Monday, October 14, 2013

October 14th, 2013


Good Morning!
 
Update from here in South Carolina! First embarassing/proud moment of mine:
As missionaries we teach lessons to everyone to be able to learn more about the gospel. So the other night, my compaion gets up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and she hears me teaching the Plan of Salvation (lesson two) in my sleep! She said that she wanted to testify of what I was saying (as missionaries we double testify) but that she was too tired and went to bed. When she told me in the morning I was a little embarassed for
sleep talking, but SO proud! I don't remember dreaming or even thinking about that lesson so it made me feel really good. This made me feel like I have made it in life as a missionary to have taught in my sleep!
 
Good News: We have 3 baptisms on Saturday! One is a 24 year old man named Tim who LOVES the gospel. The two others are siblings: Zach (16) and Jessica (19). Both of their parents were less active for 16 years but are now all very active. His Dad is even going to baptize them. It is so wonderful!
 
This week I was able to go to the Temple. It was so wondeful to be in the House of the Lord and feel peace there. For those of you who haven't gone to the Temple in a while, GO! Go this week! While there, our mission President, President Holm joined us. Shout out to the Hares and Brewers: Their daughter served a mission in Rochester, NY and is now getting married in two weeks!
 
Miracle Moment: As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we belive in the Word of Wisdom, which is a commandment that helps our body to stay healthy and clean so that the Spirit can dwell with us. One of our investigators, Pamela, gave us her coffee maker, tea, and all her coffee! One of the proudest moments of my mission! We didn't even have to ask for that. She gave it to us to show her committment to follow God and keep the word of wisdom which prohibits coffee and tea! We have been teaching her family for a little while now and she is going to be getting baptized next month! Love it! (I'll attach a photo later).
 
This week we had a day that was somewhat difficult. Everything, I mean everything started to fall apart, appointments, rides,  investigators, just everything. Somtimes in life this happens, things start to get hard or go bad, often all at once, but believe it or not these are some of my favorite days! I love hard days becuase I know that a miracle is going to happen right afterwards. I expect it. We learn in Ether 12:6 that we "receive no witness until after the trial of your (our) faith." I know that is true. When things get hard we just say, wow, Satan must be trying really hard right now because something good is about to happen! So I invite all yall to apply that to your life. View tough things as a trial and a blessing. Stay postive, rely on the Lord, and get through it. I promise you that if you do that then you will be blessed and see God's hand in your life.
 
Lastly, I would like to close with a story that was shared to us in Stake Conference by a memeber of the 70, Elder Johnson:He said that one day is daughter was shopping in the store for Christmas and found these beautiful music boxes, the kind that play music and have a ballerina dance. She knew that her two young daughters would just love them. She spent a while debating whether or not she should get the big ones or small ones. She finally decided to get two big ones, as she was about to check out, she realized that her neices birthday was about to come up and she needed a present, so she went back and got a small music box as well.
 
She came home and showed her 4 year old, Marcy, the small music box that they were going to give to her cousin. Upon seeing the box, Marcy started to cry. Her Mom, totally bewildered, asked Marcy what was wrong. She replied that the music box was just what she wanted and continued to cry more. Her Mom, smiling to herself, told Marcy that maybe she would get one for Christmas, a better one. Marcy then started to cry even more (for 30 minutes) stating that that wasn't possible becuause this was the most perfect on there ever could be and she wanted this one. Marcy was unable to comprehend that there could be something better in store for her.
 
This relates perfectly to us. God must smile knowing what he has in store for us. He see's the big picture, the end from the beggining. Often we state firmly that we want something now and we want just that, but he knows that there is something better in store for us if we can just wait. He has something much bigger and better than we could possibly imagine. He has the large music box when we think that we want the small.
 
I know that God, our Heavenly Father, just wants the best for us. While we have a limited perspective, he has an all knowing one. He knows what is best for us and that's what He wants to give us if we can just wait and trust Him. We all need to trust God a little more and believe that He does want the best for us and will give us the best if we can only follow and trust His word.
 
Funny Moment: We biked a good amount this week! We were biking in some slight rain and ran into an older gentleman on his bike. He said " Ya'll better be get going, you know, sugar melts in the rain!" It made us laugh!
 
Love Ya'll,
 
Sister Anderson
 
 

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