In Which I Chase a Bird with a Broom

FHE

Hey hey,

It's almost that time of year.... What time, you might ask. Phchum Ben! The second favorite holiday after Cool Chnam Khmer. Get pumped. Fifteen days of celebration, culminating the Monday and Tuesday after General Conference is shown here (delayed). So no one will be around to watch General Conference. Jk. I have more faith in my members than that. But people do clear out of the city and head to the khets. Phchum Ben has something to do with spirits and dead people. Sounds vaguely Halloween-ish to me. That's about all my non-missionary vocabulary can grasp. So we'll see. I'll I know is Sister L. and I get to clean our very small apartment over the two days that we must stay indoors. So it will be sparkling. Stay tuned. 

We had a good week. It started with an excursion to AEON Mall. Google it! America in Cambodia. That's not really true. More like Japan or Korea, maybe Hong Kong in Cambodia. Definitely some nicer, cooler part of Asia. It's a big shopping/entertainment center. They had a fun food court that had a lot of Khmer food that they sell on the streets, but in cute little kiosks with English names and descriptions. So we actually learned what some of the things are we've been eating for a year are called! (Just kidding. I NEVER eat off of carts because that's against the rules...). Then we had the intention of going bowling, but we got too late a start and didn't have time. So we made a plan to go again in a few weeks. But I can't tell you how weird it was to walk through the bowling alley and the movie theater area! With all the sounds and the smell of popcorn and the trailer for the new Hunger Games movie playing, it was all so overwhelming. It made me miss America and not want to go back at the same time? Lots of feelings. 

Time for a cross-stitch update lest you think I've neglected it. I pulled it out again for the first time since my Battambang days. It's serving as a good mechanism to de-stress at the end of each day. Training involves a lot of need to de-stress. Other methods Sister L. and I have found are pastries at the French bakery around the corner and nightly rounds of Uno. Uno is a whole lot less exciting with two people, but when you have an on-going tournament it can be fun. Sidenote: Uno is making quite a comeback. We played it at our BM meeting on Wednesday and with colors and numbers it could be a fun learn English game. Speaking of English class, I used my cross stitch as an object lesson during spiritual thought this week. We taught about Heavenly Father having a plan for each of us personally. And sometimes we look at life and all the crazy colors and designs and think nothing is working out like we planned. But what we don't understand is that God has the grander picture in mind. He has the map that tells where each thread is supposed to go where, so that in the end it creates a beautiful picture. So that twelve dollar cross stitch is getting me a lot of mileage...

In other news during a snack break in companionship study Saturday morning, I left our study room to go out to the kitchen only to find a sparrow sitting on our clean dishes. Knowing of Sister L's bird paranoia, I closed the door on her face and told her not to come in. I didn't tell her why. My motherly instincts just kicked in. I opened the front door and grabbed a broom and jabbed it around. But I lost sight of it. Figuring it must have left, I opened the door and told Sister L. it was safe. It wasn't safe. It flew back up and we both screamed!  It was like a horror movie. It kept trying to fly into closed windows. I eventually trapped it in a back room with a door that opens to a balcony. I had to throw my shoe at it to get it to move in the right direction, but eventually it found the door to freedom. It was just a lot of excitement for 9:00 in the morning. 

But the best news of the week was a really great FHE we had with a family in the Teuk La'ak Ward. Maybe I've mentioned them. We're currently teaching the 12-year old daughter of a recent convert. Her name is Hiang Li. But the mom really wants all her kids to learn (she has 7 or 8 and some of them live at the house--and by house I mean tiny little room where they all sleep in together). So we planned to do an FHE, and I made it a point to make sure everyone felt invited. We came over and we were happily surprised to see they were all waiting for us! They even all showered and bought a little package of snacks to go with the jelly candy things we had brought. Altogether we had the mom, the dad (who kind of sat in), the older daughter and her husband, our investigator (the 12 year old), the 10 year old boy who's baptized already, and two younger kids. It was a fun group, and I was really impressed to see how eager they were to participate. We sang and then shared a shorter version of lesson one. Sister L. and I had ulterior motives to get the daughter and husband willing to learn with us. And it worked! When we got to the part where we shared the First Vision, they were both hooked. I could tell they just wanted to hear more even if they were still a bit shy. After the lesson we asked if we could keep teaching them, and they agreed. Woo-hoo! Two new investigators! Then we taught them how to play "telephone" for an activity and it was hilarious. They loved it. And then we feasted on snacks. The Spirit was strong and I could tell they felt it. We almost didn't want to leave, it was just such a happy atmosphere. And it was such a change too. Normally when we come over we just sit in a little corner and teach the mom and the youngest kids, and there are various shirtless, scary looking men smoking and drinking coming in and out. But FHE made it a totally different experience. 

