March 17, 2014

I feel like there is so much that goes on during the week, but when it comes to sitting down on Preparation day and typing it out, i never know what to say.  Last Pday we went to the old penitenary, it was pretty cool, but kind of a creepy place.  Not sure if I want to go back there again.  I feel like the weeks are just flying by, I am trying to grab a hold of time a dig my heels in to slow it down, but that doesn't seem to be working.  I feel like there is so much work I have left to do and I don't want to waste a minute of it, I also feel like one thing I will take away from my mission is being a missionary forever.  Being a better member missionary, it is funny the difference you see when you are on the other side of the work.  Before my mission I thought that I should just leave missionary work to the professionals, but I have seen that the work progress so much faster when the members are involved as well.

    This week we went on two exchanges with some of the sisters that we are over.  They went pretty well, one of the companionship that we are over are struggling in their area.  I went there and was confused because according to their area book they should have a ton of work to do with less actives as well as 20+ former or potential investigators.  I went an taught the junior companion how to work more effectively in their area, I hope that they will take what both my companion and I showed them and taught them.  We are planning on going on an excjange with them in a few weeks.  The other one went well, I ended up staying in our area which was good.  I have never been left in our area by myself so it forced me to have to better learn the area.  We had a really successful week even with the exchanges that we went on.  I got to contact some less actives that seem receptive, but you can never really know for sure.  That is the one hard thing is that people will set up appointments for us to come back, but then they will not be home.  Sometimes I rather that they just tell us they aren't interested, but I know we just need to soften their heart and make a connection with them in order for them to allow us to be able to work with.  Sister Allen and I are continually increasing our total of number of lessons each week which has been great.  We are still trying to find new people to teach, that is a struggle but we are continually working hard at talking to everyone we see.  The only true progressing investigator that we have is a lady that is an ex-communicated member who wants to come back, all she has left to do really is to meet with the stake president.  We have been trying to help our new investigator we found last week to progress,but he was out of town this whole last week.  We plan on talking about the Book of Mormon with him tonight.

     Yesterday at church I felt this strong feeling that this is where the Lord needs me to be.  The area is a tough area, apparently the toughest stake in the mission with missionary work, welfare, and activation.  It seems discouraging, but it has given me a drive to work harder because the Lord knows that I can handle building up another area that I will continue to work hard.  I feel like I would feel more successful in an area like this then going into an area where the missionaries have built up the work. Every Sunday we go to either PEC or Ward council.  Yesterday was PEC and i came to find out that their home teaching report is only at 6%!!! They have over 100 families in the ward so that means only about 6 families are being home taught.  I was so shocked.  Home teaching and visiting teaching are so important in Hastening the Work along.  I feel like the members don't quite understand that.  We can go and contact less actives all day long, but their is a difference when members are the ones also reaching out to their neighbors and friends.  The less actives see that they are wanted and needed by those around them, friendships are built.  It becomes easier for them to come back to church because they know at least a few people there that they can sit by.  The work moves so much more smoother when we work hand in hand with the members and they are doing their part.  The bishop told a story that really stood out to me and made me see things in a whole other way.When you read this story, I want you to think of it as if this was you,(i am summarizing the story my bishop told to us):

In the pre-existence and awaiting your call to come to earth, you were filled with anticipation and excitement. You had a dear friend that was your best friend that you felt a special closeness to him/her. You did everything together, you played and joked around, talking about all the things you wanted to do when you finally made it to earth. As you talked a messenger came and gave me a letter. It was your call to go to earth. In great excitement your friend and you opened the letter. You gave it to him/her and asked him/her to read it aloud. It said: "You've been called to earth in a special time and to a special land. You will be born to the true church and you will have the priesthood of God in your home. You will born into a land of plenty, in a land of freedom. You will go to earth in the United States of America."

Your friend and you rejoiced as you read your call, and while you were rejoicing the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his/her call to earth. Your friend gave you the letter to read aloud. His letter said: "You've been called to go to the earth in circumstances of poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships will attend your life."

