8-18-2014

Hey family and friends!

Gosh, I love you guys. It's gotta be a great week when everyone you thought about saying, 'hey! I don't think I've talked to this person in a while! I will write them this week.' then writes YOU, and then you feel overwhelmed and happy because you have all this responding to do to people you love. Heavenly Father has blessed me an awful lot.

UPDATE:

It's been...well, not going to lie, it's been a bit of a weird and tough week. Hence the awesomeness of so many great emails! And letters! Definitely manageable, but still a little tough. Wonderful highlight, which I will list out below...but among the tough things, these were some: Demi, most progressing on-date investigator, dropped us. Or rather, her step-dad told us we were pressuring her and not to come back. *sigh* It's not until someone's out of your life sometimes that you really realized you love them. And I do love that little twiggy thing. There's still definitely a chance that she'll come back, but the ball is pretty much in her court. Annnnnddd...Sister Van Leuven and I discovered that

stubborness+hormones+emotions+infinity difficult Law of Chastity lessons=stress! So that was kinda the week. But we are still optimistic and hopeful, and looking forward to more miracles this week. At the end of every day I am grateful for the gospel and for the knowledge that though life can be super rough and nasty, "the Savior has descended below all things." There's literally no depth you can travel to that he can't help you out of if you let him.

PROFILE:

Name: Christine

Age: ...We didn't ask and I can't tell because (read on)

Nationality: she's Asian! Filipino actually. And it's really hard to tell how old asians are. In general.

Accessory of Choice: Cool London shirt and a Blue Jeep

Wonderful miracle: SHE TEXTED US BACK AFTER A WEEK ASKING IF WE HAD A BIBLE STUDY OR TAUGHT LESSONS! ...Why yes, of course we do! :)

Extra miracle: She came to the church for a lesson, and then to Institute afterwards. LIKE A BOSS.

Why she was understandably overwhelmed: Institute is dense. And our teacher teaches at a really high level. Most people are pretty overwhelmed their first time.

Why we're so happy about it: She fully accepted a committment to be baptized! Says she's looking for a home, and wants to make Christ a bigger part of her life. So cool! (plus Bishop's wife is Filipino, and he's like "Bring her to our house. She'll get baptized." Pretty cool. :P) 

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

This is going to be quick because I'm at 39 minutes to respond to ERRYONE...but here goes. In institute this week our teacher Brother Pickett brought up a really cool point. He said:

Bro Picket: When do we die to sin?

*general hush*

Sister Hale: ...at Baptism?

Bro Pickett: At Baptism! And do we continue to sin after baptism? Of course. But we hate it. It's dead to us. It doesn't enliven us any more.

I thought this was a really cool perspective. Paul says it really well too in Romans 7:15-16 (the JST version)

"But now I am spiritual; for that which I am commanded to do, I do; and that which I am commanded not to allow, I allow not.

For what I know is not right, I would not do; for that which is sin, I hate."

I know that sin being dead to us is one sign of true conversion. It's one indication of a 'mighty change of heart', that 'change of compass directions' that Brother Robinson discusses in his awesome book, Following Christ. Even if I am far from perfect and fail to my natural man every day, I do know I hate it. That I do not revel in sin. And knowing that I've experienced some of the fruits of that real conversion is a comfort to me. To those of you still seeking it, keep going! It makes life that much more meaningful and right.

PICTURE:

Didn't take a lot this week, except for my warty finger. SOOOO...! You'll have to be content with an old one. Sorry!

JK! I have one new one. I ran into Z again! And he still likes me! Super awesome miracle.

I love you all! And hope that you are doing wonderfully well.

XOXOX

Sister Hale