so i don't even know where to begin this week.
wait i know.
S******.
my. best. friend.
okay team. ooooooookaaaaaay. like what even is anything. I LOVE MISSIONARY LAND.
so this is the whole story, shortened and condensed. When we first got here we got a bunch of old formers & potentials from the Zone Leaders. one of them said "would get stressed & ticked every time we went over to try and set something up" {and i actually edited that a bit to be more missionary language, but whatever haha} so we're like yeah, sure, lets go see her!
so we do. and she's like sooooooo tired and run-down but we share a scripture and the spirit is felt and she agrees to let us come back. this waaaaaasssss.......... august 16th.
flash-forward just over a month.
She came to church yesterday. Even though they were running a marathon down her street so she couldn't get her car out so she had to WALK (pioneer status!!) to a gas station where a member picked her up (love members<3)
Sacrament meeting was so so good. More on that later. But she was straight-up taking NOTES and making me look bad hahaha.
oh did i mention she works 3rd shift?? which means that she's not waking up early to come to 9am church........... she's staying up LATE. till noon. because obviously & of course she stays all 3 hours. because she is amazing. and she never falls asleep even though she just WORKED all night. !!!!!!!!
but anyways. sacrament was amazing. as per usual.
and then. gospel principles. lesson was on the gift of the Holy Ghost. and let. me. tell. you. the lesson ended a bit early, and it was time for the closing prayer. and the Spirit was just telling eeeeeeeverybody that S needed to say it. like, it was weird. everybody knew it. weirdtown. so brother raddant is like "... S, would you like to say it?" so she nods and bows her head.
"dear Heavenly Father...."
....
(whispers) "i'm going to cry"
and then just
cries. and cries and cries and cries. and not like a sad cry. like an
oh-my-goodness-i-am-feeling-the-Spirit-so-strong-what-even-is-this-feeling cry.
like a powerful, spiritual witness cry. like an oh-my-goodness-what-is-happening
cry.
AMAZING.
and then (after a looooooong time. quiet crying.) she prays and thanks God for sending His Spirit to help us to know what to do, and for helping us to find the truth, and basically just everything is amazing and I LOVE HER.
You know what the secret is? THE BOOK OF MORMON. she's reading it, and she loves it. I don't know what it is about that Book, but it. is. powerful. like....... insanely. i don't even understand it. one of the "consider this" questions for PMG ch. 5 is "why is the Book of Mormon so powerful in the conversion process?" and i straight up don't know but it IS. (and i would love your thoughts on that if you have any.) :) I LOVE IT. we just read it together and it answers every question. THE BOOK OF MORMON IS AMAZING Y'ALL. read it. live it. love it :) :) :) also, sister butler is pro at following the Spirit and being like "we need to read 1 Ne 16. even though that's not what we planned." and then we do and it's like whaaaaaaaattttttttttttt when did they put this in here???????????? aaaaaaaaaaand i love it :) :) :)
so that is amazing! at our last lesson she goes "Joseph Smith HAD to have seen God. You read the book and you just can't deny it! I get this tingly feeling every time I read!" no. stop. no. why are you so perfect. i love you. stop. she read TEN CHAPTERS. couldn't stop. tingly feeling. i love it :) :) :)
so anyways. that is s. and then the relief society lesson was on "we believe in being chaste" and that was delightfully awkward. but good. i was glad/sad the elders weren't in there to sign/interpret hahaha :) :)
do you know what's fantastic?
ugh. so many things.
but for one, PROPHETS. like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat even???????????? okay one of the talk in sacrament meeting was on how the Lord continually reaches out to us in mercy (I STRAIGHT TESTIFY THAT HE DOES, MMHMM AMEN) and that is seriously so true. and also, i was just thinking. [it was a good sacrament meeting not for what they said but for the Spirit they brought that made me just like..... i don't know. it just strengthened my testimony SO MUCH. caused me to ponder & reflect. "my mind was called up to serious reflection... my feelings were deep and often poignant" :)] ANYWAYS. prophets. like what even is that. here is something that is true: GOD STILL REACHES OUT TO US. the heavens are not closed!!!!!!!!!!!! there is a prophet in Israel!!!!!!!!!!! and it's for the whole world!!!!!!!!!! like, whaaaaaatttttt????