Our new investigator was supposed to come to church and even got already to leave only to realize their bike was broken... That's okay, next week. But we went over that night to teach them. We taught the couple the full lesson one, and it started off a bit crazy. There was just a lot going on and the mom (who is awesome and has a ton of faith) likes to jump in and share her comments, which are often great, but often de-rail the lesson to talking about the Word of Wisdom. But when we got to the part about the Book of Mormon I could tell we had their attention. We invited Bong Ciat (the husband) to read from the introduction. He said he didn't really know how to read, but that he'd try. Then he started in and he really could do it. He needed a little help, but he knew a lot more than he thought he did, which gave him so much confidence. We testified that this book was not like any other book, and I think they really felt the Spirit. It was a cool moment. They've committed to read it. Then after we finished teaching Bong Ciat asked if we could come teach every day, which is one of the best things you can hear after teaching lesson one! 

Also, I forgot to mention that at FHE we committed them to pray together as a family. And ever since then all of them have been praying together! And then the dad said that he has stopped smoking and drinking. This is a big deal. He learned before, but never got baptized because he couldn't get over his addictions. He got sick, so that's what made him stop. But as soon as he gets feeling better he's going to start coming to church again. Basically we're going to get this whole family. It's so fun. I love teaching families. It just feels like you're really fulfilling your purpose. 

So things are going well over in our two wards. We have some potential investigators we hope to turn into real investigators this coming week. And we're slowly getting to know members--active and less-active. As always there are soooo many less-actives. We went out with the bishop's wife and a member of the Bishopric to go visit a few less-actives in Toulkork. That was an interesting experience. They were very bold. Asking straight out--why don't you come to church? That is the Khmer way to do it, I suppose. It worked; they told us their reasons. So now we've got a couple more families we want to work with to bring back. It's tricky because the Elders we are with are also in training and are also doing two branches, and the trainer has only been in one of the wards half a transfer longer than me. So it's tricky, but we're doing what we can. Just showing love to the members and going out of the way to let them know we want to help them and work with them goes a long way. 

Okay last thoughts. My spiritual-y thought part of the email comes from zone conference this week. It was way good. It's the first time President Christensen has taught us all together, and it was very inspired. He came up with a vision for our mission, and in short the vision is us, or you, he said--the missionaries. He wants to focus on us, and have that ripple out and affect the wards and branches and members and converts and retention rates. That's basically the thesis of PMG. Teach and convert the missionaries, and then the missionaries will figure out how to go and teach and convert the people. It's pretty brilliant. And in his vision for us, he wants us to become, what he's coining, "deliberate disciples." Pretty much going out and using our agency and doing everything more conscientiously. And as we do that the power will flow through us and into the work. I'm not doing this justice, I left my notes at home. But it was very energizing. And it relates a lot to what Elder Holland taught last month about us being God's investigators. I love that. We are all still in the process of learning and growing and coming unto Him. For our whole lives.

Okay, I think that's all for this week. Until next time! 

Love you all!

Sister Fields

Plastic food at AEON mall. So Asia.

More flooding. We learn which streets to avoid.

Our FHE snack plate!

In Which I Meet Nephi and Joseph

Crazy kids.

Hello,

It's been a good week. First full week of training, and Sister L. and I both came out alive, for the most part. Just kidding, it's been a good week. We had a lot of funny, random things happen to us this week, so maybe I'll just share some anecdotes. 

