From what I can see, everyone is safe and happy. Yay! Another successful week! I must be doing something right because I know my family is receiving blessings.
What a week. We had zone conference this week. President Van Cott talked to us for 7 hours about being on FIRE and talking with everyone. I would like to share one of the scriptures we talked about that has had a huge impact on me:
Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Wow. I was pretty silent during the whole zone conference because I was silently repenting. We cannot have faith and fear. Either we serve God and talk with everyone and share the gospel with everyone he places in our path, or we are serving man by fearing him and not sharing.
During zone conference, this sweet sister raised her hand and started to cry. She was upset because of all the times she chose fear over faith and as a result someone didn't get to hear about the gospel. This sister has been out for 5 weeks. I have been out for 10 months. So then I started to cry because I thought of countless people that I neglected to share the gospel with.
I think I went through the biggest repentance process that I have ever gone through in my whole life. After I started thinking about all of the people I have ran into on my mission, I thought of all of the people from Lees Corner through Chantilly High School. Some of those people I was with for 12 years and I never once invited them to church. I kept them from the knowledge of the gospel because I was too afraid.
We cannot not be afraid to share the gospel. There are so many people that don't know Christ's church is on the earth right now. How can they be prepared for the next life and fully enjoy this life if they don't even know that? I don't know about you, but I do not want to stand before God and tell him that not just one, but several people were kept from the truth because I was too afraid to open my mouth and invite. I have realized this week that that possibility is way more terrifying than someone saying, "no thanks."
I have this new vigor (did I use that word correctly...) inside of me to invite everyone I know and see. And their kids. And their dogs. And their birds. This isn't just a good message that we love because it's the life style we grew up with. This is the TRUTH. This is the ONLY WAY that men can be saved! EVERYONE needs to know about it!!!!
So I have repented. In the last two days, Sister Erickson and I (if I have counted correctly) have talked with over 40 people. Out of those 40 people we got 1 return appointment. The missionaries cannot do this work without you! You're friends are the ones that are being prepared right now. And I did notice something from talking with people. The more I do it, the easier it is. The more I do it, the happier I feel. The more I do it, the more the Spirit is with me.
Missionary work doesn't have to take time out of your day. I feel like everyone thinks missionary work is a project. All you need to do is talk with people. Be a friend. Invite people to church. "Hey we are having a great church service this Sunday and one of my friends is speaking. Would you like to come?" That's it. I know it's scary, but the more you do it the easier it is.
I know this is God's work. So much so that I just want to shout it from the roof tops. But then that would make everyone think that I was a weirdo so that would actually be counterproductive... but you know what I mean. I just have felt such an urgency in my bones to share this with everyone. I hope I'm not being preachy because their is nothing more annoying than a preachy missionary. I just want all of you to know how much I love my Savior and how much I want to share that with other people. And I just want to empower you to be awesome missionaries because I know Heavenly Father sees such great potential in all of us.
I love you all. The church is true. I know that because I see it change lives, including my own. And all good things come from God.
Have a great week! Missionary challenge: Invite someone to church this Sunday!
Love,
Sister Olsen
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