Pocatello! Week 6

So last Monday the 17th was awesome. We had a zone activity day (like every Monday) and I was able to talk with Sister Worrall (my beautiful companion from the MTC) and it was SO GOOD! Honestly -- Heavenly Father really does bless us with angels in our everyday lives. Those people that you can just be yourself and just talk and talk and not run out of things to say are the people that as such tender mercies. I'm so grateful for them! That night we had a new member lesson with cute, young Kaj. He is such an adorable kid! So happy we can continue teaching him since he's been baptized. Seeing the light of Christ flourish in those loving children of God after they're baptized is so tender! Then later that night we watched "Finding Faith in Christ" with a kind, sweet older man named Pat that's taking the discussions from us. He's is one of the kindest, loving men I have ever met. It's a privilege to teach such a humble, service oriented man. After the video he said, "Maybe I do have faith after all." Hold on to the faith that you do have. It's like a seed - if you nurture that faith in Christ it will grow. Tuesday we talked with Ariel - she's a young, single mom. We've been teaching her for a while. She is so smart and independent and lovely. We talked about how she's been feeling so dark and clouded lately as she's been trying to find out if this gospel is true. I shared the story of Joseph Smith and how right as he was praying to ask Heavenly Father which church was true, dark clouds surrounded him. Whenever we are heading towards something good and something that can help us, Satan will come. There must needs be an opposition in all things. Be weary of retreating from a good thing. The adversary doesn't want us to be happy. He wants us to fail. Rely on Christ and Heavenly Father. They are the light. They are the hope. Stay close to them and you will be able to disperse the clouded moments. I was able to relate to the darkness she had been feeling because I have experienced that as well and it really struck me - Heavenly Father allows us to go through difficult things in order to help one another. If none of us experienced difficult moments, we wouldn't be able to grow and develop into who Heavenly Father needs to be. We would be able to be empathetic to the pains of others. He is the potter. He is molding us into a beautiful masterpiece. We are constantly changing - it's up to us to decide what we will become. Wednesday was my first exchange! I went teaching with Sister Riding in Highland and Sister Jacobson went contacting with Sister McKnight all day. I love all of them. So grateful I had the day to go to Sister Riding's area and learn from her and develop our friendship. She is so kind and wonderful. We had one of the most incredible experiences. We went all throughout this apartment complex and knocked on every person's door that we could. Then at the very end, when we had been walking for hours, we said a prayer. We asked Heavenly Father to lead us to someone that would need the message that they are children of God and they are loved. GUESS WHAT. We knocked on one more door and this loving young man named Brayden answered the door. He said he didn't know if he believed in God. We testified and told him of God's love for him. He had tears in his eyes. We then asked him if we could come in and kneel with him and pray. He accepted! We all knelt together and took turns saying a prayer. He was nervous to pray because he hadn't prayed before, and his prayer was one of the sweetest, more sincere prayers I have ever heard. As he knelt down he said, "Heavenly Father, I just have one question, I guess. Do you even exist? Amen." Tears were in our eyes for sure. Being able to witness someone come close to their Heavenly Father is such a beautiful sight. As we left he said, "Thank you... Thank you." Ah what a moment! What a blessing! Then later that night we drove to a woman's house named Chris. We taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel and that Christ's church is now back on the Earth. She had so many wonderful questions. She asked Sister Riding and I why we decided to serve 18 months to go on a mission and it was really incredible being able to bear our testimonies of our own beliefs and knowledge of the reality of the living Christ. It is just such an incredible experience when the Spirit is able to work through you. Being able to talk about my Savior and my love for Him every day all day is such an experience, such a privilege, such a blessing. Thursday we had transfers! So many people are moving to different areas of Idaho. Sister Jacobson and I are staying together in the Central Pocatello Stake...at least for the next six weeks. I'm excited to continue to learn and grow with her. She is a fantastic leader; so strong, intelligent, motivated, disciplined. It's an honor to work with her. That night it was a blessing though. We saw Mamie, the 14 year old girl we haven't seen in a while. She had a friend with her as well and now he's interested in learning more about Christ's church. We had an appointment with these nice young boys that live down the street from Mamie and we invited her and her friend and they came to the lesson! We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We invited them