THE LORD LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT!

February 24, 2014

I really want to say something awesome this week but I don't know what! Sister Winkelman was sick for 4 days so we stayed in and I almost died of boredom. I never realized how awesome it is to be able to go out and work all day and be healthy. I also realized that normal life is boring and I'm never coming back because watching videos and reading and sitting is boring. Sounds a lot like school.

This week we found a new family to teach! It's so cool to see how many families are so great and they just need that last piece of the gospel in their lives that will bind them together for eternity. It makes me sad because the mom said that she had grown up in the gospel and she had lost her faith and doesn't understand how people can have it. She had lost a baby and it broke her heart. She told us that just because she didn't have faith, didn't mean her children shouldn't learn about it, so she said we could come back and teach them. The whole time she was talking I had the impression that I needed to have a family prayer with them. We were about to leave and the words basically lept out of my mouth.. CAN WE SAY A PRAYER BEFORE WE LEAVE? She said yes. We all knelt down- the parents and the 4 kids. Just the feeling of kneeling down with a family made me want to cry. It was the best feeling of ... unity? I don't know how to describe it. If you are reading this please please please say a kneeling prayer with your families tonight and pray for your family to feel of God's love and to be protected from the harm of the world that destroys families. He will show you because HE LOVES FAMILIES. The feeling of kneeling down all together HEALS.

I talked about a family last week where the dad grew up Mormon and the wife did not. The husband's story is what I want to focus on this week. We went to teach the restoration. I asked him what he thought of the church now in his life, and he said that he thinks about the church daily. He said that he knows it's true because of prayer, but he just feels extremely guilty for some things that he does now in his life. This made me so sad, because so many times people are scared to go to church because they feel they aren't worthy or they think others have bigger or better testimonies so they don't share theirs or let theirs show. Or they just let time pass them by without living the gospel because its too hard. I'm telling you, NOW is the time to live it. THE LORD LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT. 

The time is coming when the world is crazy. Purity is not common, and sadness is everywhere, but the gospel is where the true happiness lies. I might have shared this quote before, but I will share it again because it is so important. "you may well want to give a gift to the Savior, but He seems to have everything, doesn't He? Well, not quite. He doesn't have all of us with Him again forever- not yet. I hope we are touched enough by the feelings of His heart to sense how much He wants to know each of us is coming home to Him. We can't give that gift to Him in one day, or in one Christmas. But we could show Him today, that we are on the way" -Henry B Eyring.  The Lord just wants to know we are coming back. The LORD is HASTENING His work. He is trying so hard to gather all of his children, to repair families, to heal hearts. and we need to let Him at this time because Jesus Christ is coming again. The world is crazy but He has prepared a way for us to feel true joy. Why wouldnt we take it? 

I wanted to include this in my email because family is so important at this time. Personal relationships with family conquer all things ungodly. Take the time to realize it, because Satan tries to break families apart. DO NOT LET HIM. I will take any step it takes to make sure that my family stays together forever. I love this gospel and I KNOW it is the answer to the evil in the world. Jesus Christ can make sure that all is okay. Everything is made right through the Atonement, and it is already done for us. Take a moment and think about it- the path is ALREADY prepared for us. The kingdoms in the heavens are already there. We just have to show Him that we are on the way. Don't be afraid to grow.

Heavenly Father's Arms

February 17, 2014

This week we had a lot of special moments that were so inspired and I will remember them forever. It reminded me that everyone, no matter what stage of life they are in, can use a prayer and deserves to feel the sweet feeling of the Holy Ghost.

The first one was when we were tracting the other day. An appointment had fallen through, so we were knocking on some doors around the neighborhood. We saw a house with the biggest, fattest rabbit I have ever seen in my life, and we thought- there is NO way that is someone's pet. So we knocked on the door to ask the lady about it and it wasn't her pet and she was really concerned that there was a rabbit on her lawn haha. But that's besides the point. We told her that we were offering prayers with people and asked her if we could do that. She burst into tears. She told us all about how she used to be Mormon and used to go to church, but she had fallen away a long time ago. She told us how her husband just died and how it happened right before her eyes. She was so devastated and so hysterical she could barely speak. I sat there and thought, what would Jesus Christ tell her at this point? so we sat there and listened to her and told her that her Heavenly Father was watching over her and that we were an answer to her prayers and that we loved her too. She said "please come back". Those who have fallen away are always welcomed back into Heavenly Father's arms.

