Don't Run Faster Than You Have Strength
August 25, 2014
HELLO EVERYONE. I have been so busy I haven't really been
able to email for the past couple of weeks! but hey now I have a lot of
exciting updates and I love it and I have so much to say. I am staying here
again for another transfer!
So the reason this transfer has been so crazy is because we
had to go on a lot of exchanges with the sisters in this area. I feel like I haven't had a chance to breath. It
was probably the busiest I've ever been and the most tired I have ever been. Seriously,
at times I thought I was going to fall over and die because my BONES were so
tired. At times when a sister was sick
and I had to stay inside with her, I felt like I had lost all of my motivation.
I felt lost and that I had forgotten how to be a missionary because I hadn't
been able to teach in 2 weeks. Another
reason we were so busy was because we were planning a Sister's Conference. We didn't
get the inspiration we needed until a week before, so Sister Jones and I were
running around like insane women trying to get everything done. There were
times during this transfer that I did not think that I could stand up again, or
go on another exchange, or do another thing, but what I learned from this
transfer was more valuable than anything else. I learned about the enabling power
of our Savior Jesus Christ. As we were doing all of these things serving the
sisters around us, I knew that it was God's will for us to do it and to finish
this Sisters Conference. I knew without a doubt in my mind that He would
prepare a way. I always thought that the Atonement was just for our sins, and
that our Savior knew how we felt when we were sad, but He truly can give us
strength to do things that we could not do alone in our mortal bodies. Missionary
work requires all of your strength, for 16 hours a day. We literally do not
stop until then and I know that I could
not do that without my Savior Jesus Christ. When he needs us to do something,
we will be given the literal strength in our bodies to push through it. I have
learned that I need to take time for my own conversion and own well being, and
when I do that- when I fast, when I pray, when I read the scriptures- I learn
what is possible for me to do because I am learning the will of God. When we
know the will of our God, we know that anything He asks is possible. We just
need to know what He's asking.
Something else I learned was to trust in all of God's
promises. In the beginning of the transfer, we asked God what He wanted us to
do this transfer- and I got the distinct answer that we needed to find a single
woman to baptize. Throughout all of the busy things we had going on, our area
was pretty neglected and we weren't able to do much missionary work. We knew
God wanted us to find someone to come closer to their Savior through baptism in
the month of August- but by week 4 out of 6 we didn't have anyone we were
really teaching that was close to that point. But I knew that God had told us
that is what He wanted. So, one day, we were teaching this lady who had
recently come back to church and she had mentioned that she didn't think she
was ever confirmed with the Holy Ghost, because after she was baptized 40 years
ago, she never came back to church. WE FOUND OUT THAT SHE NEEDED TO BE
RE-BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED! Could you imagine thinking you were a part of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for FORTY YEARS and you weren't
even receiving the blessings of baptism and the Holy Ghost!??!!? This Wednesday
is going to be the best day of this lady's life. I could not even believe that
this great blessing had fallen upon us. I knew that God was taking care of us
every step of the way.
In the middle of the week, this lady had called us and
cancelled her baptism. Her family was not supportive and she would not be able
to go through with it, and would not even be able to come to church for a long
time because of it. I was so preoccupied with everything else going on that
truly, I didn't have time to think about it really. I knew that if God wanted
it to happen, it would. The Bishop ended up calling her and explaining the
scripture in Matthew 10 that says that Christ did not come to bring peace, but
a sword and everything clicked for her! Making
this right decision would not necessarily fix everything in her family, but she
would be strengthened enough to overcome this hardship and do what God's will
was for her. Knowing God's will can change our lives.
Something I struggled with during this transfer was feeling
like these problems with the sisters were never going to end, and we would not
be able to do what God wanted us to do. I felt like all of my strength had been
taken away from me, and I wasn't able to be myself, but I got to witness a
miracle in my own life at this time of sadness. Elder Dallin H. Oaks, one of
Christ's 12 apostles on the earth today, came to speak to us and he even said
my name!!! haha but he came to speak and before we went in the chapel to listen
to him speak, one of our leaders reminded us that sometime we need to slow down
our minds to the speed of the Spirit. our minds can be so preoccupied by the
world that we simply cannot be in tune with the Spirit. We had the opportunity
to read the scriptures for 45 minutes before we heard him speak, and this
scripture really stuck out to me... "Do not run faster than you have strength,
or labor more than you are able, but be diligent until the end. pray always, so
you can come off conqueror." When we need to conquer different things in our lives, we
need to slow down to the speed of the Spirit and work how our Father in Heaven
would have us work. Sometimes we just need to stop and think, what would the
Lord tell me to do in this moment? This is something that really helped me. Whatever
we do to cultivate our faith, we need to do it consistently and that will give
us the motivation to repent. It will prepare us for our covenants. and most
importantly, that will help us endure to the end. "act upon this land as
if for years." (scripture from the D&C I forgot where) do everything
you're doing consistently, as if you would be doing it for years. It brings a
lot more joy into whatever you're doing and it completely changed my life. Being
grateful in all circumstances helps us battle our trials.
I truly know that Christ is our Savior and I know that
because I experienced His mercy and because of that, I feel like I can do
anything. I know he takes care of us because I experienced it firsthand as He
led us through these past weeks. I know He wants this lady to be baptized because
without Him, she would have fallen back into her old habits. After she told us
she was not going to be baptized, she picked up a cigarette to smoke, but then
decided she did not want to do it anymore. Angels surround us every single day.
I rejoice in the times that are hard because I know that our Savior is closer
to us. I know that He is teaching us what we need to know for heaven. Lastly,
this is all worth it because of experiences like these:
I got an email from a recent convert in my last area and it
brought me to tears knowing that this is God's work:
"My comprehension of death is so different now that I know
about the plan of salvation. It's crazy!! I'm more happy than confused for
people who pass. I know they finally get to see the truth.
Did I ever thank you for sharing the gospel to us????
Because it is the greatest gift EVER!!!!!! IT IS SO AMAZING AND I LOOOOVE
IT!!!!
Love you!!!!!! And miss you!!!!!!
PS- I finished the Book of Mormon. My faith and trust in God
is rock solid now. I now know without a single speck of doubt this gospel is
true."
I could go on and on about how much I love this gospel. I loved
meeting one of the 12 apostles. I know without a doubt that He is an apostle of
the Lord and we got to hear His words just like the people of old got to hear
Peter's words, or John's word, or James' words. I know with all of my heart
that we know the plan of salvation and it changes us into who we need to
be. I know without a doubt that we are in the right place at the right time,
and we are chosen servants of our Lord and Savior. This is the true gospel and
I love it. I've never been so happy. I've never felt so excited to meet my God
and Savior one day and thank them for giving me this Gospel here on earth. I hope
you all have an opportunity to learn more about this gospel and experience all
of the blessings that flow from it daily. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the
truth and I know it because I feel it.
