Sister Sadie goes to Louisiana!: Bishops Call‏

So here's the story for the week.

Bishops Call:

So we cover 2 wards.

Alexandria Ward and the Pineville Ward.

Bishop Owen and Bishop Stock.

Alexandria members are really struggling to the point where there is hardly a ward.

Pineville is struggling as well but in contrast to Alec ward... They are doing veryyy well.

The previous Sisters have been asked to focus their time in the Alec area since the Alec Elders are on bikes and the Pineville Elders have a car and are also the Zone Leaders.

buuuuut. The work in Pineville is absolutely awful because of it and the ward really doesn't like the Sisters because we haven't done any work in Pineville

especially the bishop. #notasisterfan

anyways.

Sister Pfleger has been in Alexandria for only 1 transfer so only 6 weeks so only 6 Sundays. Its enough.. But not alot

So we are both feeling very new and we dont really know anyone.

Our days are alot of introducing ourselves to people :)

Because we are both fairly new and the wards generally don't like us, I have been thinking about what we can do to make it better.

I remember reading Preach My Gospel with Sister Steve and it talking about meeting with the bishop, trying to become a blessing and not a burden.

Plus my previous experiences tells me that a good relationship with the bishop and auxiliaries makes ALL the difference.

I didn't know at the time but that was the Spirit being like, "Um hello. You need to meet with the bishops."

So I was thinking of that all that morning about meeting with the bishops and I decided I would bring it up to my companion during Companion Study.

Personal study is first, so I'm studying and reading and stuff. and then about 10 minutes before we finish personal and move to companion the phone rings and its Bishop Stock.

Asking for me.

What.

He asks me to give a talk on Sunday about the Book of Mormon.

After we hang up, I just sit there for a minute and then I tell Sister Pfleger that it was weird that he called because I have been thinking that we should meet with the bishops.

So we start talking about it and the benefits and what it would help. She shares with me her experiences with the bishops.

Bishop Stock will be easy to meet with but hard to work together with.

Bishop Owen is always busy and doesn't answer phone calls and is very discouraged to be bothered with by the missionaries.

All the more reason to meet with him! But we compromised and agreed that we would text him instead of call so that he could get back to us when he had the time.

Meanwhile I called Bishop Stock right back so that it would be an immediate thing. He totally agreed to meet with us and had us and the Elders over for dinner on Thursday night!

While we were drafting a text to Bishop Owen to meet with us, the phone rings.

And its Bishop Owen.

And he asks for me.

And he wants me to give a talk on Sunday.

I said of course but only if you meet with us.

And he said no problem how is Wednesday.

I said grape.

Check, check, and check.

I though Sister Pfleger was going to fall off her chair after that phone conversation.

That was truly a Christmas miracle.

We had two meetings with both bishops within a matter of 10 minutes when the past experiences were all against us.

Heavenly Father told me that we needed to meet with them and I had faith that it needed to happen. That it would get our missionary work rolling.

And they both called us.

or me I guess.

And I get 2 talks out of it!

so double bonus.

Update:

We met with Bishop Stock and I think it went alright! It was obvious that he loves the elders and he has some serious frustration at the sisters but its all good. We got it all out and I think by the end he was able to see that we are here to work and we want to start the work in Pineville more. He served his mission in Boise and so he took out his mission box and we literally talked about Boise/Idaho for over an hour. (He served in McCall for 4/6 months!)

Bishop Owen cancelled twice this week so we still haven't met with him.

Talking in sacrament meeting as a missionary is literally the best thing that can happen. It gives you an opportunity to publicly introduce yourself, teach, encourage, and bear testimony to the whole ward in a way that they can feel the Spirit. Its such a valuable opportunity.

Also it makes it alot easier to get the people you visit to come to church. :)

So this whole week I have spent lots of hours during personal study, the hour when we get ready in the morning and the night, and even coming home early on a day to really prepare these talks.

I really wanted to prepare these talks in a way that the ward needed to hear.

I spent this week on my knees, really pleading with Heavenly Father to tell me what to say that I can have the Spirit with me so I can write and prepare enough so that it will touch someone in the ward.

I really worked hard on these talks and for one of the first times I didn't write every word out. I wrote quotes, scriptures, and general ideas but not a written talk.

I really had to rely on the Spirit because I don't feel like I speak well by myself :)

anyways.

So Sunday comes up! Talk time!

Alec ward is first.

This was the talk I liked best talking about personal revelation.

I think it went alright! Its a small ward of maybe like 50 or less so I was able to look at everyone and also see who I put to sleep ;)

But it went well! Bishop Owen told me I did a really good job as well as his counselor. And we set up another appointment this week which I think will be a for sure :)

Right after Alec sacrament meeting we had to go straight to Pineville PEC meeting, which was a little icy but it went better.

Then we had the Pineville sacrament!

My talk was on the Book of Mormon and it only consisted of quotes and scriptures. It was the least written out and one where I knew I needed the most Spirit. I was praying the whole time on the stand. I couldn't do this without the Spirit.

The talk before mine was fantastic! A recent convert who just got her Patriarchal Blessing. It was so interesting and inspiring! It really helped bring the Spirit.

I was nervous and the beginning of her talk about what I was going to say but when I really stopped thinking about what I was going to say and started listening to her and feeling her Spirit was when I became very calm. I knew I had prepared enough.

I thought the talk went alright. I talked about all that I thought I needed to. Again the ward is very small and there many who were distracted and it was kind of disappointing because it didn't look like many were paying attention.

I was just hopeful that I hadn't just prepared for myself but for someone in the ward. That the Spirit touched someone in that congregation.

The next 2 hours went on, Sunday School and then the combined 5th Sunday lesson. We were able to have a really casual and easy conversation with Bishop Stock in 5th hour. Its kinda hard to explain but Bishop ended up sitting next to us and we had a casual, friendly conversation.

I didn't think much of it until later when Sister Pfleger and I were talking about it later. We were talking about who was at church and how the talks went. I was just saying that I thought the first one was best because most people were paying attention.

Then Sister Pfleger said that in the Pineville ward, Bishop Stock was really emotional and crying through the whole talk.

Then it was easy to see how the Spirit lead me to somehow touch him and how we then created a good relationship during the rest of church.

I can't do anything without the Spirit.

I have really seen the power of studying and preparing and the results.

I have see the power of the Spirit touch lives.

I love the gospel!

It makes me so happy.

I'm so excited to be in these wards.

I love yall so much!!

xoxoxoxoxo

Sister Sades

so. it reached the hundos this week. who knows what the humidity was but it was probably one thousand. it was so hot. we were only outside walking for 2 or less minutes