Week 19

Dear Friends and Family, 

I can't believe that you had an apostle come to your Stake Conference.  That is truly amazing.  President Welch speaks like an Apostle so to think you had an apostle as well.  Wow you are pretty lucky. I can't even begin to imagine how powerful the spirit had to have been.  It sounds like it was just what you all needed to hear.  I hope that you all take the counsel that he gave you, and CHANGE!! There are so many times that we have these amazing spiritual experiences, and then we don't do anything about it.  We must change.  That is what this gospel is all about.  If you notice in each talk that is given there is always a commitment so write it down and put in on your mirror so you remember, and then strive each and everyday to live that commitment.  There will be days that you fail, but that is what repentance is all about. 

This week was such a humbling week.  Heavenly Father is really trying to teach me as I have given him my heart, but some days I give up before he is able to really mold me into who he wants me to be.  Each day I am striving to become better. We had an awesome district meeting where my mind was just going.  I was receiving so much revelation, and it was exactly what I needed to hear.  He talked about how the people we are teaching are Gods Children, and so we must be the best teachers.  He talked about how as we live the schedule we show the Lord we are obedient, and as we do that we will gain his trust with his children. He will put those who are prepared before us because he trusts us to teach them, and help them come unto Christ.  This hit me so strongly.  As I am EXACTLY obedient I am proving to Heavenly Father he can and should trust me.  Therefore I will see miracles.  Sister Belka taught me how to not just be obedient, but to be exactly obedient.  She taught me that I can’t just do what is asked, but I have to do more than is expected. I have to give it 120%.   Lately I have just been doing what is asked.  I haven’t been proving to Heavenly Father that I am willing to do whatever it takes.  I have so much to work on, and so much to change, but I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is allowing me to change, and is preparing me to be a DAUGHTER in his KINGDOM.  He then asked us each who we were before we came.  So I sat there and thought to myself who I was before I came.  I was very prideful.  I cared so much of what everyone thought of me. I was always trying to impress people when who I should have been impressing was my Heavenly Father.  I did the bare minimum in everything especially the gospel.  I remember nights when I would be too tired to say my prayers, and so I would say them in bed and fall asleep.  They never meant anything.  I never understood the Atonement. I didn’t realize the strength that it could bring me, and I didn’t understand what true repentance really was.  Everything and everyone came before the gospel.  I don’t ever want to be that girl again.  He then asked us who we were today.  Tears came to my eyes as I thought about how much I have changed.  Today I am a servant of the Lord.  I am striving to understand the atonement, and become who Heavenly Father needs me to become.  I am willing to do whatever the Lord asks me even when I know it is going to be so hard.  I am a representative of Jesus Christ.  I am changing and coming closer to Christ every single day. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and for his atoning sacrifice for me.  That he took upon all of my sins because he loves me, and wants me to return.  I LOVE this work.  I will put my heart on the table, and allow Heavenly Father to shape, and mold me into whom he needs me to become.  I know that it is going to be so hard, and there are days when I am going to want to quit and give up, but I have promised my Heavenly Father that I will not quit. This gospel means everything to me. 

We went and taught Jeff this week. He is slowly progressing.   One of my goals this week has been to be positive especially when it comes to our investigators.  I told myself that I am always going to focus on the progress that they are making, and how I can help them to progress even more instead of what they aren’t doing.  I truly want to be more charitable.  So we went and taught Jeff.  We had a team-up come with us.  She is awesome.  She has recently returned back to church and I just love her.  Jeff had been really depressed all week. Him and Sister Bain have gone through so many similar struggles in life.  She was so perfect to come and teach him.  They both just talked back and forth about how they have been able to deal with things.  I just had the strongest impression that I just needed to sit and listen.  So I did.  All of the conversation was not gospel related, but from the moment we walked in Jeff changed.  He had a different light about him.  He needed a friend today, and Sister Bain became that friend to him. It is amazing how Heavenly Father truly knows exactly what we need.  I had the strongest impression to call Sister Bain to come with us.  I am so grateful that I was able to listen to that prompting.  I know that Heavenly Father knew exactly what Jeff needed.  He is going to come to the trail center this week which we are so excited for because he does not like to leave his house.  So this is such a huge step for him.  After we met with Jeff we went and taught Erica Meadows.  They are a LA family.  The first time we met them there house was chaos.  There was no spirit there. She was so prideful, and just didn’t want to change.  We have been meeting with her for a couple of weeks now.  Heavenly Father has made her be humble.  She broke her foot, couldn’t pay for her bills or her phone.  Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong.  Heavenly Father knew exactly what he was doing because she is a new person.  Her and her family are now reading the scriptures every single day.  They are doing so much better.  As we walked into their home this week it was a completely different feeling.  You could actually feel the spirit.  As we were teaching them Erica was teaching her kids as well.  It was incredible.  They have committed to come to church.  I am so excited.  Heavenly Father definitely has a plan for each of us, and as we strive to do all that we can he will bless us.  Because they are living the principles miracles have happened with their family.  As we were reading the scriptures Erica asked her little boy why they read the scriptures, and he thought for a second, and then said mom it’s so our family can become stronger.  It was so cute, and so powerful.  This gospel is the only thing that can make us be happy.  We must live it each and every day, because it is the gospel that makes us stronger.

I am so grateful to be here! There are days that it is tough, but not a day goes by that it isn't worth it.  I know that Jesus is the Christ.  I know that it is only through him that we can have the true happiness that this gospel brings.  It sounds like so many trials have been happening, but that is only because Heavenly Father knows that you can handle it.  As you continue to go to the temple monthly, read your scriptures everyday, pray, serve, and become like the Savior I can promise you that everything will work out.  You must be changing everyday. If you haven't been putting the gospel first then you must repent, and try again tomorrow.  Commit today to change and be better. Become like the Savior. I love you all, and am so grateful for each of you, and the blessings that you bring to my life every day!! I love you!!

Sister Whittaker