July 7

Hello family!

There is so much I could say and tell you from this past week, because
it was such a growing experience for me. And some of it really
connects with the thought Dad shared in his email to me.
It started midweek with our zone conference. It was one of the better
meetings I have been to and we had the wonderful opportunity to hear
from President Craven and his wife and President Craven's parents who
flew in for the week (his father is Elder Craven, a previous mission
president himself and general authority). We talked about the culture
of our mission here in the NCCM (North Carolina Charlotte Mission) and
what it means for us and how it helps us in our missionary work and
how it will help carry us beyond our missions. In my mission we have
several one-liners used often because they teach us sermons and help
us become more Christ-like. An example and one of my favorites is
"When You Know Who You Are You Act Differently" - just let that one
marinate in your mind a while and find out what it means for you
personally. Elder Craven told us that if we follow the example of our
mission president and his wife, in being careful, building trust,
doing the right things, and obedient, then we can reach our
foreordained potential and we WILL be great.
So there is not even half of all the inspiring things given at zone
conference and the following day we go on exchanges with new sister
training leaders. I went to Kannapolis with Sister Velarde and Sister
Gunther stayed in University with Sister Buckley. I enjoyed this
exchange a lot, but not so much because it was fun - but because it
reinforced what I had just taken from zone conference and Sister
Velarde said so many things that helped me personally realize some
things that needed to change.
Here is what happened: towards the beginning of the exchange I let
Sister Velarde know that, despite the work in our area going very well
and being with an amazing companion, somehow in the last few weeks I
still had lost the drive for missionary work, I felt little
motivation. Let me tell you, that is a strange, unsettling moment to
be in, when things are actually going well and you have already come
so far on your mission but you still feel unmotivated.
I had determined I wanted to really get something out of this exchange
so I payed more attention to Sister Velarde and what she did in just
about every moment and we would talk in between as we drove to
appointments. She would ask me how we did things and as I told her
stories of what things went well, she told me it seemed like the
problem was I just wasn't remembering all the little miracles enough.
There is a reason why the Book of Mormon prophets are always reminding
the people to remember the great things God has done for their fathers
and for them. She also reminded me to serve others as often as
possible because there is no better cure for lack of motivation and it
helps us feel God's love in increase.
Finally, we talked about this month's focus in the mission: faith in
finding. Sister Velarde told me that not only do exercise our faith by
being specific in prayers but we also really must EXPECT those
specifics to happen, because if we are doing what we need to and
living right then we can call upon the powers of Heaven. I realized I
have been severely lacking faith! Sure I would pray for something,
maybe our investigator to read between our visits, but I doubt - I do
the opposite and expect to come back only to find they have not read.
I can't do that anymore!!!! I was so blind to my lack of faith, but
when I got back Sister Gunther and I were determined to have faith. So
it is now Friday the 4th of July and we have lots of finding time and
a new determination of faith. Guess what happened? We went to the
boardwalk - and we talked to tons of people, and we enjoyed finding!
We actually had a good time and nothing could stop us, and then we
carried it into the next day and taught Sheen and Pradha who now are
preparing to be baptized on the 19th! I saw and felt firsthand how
having faith and repenting (changing) literally brought the power of
Heaven and God's blessings. Doing so allowed us to teach Sheen and
Pradha with President and Sister Craven, to teach with the best unity
we have had, to be able to have Brother Kelly there friendshipping
Sheen and his wife reaching out to Pradha, and I could feel the
inspiration of the Holy Ghost more.

So to sum up, I really like what Dad said in his email about miracles
we need to recognize them each day but also show our love and
gratitude by doing more with those miracles. Just keep remembering God
in each and every hour, serve and love, and have faith, there's no
room for doubts. Doing these will help you be motivated and feel
purpose in life and that peace and joy found only in the restored
gospel of Jesus Christ.

Well this email turned into a testimony/gospel lesson more than an
update on the people I am working with, oh well it's fine. :) Really
we are just happy because our teaching pool is pretty solid, we have
faith (haha!), and Sheen and Pradha will be baptized in two weeks! It
was fun to teach with President Craven and observe and learn from him,
I wish he could be to a lot more of our lessons. It was a privilege to
have him at this one for sure though. If you could continue to pray
for them that would be fantastic, because they will be hit hard from
the Adversary as they take this huge step in the right direction. And
I just want so badly things to go smoothly but this will be my first
time actually setting things up with the ward and the investigators
and getting everything in line for a baptism. It is going to be great,
I just know it!

Love you all!
Sister Rust

P.S. I can't remember if I already mentioned this before but my best
friend Jeannie just got her mission call to the New York, New York
South Mission speaking the Korean language!