Wednesday, February 26, 2014

We Stay IN

"When you are involved in the work of the Lord the power behind you is always greater than the obstacles before you." -Elder Dallin H. Oaks

This week has been so eventful and my heart is so full! I love being a missionary, I love my best friend Sister Nance, and I will never get over how wonderful and sacred Kirtland is.

Something awesome: The Kirtland Visitor's Center sisters received permission to read Karl Anderson's books, "Joseph Smith's Kirtland" and "The Savior in Kirtland." READ THEM! You will NOT be sorry! They are fantastic and so well written. You will come to understand the significance of the place. I already bought myself a copy of each and I'm going to beg Patriarch Anderson to sign them for me; I don't think it'll take much haha.

We had Zone Conference on Wednesday. I always look forward to this kind of stuff. We were edified, uplifted, and instructed on how to be better missionaries and servants of God. We focused on opening our mouths, talking with everyone we see, and mastering the lessons in Preach My Gospel. In the middle of the conference President Vellinga stops and asks Sister Nance and I to demonstrate how to teach the Plan of Salvation in perfect unity, covering all the points in PMG, at a funeral full of non-members, and invited us up to the podium.
 
1. Sister Nance and I have never taught the Plan of Salvation together. 
2. Sister Nance and I had taught maybe one lesson together. 
3. Luckily for us, we were fast friends. 
4. It was awesome and so easy! 

The benefits to being able to finish each other's sentences are endless-haha! When you serve a mission, you hear a whole other definition of this word we call LOVE. It's the pure love of Jesus Christ, it is the work of salvation. Our mission is to show the world what love really is. The Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families - FOREVER! Our world is sinking in problems, but the Gospel will keep us safe and true. I know that life can be hard, everyone has challenges, but I also know where I came from, I know my purpose here on Earth, and I know where I am going. Heavenly Father loves us and will bring us safely home if we let Him.

Sister Nance and I took ourselves out to Olive Garden for Valentine's Day hahaha. A member in the ward gave us some money for dinner. Also, Sister Thornock made the coolest thing for dessert on Thursday! Ice cream made from only bananas! It was divine...

We were able to see E this week! He is doing well but is still progressing so slowly. We want him to take his time and really feel the Spirit. He has a hard time remembering pretty much anything because of a stoke he had, but I know that the Lord will help him to understand all that he needs to. E is the cutest thing! He calls us to remind us of our appointments sometimes (haha) and I think he really enjoys meeting with us, but he wants to try out a bunch of religions and makes it clear that he's not committing to anything.

At the John Johnson Farm
On Friday we got to travel to Hiram to go to the John Johnson Farm for our weekly Kirtland Training Meeting. It was really good! I have had a cold all week so I was kind of miserable, but the Spirit was so strong. Amazing things happened there and I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared there to Joseph Smith and revealed the kingdoms of glory, section 76 in the Doctrine and Covenants. Go read it!

On Saturday night I woke up in the middle of the night pretty much in agony, but of course hate going to the doctor so I ignored it until Sunday night when I went into the ER. This week has been an emotional roller coaster and to be honest I am drained; exhausted to say the least. I am getting through it and am getting help from many doctors who want what's best for me. Sometimes our bodies are tricky and don't do everything we demand them to-haha! My mission has not been a cookie cutter mission, and it probably never will be, but it is the mission that Heavenly Father called me to serve. I believe in the strengthening, enabling, and redeeming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that I can trust Heavenly Father and that whom He calls, he qualifies. I know that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ restored to the earth through a living prophet and I know that the greatest, most important thing I could ever do with my time right now is to preach the Gospel.

This is my testimony too:

"I have absolute knowledge - perfect knowledge - that God loves us. He is good. He is our Father. and He expects us to pray, and trust, and be believing, and to NOT give up, NOT panic, and NOT retreat and jump ship when something doesn't seem to be going just right...

We stay in. We keep working. We keep believing, keep trying, and keep trusting, following that same path, and we will live to fall in His arms and feel His embrace, and hear Him say, 'I told you it'd be okay, I told you it'd be alright.'"

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

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