November 23, 2015
Hello family!
I have loved hearing from you all week :) mom I know that song from several car rides full of sisters and a mother who loves country ;) I love grandma’s China. thank you so much for getting it for me!
This last week has honestly been one of my favorite weeks on my mission. I honestly cannot say quite why. Nothing much has changed except me. I have come to love this work. I really enjoy every moment I can be out working. It's not really something I can describe or accurately explain, but I love it.
This week we saw so many miracles with the investigators we are working with. We have been teaching H and G. And as much as they understand everything and seem to love what we teach, they just haven't been willing to commit to baptism. We worked with A lot this week. But they finally came to church. And we went and taught a lesson and G turned to us and told us about how much she relates to Joseph Smith. She had been to so many churches and searched for so long to try and find the truth. When she came to the church she found the peace she had been looking for. They agreed to be baptized next week and I cannot wait! Talk about probably the best lesson I have ever been a part of.
Doing this work is just such a blessing. I'm so sorry if I'm coming off sounding silly, but when you work so hard with these people to try and help them understand and then they take a small step of faith and come to sacrament meeting and see a confirmation and then they ask you what was that they just did? And you get to bear simple testimony of the gift of the Holy Ghost and have them look you in their eyes and say I want that. What do I need to do to get that? It just kinda blows your mind a little bit how great God is.
This Sunday was the primary program. And yes it is just as cute in Spanish as it is in English. So my favorite Sunday of the year. We started off sacrament meeting with four of our investigators there and Hermana Esplin and I were stoked! We started singing the spirit of God and I was just feeling said spirit so strong. Then I looked up and Y walked into church with her family. My jaw dropped and I may have started crying a little. I know embarrassing. But it was just so beautiful to see her come because it has been such a fight to teach her and try to help her come to church. It was so beautiful because her two kids had part in the program. Probably my favorite part of the whole thing was sitting in a room full of recent converts and watch their faces as their children got up are bore their testimonies of Christ.
Y's son C is a little ball of energy. He was on a rampage up on the stand - classic primary program, and made me laugh so hard! But when his part came he got up there so proudly and said his line "¡sigo al profeta!" So loudly. Bishop had way too much fun playing the organ during the songs. All in all it was a perfect Sunday and I loved every minute of it.
Also just so you are aware I am so sorry for the lack of pictures. We have been asked to only use our iPads for missionary purposes so we haven't been taking pictures hardly at all. And so I literally have none to share with you. I'll try to be better. But all we have been doing in p-day is playing soccer so not much to take pictures of ;) today there were some Spanish kids our age on the field so we invited them to play. I think we all overestimated our playing abilities. They smoked us. I think it's just in their blood to be amazing at soccer.
Also just cuz I know mom is probably worried. As far as events in Europe. Everything here in Spain is going well :) things are normal and mission is great so no need to worry about little old us.
This week we had another chance to teach T. It is funny because he is very well versed in the Bible and has been very impressed with my scripture knowledge. Before you think I've lost all humility it's only because he loves Paul. And I love Paul. So I've studied him ;) other than at I'm lost. But the process has been trying to work with T to love the Book of Mormon. He doesn't even know how much he sounds like a member of the church when he talks. He thinks he is so alone in his beliefs and it is my favorite to tell him we believe much of the same things at he believes.
Other wonderful news! M came back from Italy! It happened on a night where all of our plans had failed us and we were starting to hit up the back up plans then all the sudden out of nowhere we get a phone call from M. And she says she is home and we go over and visit her right then. She introduced us to her cute husband who we are now teaching. I love at woman so much. I was just so happy to see her I think I might have scared her a little bit ;)
Last night we were out contacting and Hermana Esplin and I were again struck with just how much trust the Lord has in us. We contacted a man on the street who literally had just lost everything and was really just feeling very desperate. We taught him a lesson and got to bear testimony of the reality of the atonement and God’s love for us. Seeing the hope build back up into his eyes made my heart swell. (I never realized just how awesome that phrase was until I used it!) We left him with a Book of Mormon and he gave us his info. So I'd say things are really about to change for this man :)
Just to finish up I wanted to share with you what I have been studying this wonderful month of November. I have been focusing on charity. Charity is something I have not really understood. Okay I mean I understood it. I had always heard it's the pure love of Christ. But I guess I never knew how to apply it. Or what a strength it really is. Charity is truly loving as Christ would - always expecting the best from people. Even if they have let you down or done less than you hoped they would. Just like our Savior always loves us. Even when we let him down and do less than he hopes. Charity is the opposite of judgement. It is understanding we can never understand everything someone is going through enough to judge them. And loving them for what they are, including their weaknesses, just as we hope to be loved.
But I have learned also that charity is even more than this. Charity is extending that same love to ourselves. Charity is accepting our weaknesses. And feeling God’s love for us, even when we feel we don't deserve it. How could we expect to give something to others, if we can't even give it to ourselves?
Also the phrase “charity never faileth” [1 Corinthians 13:8; Moroni 7:46] never really made sense to me before Hermana Esplin and I talked about it. We talked about motivation. I am a food motivated person. So when food is on the line. I can make myself do just about anything. But when I am full that motivation fails. But when charity is our motivation that motivation will literally never fail us. We will always want to do better and give more. Because hate will always hurt us and bitterness always destroy, but charity will never fail us!
I want to apply this so much better in my life but it is a process because I have learned that perfection is not a state. It is a path we all have to walk but every step takes us closer to our Father in Heaven!
You are all the best!