You wept, your friend and you, as you read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes, and said, "When we are down on earth, you in your family and me in mine, my friend, please come and find me."

I want you all to think of this in two different ways.  I know this is not doctrine, but I like to think that there were people in the Pre-earth life that I knew that were foretold what their life was going to be like and I promised them that I would find them.  That is what I am trying to do, find my brothers and sisters that I promised that I would find and help them come to the knowledge of the gospel.  I also look at it as that there were people up there that I knew that would join the gospel, but would face hard time and difficulties and would fall away from the church.  I promised them that I would find them as well and help them to regain their testimonies so that their lives could be more fuller and happier.  I truly believe that members are called to certain people to visit teach and home teach for a reason.  Maybe they were someone that you knew before, maybe you will be the reason why they choose to come back to church.  It might not be in the near future, it could be years down the road or it might not even be until the next life, but we are placed in peoples lives for a reason.  I don't want to make it to the next life to find out that I had failed one of my friends, that I wasn't able to find them or I wasn't able to help them because I didn't do my small part.  I encourage all of you to talk to those that are around you! Do your visiting and home teaching! They may not let you in, but at least reach a hand out to them and be their friend.  That is a great work for all of us to do.  Sorry to get on my little soap box, but I just felt like I looked at things a whole different way after I heard this story.

 How great is it to be out here serving the Lord and serving my fellow brothers and sisters.  I love you all!!! Hope all is well on your end, I pray for each and everyone of you everynight!!!!

Love

Your Missionary in the great land of Boise

Sister Metcalf

P.S. as for birthday gifts, I seriously have no clue. Sorry guys, whatever you will think of will be great!!!! I love you and miss you all!!!


Went to the Old Penitentiary last Pday, a place I never want to go to again!

 A cool spot we found where you can see all of down-town Boise

By the Old train depot

 My 3 legged dog friend, this is the 3rd one that i have seen in my area

March 10, 2014

So just for clarification from last weeks subject line, I haven't really been having any trials.  Things have been good here, usually I write my letters and then think of a subject ether something to do with my letter or sometimes quotes heard from this week.  So just again to clarify, things are going good here hahaha  Well nothing too excited really happened this week.  A lot of ups and a lot of downs.  Usually Saturday and Sunday is when we do our best and see the most people, but that wasn't the case this week.  It was so weird, every single one of our appointments cancelled this weekend and everyone we tried to see didn't want anything to do with us or claimed that it wasn't them.  On a few of them I know for a fact that those people live there.  I don't know why people just don't tell us they are not interested instead of claiming that they aren't who they are.  We did find a couple of less actives that really seem responsive to allowing us to continually stop by and to visit/work with them.  We also went on exchanges with some of the sisters that we are over , which went really well.

   This week we had a Mission Leadership Council, my first one since becoming an STL.  It was such a great meeting and really inspiring.  We have set a goal to find 425 new investigators for the month of March.  It seems crazy when back in December we set a goal to find 500, but we are now seeing the fruits of that Labor.  We want to continually get the missionaries excited for finding new investigators, we also set a goal to try to get a baptism for every ward in the mission by the end of June.  That is about 133 baptisms by June 30th.  We are calling it our June Harvest.  We talked a lot about faith taking a role in this, we have to trust in the Lord.  I truly believe that the field is white already to harvest here in Boise, Idaho.  Our mission president told us how years ago the church sent out a random survey in the United States asking who would join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the response was 3%.  Now that may seem like not a lot, but he put it into retrospect for us, that there are 400,000 people in the Treasure Valley and so that means there are 12,000 that would be willing to join.  Numbers set aside, I truly believe that the Lord has prepared those and that their are people out there searching for the truth, but they no not where to find it.  This week we actually found a new investigator.  His name is Caleb and he lives with a less active family that we have been working with.  It was kind of unexpected, we stopped by the families house and when we walked in the mom was telling us how the friend that is living with them said he wanted to learn more about the church.  We just jumped right into teaching him the first lesson and it went really well.  It was also a testimony builder to me of how the Lord's hand is in the details of the work.  A few days earlier we had role played lesson one for one of our investigators, but he ended up canceling on us.  That day we had something totally different for the family, but as you have read was quickly changed.  But we were prepared and ready, although we had to rely a lot on the spirit to direct how the lesson should go to fit his needs.  It was such a neat experience.

