The Blessings of Trials

I know that trials are gifts. They are opportunities to grow and to change. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and He only wants the best for me, and you! The Lord will never give us anything we can't handle without His help. The key is Him. If we rely on Him, we can do all things. If we don't rely on Him, we are limited. I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Reflections on the past six months

This week I hit my click day and I've been out offially for six months (gasp!). It's flown by so quickly! Days feel like weeks, weeks feel like days, and months feel like minutes. My companion left for the airport this morning and it's caused a lot of reflection. I am so grateful for this time I have this time to dedicate to the Lord. It really is an opportunity to learn how to follow him and how to set myself up for how I want to be when I go home. 

1. Always try and put your companion first. 
2. Discouragement is a temptation. Don't get discouraged.
3. God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but he does expect us to do the very best we can
4. When we strive to be closer to God, he really will show us our weaknesses so that we can work on them and make them into strengths (Ether 12:27)
5. People don't only get one chance. If investigators drop us, that doesn't mean they'll never get baptized or improve their life, it just means they're just not ready.
6. I'm not made for long distance dating and being focused on missionary work.
7. Bible bashing isn't worth my time or the Lord's time. Just testify and walk away.
8. I will never go a week without the sacrament if I can help it. It is too precious and so needed.
9. Don't be negative, that lets Satan in and then your thoughts become hard to control.
10. I'm so done with football in general. People here are OBSESSED. I literally see the number 12 everywhere I go and I actually kind of miss seeing crosses everywhere in the South.
11. Hanging a cross somewhere in your home (and all over churches, schools, daycare, etc.) is officially downright creepy. You're hanging a reminder that Jesus died! Like, dead. So morbid! The fact that he died is important, but it's just as important as the fact that he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and was resurrected. ALL of it is important. 
12. The gospel needs to be known by the heart and not just the mind. When only understood by the mind, you get people like the guy I met on Thursday who believes that Jesus really did come to America and wants the Book of Mormon to be true. BUT he holds too fast to the hearsay he has heard about the church and believes that the Book of Mormon is a "second gospel". Good person, just doesn't have a testimony.
13. Always just testify when I talk to my friends, if they have questions about doctrine, I should let the missionaries help me. My job as a member is be support and testimony, the missionaries teach and baptize.

etc...

But I kind of want to concentrate this little nugget right here: Alma 37:7 "...the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes...", Alma 37:6 "...that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass...", Alma 37:41 "...because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works...", 1 Nephi 16:29 "...by small means the Lord can bring about great things..." It really is the little things that matter! When we stop doing the small things like reading the Book of Mormon every single day and praying every day, we become casual in things like going to church and going to the temple. The little things build up and then before you know it you're not coming to church, you're working at another church in the daycare on Sundays, and wondering how you got there.

I know with a surety that the Book of Mormon is true. Real, in-depth study, is how we keep our testimonies alive. If you don't already know if it is true, I invite you to read it and find out for yourself. It will truly change your life as it has mine. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Simplicity of the Gospel

General Conference was so cool yesterday!!!!! Y'all should watch it (and if you've already seen it, watch it again). I love how simple and straight forward it all was. That's my favorite thing about the gospel: it is simple and straightforward. As we follow Jesus Christ we will be blessed in this life and in the next. I know that He lives and loves you. I know that He completed the Atonement for you, individually. I know that everything happens for a reason, even if it doesn't make sense now, I know that God has reasons for everything. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Christ the Redeemer Lives!

"I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, He lives who once was dead! He lives, my ever living head! He lives to bless me with His love! He lives to plead for me above! He lives, my hungry souls to feed! He lives to bless in time of need!" (I Know That My Redeemer Lives). I know Jesus Christ lives to wipe away your tears and heal you from the inside out. As you develop your faith in Him you know and love Him. As your faith grows, your desire to become like Him will also grow. As you exercise repentance and rely on Jesus Christ and the strength and healing He gives, you are able to come closer to Him. Through baptism you are cleansed of your sins. With the guidance of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, you are able to always have heavenly help any time you need it. As you take the sacrament worthily you get the privilege of having your sins washed away and get a fresh start to the week, just like being baptized and confirmed all over again. I know that as we do these things that the Savior and Heavenly Father will be proud of us and will support us in everything we do. I know He is the only way. I know that you can always come back, no matter what you've done. I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Your works are noticed!

I've learned a lot about relying on the Lord and how blessings do come and your work is always noticed by someone, even if it is just the Lord. He knows and loves you so much and no matter how far you think you've sunk, no matter how incomplete and ruined you feel, Jesus Christ can heal you. You just need to come to Him. I love how in Isaiah a phrase that is repeated over and over is, "mine arm is stretched out still." After all this wickedness and crazy stuff people are doing in rebellion against the Lord, he still loves them and you! In the name of jesus christ amen.

The importance of Members in missionary work

This week I have learned a lot about "teamwork". Sharing the gospel isn't only the responsibility of one missionary. It isn't only the job of one companionship. It isn't the job of the companionship and the ward mission leader. It is the whole ward working together to bring to pass the eternal life of man. You members are super important! As you share the gospel with your friends, you are fulfilling your baptismal covenent ("...willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in..." Mosiah 18:8-10). If you don't know how to do that, or it's hard or scary, guess who you can ask. The missionaries! (And I can email you individually a recording of a fireside with bunches of grand ideas :D). I know that through being one in heart and mind, we can share the gospel and baptize converts. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that as we follow Him, we will be happy and we will want to share that happiness. So go and share it! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. followhim.mormon.org

God Blesses Optimism

Always always always be optimistic. The Lord is willing to do anything and bless you numerously if you obey him with a happy and grateful heart. In order for us as missionaries, to teach about faith in Jesus Christ and to help people believe that he will help them, we have to be that way too. If we look at every door as a gamble rather than every door is going to let us in and be baptized, we won't have any baptisms.Our meeting talked about not only having and strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ, but having faith and optimism. Walking up to every single door with the attitude of, "This family will let us in! We will baptize this family!" It completely changed us and our perspective and the Lord has been pouring out His blessings on us since. We were able to have a wonderful lesson with two formers (former means someone who used to have an interest in investigating the church but for some reason stopped) (Jenny and David and Carolina) and they are wonderful and we have a return appointment with one of them (David and Carolina) and the phone number of the other one who loves us (Jenny).  If we look at every school project, test, interview, presentation, job, whatever, as a gamble or if it is doomed to fail, than it will fail. We have to have faith that if we just go and do believing the Lord will pick up the rest, He absolutely will. I testify that through Jesus Christ we can do all things. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.