Monday, June 25, 2012

Do you know what a $500 million flashlight is?


It's a lighthouse.
 
Heyyy errbody.
 
This week was pretty good. More like a slow and steady wins the race kind of good, but it's still good.
 
I have felt a lot lately like we plan good, full days, but everything falls through and then we're left with nothing to do and it kinda sucks. So one morning when I woke up I prayed that we could see lots of people that day and be busy. It was a pretty simple request, I wasn't asking for huge miracles, I just wanted people to be home that we went to visit. Ask and ye shall receive. Heavenly Father was looking out for his lil Sis. Chronic missionary that day.
 
We had a park day on Thursday where the whole mission was either biking, walking, or getting rides from members. Funnnnnnnn stuff, let me tell you. It actually was a pretty good day. We didn't have a dinner but at one of the houses we stopped by they invited us to stay then drove us to our next appt. Such kind people. And they have a cute little baby that's 3 weeks old. That I can't hold even though I reallllllly want to.
 
I realized this week that I need to know the scriptures a lot better. I don't use them very much in lessons because I don't know them, and it doesn't help the people that I teach to love the scriptures and to study them on their own. So I have already begun a quest to memorize references, verses, and identify specific passages that will be useful in teaching others about the gospel. In sacrament meeting on Sunday it was pounded into my brain. They were speaking on spiritual self-reliance and both speakers really emphasized reading the scriptures. The scriptures are our foundation and our fundamentals. That is where we will find the answers we need, feel the Spirit, and come to know the gospel and the Savior. Of course we need to study them more. One of the speakers taught seminary for a year and he talked about the difference between a lot of the students, the ones who read and studied and the ones who didn't He asked a good question: Are you learning from the scriptures? Or just losing sleep? The other speaker talked about how we need to master the fundamentals in any part of our lives. He compared it to baseball. When you read and study the scriptures, you don't need a home run. You just need a base hit. Something that will help you to keep going. You won't have some big spiritual experience or revelation every time you read, you can find something that will help you if you want it.
 
That's what the gospel is about. You do everything you can and the Lord will make up the rest. Grace is a very amazing thing. It is the divine help and strength we receive through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel is simple: faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, lather, rinse, repeat. BUT, the hard part is figuring out what we have to do before Christ will make up the difference. It may be that we have to read tons of scriptures, talk to the bishop, pray mightily, get professional help, apologize to someone, do a random act of kindness, etc. but we have to do it in order for us to turn it over to Christ and have Him finish it for us. We can't do it on our own, but Christ, who overcame the world, is offering us a hand of help. Why would we not take it? This probably all sounds pretty jumbled and sporadic, but it makes sense in my head. Promise.
 
We haven't heard much from Jane this week, she kind of fell off the face of the planet, but we talked to her on Saturday. Still trying to get her to church so we can help her figure out how she can make it back to God. A lot of things have been going wrong for her and she said that she feels like she is literally under attack. I have no doubt that she is. Satan is working very hard to keep her from getting on the right path. Good thing missionaries are super stubborn and diligent.
 
Love you all so much. Write me a letter or somethin if you get a chance. Talk to you next week!! Doubt not, fear not.
 
Love,
 
Sara

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