Week 6

Hey everyone! Life is SO GOOD right now! We have had such a big week. We didn't have a lot of proselyting time in our area because we had so many meetings! We had a really good meeting with our mission president on Friday where we were reminded how important our mission really is and how much there is to love about it. The meeting was for new trainers and trainees, so we also got to watch the fun biking and driving safety videos. But I learned so much there and left thinking...wow, I'm going to be such a hard-working missionary! Those meetings get you so pumped. We have also been preparing for Elder Shane Bowen from the first quorum of the Seventy (he spoke in conference a couple times recently. he also has a Mormon Message called "Reclaimed" in case you're wondering who the heck he is), so we had a Zone Training Meeting where we discussed the topics he had asked us to study (Abrahamic covenant, gathering of Israel, baptismal covenant, and the oath and covenant of the Priesthood). Pretty heavy stuff, but it makes so much sense when you understand it. I have seriously felt myself grow exponentially since even my last email. Sister Johnson told me that our missions are equal to 15 years of growth. I guess she heard it in a talk or something. But THEN Elder Bowen came to sites on Monday. Our conference was on Tuesday, but they took him on a tour of Kirtland sites while he was here in town. And guess what day is our sites day! Monday of course! So thankfully we didn't give the tour. Our stake patriarch Carl Anderson took them. He's the Kirtland expert around here, in fact he wrote a couple books on Kirtland (Joseph Smith in Kirtland and The Savior in Kirtland, I think. In case you wanted to read them) Anyways while we were on our way back to the Visitors Center with a tour group we ran into them all and me and Sister Johnson got to be the first to meet him and his wife. We felt super special. Sister Vellinga ran up and hugged me and said "come meet Elder and sister Bowen!" and then introduced me. Then the sisters on site all got to sing to him. And then Tuesday at the meeting we learned a lot from him. He talked about how not to set artificial limitations for ourselves, and how to plan better and find people to teach. Then he talked about our study topics because "When we know who we are, we act differently" and that was what it was all about. So then we all got to take pictures with him as zones, and he shook all of our hands. Then we had lunch, and he sat at our little table with me and five other sisters. So, you know, we were pretty much best friends by the end of the day. Haha. So our investigators came to church again! That's so huge! Especially since Lisa said she didn't even have to drag Jim. He was up and ready to go! They committed to finding a wedding date before today so we are hoping to be able to plan a wedding AND a baptism :) I just feel like I'm learning so much and changing so much! Sister Johnson and I studied the spirit world in depth the other day and both of us were so excited to find out how much there really is to know about everything. The veil is so thin and I'm so grateful to be able to serve in a place where Joseph Smith himself once stood, and surely still has influence there in the spirit world. I feel like I'm gaining a testimony of him and as I learn more about him and testify of him as a prophet, it's as if I know him personally. I've been praying for my testimony to grow about Joseph Smith, and to have experiences that will help facilitate that growth. And Heavenly Father has answered my prayers and continues to answer them. I think our mission song pretty much sums up how awesome my mission is. (it's to the tune of "Bring the World His Truth"...Is that what it's called? idk)
"We have been called and we will obey, repent and work with our might each day. We'll call on Him through fasting and prayer, and with His help we will be prepared! We are in the Ohio Cleveland. We have prepared since our youth. And we are in the Ohio Cleveland to bring Ohio His truth.
We have been called to serve in the place where Christ our Savior has shown His face. We know the words the Lord has proclaimed. 'Kirtland will be built up again!' We are in the Ohio Cleveland, we have prepared since our youth. And we are in the Ohio Cleveland to bring Ohio His truth."

It's awesome when you hear a huge army of missionaries sing this song. I can't wait to see what each day brings because each day is an opportunity for the spirit to speak to me.
Love, Tayler