      Things have been going pretty good in my new ward, this week was a little slower with us with lessons. Not many people wanted to meet with us or they cancelled appointments, but we didn't let that discourage us. We focused on the positives like finding a new investigator this week and Sister Allen and I are excited to continually find those that are being prepared. Yesterday Sacrament meeting went really well, we got a couple of less actives to come out as well as a part member family. We saw a lot of joy and success this week even though our numbers don't show. We are trying to contact all the less actives that haven't been contacted in this ward as well as trying to help our investigators to progress. Things are going well between Sister Allen and I, we get a long great and are really enjoying the time we have together. The transfer has been just flying by for the both of us! We recieved a referral from our mission President who ran into a less active lady this week who wants her baby to be baptized who lives in our area. No luck yet, but we have been praying to the Lord to find her and we have the faith that we will this week.  

     Saturday I got to go back to my old area for one of my investigators baptism.  It was for Max Wilson, one of the over aged youth I was teaching.  I was so excited to see him, and he was so excited to be baptized.  This little boy is so awesome and is just always positive and enthusiastic.  I truly believe that the Lord knows what he is doing and that everything is on His timing and not ours. I still pray for the other three youth that are still waiting for their parents to allow them to be baptized and the sisters that are working with them. I have faith that it will happen, but on the Lord's time frame. I also got to see my last companion who is still in the area and hear how the other investigators I was working with were doing.  One of them was at the baptism yesterday and I got to talk with her, she said how she wants to be baptized in a few weeks.  I am so excited for her, and hopefully some of the others should have a baptismal date soon. The Lord has truly blessed me to allow to serve in an area close to my old area so I am still able to see the fruits of my labors. I am truly grateful to be serving in this mission, but most importantly to be serving my Savior and Father in Heaven!

   Nothing really excited to tell this week, but things are going well.  There is no other place I rather be than to be out here serving my mission.  Got a text yesterday from the missionaries serving in Jensa's ward saying how you bore your testimony and I guess we sound a lot alike.  Both those elders in your ward have either been my district leader or zone leader, they are great missionaries.  Anyway the point of that is that I am so proud of you Jensa, I encourage all of you to contiually share your testimonies with those around you, it will not only touch their hearts,but strengthen yours as well.

"Please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." -PRESIDENT DIETER F. UCHTDORF

Love you all and miss you! Hope all is well on your end, I pray for each and everyone of you every night.

Love
Sister Metcalf

Max's Baptism

 My companion and I

March 3, 2014

Well the one thing that I was worried about with being transferred was being sent to a ward where nothing was going on, I for sure do not have to worry about that.  This week has been weird, I feel like I have been on a week long exchange, but it is starting to settle in that this is my new area.  It is crazy that I am only 5 miles away from my old area, but it is totally different.  This ward mostly consists of older people and some young couples.  Church yesterday was so weird, there were no young men to pass the sacrament or to bless it.  It was all men that were 65+ that were doing it.  There are no youth in this ward, maybe a total of two that are actually active.  I loved working with the youth and spending time with them in my last area.  During the whole sacrament I was just shocked of how small the ward was, there was maybe 60 people there total and that is what it is normally. It felt like a branch to me, I am so use to filled chapels and with my last two areas the overflow was filled as well.  I am over the Shoshone ward, and they have had their own set of missionaries for about 6 months now, but the missionaries have been seeing the same less actives/people every single week.  During our weekly planning my companion and I wrote down all the less actives or people that she wasn't sure of being active on a board. There is 180+!!!! I have decided that the Lord has been preparing me for this.  In my last area I really became better at working with the members and helping some less actives to come back to church.  I really found a lot of joy seeing those lost sheep come back and regain their testimonies.  So I know that I need to really get down to work in this area and help reach out to these less actives.  I know that this is where a lot of the work is going to be at.  We have a couple of investigators, but they are "eternal" investigators, missionaries have been meeting with them for months and some even years.  One of my goals that I had set out before this transfer was to be more bold with people.  This is what I am called to do, to call people to repentance.  I am representing the Lord and I should not be timid with less actives.  Seeing how small the ward is and how many less actives there are has really put a fire under me.  I have been trying to "be bold but not overbearing" as Elder Holland would say. I have a feeling that this is going to be a tiring transfer, in a good way.  One of my goals has been not to slack and to continue to be diligent and I feel like in this area I won't have time to take a break or to let off the gas.  I know that trough building the trust of the members and working with the less actives and the part member families that there will be much joy and success in this area.

