Week 104: Hard Work Ain't Pretty
(This email is a week late because it randomly deleted last week so I had to rewrite it and send it today)
Here are some other experiences we had this last week:
- The allergens in the air have also been picking up and I've been sneezing like crazy. One day while stopping by one of our friends I sneezed about 15 times in a row and just about fell over. I'm sure there's a recording of me on someone's security camera somewhere haha.
- A man drove by and yelled "Joseph Smith!" at us while we were biking. I hope that brightened his day.
- We got breakfast with Lola (she's the old Filipino lady who got baptized in my first area right before I arrived in the mission field)!! I haven't seen her since I left that area so it was such a happy reunion. I love her so much.
- Osama, someone we've been teaching for awhile, has not been able to be baptized because he hasn't stopped drinking coffee (one of the commandments a person must follow in order to baptized is the Word of Wisdom which includes abstaining from drinking coffee). He and his wife (who is a member) met with our mission president basically because they wanted an exception granted but he had a change of heart and agreed to follow the commandment and President Fitzgerald put him on baptismal date for July 1st! President Fitzgerald called us later that night to inform us about the meeting and told us we needed to reach out to Osama about getting his baptism set up. That was definitely a new experience for me!
- Our friend Diego came to church for the first time! That was a big win.
- I found out Friday morning that my dog, Kira, died so that was pretty tough news. She's been part of our family for more than half my life and I was so close to being able to see her again. She lived a good life and served her purpose well though.
- I sang Peace in Christ in church and my hands went completely numb before I walked up and my legs were shaking like crazy but I made it through!
- We went to Buc-ee's today and a historic town called Gruene where Texas' oldest dance hall stands. It was so fun!
I recently read Mosiah 3, which is now one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon, and I took the opportunity to ponder on Jesus Christ's experience of atoning for the sins of mankind. It states:
"7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.
8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.
9 And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him."
Jesus Christ, living a sinless life, had never before experienced the pain of sin or spiritual death. He, not fully anticipating the amount of anguish He was now experiencing, asked the Father if there was any way He could be spared of this most difficult task. But even in this moment of distress, was willing to submit to the Father's will. He was determined to fulfill His divine mission. How great is His love.
- Elder Christensen
Pics
☆ Gruene!
☆ Service at the Fisher House
☆ Sister Jolie and Steven
☆ Lola!!!
☆ Buc-ee's with the Hesses
Comments
Post a Comment