Monday, March 12, 2018

Quotes...Week #83

Hey howdy hey Momma! 

Yes it’s been sunny and pretty close to paradise! It’s been real in Mesa this week. We have had a lot of good things happen, particularly people’s hearts being softened. Heavenly Father definitely helped us out and he allowed us to see miracles happen.

My eye is doing good. I mean I can’t feel anything, I’m just putting in the drops and hoping that they will do the job. I don’t want to have to go to daily contacts...that wouldn’t be fun. And yeah I’m making sure I’m using my medicine like I should :) 


On another subject I can’t believe Nate is finally getting to go  on his mission. That’s so crazy to me, it makes me feel old for some reason😂 He’s a really good friend and he will be a stellar missionary. See you in 2 buddy!✌️ I pray for my friends every chance I get, I know that they need the prayers. I love them all so much. I know that some of my friends have struggled with the decision to serve a mission.  Honestly if they can’t decide whether or not they want to go, they just need to do it.  Sometimes you just need to act in faith and trust that God will do miracles for you. Forget about whether or not you want to go, the only thing that matters is that God wants you to go. This quote by President Hinckley changed the way I look at missions, he said “Young [men], I hope all of you are pointed in the direction of missionary service. I cannot promise you fun. I cannot promise you ease and comfort. I cannot promise you freedom from discouragement, from fear, from downright misery at times. But I can promise you that you will grow as you have never grown in a similar period during your entire lives. I can promise you a happiness that will be unique and wonderful and lasting. I can promise you that you will reevaluate your lives, that you will establish new priorities, that you will live closer to the Lord, that prayer will become a real and wonderful experience, that you will walk with faith in the outcome of the good things you do.”   When I think back to before my mission, I'm not sure I was entirely ready to be a missionary.  I was scared. Honestly I would have never been totally ready, I don't think you are ever fully ready for a mission. The mission changes you; but you won’t change if you don’t give it a chance. I've changed. And I'm so glad I decided to go on a mission. 

First I’ll just talk about our zone Conference that we had on Wednesday. It was fun because it was in my greenie area and it’s always a treat to go back there. Plus the stake relief society presidency prepared lunch for us and I know most of them, so it was fun to see them again. Zone Conferences are the hype for missionaries😂 It’s a big rally, well except that it’s reverent😂 You either go out of the meeting feeling like you were just called to repentance or you go out with a renewed excitement for missionary work! It’s always a fun time being with all your friends. It’s crazy to think but I’ve known a bunch of these guys for a year and a half now. They are some of my closest friends. You make the best of friends on your mission!

There were a few miracles that happened this week. We found a part member family whose son Corvin is not a member. He is only 10 and so it’s been fun talking with him. He’s seriously a genius, one of the smartest 10 year olds I’ve met. He started asking us questions about God and Jesus Christ and we helped answer some of those. We needed up sitting down with him and his Mom(who is innactive) and taught part of the first lesson. It was very cool. That’s a huge breakthrough for us. And their family is funny, their house is like a star wars museum. It’s insane, they all know everything about Star Wars. Sister H. has tons of Star Wars tattoos and she is a hardcore fan😂 When she talks about it I feel pretty lost, so I just smile and nod my head😂 I told her she couldn’t spoil the new movie for me haha

We had to go to the doctor this week, Elder Burninghams wrist has been giving him some trouble. Turns out he has tendinitis in his wrist. So we’ve been walking for the last few days. If the pain doesn’t go away in a week or two, then they will have to give him some type of shot. Hopefully it heals up as well as my eye. We’ve suddenly become really good friends with Sister Parker, our mission nurse, over the last few weeks😅😑

I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Blands companion on Saturday. His name is Elder Crandall and he’s from Colorado. Also he’s a 6’8” giant haha. His bike seat is soooo high, I tried riding it and I wrecked😂 We had a fun exchange, it rained a little bit so we were enjoying that too. Pioneer ward had a 20 year anniversary party so we got to see all of the ward plus some old ward members. Some people have been in this area for 40 plus years. It’s super crazy, our wards keep getting smaller because half of the ward is really old and they keep dying off. It’s sad but some of them are sooo ready to go, we hear all about it😅 Anyways we had a good exchange and I got a pair of Wheaties socks out of it😁

I’ve been pondering and studying a lot about the gift of forgiveness. It amazes me just how much God will forgive us. He will always forgive us if we try our best to fix what we’ve done wrong. I recently read a talk by Elder Holland and he says:

 “surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it.
I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.
Whether you are not yet of our faith or were with us once and have not remained, there is nothing in either case that you have done that cannot be undone. There is no problem which you cannot overcome. There is no dream that in the unfolding of time and eternity cannot yet be realized. Even if you feel you are the lost and last laborer of the eleventh hour, the Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning. “Come boldly [to] the throne of grace,” and fall at the feet of the Holy One of Israel. Come and feast “without money and without price” at the table of the Lord.”

I know that no matter how much we have sinned, how far we have fallen, and how unworthy we feel, God will forgive us. There had been a lot of times growing up where I felt unforgivable because I made the same mistakes over and over again. Now being on my mission I’ve gained a new understanding of Heavenly Fathers mercy and forgiveness for me. I know He lives and gave His son so I can be freed from sin. I love being a missionary! 

I love you Momma! Sorry for the huge email😂 I hope you have a great week!



Monson Zone! 

Trying out Elder Crandalls bike,
look how high his seat is😂

My new socks!

And some cool car pics from the week...