"It gets my heart all warm and gushy!" - Jan. 27, 2014

Helloooo!! :)

It's a beeeautiful day! I've never had such a warm January! Today both Sis Tanner and I are wearing short sleeves. What?! I still feel like it's September. I can't decide if it's because of the weather, or because I'm in denial about how long I've been out, haha :)

This week we got a special package from the mission office... desks!! :) Thanks to my little baby tool kit, we put them together! and it was so satisfying!

The next day, we were able to help a sister who had just moved in to the branch. She was all unpacked, but wanted help with moving her furniture around and hanging things on her wall and putting her printer together and all that jazz. Which was also surprisingly therapeutic! :)

That same sister was super kind and gave us a ride to Stake Conference! We got to talk a lot on our 90 min drive there. And back, haha :) Stake Conference is the best! I dunno if I've ever explained how much I love meetings. But I do! They're the best!! I love having that opportunity to just sit and wait for the Spirit to speak directly to me.

For the Saturday Night session, they had a panel of members to answer questions about... missionary work! Surprise, right!? :) Well. One of the questions was, "Are we here to cast seeds or reap harvest?" And as members they all answered BOTH!! Some of us are here to plant seeds, others are here to *cast* seeds. One mother talked about how having family prayer and scripture study was more of casting seeds and then seeing her kids use the scriptures was more of reaping harvest.

Another panel was 4 full time missionaries and one returned missionary. The question was, "What was the best thing your parents did to help you prepare for a mission?" Their answers were... Sharing missionary experiences. Setting an example by doing missionary work. Being excited about missionary work. Hearing conversion stories. And I agree with all of the above! :)

One speaker talked about Hastening the Work. Dispensation after dispensation the gospel was restored and then lost. Just like a relay race, the other dispensations were a "leg" of that race. Starting with the final Restoration that began in 1820, we are the final leg. We have all been saved to participate in that final leg! How exciting!

Other favorite quotes:

"The task ahead is NEVER greater than the Power behind you"

"Temple going youth become temple going adults"

{Go. to. the. temple. You'll never know how much you'll miss it til you can't go. 8 months is far too long}

One last analogy. Promise. Okay. Another speaker talked about being musicians in the orchestra of missionary work. We all play different instruments. And as we know, different instruments serve different and specific purposes. The melody and bass lines are very different, but their parts are equally important to the beauty of music. That was his analogy. And this is my insight. In every music group I've ever been in, it has taken time to get to know my director. But as the semester goes on, I am able to learn how to read my director. And as even more time goes on, I learn the style of each director. I am able to anticipate where to breathe, where to hold over, which words need more articulation etc. Always watching the director, of course, but I can learn what to expect. We need to know our Director!! We must learn how He speaks to us, how He answers our prayers, and then we can learn what He expects of us! It will become a natural thing to follow those promptings. :) I love music. I love the Gospel. And I 'specially love putting the two together :)

The work is good! I'm loving life! And I don't think I've ever been happier!! :) Isn't the Gospel amazing?!

~Sis Jacobs.