Listen with Love ...

Sisters Abeling and Brown
with missionaries in their district

Alecia is doing very well in the MTC and says the time has flown by. In less than three weeks, she'll be on her way to Vancouver, Washington!  Here are some excerpts from her email on Friday:
 

Awesome thing I learned this week: 



We practiced listening yesterday... it was a much needed lesson. While we are talking with our investigators it's so important that we listen and it’s a lesson that can be applied to everyone for life. The Preach My Gospel manual talks about the importance of truly listening, being genuine and sincerely reaching out.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “If we listen with love, we won't need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us -- by the Spirit and by our friends. (Witnesses unto Me," Ensign, May 2001). " 

This made so much sense to me and I can always tell when someone is REALLY listening to me. I know that I fall short most of the time when it comes to my turn to listen. I want people to know that I am sincerely listening to what they have to say, and that I truly care instead of planning my response and worrying about me losing that thought. What I learned is that if it’s really inspired by the spirit, the thought will come back to you after they are finished talking. Don't jump in and start talking right away and to pause. ---Yup. I needed this one – it reminded me of that Dale Carnegie Class and book Mom and Dad talk about. True stuff. 

I love you all so much! I hope you have a wonderful week and I can't wait to hear from you!

2 Nephi 2:25 BE HAPPY (: 

Sister Abeling