Submitting to the Will of God

This past week, I learned a lot about the importance of submitting to Heavenly Father's plan and timing and just enjoying what He has in store for you. I have been waiting for a visa to Brazil for over 10 months now, and transfers are coming up. We received a phone call letting us know that my companion would be getting transferred and I would be training a new sister missionary. The mission president told me that I should really ponder and consider if I still wanted to wait for my visa at this point in my mission (since sisters serve for 18 months) or if I wanted to just permanently stay here in North Carolina. It was a lot of news all at once. The idea of never getting to teach the gospel in Portuguese like I had planned was disheartening, but I started to just accept that it must be for a reason that my visa wasn't coming and if God really just wanted me here, then I would be better off to just accept it and run with it! I decided to keep the option open of my visa still coming, but to mentally tell myself that I was going to be in North Carolina for the rest of my mission. After much prayer and pondering, I really felt good about it and started to get excited about serving here. For the record, I have loved the past 10 months here in North Carolina and know that Heavenly Father has needed me here for very specific reasons all this time. I do not regret any of it. But, it wasn't until just recently that I could honestly say that I was happy to be here for the rest of my mission and that I would be completely alright if my visa never came. I felt at peace finally with the idea of it, trusting that God had a reason for it all that I would be shown someday.

Fast forward to four days later, when I received another phone call from the mission president. Can you believe it? My visa had gone through and I would be leaving in 3 weeks for Brazil! I could not, and honestly still don't, quite believe it. All those times that God had told me that He had a time and a season for everything turned out to be true! Well, of course they did. But the miracle to me was that He prepared me, taught me, and lead me to reach the point where I not only accepted His will for me, but I was excited for it and happy with it. I know that as we truly turn our desires over to the Lord and allow Him to work in our lives, we will be lead to where we need to be when we need to go there. I would never have planned things to work out the way that they have, but I also would never change the past 10 months either. Though it is hard to see why certain things happen to us, I know that everything has a purpose. We are meant to learn from our trials and struggles. As we are patient and have faith in Jesus Christ, He will magnify our futures to be more than we could have dreamed.

Power and Authority from God

Recently, we have been working with someone who is preparing to be baptized next month. She is working on quitting smoking and drinking first in order to prepare for that baptism and requested help. I was so grateful that we could offer to have someone come and give her a priesthood blessing of healing and comfort. Two men from the Church who have been given that proper priesthood authority from God were able to come to her home and pronounce a blessing upon her from God. The Spirit filled the room and she felt an even stronger resolve to quit. I have also received many priesthood blessings in the past, mostly for comfort and counsel, but also for healing from illness. These blessings are so special because they are not just a nice prayer or thought from someone -- they are filled with promises and encouragement directly from God. These men who hold the authority of the priesthood to give blessings act in the name of Christ as a mouthpiece for God. They are guided by His Spirit to know what He would have them say. The priesthood is so important because it is the power and authority from God to act in His name. This power is used to baptize, give blessings, run Christ's church, and many other things. I am so grateful that God has made it possible for His children to have access to that power and the blessings of it. It gives me comfort to know that He loves us so much that He has restored that power to the Earth. Read more about the Restoration of the priesthood and Christ's church here: http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/restoration

Finding Joy in the Journey

This morning, we had a great meeting together as a zone, or group of missionaries in this area. We discussed a lot of different principles and how we can be better teachers and love people more. I learned a lot, but the overall message that came across to me was not one that was said. Instead, I was impressed with the enthusiasm, happiness, joy, and peace of those who were instructing us and sharing. They were confident in their purpose and that through Jesus Christ, they would be able to help those in need. They truly rejoiced in the opportunity that they have to be able to lift and serve those around them and share the knowledge of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Something someone said really stuck out to me; he told us that it is not enough just to believe in Christ, but that we have to believe Christ. We have to believe that He truly has sacrificed for us individually and that because of Him, change is possible and even desirable. Through the power of Jesus Christ, miracles happen. You can overcome your weakness, endure your hardships, and become a better person. You can find happiness that will last for eternity, instead of just the fleeting highs that the world offers. True joy and peace is found when you know that you are doing what God wants you to do and that He is helping you. As we follow His counsel and commandments, we can be confident in doing what He has asked of us and that it will work out for the best. Life will not be easy, but there is always something to look forward to! We can be happy forever and in the present as we learn to do what the Lord asks of us better and better each day. I know that as we develop strong faith in Christ, life is so much better. Do what is right even when it is not easy or popular.

