..........the harder I work, the more I come to love my Savior ...........

Hey hey! Another amazing week!!  Sooooo many miracles both big and small, so many prayers answered, and sooo many times when the spirit led us to the elect :)

Nicolle inspired me with her last email with one little sentence/ thought she had, that has changed me, and changed the work even more (for the better). She mentioned how she was keeping daily contact with one of her investigators, (even though it seemed really stalkerish haha), and I started thinking..."hmmm we haven't been doing that..." and then I started thinking of the few other things that I may have been missing that Preach My Gospel told us to do...the spirit then taught me that I need to be EVEN MORE of a PMG missionary instead of an Australian Perth Missionary...As soon as the spirit taught me that (it was night time, after planning) I picked up my PMG and began to read it until 10:30 rolled around...the remainder of this week, EVERY little bit of time (during meals, or after planning) I have studied and studied and studied preach my gospel, as well as the other books they allowed us missionaries to bring. This week I really feel like everything within my mind and in my heart, was totally on the work and how I can improve! I feel that because the Lord saw this desire within me, to be better and more of a PMG missionary, he was willing to bless me both personally and in this area- it has just been incredible! I see more and more each week that the harder I work, the more I come to love my Savior and his work! ahhh it's just the best thing. People ask me "how do you like your mission?" and I can never reply without smiling a million miles wide, I am just so happy! I have also seen that as I study the BOM more, my love for it and our Savior grows enormously, and it literally Changes me! This week I had a sweet experience where I knelt down, holding the book of Mormon, and told God I was going to just "read" the BOM, and asked if he would please just help it apply to me right now, and teach me something new!....ummm ok...it was incredible! The Book of Mormon is that road map back to God, without it, we are lost! There are many tracks we can take in life that may get us close to returning to God, but the only way that we can truly return back to Heavenly Father...literally, is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is contained in the Book of Mormon. We have also made it a special effort to do more follow up visits, in between appointments where we read the BOM with our investigators and by just reading from the beginning, we have had incredible experiences in helping them see how it does relate to them! I love being able to share my testimony of the BOM with sooo many people, because truly....it is because of that book that I am half way across the world right now...it has changed my life, and I will forever be grateful for it!

So we were supposed to have a baptism this coming Saturday but we decided to wait 2 more weeks so our investigators could be more prepared, so they will be getting baptised on the 14th with our 2 Iranian investigators- it will be amazing:) This week we were also able to put 2 more people on date for the 21st of December (Grandpa's birthday right?!). They are 2 girls from a part member family and their Less active mum is so grateful they have this opportunity to be "in" the gospel now, because she realizes she hasn't really given them that opportunity. The hearts of people are changing...the members who are helping us with lessons are playing a big part in that, but it's just amazing! It is the most beautiful thing to see true repentance take place within our investigators, even when they give up things and habits they have done their WHOLE LIFE! Yes Akram (Iranian mother) has officially gone a week without smoking, her faith in Christ along with all the others we are teaching, inspires me so much! Us (as missionaries) inviting investigators to change/keep commandments has no effect upon them, but when they feel the spirit and realize how important it is to become more like Jesus Christ, they then have the desire to change, and we have seen that heaps this week! It's absolutely beautiful!

Yesterday at church the Lord moved the hearts of 8 investigators and 2 less active families, to come to church...I was just shocked! I shouldn't have been, because this IS the Lord's work haha but it was just amazing! This has been the best transfer of my mission (as far as miracles go)..."why?" I asked myself...Because my companion and I work our absolute hardest, we are extremely happy, and we do our best to follow the spirit. Yes when we follow the spirit it does not always lead us to miracles, but it shows God that we are willing to listen to his promptings which in return blesses us with more guidance! I have felt the spirit so often, as well as so strongly this week! Since I'm short on time I will just tell you of one of the lessons where the spirit was SOOO strong! 2 weeks ago while riding our bikes, my companion and I stopped and talked to a Phillippino couple who we ended up being able to teach (with another Philippino couple in our ward) on Friday night. We got there and it was a big "off" at first...I'm not sure what is was...but it was just weird...I prayed so hard that that the Lord would just allow my Companion and I to say the things he needed us to, so they could feel the spirit...well we began teaching about the restoration and they were keen...well we got tot he Best part; when Joseph Smith see God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. My companion shared this and just after she finished speaking I asked, "How do you guys feel right now?"...The Husband said, "really Good", the mom said, "peace" and the Son also responded with the most fitting word, "peace"...Ahhhh, it was so hard for me to talk because I did not want to interrupt the spirit, but it was thick! IT touched their hearts and it because it did so strongly we invited their family to be baptised (you should have seen our members faces since it was our first lesson with the investigators, they were so shocked that we would ask right away haha, but...) the husband responded "Yes!" He is going to talk to his family about picking a date, but it was just amazing! The spirit was so strong and by the end, not only had we had an incredible lesson where the members played such a big role in helping explain a few things in the Tagalog language, and share their own testimonies, but they created a friendship. We finished by all having a Philippine dessert that was super good, and not this family is excited for us to come back next week! I am so grateful for the help of members, and for the spirit...without these 2 things, many of our investigators would not have progressed this week!

Well I have to go, but I hope you guys know how much I treasure your emails. they are seriously answers to my prayers. I am so grateful for your support and love and don't know where I would be without you! I pray for you often and can't wait to see you again. I hope you have another great week, don't forget to read the BOM everyday...it was written to be read, and we truly will have to account to Nephi (2Nephi 32, last few verses) and Moroni at the judgement bar, on our use of the BOM...Read it, and apply it, and you will come to know Christ more...I love you tons!!! xoxoxo

love,

Sister Ensign the younger (but don't worry, I'm not the wicked one;))

Quote from my companion that has become my new life motto: "If you miss the joy, you miss the whole thing" hahaha-so true right?! Life is all about being happy, it's so much better that way anyways!