to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. So wonderful! Everyone needs friends, especially when you're making changes to draw closer to Christ and engage in His church. Be a friend! Love others! Invite them to come unto Christ and feel of His love for them! Friday I was apart of one of the most spiritually uplifting lessons ever. We taught this 15 year old boy named Greg. He has had such a hard life, but has such a tender heart. We taught him about how much God loves him. He sincerely asked us, "I've made so many mistakes. Will God take me back?" Oh how my heart ached for him! To not know that God loves you unconditionally and forever is a tragedy. I testified with all the love and power I could muster when I said, "Greg. God will always take you back. He loves you. He always has and he always will. He wants you to talk with Him. He wants you to confide in Him and trust in Him. Tell him the feelings of your heart and He will answer you, He will comfort you, You will feel Him. I promise you as a representative of Jesus Christ that you are loved and through Christ's Atonement you can be made clean. You can feel the cleansing and healing power of His selfless sacrifice work in your life. Christ's grace is sufficient for all. There is no hole dark enough where Christ's light can't shine." Then after we taught he couldn't stop smiling and he said, "I feel like my heart is healing. I feel whole. I feel peace. What is that?" Sister Jacobson and I couldn't stop grinning. We exclaimed, "It's the Spirit of God! It's the Holy Ghost testifying to you that what we've said is true!" Ah what a blessed moment that was. Love for this kid just poured out of my heart. I love being able to help other come unto Christ. That moment felt like we were sitting on a little piece of Heaven. Saturday we saw Greg again and taught his whole family. His father isn't a member, but is interested in learning more about the gospel. We prayed with them and read the beginning of the Book of Mormon with them, 1 Nephi chapter 1. The peace and love that entered the home the moment we began to read together and pray together was so tangible. When you pray, read the Book of Mormon, and attend church as a family Heavenly Father will pour out his blessings upon you. You will feel an increase of peace and love in your home. You will be happier. It will happen. That night my testimony of how the church can bless families increased so much. We spoke with the mother after the lesson alone and said, "We can see your family being sealed in the temple as a forever family. You can get there. We know you all can." With tears in her eyes she said, "Can you really?" We lovingly told her we could. Families can be together forever! After that, we stopped by Pat's home. His wife has been sick and in bed for a year. She's just very tired. We stopped in, talked with him, shared a scripture with him, and expressed our love for him. "What does Christ mean to you?" I asked, and Pat answered with such love in those blue eyes, "He means everything to me." I just love the moments when Sister Jacobson and I are talking with someone and we tell them of Christ's love for them and they understand. They feel his love. It clicks. And their eyes twinkle with such a spark. Happiness and peace fill the room and fill hearts. In that moment we know they know - They are a child of God. They are loved. He knows them. This gospel is real. Sunday was tender! Sunday's are the best days. I love being able to attend His church and feel of God's love!! When you go to church He will bless you and you can receive personal revelation for yourself. Ah just soooo good! Greg and his family came to church! It was such a beautiful moment to be able to sit with them in Sacrament and feel of His spirit. Hannah, a 9 year old girl who's hopefully getting baptized next week, came as well! She is so adorable. Teaching her has been such an enjoyable experience. Sunday night we also saw Miko, a foreign exchange student from China and asked her if she would like to take the lessons from us, and she said yes! She's been hesitant before and so we're so excited to teach her about this gospel that brings such happiness in our lives! Being able to be a missionary has changed my perspective on so many things. I'm just so grateful constantly. I'm so grateful to have grown up with a family that abides my Christ's gospel and teachings. There are so many broken homes, so many people that don't feel God's love, so many people that feel lost and alone and forsaken. Appreciate what you have! Love those you're with. You're so much more blessed than you think. God Almighty, the maker of all, the one who knows all things, loves you. You are his child. Compared to Him we are nothing, but to Him we are everything. We are His children. He watches over us. He will guide us home. He wants us to keep His commandments so we can be happy and be reunited with Him after we die. I will do all I can to abide by His teachings and become the daughter of God He knows I can become. I know Heavenly Father allowed His only Begotten son to die for me, and so I will live for Him. I love my Savior. I love this gospel. I love my Father in Heaven with my entire heart. I pray you're doing well and feel of God's love for you. I love you with all of my being. And that's a lot :) Love, Sister Mork