One year ago...
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| I have learned so much this last year |
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| my study area |
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| thanks for the letters |
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| Me & Sister Hewitson |
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| Sister Todd |
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| RAIN... |
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| Fall... |
This week my Grandpa radically adopted the term “lol” from reading my blog.
What did you accomplish this week?
Mine was pretty stellar.
I found a find of all finds at F21(20$ and modest!)
Had some power house lessons
Enjoyed a Halloween feast / movie night
(Which yes included Frozen. Glad I’ve finally caught up on the ‘tween hype.)
Ate half of my Winco gummy worm collection
Started from the beginning of the Book of Mormon (again)
Got Jesse Mcartneys, Beautiful Soul stuck in my head on repeat
Apostate, I know.
(Shoutout to Angela Parry 4 jamming to JM with me in mid school. Love you)
.....Etcetera, etcetera
So it's been good.
My 11 month mark is on Tuesday. ??
*golf clap*
This time last year I was probably sitting on the green couches of the
man cave in the Stucki home sippin’ Swig, and lazing out in some camo
leggings and Kiefer Sutherland fan tee wondering how on earth I was
going to pull this next 'big adventure' off. This time next year I'll
probably be doing the same exact thing
(Except in my own home)
(with the green couches)
(and a new big adventure)
(I can still have them right?)
(............right?)
7 months left.
I'm debating within myself as to what exactly the plan is when I get
home. Start school right away? Work and save for a semester? Ehhhh?
Please keep an eye out for job openings in the near vicinity. Id like
to get a job right away to keep myself busy and not loose focus. As
far as school goes, y'all should start brainstorming for me. I want to
have a set plan before the fall semester starts back up. Will you look
into programs for me, as well as figure out what all I need to do to
get my associates at Dixie? How many credits I need? How any I
already have? If there are any scholarships I can shoot for? And if past
scholarships are still existent? And if I could apply for aid/help?
And if it would be cheaper if I got married first. Cause we can make that
happen ;) keep in touch with my homie Cam! I totally would love
working weekends at the PVPF. But two jobs would be ideal. And
school.
Yikes.
That's just what I was thinking about in the shower today. I thought I would
open it up for discussion. (mom)
I also found out somebody tried to steal the Golden Angel Moroni from
the Washington, D.C. Temple with a helicopter one time.
And also a couple weeks ago somebody jumped the White House fence and
actually got inside. He had a knife. That's it though.
People have really big imaginations in Virginia :)
This blog hit over 60K views this week...Thank YOU for reading.
Please continue sharing this link (Sistermadisonstucki.blogspot.com)
On your personal social media sites as well as your own blogs!
#sharegoodness
Feel free to tag my Facebook and Instagram in your posts! (@madstuhh)
Let's flood the earth with the gospel message and great mission
stories shall we?
Thanks.
For being supportive.
And rock star online missionaries.
I love you guys!
Even those of you I don't know personally
(yet)
??
But anyway.
Like the title says...
I got some more mission advice for you fut(current)ure missionaries
Rather than where to buy knee length skirts,
How to do your hair and makeup in thirty minutes or less,
How to pack 18 months worth of clothing and products into two suitcases,
Or
How to survive the MTC
I'm thought I would share a different perspective on
"Mission Advice"
Mission Advice 2.0
Approximately a year ago I was typing up my experience with missionary
work. And my experience literally was where to buy knee length skirts
and how to pack 18 months into two suitcases......
But this year I have some new advice for you,
Because quiet frankly.... The former advice I gave you will literally
benefit you for two and a half weeks, AND THEN WHAT?
For the rest of your eighteen months where to buy cute skirts, how to
fly your luggage to your assigned area, and how to survive the MTC
won't really matter. After you step foot into the mission field your
going to realize several things.
1. You've entered the real world (after the MTC bubble, this is a big deal)
2. Your trainer is a boss
3. You are way too busy to even think about being cute, trendy and hip.
(And you'll soon come to the realization that Satan let stretchy pants
be cool during the only eighteen months of your life that you can't
wear stretchy pants in public. -*big sigh* never knew stretchy pants
would be such a big test of faith.)
KIDDING
but
Srsly.
So rather than talking about all your temporal needs today folks......
I want to share some of your
"Not so average, mission advice"
I was reading through these old notes of mine and I realized I have
eons of quotes that I think are incredibly beneficial to missionaries
serving, or to humans in general possibly. and I feel they should be
appreciated by people other than just myself.
These are things I've personally learned and have truly appreciated
while being on my mission
Things that will help you not
LOOK like a Great Missionary,
But actually BE one.
If you do them however.
Find a punch line. Work on it. Become it.
My best advice for anyone about to embark in the service of The Lord
is to forget about how to create a good first impression with looks
and work towards creating a lasting impression with feeling.
Aka. Shine
So that through you
Others can see him.
Don't shine
So that through you
Others can see you.