Patterns of Light

This past weekend at church, we had a lesson about how to receive answers, guidance and direction from God. In other words, how to recognize and interpret revelation for ourselves. We talked about how the Lord has given us the opportunity to feel His Spirit from day to day and act on those feelings. We watched these 3 videos, which explain more about the Spirit of God and how to find answers:

1: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-010-patterns-of-light-the-light-of-christ?lang=eng
2: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-011-patterns-of-light-discerning-light?lang=eng
3: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-012-patterns-of-light-spirit-of-revelation?lang=eng

I especially realized how much God really is in our lives and that He is always there to guide us. But, He is not forceful and He trusts us to act and to make decisions for ourselves. Sometimes we receive "yes", "no", or "not yet" answers to our prayers. Other times, it may feel as though Heavenly Father is being silent. We don't seem to receive any sort of direction or specific instruction. It is in these times that we know that He is trusting us to act and to move forward. He will not let us go too far in the wrong direction without guiding us to what we need to do. More often than not, God allows us to make our own decisions and then come to Him for confirmation of the choice we have made. He has sent us here to learn, grow, and make decisions. He wants to help us, and we can receive that help as we have a real desire and determination to act. I loved how Elder Bednar described in these videos the three different patterns of light that personal revelation often resemble. As he described, I often feel like mine is more the "foggy day effect". There is just enough light out that you can see your next few steps, but it is clouded enough that you aren't quite sure where you are headed. This is where trust and faith come in. I know that as we focus more on being grateful for the few "steps" that God has shown us, instead of wishing and waiting for Him to give us the whole picture all at once, we will be more satisfied and hopeful about life.

Don't You Quit!

"You have not failed until you quit trying." -Gordon B. Hinckley

Just watch :)

Instruments in the Hands of God

Yesterday, we experienced so many crazy circumstances that prove to me that God is aware of us and guides us as we are willing to listen to Him! First, my companion found a random name and address in her planner that we had no idea who she was or where that information came from! We decided that we needed to stop by and see if we could get to know her. We went to the address only to find that no one was home. We decided to knock on one of the neighbor's doors before we left. To our surprise, a kind old woman opened up to us, said hello and let us right in. We had no idea who she was, but she seemed to know us. Come to find out, she was actually the woman who we were looking for! She had just moved to the apartment next door. We had a good talk and found out that she had looked into the church previously and even came to church a few times. Though she wasn't interested right then, I know that God wanted us to see her yesterday and He made it possible for us to find her. After that, we headed off to our next appointment. She wasn't home, so we decided to go knock on the neighbor's doors in the apartments upstairs. The very first door we knocked on ended up being someone we had met before! We had talked with her at a bus stop almost 2 months ago but weren't able to meet with her because she was in between housing at that point in time. Apparently, she had just moved into that apartment, which we had absolutely no clue about! It was amazing to see that. I just had this overwhelming feeling that God loves her so much that He was willing to give her multiple opportunities to learn more about His gospel. We then went back to see if our previous appointment was home yet, and she was! I know that as we follow the guidance that God gives us and do our best to help others, He will provide a way. The Lord has said, "Go forth...and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls" (Alma 17:11). Though we may not always see the fruits of our labors immediately, no effort is wasted in serving others and helping them develop a closer relationship with God.

