Hey Family!!!
First of all... MOM!!!! THANK
YOU SO SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR THE COOKIES!!!! <--- Do you get how happy
I am about them. To be honest those cookies are the one thing that I
have been craving since I got here. I wanted to ask for some but I
didn't want to make life inconvenient... but God knows what his
missionaries want and need and so apparently do you Mom. Thank you.
Tasted like home. I rushed them back to my classroom and literally made
everyone try one. If they refused I said "No really. These are the best
cookies in the world!" They finally relented and then agreed with me
after they tasted your heavenly cookies. THANK YOU! I love you!
So I am not going to lie... the beginning of this week
was really hard. The news of Sydney broke my heart and honestly scared
me to death. Sydney was perfect! She was so happy all the time and
always built others up around her. It brought a lot of fears the the
very front of my mind. Satan works like that. I couldn't stop thinking
about all of you and what I would do if something happened to you, or
worse... you chose to leave this earth. I never would have thought that
Sydney would have been capable to do something like that. What if...
well what if I didn't know that one of you were too... Fears just
started attacking my brain and heart. I couldn't focus. I couldn't work.
I wasn't talking to anyone. I was just plain scared. Then in an instant
a ray of light pierced through the darkness, a thought so clear that I
could not ignore it. "Ask for a blessing." (Duh Maren!) I passed a note
to my district leader immediately to ask if he and his companion would
give me a blessing. They agreed.
Right before lunch (or maybe dinner) we went into a
room jus the four of us and we talked for a little while about what I
was feeling. Finally my district leader asked me "So what do you need
from me?" Rather bluntly I told him, "I don't need anything from you. I
just need to know what my Father in Heaven would say to me right now and
you have the power to help me with that." I think that took him back
just a little bit, I saw humility and a little fear flash accross his
face but then he stood, he and his companion placed their hands on my
head and said the proper words to begin a blessing... and then there was
silence. A lot of silence. I could feel him trying so hard to make sure
he said what God needed him to say, nothing more and nothing less.
There was silence for a long time and then he finally spoke. It was a
simple blessing, mostly I was promised comfort; but let me tell you. It
was so powerful, and I felt the love of my Father in Heaven and peace
came over my heart.
When the blessing was over I turned and looked at these
two young 18 year old Elders. Honestly I don't know if they had ever
given another blessing before... but I was glad they had the chance to
give me this one. I thanked them for being ready and willing. My
district leader looked at me and I could tell he had experienced
something amazing. All he said was "Honestly, when you said you didn't
need anything from me I was scared... I didn't know what I was going to
say..." and said "but you waited until you did." He smiled. I had felt
the power of God work in him that day as I had felt it enter my heart.
I am so profounding grateful for the priesthood. I had
another blessing later in the week because I have had the Cold from the
Devil himself for the 3rd time since being the MTC. I swear I never
really got better from Christmas... just times of relative normalcy and
times of all out attack on my body. Two other Elders in my district gave
me a blessing. They did a marvelous job and promised me that I would
get well. I was finally able to breathe enough that night to sleep
through it. The priesthood is such a powerful gift. Boys, be humble and
grateful that you get to hold it and use it from time to time. ALWAYS...
ALWAYS be ready, willing, and worthy to step up when that is needed.
Jake, practice when you get that power (come to think of it stake
conference was last week so you should now have it right?) use it! be
ready because you will be called on out here.
Yesterday we had what is called "In-Field Orientation."
Its a meeting that lasts from 8:00am to 5:30pm for all the missionaries
leaving the following week. We were the biggest group ever to depart
from the MTC in the same week. Because of the new legnths of
missionaries staying in the MTC you had all the 3 week English
missionaries as well as the newer 2 week English missionaries leaving,
as well as all the 6 week language missionaries leaving the same time as
the 9 week language missionaries... It was a HUGE group!
A lot of people think its just long and boring but
honestly I thought it was amazing! I am so excited to get to New York,
to really start fulfilling my purpose! One thing that really struck me
though from yesterday was when we talked about missionaries working with
Members. Members are SOOOOO important in everything that we do. Without
them we really might as well just come home because they are the ones
that will hep converts stay active after we are gone.... One of the
instructers told a story about living in Provo but still being able to
participate in missionary work... Yes... its coming... Family... Why
haven't we ever been more involved in missionary work!? Yes i know, Its
Utah, and almost everyone around us is active and loves the Gospel...
but so? what about at school? do you know people who aren't members?
what about at work? Did we ever even know who the missionaries were in
our area serving? Why not? Yes... its coming... Family, I challenge you,
I invite you to change this. Utah is a great place for finding and
converting new members of the church. Get involved in that process. :D
Just think abou this... If you know someone who isn't a member, yes its
scary to talk to them about it... but if you don't... how will you feel
if someday.. someone else does.. and they actually accept it... that
could have been you.
This gospel is SOOOO amazing! Its true! and people
always want to know the truth, no one likes being lied to. We need to
feel like Alma and the Sons of Mosiah. We need to moan and tremble and
cringe at the thought of one of our brothers, one of our sisters, not
having the opportunity to hear this gospel and recieve the ordinances
required for salvation. THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. When
we think of it this way... not opening our mouths seems like a pretty
stupid thing to do.
I love you Family! I can't wait to talk to you on
Monday. I hope you are going to be up early because I really only
have time to call at like 4:30-5:30am.... i know.... i'm sorry.
If you need to tell me anything send a dearelder before noon... i
don't think they print dearelders on saturday and we dont get mail on
sunday so.... yeah...
I love you!
-Hermana Maren Hale
New York Bound :D
P.S.
Brothers.... are you still alive? I really want to hear from you. If
you write me I promise I will write a personal letter just for you....
please?
Talk to you Monday.
No comments:
Post a Comment