7-28-2014

Wow, how time flies. There it is, obligatory comment! But this time, very true. A whole 'nother transfer under my belt, and what do I have to show for it? Well…that waits to be seen. But, Dustin from my old area got baptized this last week, and we're preparing Brittany to be baptized this upcoming Thursday! Fun stuff. But that should all go…

in this section! UPDATE:

Things are going pretty well! Had a whole batch of sisters come stay with us last night, and they left for the airport this morning (our apartment is really close to the mission office :) ). Sad, and a little weird…and I made them pancake with Bishop's Storehouse pancake mix this morning! But yeah. Still 4 months away for me, which is beginning to feel like a reasonably substantial amount of time. So no panic attacks about going home yet. ;)

ALSO, just got word that Sister Van Leuven and I will be staying together for another transfer! Sweet! Not 100% if that means that we'll be Sister Training Leaders again…(President has a way of mixing things up; doesn't want to create an elite leadership class among the missionaries, so things change fairly often) but I'll let you know. It's been a way fun way to spend this last transfer though, and definitely a blessing to fulfill that assignment.

PROFILE:

Name: James

Age: Undetermined

Accessory of choice: Wolf T-shirt

Relationship to others we're working with: Heather's internet boyfriend/fiance, made real!

Weird circumstance: He was going to come live with Heather (see last week's profile) for a couple weeks, and then propose...but then after last week's experience she didn't want him to live with her, so even though they didn't meet each other till this past week, they're getting married today. Not breaking the Law of Chastity though! ...So that's good!

Circumstance of our meeting him: Heather wanted us to teach him about Eternal Marriage, because she wants to marry him in the temple in a year! :D

What was awesome about our lesson: Had a stellar member with us (who's been everywhere and done everything…and has still come back), took a church tour, and then talked about the Temple and felt the spirit really strongly.

Why I'm a little nervous: They missed our appointment on Saturday, and then we didn't hear anything…so trying to figure out what's going down. Hope that everything's alright. :/ But, we've passed them off to family ward, because married people do not = YSA! So it's out of our hands…but still, I hate that. Lack of control. BAH.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

I am very grateful for the scriptures; grateful for the spiritual sustenance they give me, and can give us every day. I particularly love the Book of Mormon, and it's clarity and power in testifying to us what we need to do to "gain peace in this life, and eternal salvation in the life to come." (BoM intro) It's just one of those books that is really hard to read without changing your life, which is one reason I'm so glad to be passing it along to people we meet. I'll just share one verse from the Book of Mormon that is a theme of the entire thing, and something good to keep in mind wherever you are in life.

It's everywhere, but here's one instance of the Lord speaking to Nephi (1 Nephi 2:19-20)

"And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be lead to a land of promise…And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee (i.e., not keeping the commandments), they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord"

I have witnessed that this is a true promise. What is interesting to me is that the consequence is not "and flames of fire shall be poured down upon your head" for not keeping the commandments, but rather that "ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord." This basically means that those who don't keep the commandments won't qualify for the added blessings, protection and insight of the spirit afforded to those who do keep the commandments. They also feel distanced from the Lord, and don't receive a fullness of the blessings they could've received (the 'prospering in the land'). I know that as I've tried to humble myself and keep the commandments, I have been prospered. Conversely when I have not…not so much. And I encourage each of you to seek those blessings of nearness to God in your own lives, if you haven't felt them much as of late.

PICTURE:

​That's our sweet District (or should I say, Sistrict), basically unchanged in this transfer. And that's the beach we spent our last P-day at; pretty sweet :)

Love you all! Feel free to write, as always :)

XOXO

Sister Hale