VILLA RICA FOR THE WIN!

March 7, 2016

hi my peeps! 

well.. transfers are happening this week and it looks like i will be staying in villa rica for another 6 weeks! i thought for sure that i would be moving areas, but it looks like there is still more work for Heavenly Father to have me do here! sister wustrow will be staying here too, so we will continue to be the best dynamic duo you can think of :) 

the week was great! we did a lot of work with the members in the ward & we were able to see lots of miracles. the area i serve in only has about a 25% activity rate, so with a ward of about 400, only 100 people continually come to church and serve in leadership roles. that has been one of the biggest challenges since being here, because there are so many people who once had a testimony of the gospel and now don't come because of some reason or another. i just want to put the gospel in a nice big box and leave it at their doorstep with a note that says "this will fix everything!" but it doesn't really happen like that.. :) 

but.. one of the families that haven't been coming is a family that we have been teaching! their daughter is the 9 year old that wants to get baptized. :) we have taught them almost all the of the missionary lessons & they still hadn't come to church. on saturday we were teaching the daughter about the commandments and she said to me as the lesson was almost over, "i have been smiling all day & i can't seem to stop. i think it is because i have been thinking about being baptized and it is making me happy". I DIE! it was so genuine, i just wanted to squeeze her! & then yesterday came & the whole family was at church! they stayed for all of it and told us after that they really enjoyed it. me: beaming. SO HAPS. this is what it is all about! eternal families for the win! 

we were also able to go and do service for a few members in the ward! we helped them with their yards now that everything is starting to grow again :) we even planted a bush, and the member said she was going to dedicate it to us. so precious. :) 

sister wustrow and i gave a training at our district meeting this past week and talked about moses and enoch and their call from the Lord to do some pretty incredible things. it really stood out to me in exodus when moses receives his call to go and lead the people out of egypt. he says to the Lord:

"Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?  O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." the Lord responds to him by saying: Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."

moses was scared! the task almost seemed too daunting for him. he felt too inadequate! but we can learn from His experience that the Lord did know Him. He knew what Moses was fearing, He knew He would have to help him. He had all the power to do that! this is God we are talking about, He can do anything! so sometimes when we are feeling inadequate, or scared, or maybe just unsure of things, we can remember that our Heavenly Father would never have us doing anything that we could not handle. He will give us the means to do it. He will provide a way, because He loves us and because He cares. 

i am so grateful for the opportunity that i have to be a servant of my Father in Heaven. it is such a privilege to be able to represent my Savior and share a message of good news with those around me! i have come to understand the love that they have for each of us, and how eager they are to have us return to them someday! when the road gets hard, just remember that they are there. 

i love you all! have a great week. 

love, 

sister bell.