AMAZING.
and then (after a looooooong time. quiet crying.) she prays and thanks God for sending His Spirit to help us to know what to do, and for helping us to find the truth, and basically just everything is amazing and I LOVE HER.
You know what the secret is? THE BOOK OF MORMON. she's reading it, and she loves it. I don't know what it is about that Book, but it. is. powerful. like....... insanely. i don't even understand it. one of the "consider this" questions for PMG ch. 5 is "why is the Book of Mormon so powerful in the conversion process?" and i straight up don't know but it IS. (and i would love your thoughts on that if you have any.) :) I LOVE IT. we just read it together and it answers every question. THE BOOK OF MORMON IS AMAZING Y'ALL. read it. live it. love it :) :) :) also, sister butler is pro at following the Spirit and being like "we need to read 1 Ne 16. even though that's not what we planned." and then we do and it's like whaaaaaaaattttttttttttt when did they put this in here???????????? aaaaaaaaaaand i love it :) :) :)
so that is amazing! at our last lesson she goes "Joseph Smith HAD to have seen God. You read the book and you just can't deny it! I get this tingly feeling every time I read!" no. stop. no. why are you so perfect. i love you. stop. she read TEN CHAPTERS. couldn't stop. tingly feeling. i love it :) :) :)
so anyways. that is s. and then the relief society lesson was on "we believe in being chaste" and that was delightfully awkward. but good. i was glad/sad the elders weren't in there to sign/interpret hahaha :) :)
do you know what's fantastic?
ugh. so many things.
but for one, PROPHETS. like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat even???????????? okay one of the talk in sacrament meeting was on how the Lord continually reaches out to us in mercy (I STRAIGHT TESTIFY THAT HE DOES, MMHMM AMEN) and that is seriously so true. and also, i was just thinking. [it was a good sacrament meeting not for what they said but for the Spirit they brought that made me just like..... i don't know. it just strengthened my testimony SO MUCH. caused me to ponder & reflect. "my mind was called up to serious reflection... my feelings were deep and often poignant" :)] ANYWAYS. prophets. like what even is that. here is something that is true: GOD STILL REACHES OUT TO US. the heavens are not closed!!!!!!!!!!!! there is a prophet in Israel!!!!!!!!!!! and it's for the whole world!!!!!!!!!! like, whaaaaaatttttt????
this is something
awesome: Preach My Gospel. and the Book of Mormon. and the Bible. and living
prophets. and general conference. God's words never cease!!!!!!!!! He NEVER
stops reaching out to us in love!!!!!!!!!!!!! what even. i can't handle it
sometimes. like what. even.
haha sorry i'm
being annoying. it's just so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and you know
what else is amazing??? the ATONEMENT. and REPENTANCE. and legitimately,
actually, becoming better. Jesus Christ is so fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!! except
fantastic is not the best word cause He's real!!!!!!!!!!!! it's like.......
almost unbelievable. it's amazing. we can CHANGE. we can become better.
He will help us. one consistant step at a time :) :) :)
i can't even
handle all the things i love about this Gospel. I just can't. but here is what
I know, family.
Coming on a
mission was the single greatest decision of my life.
Every good
thing in my life is because of my Savior. Every. good. thing. and I love Him
<3
The Book of
Mormon is true. It is God's Word. It brings us closer to Christ. I know it
does.
I love being a
missionary and I will cry when they make me go home.
I love our
family.
Guys, something
really exciting is coming up. It's called General Conference. Do you know what
that means?? it means that LIVING PROPHETS are going to speak. God's word
today. fresh from the mouths of His divinely called servants. like WHAT EVEN IS
THAT. it's a miracle, i tell ya. I KNOW that we have prophets again in this
day. they are SO IMPORTANT. I know that God has called them. I know their
counsel is inspired. I know that as we are obedient, we will be safe and
blessed. like, WHAT A MIRACLE. let's take full advantage of it :) :) :) know it
live it love it!!! nothing makes us happier!! :) :) :)
live the
abundant life, my friends. its ze bessstt!! i looove iiittt!! :) :) :)
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
a million hugs
i miss you i love you :) xoxo
sister cece :)
:) :)
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