First all, I'll start with the train tracks. I'm pretty sure no matter where you serve in Cambodia there's always a village of less-active members on "the tracks." So Wednesday morning we set out to find a couple less-actives on the Toulkork side of the tracks. The first was a mostly less-active neakming. Her house is literally three feet from the railroad tracks, so we put our bikes on the other side. She said something as we were putting our bikes over there; but I didn't think she was talking to us, so I thought nothing of it. She invited us in and we sat down and were chatting just as the whole ground starts rumbling. It takes me more than a few seconds for me to realize that that it meant the train coming down the track;, and while I was still putting two and two together, our less-active sister jumps from her chair, leaps across the tracks, and starts moving our bikes just as the train comes barreling down the tracks. The unfortunate thing is that we had locked the bikes so she ends up having to lift them up and pretty much throw them in a pile out of the way because as it turns out, the train is much wider than the actual tracks. She did it just in time for the train to come rushing past. She was then awkwardly trapped on the other side of the tracks for the next two minutes as the very long train went by. We then had a good lesson about the Atonement, and she said she'd come to church. She didn't. So, at least she saved our bikes. 

We then went to meet another less-active family who live along the tracks, which we successfully discovered via our trusty CBR (convert baptism retention)  map and asking neighbors (always a success--you've got to celebrate the little victories). The whole family are members, but only the dad and oldest daughter are active. The daughter had confided in me a little bit about her mom so we decided to go try to reach out to her, and we actually got her to join us in the lesson (which apparently is the first time she's listened to the missionaries in a long time). And I think it was the lesson she needed to hear, because she teared up as soon as we shared in Alma 7. Though she was pretty quiet throughout the lesson.  I think she really felt the Spirit when we bore testimony of the Savior's personal knowledge of her and her struggles. She's got a way rough life, and at the very least I think we helped remind her of Heavenly Father's love for her. We're going to try meeting her again next week.

After the lesson, we were still chatting with the daughter and a little naked baby (everyone is naked in Cambodia up until age 8, probably) crawls in the room, and she calls to him, Nephi! Yep, his name is actually Nephi. And she starts singing to him the line from Armies of Helaman: "We have been born as Nephi of old," and he gets this huge grin on his face and starts laughing. He was so cute. Turns out he has a twin who's name is Joseph (or Yosaeb, as they say it) and he'll start smiling whenever you sing Joseph Smith's First Prayer. They are her nephews. She convinced her sister and husband (less-active members) to give them those names. She says they're going to grow up and serve missions, and like Nephi and Joseph, lead their families in righteousness. So that's pretty cool. 

Ready for another anecdote? This is a bit of a weirder one. We went to see Ming Sovanna (recent convert and we are currently teaching her four teenage daughters). She, like many Cambodians, has a lot of experiences with spirits, dreams, and visions and things. I've talked a little bit about this before that for the most part I believe the experiences people tell me, even when they are a bit out there. because I believe that Heavenly Father speaks to his children in ways that they will understand and assign meaning too. So Ming Sovanna is always telling about her dreams in which she can see spirits and things. Well, she told me the other day when I walked in that she could sense I was struggling with something. She could see that Satan was trying to tempt me and a bad spirit was trying to get inside of me (this sounds a whole lot weirder in English as I type it out...). She told me I always come over and help lift her and encourage her family, but she wanted to tell me once that I should keep praying. So that freaked me out a bit. I felt a little like I was getting my fortune told. You just never know what's gonna happen when you go teach a lesson, as my koon is learning quickly. 

So all good things, all good things. It was a good week of work. It was a little unusual because Sister H. (MTC friend) ended up getting sick and coming down from Kampongcham to go the hospital. We're super close to the hospital, so we got permission to go visit and cheer her up (read: play Uno), and then she ended up staying at our house for a few days. It worked out well because she's also training so I got to take her koon out a little bit and give her some experience, and Sister H. stayed in with my koon and did some language practice. And then we had a big all-day orientation meeting at the mission home on  Friday.  It was good stuff. A lot of just general mission and cultural orientation things to go over. But then they did a cool thing where they split off into trainers and trainees and we each had separate discussions about how we could best help our koons and what we wanted to get out of training. Then we came back together and shared. It was good training and a fun reunion for the trainers and the trainees. Best part of course was free food: sandwiches for lunch and Khmer curry for dinner. Good day. 

