Lead Me, Guide Me, Walk Beside Me

Hi mom! (and the rest of you wonderful people)

Sister Pugh is Leaving - She is My Pal

This week has been SLOW. So slow. It's been good, but just super slow. Sister Wevers and I decided to stop seeing a few of our investigators who have just not been progressing very much. So we need to find new people to teach. We have spent long hours tracting with out much success. Last week in my email I talked about the 2 potentials that we found, and one of them didn't work out, and we aren't quite sure about the other one. We are doing our best to be diligent and use time wisely, which is, as our Mission President says, "code for do the Lord's will".

We weren't feeling like our efforts were very fruitful this week, even though we were working hard and doing our best. We failed to think that the Lord can bless us in different ways that we might not be expecting. Our church meetings start at 1:00 in the afternoon now in Lynchburg.  So we have time in the morning now to study and even go out and work! Saturday night, we were trying to think of what we should do that could be effective for us before church. Sister Wevers suggested that we try visiting a less-active Sister who we have been visiting off and on for some time. She said that we could try going over and inviting her to church. I felt that it was a good idea and so we planned to do that Sunday morning before church. 

Our New Car - Wahoo!

The next morning, when we went over to this Sister's house, she let us in and said, "I am getting ready for church!" WOW! This sweet sister has not been to church in months! She came to church and had a wonderful experience.  

We also had another young sister who has been less-active for quite some time come to church yesterday as well! Amazing! It was cool to see how Heavenly Father blesses us in ways we don't even think about. All of that door knocking that we did, wasn't for nothing, it was to help these sweet sisters to be able to come to church! It reminds me of what Elder Holland said in the past General Conference. 

"With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can‍ improve, and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying,‍ even if we don’t always succeed."

All the Sisters in the Lovely Beuna Vista Virginia Zone

In sacrament meeting yesterday, I had a very powerful experience. I have been pondering about what it truly means to be a Child of God. I have been thinking about who I am and where I came from and what this all means for me. We sang, "I am a Child of God" as one of the Hymns, and I felt a confirming witness from the Holy Ghost that I am a Child of God and that He loves me more than I can understand. I felt an abundance of The Spirit as we sang the words:

"Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday."

He loves us, and he is here to help us. He leads us, and he gives us the Holy Ghost as a constant companion. He is right here with us! He is very aware of all of us and our individual needs. He hears my prayers when I plead for the strength and for comfort. I am truly His daughter!

Sisters Wevers and I with the Forest Sisters

I know that we are all Children of a Loving Heavenly Father and that he has a divine plan for each of us! He watches over all of us and I have never felt the love that our Father in Heaven has for the people around me more, than being a missionary and being able to serve them and bring His gospel to them. I absolutely love being a missionary and I am grateful for every blessing that it has brought to me and the lives of others.

#Ponderize: 1 Nephi 1:20

"And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

Virginia Sunsets Have Stolen My Heart

Love you all so much! Don't forget to write your favorite missionary! ;)

XOXO

~Sister Kayla Marie Willis

410 Alta Lane #11
Lynchburg, VA 24502