Forget yourself. And go to work
-Hinckley
So here are some notes I've taken collectively over the past 11+
months from District meetings, Zone Conferences, Transfer Meetings,
Church, Training Meetings, Devotionals from Area Seventies, Stake
Presidents, Mission Presidents, General Authorities, Personal Study,
Companion Study, Sisters Conferences, General Conferences, Interviews
etc etc.
The majority of these are one liners that stood out to me.
With my commentary…
Hopefully you grasp at least one line that you love
And hopefully you seek to apply it to your life.
Good
luck
sista.
"Don't doubt yourself, be confident."
Be confident in what you are doing, saying, teaching, becoming. After
all, this is exactly where God wants you to be! This is his work, not
your own. So there's one thing to be confident about!
"It's not about teaching and information. It's about real experience
and real feelings."
Don't be a rote presentation missionary who lectures, rather, create a
discussion and help them feel things. The spirit is the real teacher,
not you.
"Smile! Be happy! Be excited!"
If somebody walked up to you with a scowl on their face would you
believe they were about to share great tidings of joy and Gods plan of
happiness?
"Every good act will not be wasted."
You know All those Mormon.org cards you hand out when you're at wits
end with somebody? Sometimes they just so happen to research the
website, refer themselves to the missionaries, take the lessons, get
baptized and married to their wife for eternity. Ask Theo.
NO GOOD ACT GOES WASTED, EVER.
"It's not so much what you speak, but who you are."
Actions speak louder than words. Become the person you are teaching about.
"You will be completely exhausted if you're doing it right."
"Compare yourself to yourself."
You're you. Don't compare. God needs YOU.
"Everything in the conversion process must happen to you first if you
want it to happen to those you teach."
"Listen with love."
Listen to people as intently as you imagine Heavenly Father listens to
you as you pray. How else can you discern the needs of an individual
and help them reach their divine potential?
"Discipline is doing what you don't want to do when you don't want to
do it because you know you should."
"You won't Receive an answer from God that you are not prepared and ready for."
Prepare yourself, have a sincere heart and real intent (Moroni 10:3/5)
"Always act on impressions"
"Skill is only developed on hours and hours of working. Your talent
will fail you if you're not skilled."
This is actually a Will Smith quote sorry not sorry
"Make every group you come in contact with better then you left them."
"You have to believe it first"
HAVE FAITH YOUNG SQUIRE
"Why be realistic? Realistic is the road to mediocrity. It’s
unrealistic to bend a pile of metal and fly people over an ocean."
Also....Will....Smith....
"Remember your purpose. Who you are and what you're doing out here."
"If you're not having fun, something is wrong."
"You don't prepare a talk, you prepare yourself."
"When The Lord requires great things it requires great work on our part."
"Someday we will stand before our Savior and report."
Can you imagine reporting to your Savior about your mission? WOOHOO.
or your life? Make it good.
"You're coming out for eighteen months. Not six. not eight. Start
fast, run hard and to the tape. You can rest later."
Elder Holland
"When your upset, write in your journal and move on."
(I can vouge for this)
"Ability is mental. If you believe you can, you can."
"Love your trials"
Learn from them, too.
"With God all things are possible."
"You decide your attitude."
"Do all that you can control. And let go of things you can not."
"The Holy Ghost will testify to their hearts the things which you speak."
"Don't just meet strangers, make them friends."
"Don't worry so much about being the perfect missionary, worry about being you."
Amen x100
"Don't wait for a change, be the change."
"Never forget to follow up"
Never, ever.
"If love is the essence of everything we do we will see miracles"
"Be yourself not a robot. Relate your life stories and experiences to others."
"Make the best of every situation, find a reason for everything."
"Be organized, take notes."
"Be humble, take advice and constructive criticism."
We are here to change anyway. May as well embrace it now rather than
later. Face your weaknesses now rather than later.
"Not everybody thinks or feels the same way you do and that's okay."
Lololol.....sorry all past companions. I just barely learned this, love you. ??
"Change happens, embrace it."
"Write down all your miracles. Ponder on past experiences. Look over
them often and remember how blessed you are. Share them with others."
"Testify boldly."
"Be passionate"
"Memorize the Missionary Purpose and the First Vision"
ASAP
"The spirit must be present when you are teaching, avoid distractions
and invite the spirit to testify"
"Communicate clearly, don't beat around the bush"
"Own your area. Act and do not be acted upon, change the culture of
wherever you are serving."
"Don't use Mormon isms"
Primary, Ward, Stake, PMG, BOM, Nephi, Moroni, Priesthood, EFY, MOTAB,
David Archuleta, Cafe Rio, Casserole THESE ARE MORMONISMS....
People don't know what that means.
"Make sure people have to go completely over, around or under you to
avoid missionary work. Love them into the work. Memorize names, get to
know them."
"Involve members, ask them to extend invitations, get them involved."
