Here to Harvest

 Hey y'all!

[Summary at the very bottom cuz I know not everyone has the time or attention span to read this.]

In our mission (perhaps all missions, I don’t know) we have something called recitations. Where we all stand and say a bunch of things. We sound like a glorious chorus of robots. I still don't know our recitations too well but I'm certainly getting there. But I digress, one of our recitations is Doctrine and Covenants section 4 it contains 7 verses total, in my mission it's described as the job description of a missionary. 

I must admit that at first recitations annoyed me. Sometimes they still do, perhaps because I haven't 100% applied everything we say or maybe because it feels like the majority of missionaries say it just to say it and not like they really mean it.

In an effort to be a consecrated missionary I've been taking recitations (and many other things) more seriously. As I have studied and pondered Doctrine and Covenants 4 I have thoroughly enjoyed the metaphor of harvesting. 

Often, missionary work is compared to planting seeds. “Well don't worry if she's not ready to listen yet, you're just planting seeds.” or “Just keep watering, keep inviting,..” I’m not here to plant seeds. I'm not watering a garden. I'm here to harvest. 

“The field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;” (D&C 4:4)

I'm thrusting in my sickle with all my might. Believe me, the field is white already to harvest. We have 10 new members in the Fayetteville 4th ward. Yesterday in our new member class the teacher expressed to everyone that we missionaries will leave. And a bit like a parent, we will never stop worrying about these people that we helped come to Christ. It's up to the ward now. It's actually been up to the ward the whole time. They plant the seeds, they do the watering. 

I'm temporary hired help here to harvest. 

The field is white already to harvest. There's a lot of people out there looking for truth and hope and the joy that only the gospel can bring.

I've been planting seeds and watering as a disciple of Jesus Christ for a long time we are all sowers and now I have the opportunity to harvest. 

It's been kinda fun to harvest.

This week after Sacrament we chased The car of one of our friends so we could talk to him about baptism. There's very few things that make me run because generally running brings me minor pain and disappointment. But I ran to catch someone in their car to talk about the joy of the gospel. 

Love you! Keep being so amazing and stuff. I'm literally just tired of writing this now. 

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

Summary: #here2harvest (for more information read the email above) 

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZMqcVg4i6kAMWJVH9

Slow Progress is Still Progress

 Hey y'all!

[Summary at the very bottom cuz I know not everyone has the time or attention span to read this.]

On Saturday we baptized our friend Anastasia. Anastasia has been meeting with missionaries for well over a decade. More than ten years. Here's the story:

Once upon a time in December Sister Job & Sister Owens were checking their text messages (something that, frankly, we aren't very good at) and much to our surprise a random number had texted us saying Merry Christmas, how are you guys? So naturally we looked up the number in our cute, little, (we would not function without it) app with our area book and all of the relevant information for missionary work. We found Anastasia was the one who texted us and we failed to scroll all the way down to the bottom.of her information. We texted her and planned a time to meet her and her husband and see what would come of it.

So we went over to their house and met them and chatted and it was great and we thought cool. We found out that Chris (Anastasia’s husband) had been baptized a few years ago but at this time wasn't particularly interested in church. We found out Anastasia had previously been on baptismal date but chickened out the last minute or something (still unclear).

After our first lesson/discussion/meeting I decided to do some #research and take a quick scroll down Anastasia's time line on the PMG app (previously mentioned would not be able to do anything without it app). As I scrolled I realized it kept going and going and going. And then her time line went to 2014. Shortly after that we found out that they had missionaries be the witnesses for their wedding, which was in 2009. Its been a hot minute of them hanging out with missionaries. 

Sister Job and I really weren't sure what to do next.

I was really concerned that there was nothing we could try that previous missionaries hadn't already tried. I didn't really know what to do. Anastasia had been taught every point and every lesson at least once before. And she had been invited to do everything we knew to invite people to do.

After careful council and consideration we decided to extend the invitation to have her read/listen to the Book of Mormon in its entirety, from cover to cover, in one month.

She did it in two. And was baptized the day she finished the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon paired with the Spirit is the most powerful tool in conversion. I remember that because I got it wrong on a training type test. (It was a trick question, and I'm still mad.)