Well, that's pretty much it for this week. I'll end with the weekly scriptural thought. This one comes from 1 Nephi because I just keep reading that book over again. 1 Nephi 11:5-6--when Nephi prays to better understand the Tree of Life vision and everything that Lehi has taught his family. The Spirit of the Lord comes to him and asks if he believes everything that Lehi has said. Nephi responds, yeah, of course I believe everything. Nephi takes it as a given that of course he already has that faith. But the Spirit takes a moment to praise Nephi for this faith. He says, "Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired." I love this. This verse stuck out to me as a tender mercy this week. We can think of it like we are climbing a staircase. And so often we are looking ahead to the next step and what we have to do to get there that we forget to acknowledge and be grateful for where we are already stand. Nephi had incredible faith; and though he took it for granted, the Lord reached out in love and mercy towards him to praise/encourage him for the ground he had gained so far. And it was because of his faith that he was able to gain more knowledge. 

Sorry if that didn't make sense. It just hit me on a morning I really needed it. It's okay if we can't do everything all at once, but sometimes the Lord just wants us to slow down for a second, look around, and recognize how far we've come and have gratitude for all the blessings and help we've received to get to that point.

Well, that's all for this week. Have a good one!

Love,

Sister Fields

Sister H. and I with our koons.

These are the girls we're teaching. The mom is in the white shirt. She's the one  who told me I had a bad spirit.

In Which I get a koon!

Me and Sister X. with birthday cheesecake.

Hello,

Big news this week! Birthday and a koon. Big things are happening down here in Cambodia. I'll start with my birthday because I'm selfish and like to talk about myself. Or it just happened first in the week. Maybe both. 

On Wednesday I turned 24, which in mission life is waaaaaaaaay grandma old. So people were extra nice to me. I went out to lunch with a bunch of sisters at Sunrise Taco; the best (read: only) Mexican restaurant in the city. Chips, salsas, and burritos are the best way to celebrate any occasion in Asia I think. Then I got a really fun surprise Tuesday night. Sister X. and I got home from proselyting and our landlord informed us "others" had dropped off an extra mattress for us. Confused, we hauled it up to our floor (did I mention we live on the fourth floor of our apartment building? It's a fun time). Only later did we get word Sister K. and Sister E. were staying the night! They came into town for a leadership meeting on Wednesday morning and "pulled some strings" (no questions were asked); and I got a birthday sleepover! So that was fun to be with them again. And we got Sister X. all pumped to go up to Battambang. On my actual Birthday, Sister K. and Sister E. met us for lunch at a place called Secret Recipe. They have delicious cheese cake, so I got to have real cake on my birthday! Then, that night two more sisters (Sister L. and Sister Nhem) slept at our apartment too (because of the training meeting the next day). So then it really became a party. Pizza included. 

But the real focus of the week was training! Everybody was trying to figure out who would train whom because we don't know ahead of time which trainers are training which new missionaries up until the actual day of. And it was interesting because this is the Christensens' first group of new missionaries, so they switched some things up. They had the trainers all come in for a meeting that morning and talked about the training program and some things we would need to know. Then they announced who would be training whom; but the crazy thing was the koons weren't even there yet! After the meeting the President, Sister Christensen and the APs went to the airport to pick them up, and we scattered to several previously chosen locations throughout the city where we each held a sign with the name of our koon on it. So when they pulled up and dropped the koons off, they would know exactly who to go to. I think they got the idea on Pinterest. That's a joke, but I just had the idea of a missionary Pinterest and it's making me laugh. 

So right in front of the big Psaar Orassey [market] Sister L. and I were united. Yes, she is American. She's 19. She's from Centerville, Utah, and I really like her. We get along well. We have very similar senses of humor and temperaments, so I think this is going to work well. Hopefully she likes me too because it's still only the two of us in our apartment. So the goal was to have some time to contact together, get lunch, and then head back to the mission home for interviews and a little bit of training.  But as these things typically go, we were running late. So we got some fried rice and headed back to the mission home. When I came into the city for the first time, we spent the whole first day at the mission home being trained and having long interviews with president, and then we spent the night there. But the Christensens idea was that they were probably so jet lagged they wouldn't really remember any of it (which is true) so they sent them out on the first day! So Sister L. got to teach her first day in the country, which was pretty cool. So we'll go back on Friday this week to have the full-day orientation, which I think is nice because after a week proselyting already, they have some sense of what it's like to be a missionary and can better apply what they learn. 

