LOYALTY TO A HIGHER PURPOSE

ello beautiful family!

i l y <3

Exchanges were wonderful this week! It is amazing how experiences we have on exchanges can answer both Sister's prayers. With Sister C, we set our goal to be happy, go out and work and that is what we did!  “The best antidote for worry is work, work, work.”  

Sister C and I are similar in we know that dwelling on problems and talking about them unproductively, makes the problem swell. We addressed what needed to be improved, celebrated what was right and had an incredible exchange. While training, I wish sometimes that I could wave a magic wand to fix everything, but she said that is exactly what she felt like Sister B and I did! 

When the Zone Leaders asked me what the Sisters need the most, my immediate thought was we need the Spirit. The Spirit is what propels missionary work; it is what makes us happy, what causes the change of heart, and what comforts us when we are having a hard day.

I committed each  Sister to ask the Lord, “What can I do to better feel the Spirit and invite His presence into our home?”

Sister C and I had an amazing experience finding. We taught and found heaps of prepared souls. It confirmed my testimony of what you've taught us, that when we are sanctified and exude the light of Christ, others will flock to us. Each person we met didn’t just talk with us, they were prepared, keen and solid investigators.  Sometimes I don’t like the word investigators! They were our friends and our fellow brothers and sisters. We had people catch our eye or come up and talk to us and ask us why we were so happy! They wanted to know why we had such big smiles on our faces. We were able to Preach by the Way and the Lord just filled our path.

We were walking to the train station and passed a park covered in rubbish. We picked up some of the leftover KFC and kept walking. I looked over and caught the eye of a man across the street. Sis C said, “Do you want to go talk with him?” We walked over and the most incredible experience unfolded. This sweet father had just gotten off work and we shared some laughs and got to know him and a bit about his family. He asked us for reading materials and our church address. He told us he would bring his entire family to church on Sunday without us even asking. Amazing!

We also had FOUR baptisms this week! I can’t begin to express how incredible it was to walk with these children along this path of following Jesus Christ. I  can't imagine how full their grandmother’s heart was that day, when she finally got to see her grandchildren be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. I love these children and I can only imagine the spiritual giants they will become. Another miracle is M, because he felt the Spirit at the baptism, is now keen on learning more and we are going to visit his family this week! If that wasn't enough, two of our investigators attended the baptism and now want to be baptized!!

My core experience with God this week, came from a rebuking quote I read by President Eyring. It reads:

“Our human tendency is to be impatient with the person who cannot see the truth that is so plain to us. We must be careful that our impatience is not interpreted a condemnation or rejection.” 

As soon as I read this quote, I realized how impatient I had been this week. I have been trying to understand how the Saviour would boldly but patiently and lovingly help His children to be obedient.  This quote came as a rebuke to me as I am finding the balance. I am trying to find the balance between, “reproving betimes with sharpness” but still showing an increase of love. 

I realized this week that Christ never looked upon sin with any degree of allowance, but he was loving, and always showed His children how much He loved them. I realized that the only times in my life that I have wanted to change is when I knew that I might be hurting those who loved me or when people, like my parents, first loved me and then asked that I change. I'm working very hard to break through my barrier or stubbornness and pride and the Lord has been so patient with me! 

Elder Scott states:

“Remember, loving them is the powerful foundation for influencing those you want to help. As a companion to that love, trust them. In some cases it may seem difficult to trust, but find some way to trust them. The children of Father in Heaven can do amazing things when they feel trusted. Every child of God in mortality chose the Savior’s plan. Trust that given the opportunity, they will do so again.”

A friend told me to read a talk by Elder Holland and I loved what he says:

"A disciple of Christ always has to be a disciple; the judge does not give any time off for bad behavior ... the good people, the strong people, dig down deeper and find a better way.  Like Christ, they know that when it is hardest to be so, is precisely the time you have to be at your best. That's just the time when the fiercest kind of integrity and loyalty to a higher purpose must take over.  That's just the time when it matters the very most and when everything else hangs in the balance and how we act will speak volumes about what we think of Christ's character and His call for us to be his disciples."

CS Lewis writes:
“You never know how much you really believe anything, he confesses, until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to [tie] a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it? . . . Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief. . . Your [view of] . . . eternal life . . . will not be [very] serious if nothing much [is at] stake. . . A man . . . has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses."

I that know as I try and exemplify everything that Christ did in His life, the best I can, I can help as many of his children with which He entrusts me. I know that following the example of Jesus Christ is the only way that we can be happy and help others come unto Him. I know that like Elder Scott said, people can do amazing things when they feel they are trusted and I know that when we increase our love for the Saviour, our desire to be more obedient will become our nature.

I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!!!

I CAN FEEL YOUR PRAYERS. THEY GIVE ME WINGS AND THE STRENGTH TO KEEP GOING! 

Just keep swimming. I love you so much.