Week 2 at home

I made it to my second p-day!

Now that we've had a bit of time to adjust to missionary life, it's starting to get a little more intense. Sister Herring (my MTC companion) and I had to teach two lessons this past week so that was interesting since we had about three days of training by that point. The lessons definitely weren't perfect, but we were able to learn a lot during them and after watching the recordings (total cringe-fest lol).

I gave my farewell in the YSA ward and there weren't any tears this time so I consider that a win, haha! I also may or may not have already broken a rule... Although I stand by this decision because Jesus said "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not". So really holding babies is just a way I can be Christ-like, or at least that's what I'm telling myself!

Other than that life's been pretty routine. Classes twice a day, personal and companion study everyday, and naps when the Spirit works extra hard and overloads my brain, haha!

I decided to spend my p-day at the temple and it was amazing! The temple is easily one of my favorite places to be and it's even better when I get to go with some of my favorite people!!

This week we talked quite a bit about the gifts of the Spirit and how we can develop them. In 1 Corinthians 12:4, it says that there are "diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." Even though there are many different gifts and different ways they can be expressed, we are able to identify that they are of the Spirit because their fruits, the product of these gifts, are the same. They bring and foster love, joy, and peace in our lives. In a workshop last week we were given five principles to obtain a spiritual gift: believe in it, ask for it, work for it, be worthy of it, and do it for the right reasons. One of my goals right now is to try to obtain the gift of tongues since my time to learn German is rapidly decreasing. Learning a new language is not easy, but through the application of these principles I know that the Spirit will assist me in my study. And for that I am incredibly grateful!

Until next week,

Sister Downing

Some gifts of the Spirit we might not always recognize as such, courtesy of Sister Warren's FSY kiddos. My personal favorite is the gift of being able to weep cause I may or may not do that a lot 😂