So we've been able to a bit of proselyting over the past few days. Not a ton, because weekly planning got moved to Fridayand Saturday we had zone training and Sunday we have SIX hours of church. But we've been able to get some good lessons in here and there. And it's been going well. It's been taking me back even more to my own days in training. Even though she's doing very well and she will continue to pick up the language fast I think, I just forget how much you still don't know when  you first come here. And how crazzzyyy hard it is to try and understand people. Even the simplest questions go over your head. But it's been fun so far. And Khmers are Khmers and are super loving and welcoming, so I think she's feeling good about everything. 

So that was the big news of the week. Other than that, the work keeps moving on. Our investigator pool is getting a bit low; but we've got some potentials in the works, so hopefully next week I can report on a few new investigators. I've so far gotten lost only twice, and had to call Sister X. only once.  So I think that's a definite miracle. But keep praying for me. This whole training and leading two areas after only three weeks in the area is causing me some serious stress. Sometimes I forget what it feels like to not wake up with a stress and anxiety in my stomach. But I haven't grown this much since my own training, I think. So it's all good things. It's all a process. 

Just want to end with a scriptural thought that comes from the Old Testament this week. I'm currently reading about Moses and the children of Israel, and I'm really enjoying it even if I kind of knew the story before, I don't think I've ever sat down and read the account of the Israelites, and I'm learning a lot. 

Just as they were preparing to leave Egypt, the children of Israel (all how ever many thousands of them) gather at the edge of the Red Sea. They know that the Pharaoh and his armies are coming after them. But keep in mind, this is after God has performed all these miracles and plagues through Moses and Aaron. But the Israelites only see Pharaoh, and they start to fear. They complain to Moses that they should have just stayed in Egypt, where, yes, they were slaves, but at least they would have a grave to be buried in when they died, and would not be slain in the wilderness. 

Moses doesn't rebuke them for their lack of faith, but rather calms there fears. In Exodus 14:13-14 he says "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." He then extends his hand, parts the Red Sea, and leads the children of Israel through on dry ground. How cool is that? I don't have much to analyze on that point, but I just love the message: "Fear not, the Lord will fight for us. We can hold our peace."

That's all I've got for this week. Have a good week everyone!

Love, 

Sister Fields

Me and my koon Sister Loftus!

Me and Om Lina, a member of the Teuk La'ak Ward.

Me  and Om Dali. 

In Which I Find Out I'm Expecting!

The flood! This is the intersection right down the street from our apartment

Hi there,

Yes, big news came last night. I will be training! I will be getting a koon (child) of my very own on Thursday. I will be staying in the same two areas (Tuolkork and Tuk La'ak), and Sister Xiong will go up and take my old place in Battambang! So we're both excited. I'm a little bit anxious about it all, mostly because I've had less than three weeks to get to know two areas. I still feel like I don't know anything. But I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to train. I feel like being with Sister Xiong has been a good warm up round for me, and it has helped me realize that I can do this. There are eight sisters coming in; four Khmer and four American. I won't know who I get until Thursday, so stay tuned! 

Other than that news, this week wasn't too eventful. We went on exchanges with the sister training leaders. I went with Sister Haum in Toulsangkae. She's super funny, and it was a lot of fun. It also made me realize that our side of the city is very nice (compared to Pochentong). If Pochentong is District 13, Toulkork is Beverly Hills, in a world where those two places co-exist. Not that Toulkork is all that great, but there's this big road lined with palm trees and enormous houses. I feel like if Cambodia had movie stars (they don't really, they only ever watch Thai and Indian soap operas dubbed with Khmer) we would see them in Toulkork. Tuk La'ak on the other hand, I'd say isn't quite as nice. I mean, let's be real. I wouldn't call either of them "nice" because let's not forget I'm in Cambodia. But Tuk La'ak has a lot of apartment buildings, markets and traffic. It makes contacting a little more difficult. We can't knock on doors here, so we just go street contacting (when we do go contacting). And it's just easier in the khets where life is slower and people aren't busy selling all the time. So I'm going to have to up my contacting game a bit here once I have a koon. But the good thing is we are staying plenty busy being in two branches. Even though it's hard to manage two areas, being busy is infinitely nicer than not knowing how to fill up your hours. 

