First Week of 2015!

1/5/15
Iaorana family and friends! I hope your new year is treating you well! I hope that you have all made some attainable resolutions that will help you improve yourselves this year! My week was good. Its amazing how much happens in just one week! I find it hard to even write in my journal every night because there is just so much to include. I can officially say that I witnessed my first gift of tongues experience in the last week! We were having a district meeting over the phone and I was asked to give the spiritual thought. I was really scared at first but quickly gathered my thoughts and prayed that I would be able to express effectively what was on my mind. Since I had memorized the first four Articles of Faith that morning in French and also fell upon the scripture, Ether 12:6, I decided to talk about faith. I mentioned how important faith really is since it is the first principle of the Gospel and then went on from there. Apparently I talked for quite a while and when I finished I looked at Soeur Hunter who looked a little shocked. She congratulated me saying that my spiritual thought made complete sense and went really well. I was satisfied. It truly was a cool experience for me. Later on in the meeting, Soeur Hunter made the point that we need to realize and know our weaknesses so we can find ways to fix and overcome them. She said that it is good to ask God to show us our weaknesses so we can be made stronger. So I told myself that I would ask God to show me my weaknesses later because I was a little scared at the moment. But sure enough, He began to enlighten me. We did an activity in the district meeting about stories in the Book of Mormon. I realized that I need to improve my knowledge of these scripture stories. This was humbling for me. At the close of the meeting, our district leader hesitated to choose the next teacher for the next district meeting. After a minute, he said, Soeur Kofford. So yes I have to lead the next district meeting and I am definitely not fluent in these languages yet! But I know that if I put in my part and prepare well, and also have the faith that God will help me, all will be well. He shows us our weaknesses and puts challenges in our paths because He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what we can and cannot do and He would never give us something that we could not overcome. I truly am being stretched in every direction. The mission life is very hard and different but I am learning who I truly am and how much I really can do. Life is good! Make the best of it! Do not waste a minute. Always seek to improve yourself or to learn something new. I promise there is joy in these things. And blessings as well! I hope you all have a great week! Thanks again for all of your love and support! Love, Soeur Heather Kofford

I love my bike!

We had a picnic on the beach with some investigators