Week 16: Dogs, Scorpions, And Lizards!

Howdy!

Once again, I can't remember anything that happened this week, so I'll just tell you the two biggest highlights!

We met the coolest family on Saturday. I was looking at my areabook map and saw this family lived nearby that hadn't been contacted in awhile. I felt good about stopping by, so we did and they let us in!! We talked to them for a long time and they told us they used to come to church and ward activities and loved it. They said they have relatives that are members so they know quite a bit about the church and Earnest, the dad, studies the Book of Mormon with his cousin sometimes cause she's a seminary teacher and tells him what she's teaching her students. They were so so nice and said they want to have dinner with us this week and they're gonna pay for our groceries. How nice is that?! I'm so excited to start teaching them again aaaahhhh!! Oh yeah, and their records were going to get deleted on December 1st so it's good we stopped by when we did!

Remember Jennifer?? Well we had another lesson with her this last week and it went great! We taught the rest of the Plan of Salvation and got a member to join! Sister Davis, the member, shared her conversion story and it really brought the spirit. She told us that when she was young her dad passed away and the preacher of the church she went to told her that her dad went to hell. Later on in life she and her husband were trying to find the right church to go to, so they prayed about it and soon after the missionaries knocked on her door! She said when they taught her about the Plan of Salvation she knew the church was true and it gave her so much peace knowing that her dad wasn't in hell. For those of you who don't know, we believe that after we die God will reward us according to our works and desires by assigning us to a kingdom of glory. That's why I love the Plan of Salvation because it shows that God loves us and is fair. (If any of y'all have questions about what I said just let me know and I can explain it a little more!) Jennifer loved the lesson and really connected with Sister Davis, so hopefully she will feel more comfortable coming to church now!

How did y'all like General Conference?? As always, I thought it was amazing! Elder Gonzales and I got to watch the Sunday Afternoon Session with Dominik and Luz, so that was fun and we got to answer some really good questions of theirs. 

This week's scripture is from Mosiah 24. It's a bit longer than usual but these verses really stuck out to me.

(In this chapter Alma and his people are asking God for help because Amulon is persecuting them and threatening to kill them if they pray)

"12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage."

I LOVE these verses because it shows that God will strengthen us in our trials when we submit to His will. In this story he did eventually deliver Alma and his people out bondage, but sometimes God doesn't fix our problems and we just have to endure our trials in faith. BUT he will give us the strength to endure them well and that's when we grow!! 

Love you!

Elder Christensen

Pictures! 

1. My new companion Elder Gonzales!

2. A lizard we saw today on our hike as a district

3. A cute lil dog I met

4. My best friend sang in General Conference!! I was fangirling so hard.

5. The first scorpion I've seen in Texas!

6 & 7. Our hike this morning

8. A sign provided by Elder Gonzales