We have Sister M's baptism for this Saturday at 10am and she's still going strong! I just love this ward and this area I'm serving in so very much. The members are amazing, the investigators we have are amazing, and each and everyday I learn so very much and I just love it.
This week was actually pretty scary because Sister M left town on Tuesday when we were supposed to have an appointment with her to take care of her sick aunt up in Jacksonville. It was so difficult to stay in contact with her while she was gone. We were so worried she was going to fall back into smoking while she was away but she finally called us up yesterday morning and said that she was on her way back to Kinston. She said she had been pressured by her family to stay up in Jacksonville longer but she couldn't because she was "missing my bible study" (what she calls our lessons) and missing church that day. So she drove home saying she missed us so we set up an appointment to see her last night and it was just awesome. We finally hashed out the rest of the details for her baptism--the songs, who was going to say the prayers and give the talks. She is just so excited.
It is such an amazing blessing to share the gospel. To teach those searching for light but "know not where to find it." It can be discouraging at times to try and give the gospel to everyone you meet and have them reject it, but that's agency. We are agents to act, not agents to be acted upon. We have to choose for ourselves the "better part" no matter how difficult it is. Sometimes the "better part" is entirely different from what we expected, sometimes the Lord tells us and directs us one way and then sends us another way halfway through and its all because He knows better.
One of the videos we have to watch is on this set of Doctrine and Covenants/Church History dvds and its about Zion's Camp. Now Zion's Camp was a militia pulled together by the early church to go and bring supplies and defend the church members in Missouri and the Lord promised them that if they were a part of that militia that "not a hair of thy head" will be harmed. Through much tribulation and difficult Zion's Camp pushed on to get from Ohio to Missouri. Halfway through after seeing many miracles, the Prophet Joseph Smith proclaimed that the Lord had now commanded them to turn back because He would fight their battles for them. Now many of the Saints in Zion's Camp were extremely upset at this. They had traveled so far and gone through much affliction only to turn back?! There was an uproar in the camp--many saying they were going to press on anyway. The Prophet Joseph Smith then warned them that if they weren't obedient to the Lord that the scourge He had protected them from the whole time would no longer be held back. They ignored his prophetic warning and paid the consequences. Many of the members died from disease and dysentery until they humbled themselves and obeyed. When Zion's Camp made it back to Kirtland, Ohio the townspeople mocked them asking, "how is it to know that you made it halfway there only to have to turn around?!" Brigham Young turned to them and said with fierceness, "I wouldn't trade that experience for all the money in the county!"
That's how we should be when things don't go our way. One of my favorite quotes goes something like "When the Lord removes something from your hands its so they can be open for him to give you something even better!" So when things don't seem to work out or people go on being imperfect or life events are just miserable--just have faith. The Lord does everything for our benefit. Every trial is to help us grow stronger and greater. We just have to have faith in Him.
Alrighty! I love you all! Hope all is well with everyone! Tomorrow is transfers so all the mail is being held at the mission office until after so I haven't received anything you may or may not have sent. But I love everyone and go read your scriptures!
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