Sister Kelsey Rook: Nebraska Omaha Mission

July 24, 2017

Hi Y'all!!

This week was so crazy, but being at Trainer Trainee, and Zone Conference was so awesome! Those were definitely some of the highlights of the week!

One of the biggest things I learned at Zone Conference was all about the spirit. I absolutely loved how we talked about the spirit more and how as missionaries we always have to have the Holy Ghost in order to help people progress, and to help them really be converted. I loved President Holland's story about the two elders and how he brought his brother home all because of the Holy Ghost and they were quick to follow the promptings of the spirit. I thought a lot of my forty day fast and what I can do to make sure I am always having the companionship of the Holy Ghost with me so that Sister Banks and I are always in a threesome instead of a twosome. The biggest thing that stuck out to me was my language. I recognized that I use so much slang and it is so terrible! Of course I don't use any bad words, but I recognize that my language is not as good as it could be and I need to remember that I am truly a representative of Jesus Christ I am not in college or at a job, I don't need to be sounding "cool, or be like everyone else in the world" If I am to make sure the spirit is my constant companion then I need to not use slang anymore. I recognize that that is just a small thing I can do , but I know that when I stop using slang that the spirit won't have any reason to leave, that it truly will be my constant companion as I am striving towards that! The other thing that I loved and learned in Zone Conference was all about teaching the doctrine of something. I love the quote in Preach my Gospel that says something along the lines of teaching the doctrine will change behavior quicker than a study of behavior will change behavior. It makes so much sense that we should be teaching our investigators the doctrine behind going to church, or reading the Book of Mormon, or praying- they don't know the doctrine, they don't understand the importance like us missionaries do! So those are the two things that I am striving to do- have no more slang in my vocabulary and to start teaching the doctrine behind baptism and the sacrament and praying and so many other things!

Like I said earlier, this week was pretty crazy. I don't know what was wrong with me on Tuesday but I felt so out of it. We still went out because of the car fast and I felt more fine in the morning, but as we were walking around in the heat Sister Banks said I just got more and more loopy... on Wednesday I was still kinda out of it, but it was better than the day before! Then we had Zone Conference, and Trainer Trainee and those were both just so incredible! Lastly, this morning we experienced a miracle! We were doing our laundry at the laundromat and there was only one other man that was there. Sister Banks and I both felt impressed to talk to him but we just didn't know when. We were both thinking that we would talk to him after our studies, then we were going to talk to him after we were planning but we never got around to it. Finally as we were walking towards the door we both just stopped and said hi to him! Turns out that he is from Uganda and he is a less active member in the Yankee Hill ward! He had never seen sister missionaries before and so he was super excited to see us and talk to us! We set up an appointment but the elders will go over there! It was just so awesome to know that we needed to be there for a specific reason to talk to Samsom today!

Well that Is pretty much it! Thank you for all you do President Gardner! I love you so much!!

Love,

Sister Rook