NO GREATER JOY!

MALO E LEI LEI BEAUTIFUL FAMILY!!!

ANOTHER MIRACLE WEEK IN MANLY. OI OI OI!

There is a family living here from Santaquin and she reminds me SO much of Aunt Suzy! They had us over for dinner, and guess what ... SHE PROMISED ME CAFE RIO NEXT FORTNIGHT!!!! Ahhhh ... I could die!!!! :) :)

Oh, and HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

'MERICA ***

OK. I’ll be honest. I totally forgot about it.

:)

I am Australian!

My core experience with God this week was prompted by a scripture found in 3 John 1:4.  It reads:

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

This week, we had an amazing lesson with a new family. We decided to just stop by and miracles and the Spirit overwhelmed us! Not only were they so keen to let us in and receive the discussions, but we rekindled a friendship and a trust that I feel started long before Sister P and I arrived in the area.

The mother asked me why this (my mission/serving/the Gospel) was something that I felt so passionate about. I reflected back to my Mother’s Day phone call, when my Mum asked me what kept me motivated to work diligently. I know that my sincere motive to work hard is because I love the Lord, and I love the Saviour and how His Atonement has allowed me to change my life. However, I know that a lot of the time, the sacrifices I make, and my motivation, comes because I want to bless my family. I have realized by working with so many part-member and broken families, that what motivates people, and what everyone truly wants deep inside, is to have a happy home, centered on something pure and good. I am so grateful that I have been able to bear my testimony of how the gospel blesses families by sharing examples from my own life.

I think of my little brother, who is leaving for his mission in about 2 weeks, and how proud I am of him! We taught another beautiful family yesterday, and one of the teen daughters asked me what I think my life would be without the gospel, and what I would do without it in my family. I couldn’t hold back my tears because of how much gratitude I have for my Heavenly Father and how he has blessed my family.

I know that like this scripture says, that there is no greater joy than to see our family, and our loved ones, and especially the families that we are working with, realize that this gospel is all about love and the eternal nature of families. I have never experienced greater joy than when families come together to learn and be edified and changed through the teachings of Christ.  

In Psalms 27:4 it reads:

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

We have used this scripture as a vision and a basis for the families we are teaching, members and non-members alike. After all, receiving the joy from the blessings of the sealing ordinance is what will bring us the most joy in this life and in the next. We must never shift our eyes away from this goal. 

Teaching as Jesus Taught came from a lesson we had with a member. Sister A is the grandmother to several less active and part member families we are working with. We had prepared to share a lesson with her grandson from Alma 13 to help him prepare to receive the Priesthood but he wasn't home so we felt prompted to share these same scriptures with her.  

Fresh Markets - kale and beans!

We asked her to read the verses about her holy calling, and she wept. The spirit was so strong as we promised her, as representatives of Christ, that she was doing her best and that the Lord was pleased with her. Just like we learn in President Eyring’s talk, it is because the Lord knows that certain people will love and keep moving forward, even in difficult situations, that he places them with certain people and family members. 

We had so many miracles this week!

I was reading the story of Abraham and Isaac in Gen 22 and something new really stood out to me as I pondered this story.

The verses read:

 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

 11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

I was thinking about how the Lord and the voice from heaven spoke out to stop Abraham. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I imagine that it was similar to the promptings we receive as missionaries. Sometimes they are clear, impactful words, but most of the time, it is just a feeling and a whispering. I can’t imagine what would have happened to Abraham if he would have shrugged off the prompting, perhaps thinking it was his own thought or desire.  It is SO important to listen and then to act on every prompting; we never know what the outcome will be.

Leaving Pass Along Cards Aussie Style!

As I was sitting in fast and testimony meeting yesterday, I thought back to what I learned from the last zone training.  Elder M discussed being over anxious, and over zealous as missionaries, and how both of these can be stumbling blocks to the work. I have decided to “let go of perfection.”  I think that because I have been blessed to “know better” and have an understanding, I feel that I am responsible for so many things. However, I must realize that I haven’t been given weakness to make me feel bad, or to trip and fall to condemn myself, but so that I can learn to call on the Lord and be humbled; another miracle!

I would like to follow the example of Helaman when he says,

 35 Behold, we do not know but what ye are unsuccessful, and ye have drawn away the forces into that quarter of the land; if so, we do not desire to murmur.

 36 And if it is not so, behold, we fear that there is some faction in the government, that they do not send more men to our assistance; for we know that they are more numerous than that which they have sent.

 37 But, behold, it mattereth not—we trust God will deliver us, notwithstanding the weakness of our armies, yea, and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies.

I know that as we have an attitude that it “mattereth not” and we trust that God is working through us to refine us, as well as the people we are serving, we will not only be so much happier, but when we are humble and submissive, we will see miracles and feel the joy of the Spirit. I know that the Saviour lives and loves us, and this is His work, and I am so grateful for each day that I am privileged to serve.

I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK! MATES!

Ofa atu.

Kangaroom Scripture Cover she named Roody!