Mitzi Gates: Sister Mitzi Gates // Week Sixty-Four

SO MANY MIRACLES THIS WEEK!! I don't even know where to begin.

Well oh my. It has been FREEZING!! Literally freezing. On Wednesday it was 12 degrees... With a wind chill of 0. So that was not okay. We needed to get our hour of Tracting in. I was on exchanges with Sister Jarvis and she is 24 from Oregon. Well we tracted for 45 minutes until we couldn't feel anything and our mouths were so frozen we couldn't even talk. So we decided to store contact! I actually gave a pass along card to a member and don't realize it until we started to talk to him for a bit... I thought we had a new investigator. So that was kind of funny! Walmart is the best place to find.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

On Tuesday we had MLC (missionary leadership council) where all the zone leaders and sister training leaders meet at the mission home and and we get trainings all day on how to help our Zones. We helped set mission goals for this new year as well. It was the greatest!! These meetings always get me so pumped. You don't even understand! They are so powerful. The spirit is so strong! MLC is like a team night, pregame. Then game day is zone meeting!! It's the best.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

So after MLC we're on this spiritual high. We had to tract our hour and so we prayed and we both came up with different answers. We decided to do both just split it 30 minutes each. So we tract sister Oldroyds first, we actually saw an ambulance pull up and someone being wheeled out. So we decided we would come back and tract them and say we were sent to them and to see if everything is okay. Then we go up to my half of it. These sketchy apartments. Well we say a prayer and I start getting nervous because some guy was just watching us. Well we tract the 3rd door and this lady Amber lets us in. She said that's funny we came because she was just talking to her friend last night why there are so many different versions of the bible! We both looked at each other and told her we need to share the restoration with her. Well she loved all of it! She kept saying' "I know you were sent here for me!" We were like yes we we Really!! Golden. Well then we keep teaching her more, she loves the BOM and everything we have taught her, she tears up as we explain things! Then she throws a curve ball at us telling us she's lesbian..... .... .. . Ugh! No. Well she said if she's happy, God should be happy that she is happy. But then she said she feels fear when she prays about it. We told her well that's not good! Haha then we got done explaining everything. We kneeled down right there with her. I said a prayer first so she could see how it goes. Then she started her prayer... Instant spirit. Instant tears. Instant joy. She even used Heavenly Father, not God!! She knew what's the spirit was telling her to do. That was one of the biggest miracles I have seen in a long time. She said we could come back even! That's the biggest miracle. After we went and prayed on our car and just said a grateful prayer. My heart was literally pounding with joy. That is true happiness! I got a glimpse of what Heavenly Father feels when we make him proud, when we do what's right.

We also have the Nashville Zoo in our area, and I saw on facebook they are doing a 5K run. So we decided to ask President Andersen if we could run in it and give pass a long cards out as we go.... Well we talked him into it! So on January 24th at 3:00 we are doing a 5K at the Nashville Zoo!! How sweet is that? We are so excited! And so out of shape!! Haha

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

Sister Jarvis had a doctors appointment at the Franklin stake center and it was SO great to be able to just sit in the lobby right next to the temple and enjoy that time. Such a tender mercy.

Friday we had Zone Meeting at the Green Hills building. Sister Oldroyd and I did a training on Faith, Hope and the Atonement. You always hear about how the atonement applies to you. But I have never learned how to access the atonement. So that's what we didn't our training on. I had one sister who came up to me crying and said she has been searching for this her whole mission and didn't really know until now. We were led by the spirit. It was such a powerful experience. When I get excited I just talk and talk and talk! I just want to help and tell everyone so bad! Poor sister Oldroyd is a champ and works with me. But I am SO a grateful for the atonement. I'm grateful for this week and being able to access the atonement. It's so real. We are able to do it everyday.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

Also there is this sister who gets anxiety attacks really bad and she came up to me after Zone Meeting and said she needed a blessing, so I was like okay let me get the zone leaders. Then she started to cry and said she didn't need one. But we got it arranged. It was amazing to see how when the blessing started she couldn't even breath because it was so bad. BuT in the middle of the prayer it was like a spirit was cast out and she could breath and had control again. The elder who gave it was crying as well. The priesthood is so real. I'm grateful we have worthy elders around who are ready to exercise their priesthood when called upon!!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

Well we just switched to 9 am church. Elder Meredith from the 70, Who is over out mission came to our Ward too. I actually saw a less active there that I've never seen at church, so I was talking to her before and then needed up sitting by her the rest of the meeting. Well the musical number didn't show up, so they had an all comers choir. You and I both know I don't sing... Neither does sister Oldroyd. But I just kept having this thought we need to get up. I didn't really understand why. So when it was time I go up to sister Oldroyd and say come on! She looked at me like I was crazy!! We both know better. But we went and it was super powerful. Joseph Smiths first prayer. Well it ended and we went back to our seats. Then the meeting ended. All of a sudden I look up and see Brother Pears from Hendersonville! My first area. He said he saw me get up and sing and saw where I sat down and came and talked to me. He knew no one else in the Ward. He was there with his girlfriend who isn't a member. This was her first time at an LDS church. First time in 3 years since she's been to church too. Well we get talking and invite the, to gospel principals. They come enjoy it and we talked after. Well come to find out she is reading the BOM and is in Jacob 5 already and enjoys it! She is baptist. Well we got her information and got a new investigator!! That was such a miracle. That's why we had to get up to sing!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

Well since its been so cold we've been wearing all the layers that will fir under our jackets! Well I lost gloves. Then sister Oldroyd let me borrow one of her pairs and I lost those gloves. This was in a matter of two days. So Sunday night we realized it's our agency and Heavenly Father can help us if we let him know what we need to do specifically. Well before we tracted we prayed to see a miracle. With real intent. Well we knock on this door and this lady Melody answers. She said sure she would listen to our message! Well we do a quick restoration and give her the pamphlet. She seemed pretty interested. Then she asks if I want some gloves. YES! Because that gives us an excuse to come back to see her. So she let me borrow them. Win win situation.... She just doesn't know that quit yet! Total miracle.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

So last night as we were Tracting we were just trying to break down every little thing we can do better, so we can be more obedient and receive those blessings. Well we are going to be better at using slang words. "heck, dang, dangit, darn, freakin" etc. well I was like let's use a random verse when we do say those words we will just quote it! I threw out 3 Nephi 17:2 which says "I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time." Hahah we were dying! So that is our new scripture we quote. We also decided to just listen to the mormon tabernacle choir... Just the hymns.

We are trying so hard to do all we can to perfectly align our will with Heavenly Fathers. This week has been a week of growing and trusting and really depending on Heavenly Father. Really relying on the atonement as well. I love my mission. It's the greatest blessing.

I love being a representative of Jesus Christ and being able to testify daily.

Thanks for all your love and support!

Sister Gates