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.

Bear One Another's Burdens

Recently, we had an activity for the women at our church that was centered on sisterhood and love. We discussed how we can love and support one another better as sisters in the gospel. One woman brought up the idea that church is like a doctor's office. We all come there with problems, concerns, and trials that affect our spirits. We all have doubts, questions, insecurities, and weaknesses that, in effect, make us spiritually sick at times. She talked about how easy and logical it is for us to seek help, advice, and guidance when we are facing an illness or health problem. If you were to find out that you had diabetes, for example, you might very well look online or talk to someone else with diabetes in order to learn how they have managed it, what works for them, and what to expect from the condition. She then asked, "Why don't we seek that kind of help for our spiritual sicknesses?" In other words, why don't we confide in others more and seek their support and love? Why do we so often try to carry the load on our own, when we have friends and family who are so willing to share it? Just like there is no shame in asking a doctor for help when you're sick, there is no problem with asking someone else for help with an emotional or spiritual need. As people, many of us have a natural instinct to help and serve others. She talked about how we can help others to fulfill that desire by allowing them into our lives. Knowing that it takes courage and risk, she decided to be the first to do so. She shared with us that she had just recently found out she had cancer and would be getting surgery soon. Her boldness and willingness to share that burden was so touching, and helped me to better understand how we as people really can bear the burdens of those around us. All it takes is slowing down for a moment to notice the needs of others, sincerely caring to know how they are doing when we ask, and being lovingly bold in offering to serve and help them. God most often uses other people in order to answer our prayers and show us that He loves us.

Don't You Quit!

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

Just watch :)

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.

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