This has been such a quick week! We had a lot of meetings so it didn't leave us a lot of time to be normal missionaries but that's okay.
This week we had our first MLC (Missionary Leadership Council) which is basically a meeting in which all of the STLs and the Zone Leaders of the mission get to have a day-long meeting with President and Sister Samuelian. The purpose is to "council" about certain issues in the mission and get training that we then bring back to the other missionaries during exchanges. We also discuss the needs of the missionaries that serve and how to help them with those specific needs. It was so awesome! I think my favorite part of my new calling so far is just being able to spend more time with President and Sister Samuelian. They are just the best.
Sister Samuelian gave a training entitled "Lessons from Geese" in which she talked about all these crazy facts about geese. Did you know geese fly in that v-formation because it gives them uplift and, because of that uplift, they can fly 70% longer? If a goose gets out of line, they feel the resistance from the lack of uplift and get back in formation. But the goose at the front has a really hard job; he has to fly without the aid of the uplift. Because of that, the geese regularly change out who the goose at the head is so that everyone bears a part of the burden. Do you know why geese honk? They honk in order to encourage the goose at the front. If one of the geese gets sick, two geese always go down to the ground with it and wait for it until it's ready to fly and then when they're ready, they take off and form their own V. Crazy, right? I've watched geese fly in those Vs my whole life and never realized how much meaning and purpose there was behind it.
We related this to our lives and how when we all share the load, things are much easier to bear. We also talked about how when we get behind our ultimate "head goose", Jesus Christ, and let the uplift of the atonement carry us, everything is easier as well. It was super cool!
We got a referral this week from a member for a woman she talked to in a store. On Friday night, we went to go meet the woman and her husband. As we began talking to the husband, he said, "Wait! What church are you from?" and we said, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" and he said, "Oh, that's my church, too!" Turns out he's actually a member who was baptized in Chicago, had a lot of health problems and stopped being able to attend church. He then moved to Oregon and didn't know where to find the church over here. He said, "Yeah, I totally want to go; I just didn't know where it was." He's this super funny old guy so it's going to be a blast teaching him and his wife. It's so funny when this kind of stuff happens, and it happens a lot. It's just such a testimony to me that God really does number His children and He doesn't forget about a single one. He's constantly looking out for us and trying to help us get back to where He wants us to be.
We went to the Capitol building today and walked around a little bit and I DID take pictures but totally forgot to bring my camera cord to the church with me. Sorry :( Here's a few from Hermana Cardon's camera:
Love,
Hayley
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