Tuesday, February 4, 2014

January 27, 2014 - Things Change

Hey you guys.  Things here are great. And by great I mean really really hard but that is why it is good. I read a really good article this week by Elder Scott about how to have a happy life and I really hope you guys go and read it.  It really inspired me to just be happy in the midst of trials.  Everyone has trials and no one wants to hear about yours.  That was probably my favorite quote in the discord haha.

Well anyway, yes it is true now, I am training.  Her name is Soeur Nciete and she is from France and she is really really pretty and adorable.  She tells me all the time I am too careless but she is still awesome.  It has been really hard here.  The members are still really unsure of me and don't really trust me yet because they really loved and trusted Soeur Ferrence and they kind of think I don't know what I am doing but I know that will come with the time.  All I know is we work really hard.  Every day we try to talk to everyone that is in our street and because of that we have been really blessed.  We found lots of new investigators and started to teach them.  When you are obedient the miracles come.

We decided to hike up this street that I had only been to one time before because no one was home normally, but this time I felt like it might be a good thing to do.  We hiked up and immediately found a mom with her two girls.  She was really nice and told us we could come back and teach a lesson with her.  It was actually way cool because her mom had just died that morning so we were able to testify to how she would see her mom again.  I know Heavenly Father wanted her to know that and have that comfort.  It is so crazy how Heavenly Father loves us each one so individually and cares about the littlest things. A quote I really loved this week I read was that Heavenly Father when He sees us suffering even though He knows that it will all turn out good in the end doesn't just say "get over it and keep going".  He really suffers with us.  He understands us and it really makes him sad every time we are sad.  That has really helped me.  The fact that I am struggling right now means just that I am learning and lot.  And oh boy can I tell you how much I am learning about humility.  I am always being humbled almost every single day, and yes it hurts but I know it is making me a better person.  Here is a poem President Monson shared this past conference that I loved.

Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees.
The further sky, the greater length.
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow

If that poem is true then I must be becoming a really strong tree.  haha.  But I am grateful really.  Things might be challenging but in the end I would choose the harder times.  What would we be if we never had trials to help us change?

Anyway I hope you know I am really doing everything I can think of to help others come to Christ. The most effective and best thing I have found I can do is just to love everyone;  Love them despite all of their addictions and bad manners haha.  This week I realized I really really love them, especially everyone in my sector.  Even the ones that are mean to me.  Their souls are precious in the eyes of God.
Love you all.
The little things make the big difference.