MakEaMerIcaGreAtaGaiN

Ayoo, what's good everyone? HAPPY 4th of July! Our p-day got moved to today, let's go. Ngl, I think this is the hardest holiday for me to miss! Probably because if you know my fam, you know we go crazyyy with fireworks. It's okay though, I am extremely grateful to be out here! Here are some highlights for the week.

Zone conference: Always good to be with other missionaries and hear from the best mission president in the world!! We talked about the new Preach My Gospel and of course, we're all diving in deep right now, and it is truly remarkable.

We had a lesson with our friend Anthony who is currently on date for baptism. He told us he is getting baptized in our church and then getting baptized in another church a couple of days after. That was awkward... We had to respectfully tell him that's not how it works, haha. Cool story about him I'm not sure if I mentioned, but his girlfriend is a convert that is less active, who joins all of our lessons via phone, and we are currently trying to reactivate her while teaching him. It is so sick.

A lot of our plans fell through this week, so one night we prayed to know where to go. We were led to this house, knocked, and no one answered, but these queens Pat and Tricia (Patricia) were sitting on their porch. We had one of the coolest interactions with them. It ended with their son/brother Joey coming out who tried to bash us. He told us that the Book of Mormon looked like a dictionary, and Sis Colson popped off and said, "Well, have you read it?" He wouldn't take the Book of Mormon, but he did ask for our card. Pat at first told us she didn't want one, but then looked at us and said, "Give me that." We then told her we would see her next Friday at 8:00 and left. I can't wait to go back.

We were looking for this dude, but we were led to our boy Jeff who told us he was praying to God for help because he was at one of his lowest of low times and then we showed up.

We have 380 members here in Pekin and about 50-ish members that come to church. Which means a lot of less active work here to be done. Which also is kind of overwhelming. The Lord is truly guiding us to help reactivate these members while finding the elect.

We are working with this less active queen who has my whole heart, oh my gosh. She is in a wheelchair, and so she calls us just about every single day for us to take out her trash. I have never wanted to take out anyone else's trash more in my entire life. She called us every single day this week just to tell us how much she loves us and to make sure we were safe. I have never felt so much love than I have for these beautiful people in Iowa/Illinois, my gosh.

We have 4 people on date for baptism, the most incredible souls! I am extremely humbled to witness their growth and to be a part of their journey in following their Savior's example.

A dude rolled up a joint in front of us right before our lesson this week, that was awkward, haha.

We have also been working with this other less active member Lisa, who is raising 4 of her grandchildren from ages 16-9. At first, they would hide from us and not want to join, but now they come out and they listen and they answer our questions! We gave them Books of Mormon, and the 2 oldest girls told us they're reading it, SO COOL! It's so fun that they now see us beyond just missionaries and they truly see us as their friends. They bring me so much joy! Last night Lisa wasn't home, but they ALL came out and let us share a message without her there, and the little 9-year-old let me help her pray, and it was so adorable.

...

As missionaries, we study Christlike attributes, and this transfer I've been studying charity, and it's really got me thinking. A lot of people throughout the world have a lot of Christlike attributes and some more than others. But I've learned that charity is more than just love, patience is more than just being patient. They go far more above that.

Elder Cook teaches us that,

"All men may have the gift of love, but charity is bestowed only upon those who are true followers of Christ."

"Even when we have merited love the least, He has loved us the most. Truly, He loves us first."

"Gratitude is a form of returning love to God."

"Receive it. Feel it. It is not enough just to know that God loves you. The gift is to be felt continually day by day."

"Offer Him the refinement of your attributes, so that when He does appear, you will be like Him."

"Unless you are feeling love, you cannot convey true love to others. The Lord has told us to love one another as He loves us, so remember: to be loved, truly love."

"As we increasingly think and act like Him, the attributes of the natural man will slip away to be replaced by the heart and the mind of Christ. We will become like Him and then truly receive Him."

If we want to truly become like Jesus Christ, we will love as he did.

I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ's unconditional love. I'm reminded every day of how Jesus Christ not only loves me but ALL of his children.

I love you all so much!!! I hope you have an amazing 4th of July!! Go shoot some Roman candles at a stop sign for me.

Love, Sister Liljenquist

Here are some quotes:

Me: "Sister Colson, what does condescending mean again?"

Sis Colson: "Wow, I've never had to explain what that means to someone."

Talking about Facebook,

Pres Barney: "You wanna lose an hour? Watch some reels."

Brother Johnson:

His 2-year-old daughter screaming,

"Do you want Benadryl?"