My Loves!
This week we had the privileged of having Elder Zwick of the 70 come for a mission tour! I was really looking forward to it because I love his talk from April 2014 general conference. I will never forget it. (I pasted the link below). We had a devotional with him and all the ward councils on Wednesday night and then zone conferences on Friday night. I learned so much from him and the spirit was so strong during the zone conference. He said that he has met a lot of people but I was the first with the last name Koutz! During the conference four companionship's were picked to do a three minute role play with a principle from Peach my Gospel, and personal story, and then share a scripture for doctrine and we got picked!! He loved our role play and even wrote our name in his PMG next to the principle we chose.
At the beginning of the conference he asked us "What are you willing to change?"
some points from the conference:
- "I will never limit my self by what I think is my capacity, I will allow the Lord the expand my capacity and HE WILL."
- I will never look back!
- We must have a sure foundation. Be not moved!
- every night we must pray "Lord wilt thou except the best I could do today?" But it better be our best!
- Pray for things of eternal consequence
- Do your best work hard then ask the Lord to touch your work (The brother of Jared made the stones then asked the Lord to touch them so they could have light.)
- You will never make a foolish mistake of eternal consequence without being forewarned.
- Every member MUST have a copy of Preach My Gospel. They must read it and understand it (including children). Especially ch. 3. Use PMGs for FHE. (link below)
This week I had a realization that made everything about the work change immediately. As a mission we are so accustomed to saying "We were so blessed to find....." or "we were so blessed to have 2 baptisms last week." I realized that kind of talk really takes our investigators out of the equation. It makes it selfish and it makes it about the blessing we are receiving not the blessings they are receiving.
In the MTC one of the counselors from my branch president was President Monsons nephew and he told us "we should forget about the rewards, we must do what we must do simply it is because who we are."
So here we are in Florida doing what we must do because it is our duty. Would we do it with out all of the blessings that come our way? YES! because we love the Lord!! The blessings we receive from being PART of the greater blessing- the blessing our friends receive as they are baptized is just a tender mercy from the Lord. So we changed our attitude instead of "Lord if we do ......wilt thou bless us with....." Now its Lord if we do.....wilt thou allow us to be put in the path of the people we are ready to receive the blessings of baptism." This is about them! As Elder Bednar says "This is work is not about you and it will never be about you!" Its about finding them (our friends) for Him (The Lord).
After discussing this Sister Alcazar saw immediate results. We in one day we did weekly planning, had the devotional with Elder Zwick and we found 5 new investigators! Before knocking doors we set a vision that we would find 2 new investigators, and also find someone who has been searching for the truth. We knocked into Mimi, she let us in and we asked her what she wanted us to pray for. She ushered us back into her room, there was her mother in a hospital bed...she really cant function at all. So we prayed for her and while we were saying the prayer Mimi's sister Julia came out. Julia recently came here from Cuba and she has been searching for the truth. They both accepted baptism and knew we were sent from God! ! Lessons with them are going great!
In that same complex we also met Odalis. She recently came here from Cuba with her sons and it has been a very hard adjustment for her. We said a prayer and left her with a restoration pamphlet. When we returned we talked about Jesus Christ and then we pulled out The Book of Mormon. She was so excited! She said "I was going to ask you where I could get that!" She was so happy to receive one! She later confided in us and told us that she suffered from anxiety. I told her that I did too and that The Book of Mormon is the number one tool to help with anxiety and I testified how it changed my life. Her eyes lit up when she felt the spirit and knew that she has received an answer to her problems.
The Lord put us in the right place that we could find our new friends so that they may be blessed by being baptized!
I am grateful for the experiences I have had with anxiety and continue to have. They have taught me so much. As I feel myself get stronger and stronger but more importantly more converted my anxiety lessens. I know that I was meant to be here at this time. I know that because of the many people I have been able to teach that struggle with problems like my own. I cant heal them, but I can at least help them to know that I understand and that there are ways to be better. I can testify of the great healer Jesus Christ and I can be their friend.
In the MTC one of the counselors from my branch president was President Monsons nephew and he told us "we should forget about the rewards, we must do what we must do simply it is because who we are."
So here we are in Florida doing what we must do because it is our duty. Would we do it with out all of the blessings that come our way? YES! because we love the Lord!! The blessings we receive from being PART of the greater blessing- the blessing our friends receive as they are baptized is just a tender mercy from the Lord. So we changed our attitude instead of "Lord if we do ......wilt thou bless us with....." Now its Lord if we do.....wilt thou allow us to be put in the path of the people we are ready to receive the blessings of baptism." This is about them! As Elder Bednar says "This is work is not about you and it will never be about you!" Its about finding them (our friends) for Him (The Lord).
After discussing this Sister Alcazar saw immediate results. We in one day we did weekly planning, had the devotional with Elder Zwick and we found 5 new investigators! Before knocking doors we set a vision that we would find 2 new investigators, and also find someone who has been searching for the truth. We knocked into Mimi, she let us in and we asked her what she wanted us to pray for. She ushered us back into her room, there was her mother in a hospital bed...she really cant function at all. So we prayed for her and while we were saying the prayer Mimi's sister Julia came out. Julia recently came here from Cuba and she has been searching for the truth. They both accepted baptism and knew we were sent from God! ! Lessons with them are going great!
In that same complex we also met Odalis. She recently came here from Cuba with her sons and it has been a very hard adjustment for her. We said a prayer and left her with a restoration pamphlet. When we returned we talked about Jesus Christ and then we pulled out The Book of Mormon. She was so excited! She said "I was going to ask you where I could get that!" She was so happy to receive one! She later confided in us and told us that she suffered from anxiety. I told her that I did too and that The Book of Mormon is the number one tool to help with anxiety and I testified how it changed my life. Her eyes lit up when she felt the spirit and knew that she has received an answer to her problems.
The Lord put us in the right place that we could find our new friends so that they may be blessed by being baptized!
I am grateful for the experiences I have had with anxiety and continue to have. They have taught me so much. As I feel myself get stronger and stronger but more importantly more converted my anxiety lessens. I know that I was meant to be here at this time. I know that because of the many people I have been able to teach that struggle with problems like my own. I cant heal them, but I can at least help them to know that I understand and that there are ways to be better. I can testify of the great healer Jesus Christ and I can be their friend.
Sending Love Always! xoxoxox
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