Called To Serve: Learning To Depend On The Lord

it is finally starting to feel like winter here in ole' California and I'm not sure if i like it or not!!! luckily, I'm not in Utah/rexburg with all the snow though, so i think i can handle it for now :p this week i was given so many opportunities to learn:

^every week on tuesday we have district meetings and at those meetings we have "trainings" which are like 3o mins lessons given by the more experienced missionaries...or so i thought. monday NIGHT at 9:30 my district leader called me and asked me to do the training for our meeting the next morning at 10:30, so i didn't say anything back for a min. being in complete and utter shock, then finally said yes and hung up. i immediately dropped to my knees and started crying and asking the Lord for help. i was so confused as to why IIII of all missionaries was asked to teach. i mean, seriously?! i am a brand new missionary who hasn't even finished her training or anything and you want me to teach allllll these missionaries who already know what they are doing?!?! after praying for a while and just asking for the confidence to make it through the training the next day i realized that this was exactly what i, sister toolan needed. i needed to have this opportunity to step up to the plate and learn how to rely on the Lord and to gain trust in myself that i can do hard things. i went to district meeting and taught my training without shaking or even turning red in the face :) later someone came up to me and said that through my training i had answered a question to their prayers lately. i went up to elder hyer and told him thank you for making me stretch by teaching. i know that if we do all we can do that the lord will make up for the rest. i hadn't planned on saying what i had to answer that missionary's prayer, but the lord was with me, and because of that miracles happen. i know that the lord inspired elder hyer to ask me to teach for a reason and that's being He knows me better than i know myself.

^because of my puerto rican friend i now love eating rice and tuna for lunch..like together...rice and tuna...WHAT THE HECK! it's just so good and addicting though :)

^the holy ghost is such an important part of missionary work. it is VITAL actually. in one of our lessons this week with an investigator i learned this. she was sitting there talking to us and asking questions and i knew she wanted to know for herself if it was true or not but i couldn't figure out how to help her. about 15 mins later, right as the lesson was ending something hit me! i asked "jenna, how have you felt today as we have taught you about the plan of salvation?" she said "i feel really really good and happy." and i very bodly said "jenna, the reason you feel that way is because this message is true. you lived with God before this and you knew what His plan was for you. you knew what we taught you today before you ever even came to earth and so Heavenly Father is helping you remember those things through this. you feel good and happy because you know it's true." she sat there and started to cry and it finally made sense to her. i couldn't believe what had just happened. the holy ghost prompted me and helped me know what to say to her so that she could have peace. it was amazing. teaching by the spirit is the only way to teach. i am thankful i learned that so early in the mission.

^"He who allows himself to get upset now has twice the job." Choose to be happy no matter what. Life is so much more enjoyable when you choose to do this :)

3 R's of Choice:

-Right of Choice

-Responsibility of Choice

-Results of our Choices

^i have my fingers crossed that i don't end up getting transferred next monday. i LOVE diamond bar! some of the members here have taught me so many things, like sister Spence. i hope one day that i can be talked about the way she is talked about. she is an amazing woman who puts all her trust in the lord and doesn't question the things that happen to her because she knows who is in control. she is so happy & positive. not to mention if I'm still here, she is feeding us for Christmas and she is one of my most favorite people to eat with!! :) i love her!

i know that i was sent to diamond bar to meet some of these incredible people.

One of my favorites..Sister Spence

to whomever sent me my "miracle box" this week. i love you.

every monday morning us sisters wash our 2 cars and the 2 cars of the members that let us wash our cars at their houses. so we practically have a cash wash business going every monday morning, come on by if ya need your cars washed :p