can you just love me for 2 seconds of your life?! (July 6 2014)

I don't know why I ever try to do missionary work on my own... it's really stupid... after all this is HIS work... I just for some reason have been allowed to be apart of it.  Do you ever think about why we were born into the families that we were? I quite frequently think about how it's just amazing that I was blessed enough to be allowed to come to a family that was in the gospel, and even better is strong even when times get tough.  

Another thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is the companions and areas that I've been given on my mission.  When I crashed my car... and then didn't have a license any more I had no idea that it would impact my mission so much.   One factor in every companionship and area is if you can drive or not.  I have been in 2 biking areas and because I don't drive I've been with companions that I may not have been able to be with had a been a more...responsible?...talented...better educated? driver.  Being out here in good ol' so. kal. as we like to call it (south kalgoorlie) is awesome.  It reminds me a lot of lander, and hibbing.  It's a tiny mining town and there is red dirt EVERYWHERE!  I'm just really getting back to my roots here.  Sister Tanner is awesome it's so much fun to serve with an american and especially with sister tanner because we came in together... except she goes home this transfer because she is going to school for fall semester. We've been talking a lot about what makes a missionary successful, and how we have changed on our missions.  One thing that has really stuck out to both of us on our missions is how Heavenly Father really does have a plan for each of us and we can't measure success on  outward results but it comes more from your own personal conversion and how you handle your trials.  I would never trade this lesson for more or easier baptisms because it's something that has shaped me but it's also something that I've been able to share with my investigators.  The world is getting more and more wicked and difficult. It's too risky to be casual in the gospel we have to not just taste what it's like to really follow Jesus Christ but we need to feast on it.   SERIOUSLY maybe that's why I'm gaining weight on my mission...maybe my spirit is just getting fatter and it's not really all the delicious fish and chips and chocolate that I'm eating....hopefully....  

We've had some really amazing experiences this last week out here in the middle of the outback.  On Saturday we were really trying to work hard but things just kept coming up that were distracting us, or keeping us from carrying out our plans.  Finally it was the last hour of the day and we were trying to decide what to do.  Do you remember a few weeks ago when I wrote to you about repentance right now not waiting for a fresh day or a fresh week to do everything right? Well Sister Tanner and I both have the same tenancy and natural instinct to just wait for the next day to have everything be "perfect" we were both really tempted to go back for the night and like try to organize the area book or something but we caught ourselves and we instead knelt down (in the car since we were kinda afraid to kneel outside... it was dark) and prayed and asked Heavenly Father to lead us to someone who will be receptive and where would be the best use of our time.  The first door we knocked on didn't really work out but when we got back in the car (btw it's great to be back in a car... the work goes so much faster)we decided to go and visit this less active on the other side of town.  When we talked to him he told us that his wife was a JW and he thought that they were a bit more logical than the "Mormons" but he really didn't have time to devote to any religion at all because he doesn't just want to sit around in a church he wants to be involved in it. Basically they're one of those families that you look at and you are like YOU NEED TO BE A MEMBER DANG IT!!!! But any way in kal everyone knows everybody so it's SO smart to ask who do you know whenever you can so we asked him "well is there anybody you know that could use some help strengthening their family?" he referred us to his neighbor across the street and now we are teaching her tonight!!! YAY! but the night even got better! I haven't been the junior companion since Sister Simon and I for sure haven't been the one that is new in the ward since her either since I've been doubled into every area since midland but I've been trying really hard to learn the names of the people on the lists that we are working with and so this name came into my mind and we decided to go try and visit them... a part member family... we went and were able to teach right then the blessings of putting god first in your life and how to pray.  The spirit was so strong and Cody expressed his concern about how he feels that he would be judged if he came to church.  NOW WE KNOW HOW TO HELP HIM!!! It's amazing! 

The more and more that I have been on my mission the more I realize that the spirit is like the ultimate soap it just cleans away all the rubbish that is covering the real concern and allows us to really see what Heavenly Father wants us to see.  It's almost felt like I've just been on a week long exchange just going into appointments pretty much blind not knowing them and just following my companion's lead... it's bringing back lots of great memories of being a sister training leader... but one of our appointments with some less actives in the ward was just amazing.  Ari and Shem are less active they've had some pretty tough times the past few years... some of their own making... but they want to come back and they want to be active.  We taught them about how they can create a life that they want, how it's a power that Heavenly Father has given them.  Repentance is the key for all of us if we want a new life seriously... just turn to the scriptures... pray and ask for help and then go to work. Heavenly Father wants the best for us.  There is nothing that he gains from us keeping the commandments all they are just guidelines to help us be the most happy and we can start living them whenever we want! and we don't even have to be perfect at them for the whole day we just have to keep trying! 

I'm so grateful for the companions that Heavenly Father has let me serve with on my mission.  They have shaped me and molded me more than I could ever imagine.  Through them I have changed my thinking.  Sister Leitaua and even Sister Leleisiuao taught me that all though arguments are not ideal to have... it does not mean the end of your relationship which I so often thought in the past.  We had so many challenges but every time they came and we turned to the Lord they melted away as we both yielded to repentance and allowed the spirit to heal the relationship was so much stronger! after all whatever Jesus Christ touches is healed, is made perfect, is made clean.  I'm so grateful for a companion now out here in the middle of no where that is so easy to get along with. It's such a tender mercy.... Heavenly Father loves us all so much! 

I love you.  I'm going to again encourage you all though to read your scriptures every night this week and also when you say your personal prayers be sure to say them out loud! seriously it makes all the difference when you do! 

I LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU X 10000000000

xoxo

Sister Wyatt

ps it was the 4th of july... we got to go have american dinner with the Americans in the ward... and we wore all red white and blue... no one thought we were patriotic... it was strange... 

pps i lost my wallet... but then we found it! 

ppps sister tanner and i share clothes YAY!