   Mom I got the flowers yesterday day, I loved them!!!! Did you know that when you dropped them off that I was actually home.  We were having dinner, the members don't feed in this area as much as my last.  Which is fine because I need a break from being fed to much.  Anyways when we were leaving after our dinner hour I saw them there and I thought I had heard someone come up the stairs earlier and was gonna check but thought against it.  To be honest before that I had totally forgotten that you were going to be up in Boise this weekend.  When I think of my mission I don't think of me being in Boise, I forget that I have family here.  When I hear of people coming to visit I get excited when I read the email but by the time that you all get here I forget about because of how busy I become with missionary work.  I love how it has consumed my life and my thoughts, constantly thinking about others and who to go see and how we can get them to progress in the gospel.  I have been trying to learn the area and the people we meet, but I feel like my companion won't be here past this transfer.  I met the bishop this week and he seems to have a push for missionary work right now.  Sister Allen(my companion) said that when she first got here and even two transfers ago he didn't really care much for them.  We had a good meeting with him yesterday and I can see the passion that he has now for missionary work, I guess the Lord has been tugging at his heart strings with this.

   This week has been a really good week for us, we got 17 total lessons which is a pretty big deal.  We set a goal of 20 for this week, I have been praying to know how the Lord needs me to push His work along in this area.  We actually found a new investigator this week, it was pretty cool.  The sisters have been stopping by visiting this guy off and on for a while just to "visit".  I have been trying this new thing when I meet new people to picture them in all white like on their baptismal day.  I did that with this guy and I talked to him about the church and invited him to learn more by taking the missionary lessons and he agreed!  We will see where it will go, he loves to drink, but I can really see him changing his live around.  Had some interesting stories for this week trying to contact some less actives.  One had moved away, but his roommate and an opinion on Mormons! We were stuck on the doorstep for like 5 minutes.  I would just say well you have a good night, but he just had to throw in a few more things about why the church was wrong and how God doesn't exist. We just sat there and listened to him because we knew trying to argue with him or straighten things out with him wouldn't make a difference.  I kind of hope to see that guy in the next life and see his face when he realizes that the Church is true and that God is real.

   This week we will start going on exchanges with the sisters that we are over, I am excited to see how the other sisters are doing and to learn different things from them.  This week all the STL's got together to start planning a sisters conference at the end of the month.  Sister Allen and I decided that we are going to talk about companionship unity and resolving problems. I just realized that I haven't told you about my companion.  Her name is Sister Allen, she is from Lewiston, Idaho and is 19.  She went to BYU-I before her mission, she is so sweet and loving.  She can be timid with people at times, but I feel like us together will make a good companionship.  I feel like this first week just flew by so quickly!!! This Saturday is Max's baptism in my old area, I am so excited to go back and see him as well as all my old investigators.

   I love you all so much, thank you for all the love and support and the prayers that you continually show to me.  I pray for all of you as well. My favorite quote from the week " when someone is speaking to us from their heart, we must listen with our heart". Continue to do the little things everyday, they add up and make a difference.  I am excited for this transfer because I know it is going to be challenging, but the Lord is going to push me to the person that I need to become.

Love

Sister Metcalf