Wow this has been such a good week! Where to even begin?? Well, first off I am now serving with the beautiful Sister Evans!! She is adorable! She's from Mesa, Arizona, 19 years old, and ready to work hard. She's already so focused on what she came here to do, and when we talk to people on the street the spirit is always there. She is a very special missionary. We get along great, and I am so excited to work together! She's fun and funny, and likes to eat and exercise so basically this will be an amazing transfer! This week is 추석 which is similar to Thanksgiving. It's a 3-day celebration where everyone gathers with their extended families, eats A LOT OF FOOD, and play a lot of traditional games. It's great, except missionary work is very difficult since there are literally no people on the streets, and knocking on doors during this time is incredibly rude. SO.. We had a mission conference on Saturday which was incredible! Our focus this month is about receiving revelation through prayer. We watched a video, 'The Hope of God's Light, the true story of Todd Sylvester". Oh my goodness, SO GOOD! I recommend it to everyone! It is an inspirational story about a man coming to know God when all hope seemed lost. It also talks about acting on promptings as soon as they are received, and we never know the impact our actions can have on other people. Let me know what you think! Our whole mission (202 missionaries) are really trying to focus on making our prayers specific and direct, and most importantly a two-way communication with Heavenly Father. Already, we have felt the spirit more fully guiding us in this work. It's so incredible.
This week I also decided to read about following up, and it led me to the talk from last conference, "Following Up" by M. Russell Ballard. In it he gives three commitments, and they are very specific. I found it interesting, because most talks give very good counsel and direction. But he gave direct 'every member do this' statements that really stood out. First, he reminded all members to refer to us as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, not the mormon church or lds church. He said using those names may be appropriate in certain situations, but only as long as it is followed by the full name of the church. Second, he challenged every single member of the church to pray to find someone once every quarter, 4 times a year, that they can invite to meet with the full-time missionaries. I was very interested that it wasn't a suggestion, or a thought. He very directly told every member to pray for this opportunity. And that means it came from God. Which means if we are all willing to do this, God will help us to find those who are prepared. That doesn't mean they will all say yes or choose to be baptized. But we are promised by an apostle of God that we will be led to the right person as we seek for them through prayer and action. Just think of the difference our family alone could make in building the kingdom of God if we take this challenge to heart!? Third, he told every member despite their level of activity in the church, to obtain a copy of Preach My Gospel and make it a part of their study. It's widely available online and paper copies are pretty inexpensive. He asked families of missionaries to write to missionaries and let them know what they are studying. He said doing this will unite families more fully and create more opportunities to share the gospel. Basically it was an amazing talk! And I want to encourage all of you to take his challanges, and I want to hear how it goes!!
You are all amazing and I love you so much! Thank you for all that you do. This is the most amazing work in the world. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here, and I am so grateful for all of your examples as well. The church is true!
-Sister Shanelle Seegmiller
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