The second was also while we were tracting. Almost the same exact story - a lady burst into tears because her mom had just passed away. Sister Winkelman said the most sincere prayer and the lady said.. I feel like you were sent to my house. We told her that we were so inspired to go to that street and that we had a message that would change her life. We also told her that our message answered questions about where we came from and where we're going, and why we're here on earth. We told her that her Heavenly Father is watching over her. Those who are hurting are always welcomed back into Heavenly Father's arms.

The third was a referral that we had received from someone in our ward. We went to go offer a prayer with them and the man invited us in. We asked what we could pray for. His dad had just passed away and he was devastated. He expressed to us that he had no idea where we went after this life. After we said the prayer he was in tears. He said it was some of the most beautiful things he had ever heard. We shared a scripture about how the Spirits of all men are taken home to that God that gave them life. He said it was amazing and he wanted to hear more. Those who are searching are always led back to Heavenly Father's arms.

We also found a new family to teach! The mom is not a member of the church and is the funniest person I have ever met. It was so fun to talk to her. Her husband grew up Mormon but stopped going to church a while back. We had talked to his mom before we went in and asked if there was anything that she wanted us to tell her son. She told us that he didn't feel worthy to go to church because of some of the choices he was making. She started crying and told us to tell Him that the Lord still loves him.  Those who have families are always placed in Heavenly Father's arms.

Everyone has some form of family. I know that the gospel heals, even broken relationships or broken hearts. In times that it seems like you cannot go on, or cannot be placed back together, Heavenly Father is guiding someone to you. I love you all! 

God Answers Prayers

February 10, 2014

This week I learned that GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS. This week has literally been full of miracles. Every day something amazing happens and I KNOW that it's because of all of your prayers. I appreciate every single one of them. 

This week we taught this lady who hasn't been to church in forever and her 11 year old daughter agreed to be baptized! It's so awesome teaching her because she basically taught US the plan of salvation. She's literally the smartest 11 year old I've ever met. She knows more about the gospel than a lot of adults that I know...just kidding but we were so excited! She's has a baptism date for before the end of the transfer. We are so blessed.

This is the reason that I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers. We were supposed to meet with a less active family but they said they couldn't because their dog was missing and their friend was sick. Very good excuses haha, but later that day we were going over near their house to see someone else that said we could come back a few days earlier. Before we left we said a prayer (Sister Winkelman laughed during it) asking to find their dog so we could teach their family. We left and went to the house except my psychotic GPS (turns out its an inspired GPS) took us the wrong way. We went in some roundabout way that was way longer but... WE SAW THE DOG. It was on the side of the road and we started freaking out so we pulled over and tried to lure it to us with shortbread cookies, but it turns out dogs don't like girl scout cookies. So we tried to go near it but it kept running away so we just led it towards the house of the family. We called them and said your dog is outside your door! They opened the door and it was a joyous reunion and we're meeting with them tonight.

Even though this seemed simple, it really showed me that God is listening to every prayer. Sometimes I think we forget that. He really does hear every single prayer and answers it in some way. The 11 year old that we're teaching,  that i mentioned before,  always says this in her prayers, "thank you for all our many blessings, especially the ones that go unnoticed." That is so powerful to me! and so true. We really have so many blessings that we don't notice. Our prayers are answered every day and I really appreciate all of the prayers that you've said for me. I really do feel the power of them and I know that because of all of your support, we are being led to those who are ready to have their own prayers answered. I love this gospel and I love every day that I get to live it!

There are so many people prepared to hear this gospel. We got a phone call last night from our zone leaders giving us a referral to go see someone in our ward where the husband doesn't go to church and his wife is not a member of our church. They just had a new baby and so we went to go see if we could do anything for them.  At the end of our visit, the wife wanted to hear more about the gospel so we're going back to teach her! They want their baby to grow up with a strong foundation and she's really interested in what we have to say. BLESSSSINGS

I am so happy here and I love my companion and I ONLY HAVE A YEAR LEFT. HELP