HE LIVES
December 16, 2013
As you have all probably heard, there was a shooting this week at the high school in our area. It's the
school that all of the kids in our ward go to, and we drive past it every day! It's still so unreal and weird because I feel like I cant even begin to know
how to relate to how they are feeling. Sure, there were bomb threats and stuff
in high school, but NOTHING compared to the real terror that these kids faced. There are so many who heard the voice of the shooter, or ran through the blood
to get out of the school. BUT. the cool part of this all is to see the strength
in the youth of the church. We were at dinner the other night and one of the
girls who was there broke down and just said, during this all, I sat and
wondered if it would be okay if I left this earth now. She said, because of the
gospel, I know that it would be okay. This sounds kind of harsh at first, but really we are so blessed to have
the knowledge that we do. Russel M. Nelson said that truly our gift to Christ is
that we love Him, and keep ourselves 'unspotted from the world, worthy to enter
His Holy Temple,' and with that, one of His many gifts to us is to know that we
are worthy to enter His presence. The knowledge of the Plan of Salvation is
truly the most comforting thing, and sometimes the only thing you can hold onto
in these times of hardship and death, because Christ is the AUTHOR of it. Christ
is the author of our salvation, which is also a very comforting thing, because
He knows each of our backgrounds. He knows exactly how to nurture us according
to our needs. HE KNOWS HOW TO GET US THERE. That is why we have to pay attention
to the little things in life, the people that we are blessed with, and the small
bursts of happiness that happen daily. HE LIVES. He lives and Russel M Nelson
said, 'if we love him, He will love you, lift you, and manifest Himself unto
you.'
SISTER HILTON AND I ARE STAYING TOGETHER AGAIN! best news of the
century? I think so. Orchard Ward for life.
I lied, there is better news of the century. We have been having family
home evening with this less active family for about 4 months now, and the mom
and kids have recently started coming back to church, but never the dad. Every
time we asked him he would decline. BUT GUESS WHAT HAPPENED THIS SUNDAY? he came
to church! it was the biggest answer to prayers that has ever happened! We had
fasted in the beginning of the transfer that we would be able to bring someone
back into activity in the church by the 15th, and even though the mom was
coming, the fact that the whole family came was the biggest Christmas miracle.
Also we got to go shopping this week for all of the people at the rehab
center where we volunteer! It was so fun! We have been volunteering there for a
while so we know most of the residents and they don't have much at all. They
wear pretty much the same thing every day, and really don't even have warm
enough blankets. so we got to pick out clothes for them! now we are wrapping
them and I feel like Santa and its great.
The longer I'm out here the bolder and bolder I'm getting. Except sometimes I
think its just my impatience showing through and I just tell them that the
church is true and the book of Mormon has all the answers. Just kidding I do it
in a really loving way and OH I thought of something else. We taught this
lady that a less active family in our ward invited to be taught, and we read the
book of Mormon with her and it was the best ever! The first chapter of the book
of Mormon is the most golden chapter of all time. If you think about it, the Book of Mormon brings people nearer to God than any other book, so the first
chapter must be the most brilliant chapter of all time! Those weren't my words,
they were some quote I heard one time but I forgot by who. Anyway, everyone
should read it while thinking about the Plan of Salvation. It has a lot in
there!
LOVE YOU ALL!
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