June 13, 2017 "In the Strength of the Lord"

In the strength of the Lord

Well, everyone. Summer has BEGUN. With all the great glory of humidity, sweltering heat, and all the Utah families on their church history tours :) (side note, every time i talk at the jail my throat closes up, so either I'm doing too much talking or I'm allergic to the jail?¿)

this week we had a lot of appointments cancel but we did a TON of service for people. Like I don't know if I've done so much hard work in the past 5 years... haha

But other than that there were a couple highlights.

The major one being MLC! The last one with President Vest :(

But wow it was amazing. They just all trained on straight doctrine and I was so uplifted and edified.

BUT SERIOUSLY this is the entry from my journal:

Ahh. Meetings as a missionary are the literal best ever.

Especially MLC because it's like the elite A-Team.

I just am so grateful for the spiritual bubble that you're in when you're in meetings like that.

All the Trainings were one the doctrine of Christ and it was just amazing. All in all I really just cherish these moments because you can't get them anywhere else. There's not many other times when gather with other people who have sacrificed and are as committed to the gospel as a group of missionaries, all united I Gods work.

I am so grateful for the other leaders I serve with! They're so amazing. At the end we all were just talking and all so happy and filled with the love for Hod and for our fellow men. And I'm just like you know, this is like a glimpse into the eternities. I love each of the missionaries I have been able to serve with. We're all just like family and truly some of my best friends. Haha it was funny to see all my Zone leaders I've ever had on my mission, especially the ones I've had a year ago when I got out to the field. It's cool to see how much we have all grown. Ahh. The spirit just was so strong. The gospel is so amazing. Like really there is no other thing on this planet that could make you happier and more peaceful than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This work we are engaged in is REAL and I love it. God is so good.

Anyway the other sweet thing this week was a couple of our youth activities!!

Since tracting in Doniphan is like running up to a brick wall, we have been working with the youth a TON, which I'm sure I've mentioned because they're the goldmine.

This week we had a couple activities trying to create events where it was non threatening and cool enough for teenagers so the youth would want to come, and be able to invite their nonmember friends!

Sadly the nonmembers invited weren't able to show, but it was still so fun! One of the activities was last night. This member family hosted 6 of the youth in the ward at their house and we had a literal Fireside. Aka "Bond" fire ;)

It was so fun! These kids are stellar. And when you take their parents out of the picture, they just open up to you and they are rock solid in their testimonies!

We had a whole discussion with them and it was the coolest because it was like teaching my younger siblings. And really, we wanted to show them that missionary work isn't just knocking on doors, reciting lessons ... but it's building faith and developing a stronger relationship with Christ - so strong you want others to have it!

I wish the missionaries in my area growing up would have worked with me this same way because it would have made a world of a difference.

A few other things I'm grateful for and I learned this week was first:

I've been really grateful for prayer this week because I feel like I have so many different emotions and thoughts going through my head .. but I can't talk with anyone about them, because either I don't want to bring it up because it won't help anything or no one will understand. But I just am so grateful that God understands. That He'll listen to me, and that He can understand me even when I don't have the words to explain. And that is something very, very comforting to me. He doesn't need to answer, it's just to know He will listen.

Something else that set the tone for my week was a couple scriptures in Mosiah 9 that really stood out to me in my Doctrine of Christ BOM study...

17 Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers.

18 And God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we did go forth in his might; yea, we did go forth against the Lamanites, and in one day and a night we did slay three thousand and forty-three; we did slay them even until we had driven them out of our land.

This week I have had to rely on that "strength of the Lord". I have no idea who is ready here, I have no idea what people need to hear, I need the energy to get through a long at the jail... and all those things are possible in the strength of the Lord. Because He can do all things. We will be blessed with the things we need, with success in our goals... with the people who are prepared! Just as the nephites were blessed able to slay 3,043 Lamanites, as we go forth in the strength of the lord :)

That's my two cents for this week. Stay tuned till next week, when I will unbelievable have cleared the hurdle of being out for a full year.

Craziness.

Love you all!

Make today amazing.