Cork - Like!

Hello Hello! 

So this week has been full of highlights, and I wish I had enough time to tell you about all of them! We're doing our very best to spend as much time as possible with the members, gaining their trust and building relationships that we can help them grow in unity and love and invite their friends and family to meet with us! We are having awesome conversations about missionary work, and what it means to be an Everyday Missionary. If you haven't read Clayton M. Christensen's book, "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" you really really should. We as full-time missionaries rely on Preach My Gospel for our efforts, and everyone can and will benefit from studying PMG, but Everyday Missionary is an inspired effort to help members unadjusted to sharing the gospel daily to take on the stewardship the Brethren have invited them to embrace- FINDING! 

Elder Hale did a training for us missionaries on how we can use it with members, and I am so excited for it! I have realized how Satan really works hard on all of us, even missionaries. He knows our weaknesses and he will use them to his advantage. But I think when we know our enemy, we can know how we can fight and defend. Like Captain Moroni, who I had the privilege to read about today in study (Alma 43) Satan doesn't want Cork to grow, causing Limerick District to become a stake, causing Ireland to be qualified for a temple here, so... he's working hard, but The Lord has already won. We're here to see it through! 

Taran is excited, because he will hopefully have a Hindi Book of Mormon to read in conjunction with the English one, so his understanding will increase :) I think we've figured out what mistakes we've made and how we can change and improve to help him progress, however slowly it takes!

We had a really positive lesson experience with our investigator Hannah this week, sharing about spiritual gifts, our divine potential, and how baptism is a tool to reach that potential. When I'm with Hannah, I feel the Spirit so strong, I feel her testimony deep inside, and I just want to help her find it! 

We took a train to Dublin Wednesday night, were picked up by Elder Austin and Elder Henrie, zone leaders there, and they took us Thursday morning to the chapel where we spent all day rehearsing for the special missionary choir that will be performing across Ireland, that Sister Morrison and I are both privileged to be participating in. So excited for the first week of December, however stressful it will be! 

We had "Christmas" dinner with the Peters family, which was a great taste of home yesterday. I love their family, they're all so funny, and the kids/grandkids are adorable :) Irish Christmas is wonderful, even if it isn't white :) 

I love you all, I know that Heavenly Father loves and cares so much! Stay strong! Keep the Faith!

Love always,

Sister Mary Ann Kirkpatrick