"You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others..." Gordon B. Hinckley

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Pocatello! Week 8

Jesus Christ. Just two words, but so much meaning. Lately I've really been thinking about my relationship with my Savior and everything He is to me. He's not just some great man that lived long ago. He lives now. He is my older brother and He loves me. Because of the sacrifice He gave of His life, we can all live again. We can be strengthened during our trials. We can be made to be more than we could be with our limited capacity. In life, we don't need to go through it alone. We have Him and He is enough. He is more than enough. The grace that we can obtain through faith and desire to become more in and through His Atonement is difficult to explain, unless you've experienced it yourself. If you haven't experienced the strengthening and enabling effects of the Atonement, I invite you to do so. God is there. He is willing and eager and ready to listen. Because of Jesus Christ we can talk to our Father in Heaven, be cleansed of our sins, and return to live with Him again. Oh how beautiful that knowledge is! Monday night we met with Kaj, the 9 year old boy that was recently baptized, and I asked him,"Kaj, why do we have the 10 commandments?" And he so smartly said, "To help us live better lives." Okay wow. Someone gave the best answer ever. He's just the sweetest and so right! The Commandments are there to help us achieve success and growth and peace in this life. They help us draw nearer to our Heavenly Father and become more like Him. Tuesday we had our first district meeting as a new district. Elder Wilkinson is our new district leader and he is fantastic. He is concentrated and determined and focused and we're blessed to be under such fantastic leadership. We also got 2 new sisters in our district and they're beautiful inside and out! I love working alongside such fantastic people in the Lord's work. Sister Jacobson and I saw our 14 year old investigator after district meeting. She is so sweet! We shared a scripture in Alma which speaks about the beauty of nature and how our loving Heavenly Father created all things. Everything around us - in nature and all - testifies that there is an Almighty Being that has created all of this for us. I then shared an experience of a hike I went on with dad and how beautiful all of the nature is. When you're outside in the middle of nature, just breathing in the fresh air and gazing at all the creations around you, you can't help but feel there's something more, something spiritual. She teared up and her mother who was with us broke down in tears. They've been having some serious family issues, especially regarding fathers. We then looked at that beautiful 14 year old and said with all the assurance of our souls, "There is a loving Heavenly Father that knows you and loves you. Talk with Him. He can help you." That conversation was inspired. Sister Jacobson felt inspired to share that scripture, I felt inspired to share that experience, which in turn allowed them to open us and express the hard times they've been going through. The gospel is not a weight - it is wings. It allows us to fly through trials with someone much greater than we are. Then we left and went and saw Jamie, the 14 year old boy that's hopefully getting baptized this month! He's the best. He's so fired up and read to become apart of the Lord's church. Seeing the light and excitement in the eyes of people that are ready to follow Christ and obtain the happiness he so badly wants to give them is so awe-inspiring! Then we saw RC, a wonderful, kind man who's been visiting with missionaries for a while now. He is fantastic! We talked about faith and shared Alma 32:27. We must act and then after the trial of our faith we will see the blessings that Heavenly Father desires to bestow upon us. The past 2 weeks we haven't been able to meet with him. Everything had been going wrong - plumbing, etc. and finally we got to see him! He said, "It's interesting. Right as I begin to meet with you girls and learn more about the gospel, all these things are happening." SO RIGHT. Whenever anyone tries to go toward Christ and do what's right, there's going to be opposition. Satan doesn't want us to be happy, but if we push forward and rely on Christ, we can pull through! Then around 8:30 pm we had 30 minutes before we needed to go home. We decided to go and see if we could contact Kelsey - a sweet girl we haven't seen in a while - and we saw her! So grateful! We haven't been able to see her in so long. Blessings and miracles happen when you're obedient. You're able to bless lives. Wednesday was a beautiful day. We went contacting and so many people shut doors in our faces. But then that night we saw a girl we haven't seen in a while. At first, she didn't want to talk with us about Christ or His gospel at all, but as the weeks have gone by, she's warmed up to us and the Spirit has opened her heart and we were able to talk with her about Jesus Christ, His gospel, and the fact that she is a daughter of God. It was a blessed day. Then that night we stopped by this family's home. They had been arguing and fighting and crying and we asked if we could share a message. The mom said, "I would love for you to bring the Spirit into our home...Enter at your own risk." And we did. We came in and shared a message. All the sons and the husband sat around us and listened as we shared a scripture and the feeling of the entire home changed. No more fighting. No more tears. No more unkind words. Laughter and words of love and appreciation proceeded the spiritual thought. It wasn't Sister Jacobson and I that changed the environment.. it was the Spirit of our Heavenly Father that helped this family. I am so grateful to be apart of a church that emphasizes so much on families, that helps us come closer together and become united in love. Thursday we saw "The Testaments" and I totally cried. Movies that allow me to feel the Spirit and really think of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ just warms my soul! I love my brother. I think about the day when I'll finally be able to thank Him for everything He has done for me... It will be such a blessed day.. Friday was a growing day. Read Alma 34 38-41. It's fantastic... (well, all of the Book of Mormon is...) In Preach my Gospel it says, "As we obey God, He blesses us. He gives us power to meet life's challenges. He helps us change the desire of our hearts. Through faith in Jesus Christ, he can heal us, both physically and spiritually. As we repent, our view of ourselves and the world changes. Our desire to follow God grows stronger and deeper." Christ gives us the strength to be more, do more, become more. Saturday and Sunday we had General Conference. I am so thankful to have a prophet on the Earth today. I am so grateful to know that these men talk with God and that the words they deliver us are the exact words He would tell us if He were physically before us. Mosiah 16:9 says, "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death." Christ is the light. He is there for us always and I am so grateful for that knowledge. I love my Savior. He is everything to me. I love you! I pray for you. Love, Sister Mork

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