This week I've been thinking a lot about the importance of letting other people help you - what a novel idea, right? I think the longer I've been on my mission, it gets easier and easier to think I know how to do it all. Ha ha.

It makes me think of the story of Gideon in the bible, where he has  a really big army, and then God makes him cut it down because if he didn't the people wouldn't recognize that it was actually God who had saved them. I think a lot of times he sends us all the people so that we can depend on each other and together we can accomplish it, but the whole purpose is to depend on them and not to just assume they're there to watch us succeed singlehandedly. yeah? I'm still figuring it out, and it's a lot easier said than done. But the Women's Conference on Saturday reaffirmed it when they talked so much about how our whole purpose is to lift those around us and to serve. 

Well, sorry this is brief! I love you all, Have a great week.

--

Hermana Reynolds

Spring has Sprung!

This week we had Zone Conferences! We had our own, and then sister Hortal and I went to the conference for Corpus, and then tomorrow we're going to the one for Laredo. I think that's one of my most favorite things about this calling is being able to go to all of the different areas and hear the meetings lots of times - I think God knows that if I hear things 2 and 3 and 4 times I'll finally get it. :) 

The theme was a lot about love, and doing things for the right reason. President Maluenda talked a lot about where our focus is, and he shared the scripture in John about when the disciples are on the Sea of Tiberious, and how he asked Peter "lovest thou me?" 

There's a talk by Elder Holland that describes it really well (the first great commandment), but he said that it's so important to remember that even when he's not there (or we're not being guided through every step by leaders) that we have to choose where our treasure is. Peter didn't know what to do, so he went back to Fishing, and the Lord had to remind him that is he REALLY loved Christ, he would be taking care of his children, not fishing. It's pretty humbling that we get to be a part of "feeding His sheep!" I think it's making more and more sense to me, especially as it gets closer to an end. I'm SO grateful for every day and the opportunity to keep learning and serving :)

Love you all!

--

Hermana Reynolds

Happy Pi Day!

Spiritual thought for the day!

So, this will be a moment of admitting weakness. But those are good, right? So there's this super famous talk called "the 4th missionary" and every missionary and their dog reads it. It talks about the differences of why people serve and what we should aspire to do and how to serve, etc. It's really good. I'd read it a few times on the mission, and everybody talks about it, but I don't think it ever clicked. This last week we'd had a few struggles in different areas of life, and I'd been feeling overall a little frustrated at how things were turning out. It felt like we were working really hard, but nothing was working out. 

Anyway, after reading this talked it finally clicked - I'm not here (and none of us are "here" in life) to do our own forces and try and have them coordinate with God's will, but we're literally here to do WHAT he wants, WHEN he wants it. 

Sometimes it takes lots of humbling to figure these things out, ha ha. 

Anyway, that's the thought for this week. :)

Love you all!

--

Hermana Reynolds

Today in personal study I read in Ether chapters 7-10. It's one of those parts where they start out righteous and then go wicked and then go righteous and then wicked.. it's pretty frustrating. It's kind of funny to see how quickly they get prideful, but then once they realize that they actually DO need God (for example, when He sends a famine or poisonous serpents to kill them) they'll shape up. It's like reading about a group of spoiled little kids! Anyway, that's been a theme that's been on my mind a lot - being humble enough to always rely on the Lord, even when you've grown a lot. 

It's funny, there's this cycle of dependence I kind of feel like - He asks us to set goals or do things that are hard to do, but are for "His service" (fulfilling new callings, raising a family, etc) and so it's kind of like we're serving God, but in all reality we still need His help desperately to complete it, and then even though we're serving Him he's serving us, and then we grow up a little bit, but we still need His help, and then we get to use our newly acquired strength to serve in another way. And even though we're growing up, it's all through the mercy and grace of God. We just have to see that. 

Crazy, right? We're so dependent, but sometimes we just don't see it! I definitely don't always see it.

Anyway, the new transfer is here and nothing is changing :) We'll both be here for at least 6 more weeks - hopefully 18!! 

Love you all!

Love,

Hermana Reynolds