Sisters and Mothers

There are two wonderful women who are members of the local ward (congregation) here that exemplify to me the power of sisterhood and motherhood. They are both older, single women who live next door to each other. They spend almost every single day together, whether it be accompanying one another to doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, or going to church. They love and care for one another, and of course, give each other a hard time every once in a while. These women show to me the strong bond that can develop as we selflessly serve others and strive to support one another in our daily challenges. That love and care of a sister is so closely related to that of a mother as well. Women are blessed to have an almost innate sense of nurturing, care giving, service, and sacrifice. These two women would give up anything to help the other and to make sure that they are taken care of. I know many amazing mothers who are that same way as well! As Mother's Day approaches, I just want to express my deep gratitude for mothers, motherhood, and my own mother. I know that not all women will experience maternity in this life, but it is amazing to me that every single one has the power and ability to be a mother. Motherhood is an attitude of nurturing, teaching, serving, and loving those around you. I am grateful for the women in the world who sacrifice of themselves in order to lift others and help them become better. I know my own mom has sacrificed so much of her own desires and time in order to make sure that I was not only taken care of, but that I had every opportunity available to me to be successful and happy. I know that Jesus Christ has this same kind of love for everyone too. He made the ultimate sacrifice.Through Him, we are not only saved from sin, sorrow, and pain -- we are enabled to experience happiness, growth, and prosperity. Mothers exemplify to me the love of God as they work hard to fulfill their highest, and holiest calling of motherhood.

Check out this fantastic site in tribute to motherhood: http://motherhood.mormon.org//

You Don't Always Get What You Want...

Yesterday, we had a member of the church come out with us to go to a few lessons that we were teaching. She was so excited to come and to help teach and share her experiences! We initially had two lessons lined up, but one of them ended up having to be rescheduled before we even went out. We informed the member of the change of plans, but we were still excited to go and visit the other person. This loving sister was so optimistic, positive, and excited to serve. She told us how she had prayed before she left her house that she would be able to say the words that God needed her to say to help the people we would be visiting. Even when plans changed again and our lesson had to be pushed back an hour, she did not even blink at it. Her optimism and positive attitude were contagious and she helped to lift our spirits as well as the person we visited. She is such a great example to me of patience, long-suffering, and trust in the Lord. I sometimes feel as though I have to take care of everything and that I am responsible to make sure we are successful. But this wonderful sister reminded me that as disciples of Christ, we have the Lord's help on our side. He has a plan for us. As we let go of what we can't control and just trust that He will provide a way, we will be directed to the places and people we need to go to. Opportunities will arise that we could never have planned for, and we will experience things that are beyond our imagination. I know from a lot of experience how frustrating it can be to feel like things aren't going your way. You have plans for how you expect your life to go, and they usually are righteous desires for good things. But, Heavenly Father knows what we need and as we trust in Him, He will bless us with the best things that will help us to fulfill our complete potential.

Never a Coincidence

Something that I have realized more and more as I have been on my mission is that there really never is a coincidence. Heavenly Father is a God of order and He has a plan for all of us. He knows our talents and abilities and how we can best help those around us. He will guide us to those people who we can touch and who we need to be touched by. An example of this just happened the other day. We had gone to church and a few other meetings, but our plans for the afternoon got a little jumbled and we were not sure where we were meant to go or who God wanted us to see. Since we share a car and it wasn't our turn, our options were kind of limited and we ended up getting dropped off at a nearby apartment complex by the member we were with before. As we were trying to figure out where to go, that same member sent us a text to tell us that she saw one of her friends walking on the road nearby and she told us we needed to go talk to her. We started walking to try and talk to her and see if we could help her with anything. We walked and walked and didn't find her. By that point, we were almost home and were not sure if we had really used our time productively. But, about half a mile up the road from our complex, we stopped and talked to a man who was walking the other direction! He was very nice and we gradually got to talk with him more about the gospel. Apparently, he has had several run-ins with missionaries throughout his lifetime and has actually been to a church before when he lived in the Congo! He had a lot of questions and misunderstandings that we were able to answer and clear up for him, and he seemed to be happy to have talked with us. He promised to call us after he had finished his move across town. Though we don't know exactly what will come of that situation, I am confident that God led us to meet that man so that we could share more with him about the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we are doing our best, the Lord will put people in our path that we can help and strengthen. I am grateful for those moments where I can see that I have been able to act as an instrument in the hands of God.

