give us peace. I have such a strong testimony of the principle of peace.
It's real and I've felt it, and so can you. I hope each of you can access the atonement this week and feel the true PEACE that comes from this gospel and our Savior Jesus Christ. Turn to him. I know you can be happy and calm. Get down on your knees and cry unto him. He hears your prayers. He knows who you are and what you're going through.
I love each of you so very much. I cannot wait to see all of you. Keep working hard and doing what's right. I am so grateful for your examples and for your love and support. Keep the faith. Keep going strong. Keep partaking of the sacrament and accessing the atonement.
It's so real. I love this gospel with all of my heart. I love being a missionary. I know he lives. I know this is his work. Talk to ya all in seven. Feel free to send me pictures and emails throughout the week. They make me happy!! :) Have a wonderful Valentine's Day and remember that your sister in North Carolina LOVES you and prays for you daily!! Sending all my love and more your way. Xo
Sister Ky Worthington ❤️💕
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