It wasn't really me or Sister Job that got Anastasia to be baptized and make covenants with Heavenly Father. It was the Book of Mormon and her learning to recognize the influence of the Spirit as she read. 

If you haven't read the Book of Mormon, read it. Especially if you have been Baptized. The Book of Mormon will invite the Spirit into your life and help you learn to recognize how you can receive revelation for your own life. 

At Anastasia's Baptism Sister Chae spoke. There, we learned that when Sister Chae was pregnant with her oldest daughter (who is now 5) Sister Chae went to a lesson at Anastasia's house. Sister Chae told Anastasia she knew her journey to reach this point was long and not easy and it wouldn't necessarily begin to be easier but it would continue to be worth it and she would continue to be more like Christ.

It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as you are continuously moving in the right direction. Keep going towards Christ. Continue forward on the covenant path even if all that looks like is opening up your Book of Mormon. Maybe it's not even reading it yet but just taking the time to open the book.

One of my MTC teachers told us that on her mission whenever her or one of her companions had a bad dream they would open the Book of Mormon. Not read anything, just open it. 

Sometimes just doing that is enough. You don't have to get through it all in two months. You probably already know your next step on the covenant path. It might simply be scheduling your next temple appointment. And if you want it to happen in one month and then it takes two that is still something to celebrate. 

Even if takes over a decade for you to make your next covenant or read the whole Book of Mormon or forgive that one person, keep moving forward.

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

P.S. Happy Valentines Day! Love you all!

Summary: Our friend Anastasia got baptized. Pretty cool. She's been meeting with missionaries for 10+ years. Sometimes doing the right thing can take some time but it's still worth doing! 

Pray He is There

Hey y'all!

[Summary at the very bottom cuz I know not everyone has the time or attention span to read this.]

Today is the first p-day that while hanging out with the district I have not felt like I was about to get hit with a volley/soccer/pickle/foot/basket ball. They are playing pickle ball at the moment and I actually feel safe. (Yay!) Feeling doesn't actually mean I am safe though. 

…the pickle ball was hit far over the fence. And down a hill. I actually probably am safe for a bit.

The ball was quickly retrieved so I'll be on my guard as I write this. 

This takes me back to the first time the district was here playing pickle ball on my very first p-day in the field. That time I was hit with a football on my ankle. The ball hit my ankle and the elder who tossed it came up and very awkwardly touched my ankle said, “so sorry,” grabbed the football and ran away. Super awkward. I've been hit several other times but that one was so memorable because it was just so awkward.

Update: I got hit. I love pday. Someday I'll learn to catch a ball or kick a ball or not just sit here. 

Just kidding I'm being really dramatic, the ball rolled into me. 

Anyways I'll be a serious goose now. 

Yesterday Elder and Sister Uchtdorf spoke to the young adults of the church yesterday and I got to watch it and it was wonderful. I don't remember much of what they said but I do remember I could feel how much they loved each other and how much they loved the people they were speaking to. 

I think that even if people forget what I say I want them to remember how I made them feel. At least if I make them feel good. We communicate with so so much more than our words and that's good because so far I haven't done too much of the talking. But I do a great deal of listening.

I think I'm also pretty good at the body language thing. I read a book about body language for a book report once and it was super interesting and it helps me know how comfortable people are (or more relevantly are not) talking with us. 

I'm glad talking to God is easy. Like praying can be super formal or it can be completely silent. Sometimes I write my prayers because sometimes saying them out loud can feel overwhelming sometimes. 

Prayer is also easier because God listens. 100% the time. There's never any miscommunication because He speaks our language perfectly and knows us perfectly.

I wish I was better at listening to God.

I guess I get distracted. But I'm trying to learn all of the ways my prayers are answered. I know my prayers are answered in ways unique to me, like things that might only be an answer to me that would be weird or random to other people.

I love prayer. I love that I can talk to God. I love that anyone can talk to God. I love you and I hope you love talking to God. 

Still holding to the rod, 

Sister Owens 

Summary: I don't love getting hit with volley/soccer/pickle/foot/basket balls. I do love prayer & I love love you! 

Here's the link to my mission pictures album:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZMqcVg4i6kAMWJVH9