Monday, December 29, 2014

Canadians don't like Mexican food!

Happy belated Christmas!!!
Christmas as a missionary is definitely something special.  It was super cool to be able to literally only focus on Jesus Christ and sharing the gift of His atonement with everyone aruond us. 

Also, huge shoutout to my mom and rest of the fam for putting together that massive Christmas package! 
It was a good week, a bit on the slower side because of the holidays, but I'm still a missionary and that's what makes it good.  :) 
We weren't able to see any of our solid investigators this week which was sad, but we did lots of finding and tried to visit everyone that we could. 
We had a MIRACLE while tracting on Tuesday!  We had some time before an appointment, so we decided to finish a street we had started the week before.  People weren't being super receptive until we knocked on Kristin's door.  She opened it, and her husband Colin was there too, and we told them we had a Christmas message to share with them, they let us in right away!  Colin had to leave, but we shared He Is The Gift with Kristin, and she cried.  She loved it so much and was so happy we stopped by.  They have 3 kids and are pretty active in the Catholic church, but she wants us to come back after the holidays!  :)  The spirit was so strong as we testified to her of Christ's restored gospel.  There are those moments on missions where there's no way you can deny the spirit.  It is SO REAL. 
I also had an early Christmas present on Christmas eve!  Back in Grande Prairie, about 2 weeks into the mission field, I told you all about our investigator, Shauna, who cried when we told her about the Book of Mormon and Plan of Salvation and everything, and we taught her a few times.  There were some crazy things going on in her life that made it hard for us to meet with her, but she still stayed in contact every now and again and found so much peace in the message we shared.  Well, I've been praying and praying and PRAYING to be able to get into contact with her somehow, and Christmas eve, the phone rang, and lo and behold, it was the Bear Creek Sisters!  They told me that she texted them and wanted to get into contact with us, so I got her number and was able to talk to her for a bit!!!  Happy Christmas Sister Jones!  Heavenly Father really does love us so much. 
Skyping home was the best day ever.  Not proselyting on Christmas and Christmas Eve was suuuuuper hard though. 

Friday night, we got fed Mexican food for the first time since I've been in Canada and it was A MIRACLE FROM HEAVEN I TELL YOU!  Canadians hardly ever make Mexican food and it's a bit depressing, so getting it was SO wonderful.  #temdermercies  
I was reading 2 Nephi chapter 4 this week, and it was sooo what I needed to hear.  Nephi is feeling a little down in this chapter about his weaknesses:
17Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness‍ of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched‍ man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth‍ because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. 18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset‍ me.
19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted."
we have been given such an important calling and responsibility, and it's so easy to look at ourselves and see our weaknesses. To see the things we aren't doing right, and if we're not careful, we can quickly become sorrowful and discouraged.  But I absolutely LOVE the last line of 19, Nevertheless, i know in whom i have trusted. 

Reading the rest of the chapter is probably the greatest pep talk ever. 

26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited‍ men in so much mercy, why‍ should my heart‍ weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?
27 And why should I yield‍ to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace‍ and afflict my soul? Why am I angry‍ because of mine enemy?
28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop‍ in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy‍ of my soul.
29 Do not anger‍ again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock‍ of my salvation.
Why have we need to fear or to be discouraged when we literally have the Most Powerful and Omnipotent Being at our aid, every second of every day. 

Anywho, I would like to just copy and paste the whole chapter in here, but I'll leave that to all of you to read it for yourselves.  :) 

THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

Onward, ever onward.

Sister Jones

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