Whew! What a week, what a week! The days feel like weeks, and the weeks feel like days!
This week, I was continually impressed with Hermana McKay. Last Monday, during preparation day, we cut out a bunch of paper hearts so we could heart-attack less active members during the week. We also organized a few records into their separate areas, something I've been wanting to do for weeks! We distributed many of the heart attacks this week, and plan to do more next week!
We then had an AWESOME lesson with our branch president. He told us of an investigator family that studied before with the Elders and went with us to contact them. We met the Meridas!! Yoni, Nanci his wife, and his three kids, John Luca, Ashley, and Yoni Jr., all play soccer! They showed us their wall lined with medals and all their trophies. My brothers and sisters all play soccer, too, so I was able to relate! They're Guatamalan, and Nanci sells Guatamalan bread for a living and Yoni is a soccer coach. We taught them about the Holy Ghost and how to identify it. I am certain the Spirit knew we were talking about Him, because He was definitely there!! :) Walking out of the lesson, Hermana McKay and I both felt strongly that we needed to teach them the law of the tithe next time, and we're seeing them tonight!
Hermana McKay also has a great talent for talking to everyone. We spoke with 8 people in an hour, just trying by a former investigator! She really wants to be here for the right reasons and she fears no one! We even found a new investigator that way – Manuel. We just pulled over on our way to heart-attack one of our investigators and talked to him! Turns out his girlfriend, who lives in California, is an active member and has been sharing the Gospel with Manuel for years! It was a miracle!
We had a 28 hour exchange this week, a little longer than normal to save miles. It was a very busy exchange! We had correlaccion with Hermano Bianco, a lesson with our recent convert Norma and President Criddle, and a meeting with the Stake president and all the missionaries in our stake. We even caught a glimpse at a shooting star!
After the meeting with our Stake President, I was sitting with Sister Guy, a new missionary because she had a headache. We were just talking, and I mentioned how her trainer and I arrived in the mission field at the same time. She exclaimed, "You're leaving, too?!" Yes, I told her, and she was so sad she began to cry! 😖 She's very sweet.
During to course of my mission, I've learned a LOT about companionships. The best thing I can compare them to is a three-legged race – you can't lay back and expect your companion to carry you, but you can't do it all yourself and drag your companion along behind you, either. You MUST work TOGETHER - there is no other way.
In harmony with this concept, our Mission President shared with us recently the idea of an Emotional Bank account. It’s a metaphor for the amount of trust in a relationship – in a companionship, in a family, in a ward, etc. Basically every interaction you have with another person may be classified as a deposit or withdrawal. Deposits build and repair trust in a relationship. Withdrawals lessen trust.
Examples of deposits are: being kind, serving them, keeping promises, being loyal to the other person when they're not there, and apologizing even if you don't feel like it. I have tried this with different companions and I can testify that it works!
Examples of withdrawals are: being unkind, refusing to serve another when you could, breaking promises, talking about or gossiping about them, pride, or being competitive.
President Guffey challenged us to think of our own Emotion Accounts – if we're under or over balance, and what steps we could take to bring balance to the Force.
The thing is, the only deposits and withdrawals you can control are your own. To build trust, you have to choose to treat every problem as an opportunity to make a deposit in your companion's emotional bank account. If you figure that out, you're happier, they're happier, you both work harder, and you find success! There's only pros and no cons.
He then shared this:
"The writer of Proverbs said it this way: “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thing hand to do it.” (Proverbs 3:27). Try it. It’s powerful. Make deposits. They’re a good thing!"
I can say from experience, that I know these things to be true. I have tried it – and it works!
I love you all a lot!
Love, Hermana Smurthwaite
No comments:
Post a Comment