Sister Kirsten Leslie: Heavenly Father Hears Our Prayers!

Well, hello all you awesome people! Greeting from Belle!! I'm excited to share my week with you!!

It seemed like the whole week we just tried less actives and potentials endlessly. ha,ha this whole "city" shuts down at like 7:30 and everyone goes to bed, so that's been a pretty rough time for us this week to fill. But, we've been doing our best to be diligent, and I've been praying for strength harder than I have at any given point on my mission, and things slowly but surely have started to work out!!

By far, the best part of the week was Friday. We drove to Rapid for our Zone Training Meeting, and it was so inspired!! It felt weird to be on the participant's side, and to not be the one giving the training! But I think it was what I needed, to be able to just listen to the training and soak in what I needed. ZTM this time was on overcoming discouragement, choosing to be happy, and having more effective dinner messages (and role playing them). SO it helped me a whole lot!! I especially loved the trainings on overcoming discouragement and choosing to be happy, because I'm on the downhill of my mission and I want to spend it being HAPPY and doing my best!! SO I have been making that a big focus of the week, and it's getting better. :) It was very different to have to drive an hour to and from ZTM, but kinda fun, I guess. It breaks up the monotony of everything. It was really fun because while there, I got to meet the sisters serving in Chadrin, NE and one of them, Sister Hailes, is a ballroom dancer, come to find out!! She was up in Logan when I was on Utah State's team, and so we've seen each other before! It was fun to be able to take a second and just be able to talk about dance stuff with someone who understood what I was talking about and knew the terminology. :) I have forgotten a lot, but I there's things I still remember!

We found a new investigator this week! Her name is Bernice, and she's really cool! She's native and is very open. It's a bit of an odd situation because 4 of her kids are RLDS, so that's kinda fun to help her to see the difference in that church and this one, for they ARE different churches and NOT the same. We met her last week as she was wasted and asking us for cigarettes and money...but she's great when she's sober and really likes us!! SO we're happy to do what we can to help her out and do our best to bring her closer to Christ. :)

Ha,ha now when people ask me how long I've been on my mission, I just tell them "A little over a year" and it helps to not get them starting to talk about when I go home as well! It's foolproof!!

This week I've been praying a lot that I can have strength to get through the hour, the day, the week, and that we can find people as we are being diligent, and Heavenly Father has been helping us already!! Yesterday, we had 4 appointments and less actives/investigators have been calling us to set up a time to meet this week! And it's great because we have only 1 evening this week we have to find something to do, the rest are planned!! SO that is great!! We are so excited and grateful that the Lord is already blessing us and helping us. :) My testimony of prayer and of our Heavenly Father's love has grown exponentially on my mission and even since being here. Our Heavenly Father knows us all personally! He knows our names and He knows our circumstances. We are never, EVER, alone!!

From here on out, I want to start sharing one of my favorite Book of Mormon scriptures in ever email home and how it's influenced me. :) Today I wanted to share Alma 37:6-7: "6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. 7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls." I have seen miracles on my mission that have started with small, everyday circumstances and I have seen my faith strengthened and built by each prayer answered, every investigator found, every member returned to activity and every active member firmed in their resolve to share their testimony. The Lord, like it says in this scripture, doesn't work in huge works, but in many small ways, usually through other people even! He lets us use our agency to be HIs hands so all are edified and grow together in the process! And that's the best part about being a missionary; being His hands to bring light and peace to others of His children. :)

Yeah, that was pretty much our week!!! This week is going to be super boss, so when I write next week, be prepared to be amazed and astounded at how the Lord is hastening His work!!

sister leslie.