Our Divine Heritage

This past weekend, we had the amazing opportunity of attending the Saints Unified Voices Choir Fireside directed by Gladys Knight. It was an evening full of uplifting, fun, and inspiring Christian gospel music and testimony. Gladys Knight and her husband, William McDowell, both joined the church as adults and told their stories of how they came to learn about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the truth of the Book of Mormon. I loved the message they shared about how we are all children of God and that He loves each one of us equally and individually. The main message of the fireside was that we all are brothers and sisters and that we need to unite one with another. There is so much hatred, division, and persecution in the world. But, the gospel of Jesus Christ is not one of criticism or discrimination. The gospel of Jesus Christ is all about love, service, and helping those around us to fulfill their potential as a child of God. I loved how Gladys spoke about the value of our differences and how we can learn from one another as we embrace those unique qualities. We may not all agree, but we all have the opportunity to learn from one another if we are willing and open. I know that the world would be a much better place if we would all stop and remember our true identity, as children of our Heavenly Father. If we could truly recognize the potential that everyone around us has, would we judge so harshly? Would we be unkind or unforgiving? If we really knew what the person next to us was going through emotionally, physically, and spiritually, would we treat them any differently? It is my hope and prayer that as we recognize this divine heritage of ours, it will change the very people that we are becoming.

Here's a great video about this topic too!
http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=1101413030001

Opposition in All Things

It's a fact of life -- there are two sides to every coin, bitter for everything sweet, darkness and light, hard and soft, wrong and right. The world is made up of opposing factors that bring complexity and depth to our lives. Often, life is an "uphill battle" and we have to work hard to do what is right. Though these opposites often mean that we must experience difficulty in our lives, they also help us to see the miraculous, the joyous, the exciting, and the peaceful moments more clearly. This true principle of opposition and contrast in all aspects of life is not just an interesting fact. It is an eternal truth that is vital and very intentional. Heavenly Father sent us to Earth to learn, grow, and experience opposition. He knew that we would not always make the right choice, but that we would be able to learn, become wiser, and grow to rely on Him through our experiences. A woman that we have been meeting with teaches me so much about how to overcome adversity. She has been on dialysis three times a week for over five years. She experiences so much pain, lack of mobility, and suffering. Though an independent spirit, she must depend on those around her for everything that she does. Yet, you will never see this woman without a content smile on her face. She is at peace because she knows that this life is not the end. She knows that God loves her and that as she follows His plan, she will be able to experience peace and rest one day from all of her troubles. She sees everything that she must endure not as a nuisance or a reason to doubt God, but as a blessing and proof that He is guiding her. Heavenly Father knows what we can handle and He allows us to experience hardship so that we can become better. We all have potential more infinitely great than we can even imagine, and God will guide us as we strive to become more refined, more faithful, and more obedient to His will. I know that faith is power and that "if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore he showed not himself until after their faith" (Ether 12:12 on page 509 of the Book of Mormon). Though life is full of surprises and challenges at every corner, it is also full of opportunities to grow. I know that as we view our challenges as growing experiences instead of roadblocks, we will be able to become the person God knows that we can. Learn more about God's plan here: http://www.mormon.org/beliefs/plan-of-salvation

Also read this article for further insight: https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/03/trials-tribulations-and-trust-in-the-lord?lang=eng&query=trials+trust+in+the+Lord&cid=HPWE041614697