"Have faith in all you do"
"Fear no man"
NO MAN
"Become a SCRIPTORIAN, be accountable to your companion"
"Be grateful for every opportunity to serve, it helps you more than
those you serve"
"Speak the thoughts the Lord puts into your heart."
"Silence is okay, let the spirit teach"
"Use adjusting to missionary life book"
Especially if your a stress case like I. Read and apply.
"Rearrange your furniture sometimes"
"Be organized and clean"
"Take lots of pictures"
"Stand on chairs when you sings"
"Create inside jokes"
"Eat healthy"
"Practice teaching gets the bad run out and helps you to do better the
next time aka the real time. So always, always practice teach."
"Use visuals when you teach"
"Be creative"
"Always remember who you are"
"There's always going to be somebody better and that's okay, let it inspire you"
"Give yourself a break sometimes. Recognize you are trying, allow
yourself to make mistakes. We all have weaknesses,"
"This is the time where we are refined so expect hard times"
"He does not give you challenges that you cannot surmount, he may push
you to your limits but he won't forsake or abandon you"
"Sometimes we can't back out we just have to find a way to make things
work. We don't get to pick and choose our trials."
"The greatest day in your life is when you take total responsibility
for your attitude. That is the day we will all grow up."
"God wouldn't call you if he couldn't make you adequate"
"The pain of sacrifice lasts only a moment, it's the fear of the pain
that makes you hesitate to do it."
"We can do more than we think we can do"
"Our fears limit us"
"The Lord needs angels to do his work"
"Prepare. God puts prepared people in the path of his prepared servants"
"Don't go back to who you were before"
"Don't stoop down to any one's level, lift them up to yours"
"The more were obedient the more The Lord can teach us"
"Don’t seek for your own will seek for the Lords"
"Don't complain criticize or compare"
"You have a choice in your mission to become anybody you want to be"
"STAY who you want to become"
"God doesn't need your money or your lamb he needs your heart"
"If you love someone you can push them"
"Become disciplined."
"Exercise your faith"
"YOU'RE NOT TOO YOUNG"
"What are you fighting for? What are you willing to fight for?"
"God will support you as long as you are faithful"
"I'm not a Mormon I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ"
"No effort Is wasted effort"
"Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty"
"In your life there has to be challenges they will either bring you
closer to God and make you stronger or destroy you. You make that
decision"
"The words of Christ shall tell you all things which we should do,
search the scriptures."
"Don't dwell on the past be grateful for right now, you'll never get it back."
"Be happy in any circumstance, its a choice"
"You will always have more to refine"
"You're never forgotten "
"The more you focus on your blessings the more blessings you realize you have"
"Become spiritually self reliant "
"Courage is the form of every virtue at its testing point"
"Take responsibility for your choices"
"Give compliments"
"Smile"
"Evaluate your day"
"You have the primary responsibility for your own conversion"
"You learn by acting"
"Christ took a frightened band of Disciples and turned them into
fearless missionaries."
"What kind of witness will you be?"
"This is His work"
"No one can know of spiritual truths without prayer"
"Be light on your feet"
Be flexible, be ready for change.
"The Atonement is the answer to the most massive problems"
"It is all about becoming we are the church of eternal progression"
"Make habits now"
"You can only teach what you know. You can only receive what you're
ready to receive,"
"Difficult things are meant to be conquered,"
"There is no such thing as hard areas"
"You have to wait for the blessing. Don't shirk because it's not instant."
"Christ is the light. He who follows will not walk in darkness"
"The question isn't are you perfect, it's are you worthy."
"If you want to be a 24/7 missionary you need to be yourself"
"Don't hold back"
"Never let the work become a program make it about the people"
"Always involve members in lessons"
"Don't tell God how big your problem is, tell your problem how big your God is"
"Even when you think… I don't know how I'm going to survive, ask
God... Can you help me anyway?"
"Not everyone is a Nephi. Okay. Then be a Sam. You don't have to be a
gifted leader that smiles at people and they get baptized. If you're
not a Joseph be a Hyrum, if your not a Helaman be a Shiblon."
LOVED THIS! Not everybody is born a perfect teacher, leader etc. So
what? Be a perfect example of the believers. Just as important.
"When you are compelled to give something up know that this is your
lesson to be learned right now. Know also that while you are learning
this lesson God wants to give you something better."
Overall, be happy and know God is with you. He has a plan for you. And
everything will fall into place with time.
Hope you enjoyed MY notes!
I would love to hear some of YOURS! I've got several emails from
readers lately with great questions and insight. I love hearing from
anyone and everyone. Send me an email with your favorite quotes or
advice, comments on the above, or questions. I'd love to make a post
out of your insights. Or if you have any ideas for future posts topic,
I'd love to hear it. (Give the people what they want right?) (kidding)
Shoot me an email! Madison.Stucki@myldsmail.net
Love You
S. Stucki