We got five new investigators this week, which sounds much more impressive than it actually is. Four of them are the teenage daughters of Ming Sovanna who was baptized my first Saturday here. They're a lot of fun to teach. Sister Xiong and I have come up with  creative ways to get them to pay attention and actually enjoy learning. And we've had some really powerful lessons with them. It's cute, when we come over they all form a circle (the Mom included), cross-legged each with their own copy of the Book of Mormon out in front of them. Even just in the one week we've started teaching them, I can see they've changed. Their confidence has grown. They are much more willing to answer questions. I've had sooooo many investigators and potential investigators who are afraid to investigate the church because they are ashamed of their lack of education. They think because they can't read or never went to school that they are dumb and will never be able to learn anything. Even though these girls have loving parents, no one has ever called them smart before. So it's so fun to see their confidence levels rise when they answer questions correctly and start to understand a scripture verse. In gospel learning, it's really not knowledge we gain that's the most important; it's how we feel. And the Spirit is there guiding our lessons; and in the end, the Spirit is's causing the change. 

Our other new investigator is the 12-year-old girl of a recent convert. I'm all about baptizing the kids. JK, I'm not. I'm about uniting families. I'm also going to try to work on the dad. He's learned all the lessons (he even comes to church sometimes), but he can't kick his smoking habit so we'll see. 

Other big news this week. We've had some serious rainstorms. On Thursday we had a good weekly planning session, ate lunch, and then (since we're in the city and we stay out later) we studied language after lunch. So we got out about 2:00 and had a long, full afternoon. Just as we were leaving, it began to sprinkle, which wasn't a big deal because it does that all the time. We got to a less active's house and it turned to a pretty steady pour. We went upstairs and chatted with her a bit; and just as we began the lesson, it turned into a huge downpour. We had to yell to hear each other! We read a chapter in the Book of Mormon (it's fun, because she's learning English. So she reads a verse in English and we read in Khmer, so we learn the gospel and language all together. It's been a good way to form a friendship with her too). We finished and it was still pouring.  No one ever lets us go out in the rain, so we gave it another twenty minutes or so. But it was not about to stop. So we told her it's okay, we're tough, also we have ponchos. And we went out to the front. Only then did we realize to what extent had it been raining. The streets were filling up and water had leaked all into the first level of her house. It was ankle deep in the street. We stood at the front of the house watching motos and bikes slosh through the steadily rising water. Her dad, being funny, went in the house and pulled out a fishing pole and pretended to go fishing in the street. 

Pretty soon we left, because it was not going to let up any time soon. As we made it out to the main street, the water only got higher. It was knee and even thigh deep in some places. Biking was really just wading, trying to avoid the floating trash that would attach itself to our limbs. It took us forever to get back to our area, and by this point it was 5:00 pm. Traffic was crazy, and it was only getting worse. So we unfortunately had to forget the day we had planned and go home early and work on CBRs. We were completely drenched. I think I can say I went swimming on my mission. 

Those were the main highlights of the week. This week will be filled with frantically trying to remember all the roads before I'm the one truly in charge. It'll be interesting to see if I get a Khmer or an American. Really, everyone starting a mission is brand new. But knowing the culture and the LANGUAGE makes a big difference. So we'll see what happens. I would be happy with either. 

Just to end with a quick scriptural thought. This comes from district meeting this week on diligence. The scripture is in D&C 58:26-28. I've read this scripture more than a handful of times on my mission, but it really hit me this week.  

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

I have learned (especially in these past two weeks as being a trainer) that no one is going to do the task for you. You can try waiting around for someone else to come along, or you can just get in and do it yourself. Utihaa muay (for example), Saturday morning we showed up at the Church to help clean. It was Tuk La'ak ward's time, but no one was there except a recent convert of ours, her son and our four teenage investigators who arrived early for English class. The supply closet was locked, and they were all sitting there not knowing what to do. I am not a go-getter. I pretty much don't like being in charge. Ever. But I've learned sometimes you've got to step up to the plate and get it done. So I tracked down keys and assigned tasks. In an hour, we had a clean church. It's something I've had to learn over the past year. But like this verse says, God wants us anxiously engaged in a good cause and doing things of our own free will, not because we were told to do it, but because we saw a need and we filled it. I'm still learning this lesson. So many times i would much rather be on the side lines. But it's only when we get to work that we 1) get things done 2) gain the personal growth we're supposed to. 

I don't really know why I shared that thought, but it came to me as I typed. 

Well, until next week! 

Love,

Sister Fields

Me and Sister Haum on our exchange.