I have loved hearing from you all week :) mom I know that song from several car rides full of sisters and a mother who loves country ;) I love grandma’s China. thank you so much for getting it for me!
This last week has honestly been one of my favorite weeks on my mission. I honestly cannot say quite why. Nothing much has changed except me. I have come to love this work. I really enjoy every moment I can be out working. It's not really something I can describe or accurately explain, but I love it.
This week we saw so many miracles with the investigators we are working with. We have been teaching H and G. And as much as they understand everything and seem to love what we teach, they just haven't been willing to commit to baptism. We worked with A lot this week. But they finally came to church. And we went and taught a lesson and G turned to us and told us about how much she relates to Joseph Smith. She had been to so many churches and searched for so long to try and find the truth. When she came to the church she found the peace she had been looking for. They agreed to be baptized next week and I cannot wait! Talk about probably the best lesson I have ever been a part of.
Doing this work is just such a blessing. I'm so sorry if I'm coming off sounding silly, but when you work so hard with these people to try and help them understand and then they take a small step of faith and come to sacrament meeting and see a confirmation and then they ask you what was that they just did? And you get to bear simple testimony of the gift of the Holy Ghost and have them look you in their eyes and say I want that. What do I need to do to get that? It just kinda blows your mind a little bit how great God is.
This Sunday was the primary program. And yes it is just as cute in Spanish as it is in English. So my favorite Sunday of the year. We started off sacrament meeting with four of our investigators there and Hermana Esplin and I were stoked! We started singing the spirit of God and I was just feeling said spirit so strong. Then I looked up and Y walked into church with her family. My jaw dropped and I may have started crying a little. I know embarrassing. But it was just so beautiful to see her come because it has been such a fight to teach her and try to help her come to church. It was so beautiful because her two kids had part in the program. Probably my favorite part of the whole thing was sitting in a room full of recent converts and watch their faces as their children got up are bore their testimonies of Christ.
Y's son C is a little ball of energy. He was on a rampage up on the stand - classic primary program, and made me laugh so hard! But when his part came he got up there so proudly and said his line "¡sigo al profeta!" So loudly. Bishop had way too much fun playing the organ during the songs. All in all it was a perfect Sunday and I loved every minute of it.
Also just so you are aware I am so sorry for the lack of pictures. We have been asked to only use our iPads for missionary purposes so we haven't been taking pictures hardly at all. And so I literally have none to share with you. I'll try to be better. But all we have been doing in p-day is playing soccer so not much to take pictures of ;) today there were some Spanish kids our age on the field so we invited them to play. I think we all overestimated our playing abilities. They smoked us. I think it's just in their blood to be amazing at soccer.
Also just cuz I know mom is probably worried. As far as events in Europe. Everything here in Spain is going well :) things are normal and mission is great so no need to worry about little old us.
This week we had another chance to teach T. It is funny because he is very well versed in the Bible and has been very impressed with my scripture knowledge. Before you think I've lost all humility it's only because he loves Paul. And I love Paul. So I've studied him ;) other than at I'm lost. But the process has been trying to work with T to love the Book of Mormon. He doesn't even know how much he sounds like a member of the church when he talks. He thinks he is so alone in his beliefs and it is my favorite to tell him we believe much of the same things at he believes.
Other wonderful news! M came back from Italy! It happened on a night where all of our plans had failed us and we were starting to hit up the back up plans then all the sudden out of nowhere we get a phone call from M. And she says she is home and we go over and visit her right then. She introduced us to her cute husband who we are now teaching. I love at woman so much. I was just so happy to see her I think I might have scared her a little bit ;)
Last night we were out contacting and Hermana Esplin and I were again struck with just how much trust the Lord has in us. We contacted a man on the street who literally had just lost everything and was really just feeling very desperate. We taught him a lesson and got to bear testimony of the reality of the atonement and God’s love for us. Seeing the hope build back up into his eyes made my heart swell. (I never realized just how awesome that phrase was until I used it!) We left him with a Book of Mormon and he gave us his info. So I'd say things are really about to change for this man :)
Just to finish up I wanted to share with you what I have been studying this wonderful month of November. I have been focusing on charity. Charity is something I have not really understood. Okay I mean I understood it. I had always heard it's the pure love of Christ. But I guess I never knew how to apply it. Or what a strength it really is. Charity is truly loving as Christ would - always expecting the best from people. Even if they have let you down or done less than you hoped they would. Just like our Savior always loves us. Even when we let him down and do less than he hopes. Charity is the opposite of judgement. It is understanding we can never understand everything someone is going through enough to judge them. And loving them for what they are, including their weaknesses, just as we hope to be loved.
But I have learned also that charity is even more than this. Charity is extending that same love to ourselves. Charity is accepting our weaknesses. And feeling God’s love for us, even when we feel we don't deserve it. How could we expect to give something to others, if we can't even give it to ourselves?
Also the phrase “charity never faileth” [1 Corinthians 13:8; Moroni 7:46] never really made sense to me before Hermana Esplin and I talked about it. We talked about motivation. I am a food motivated person. So when food is on the line. I can make myself do just about anything. But when I am full that motivation fails. But when charity is our motivation that motivation will literally never fail us. We will always want to do better and give more. Because hate will always hurt us and bitterness always destroy, but charity will never fail us!
I want to apply this so much better in my life but it is a process because I have learned that perfection is not a state. It is a path we all have to walk but every step takes us closer to our Father in Heaven!
You are all the best!
Hermana Smalley
No comments:
Post a Comment