Sister Kendra Reynolds: Episode 18: Serve Him with all your Heart, Might, MIND and Strength!

Sister Reynolds found Farmington Street!

Lynchburg, Virginia

This week has been successful for us!! We took the scripture in D&C 4:2 "serve with all your heart, might MIND and strength" very seriously. It was a very mentally exhausting week, let me tell ya! As a companionship goal for this area, we wanted to focus on the members, ahh these sweet wonderful members!! They are so SO important in missionary work! I kick myself all the time because I had so many opportunities to either have a missionary moment or to go out with the missionaries or to minister to one of my fellow sisters in the ward. There are so many things that ONLY the members can do when it comes to missionary work and of course there are only things that the missionaries can do in the work as well, but members are a huge part of everything!! That is what we want to see happening in this blessed place. So we have been going through our ward directory and putting all the names of our ward members on a white board and figuring out who lives where and part member families and just over all categorizing them so we know who to focus on each week. It is really allowing us to feel organized about how to approach this work. It was difficult because I...note the word I, would want to go out and tract or this or that, but Heavenly Father kept telling me that this needed to be done first. It was a very humbling and spiritual experience. The spirit would guide me on how to organize them and now yesterday with it being finished, we used it and knew exactly where we needed to be and it made our day a very successful day!! I love being this close to the spirit all the time, and I have come to realize it is because I am actually allowing him to dwell with me more. Yes I am engaged in a holier work but with all that I do, I am very cautious. I never knew how easy it was to allow the spirit to be with me. Man I was sure missing out on so many blessings!

With the people we have been teaching, it has been a huge focus on what we want our life to become. We have to be the ones to have that leap of faith and take charge. We also need to know that we cannot do it alone. There are definitely some things that we should do on our own, but allowing Heavenly Father into our lives and asking for His counsel and wise words of wisdom, through either personal revelation or scripture study, can help us achieve higher goals. Allow the spirit to speak to you everyday. After you pray, take 5 seconds to let the spirit guide you on what you need to do that day or this or that. Let him talk to you and allow Heavenly Father to be in your life. I promise that as you do this, your days will run smoother and more joyful.

Just a quote for the week that I love sharing with families as we commit them to giving a helping hand in the work "The Lord's work will not be frustrated. Missionary work should not be frustrating, if it is you're doing it wrong! It should be a joy! It does bring so much joy!"~Elder Renlund

I know that being a part of this glorious work can bring forth so many blessings we will not even be able to comprehend it! D&C 18:15 "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" I hope you all are able to feel the urgency in this work and preparing the way for the second coming of our Savior. It's something you will not regret doing! I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!

Sister Reynolds