Hey Family!
This week has been so much better than... well than any week
probably. Its been hard and yet I have felt more approval from the Lord
and the service we are giving than ever before.
Before I get into everything though....
HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD!!!! Did you get my card? :D I hope you liked it.
My thoughts have been, not distracted exactly, but they have been
on you and on Grandma as this last week was 1 year since Grandpa died.
We listened to Amazing Grace yesterday and I thought about how Jacob
sang that song exactly a year ago at his funeral. I hope everyone is
feeling the love that God has for us and Grandpa close by too...
So this week as I have tried to focus more on being obedient and
serving others I have found myself happier and more willing to submit my
will to the will of the Father. I read this quote on Tuesday that
really changed my whole perspective and brought me clarity.
I have learned a truth that has been repeated so frequently in my life that I have come to know it as an absolute law. It defines the way obedience and service relate to the power of God. When we obey the commandments of the Lord and serve His children unselfishly, the natural consequence is power from God用ower to do more than we can do by ourselves. Our insights, our talents, our abilities are expanded because we receive strength and power from the Lord. - Elder Richard G. Scott
Dad, it made me think on your thought on how we gain the Power of
God in our lives and I was like... well there it is! The formula is
right there. I thought it was cool.
This week we decided that we needed to stop teaching all but one of
our 3 investigators. One because her family is muslim and we didn't
want to divide them, and the other because she hasn't been progressing
meaning keeping commitments. It was a hard thing to do but to be honest
we have been fighting it for weeks. Its hard to let people go but its
amazing that it was in the lessons that we told them we couldn't keep
teaching them that I felt the most spirit. I don't know if they did but
we all knew that we were doing the will of the Father. And we have been
blessed for it.
A few weeks ago President recieved revelation to have us pray these
exact words (without becoming repetitive) "Lead us to the pure in hear,
including families." We have followed that council and have seen the
beginnings of the answer to this prayer.
We were trying to visit a former investigator and they weren't
home. Sister Peacock saw someone down the street and said "lets go talk
to him." So we did. He saw us coming and we waved hello and wow... its
never been so natural to talk to anyone in my life. He jumped right in
telling us all about himself and his amazing family, about his
"ministry" (thats what he called it) to guide and help young kids learn
about God, School, and Sports to keep them safe and off the street. He
has helped hundreds graduate form High school and go on to collage. His
program, or one of them is called Bible, Books, and Ball. The whole time
he was talking about how everything he has he has because he has put
God first in his life. After he was done talking he then said, "alright,
you now know about me, now tell me about you and why you are here." So
we started in, not even talking about the gospel to start with, just
building a relationship, talking about our families and lives and where
we were from, etc. At the end we each got to bear personal powerful
testimony about why we are in new york. We talked for a little longer
and he started telling us some of the trials that he has overcome,
including losing both his parents at a young age. Before we left I got
to bear powerful witness of Forever Families. I asked him if he thought
God had more good in store for him, he answered in the affirmative and
then I told him that this was part of the good that He had, we just
wanted to add to all the Good that God had already given him in his
life. He started crying. He said that our message had touched his heart
and he knew that it was no coincidence that we walked down that street
at that time.He said we looked like angels to him with Halo's and
wings.We cannot wait to meet with him again. We feel with absolute
certainty that this is a Man who is pure in heart, including his family,
and a blessing of our obedience to the spirit.
Heres a funny story for you. We have been working with a Less
Active almost as long as sister Peacock has been here and we are
planning to go to the temple to do baptsims for the dead with her for
the first time next saturday. We went to visit her on Saturday to make
sure she was all ready for her interview the next day. We walked in and
asked her how she was and she said "o ya know, just here drinking
coffee..." We were all in stunned silence. We didn't know how to
respond. We had talked about all the qualifications for the temple
reccomend with her, the commandments, she'd never mentioned anything
about Coffee... We were ready to panic! Then she started busting up
laughing and showed us that it was hot chocolate in her Mug not Coffee.
We laughed for 5 minutes strait. She is a funny lady. She had her
interview yesterday and Sister Peacock translated for her. Appearantly
she did have a problem with coffee before we went to visit her but from
the time that we first invited her back to church she stopped drinking
it. Her faith and determination to journey back to God amazes me. She
got her recommend and we cannot wait to go with her next week! :D
Family. This Gospel bring so much happiness. We have recieved
revelation that our mission here in Riverhead may be less to find new
people to baptize and more to stregnthen and reactivate the members who
are already here. We feel confident that this is the focus we need to
have for the next little while, starting with making sure every family
has daily prayer and scripture study and weekly FHE. Mom and Dad, I
cannot tell you how grateful I am for you and for making sure that those
things have ALWAYS been apart of our family routine. They really are
the building blocks of a Christ Centered home, of a family that sticks
together through it all. Brothers... don't fight it. Support Mom and Dad
in this and be grateful that they put God first in their relationship
and lives and that they are teaching you to do the same. Commit now to
do the same in your family from the moment that you get married, even if
its just you and your spouse. Set the patterns now that will carry you
into eternal life. I promise you that you will feel the power of God in
your lives as you do and that you will have greater peace and guidance
in your life.
I love you all so much! The mission is amazing, I am learning so
much and am so grateful for the companions that I have by my side. We
are all here for very specific reasons, our life expereinces combine to
help us meet any challenge that comes our way, we have all been prepared
to be here in this exact time for very specific purposes. I know that
God is using us to do his work.
Love,
Sister Maren Hale.
P.S. Caleb! I got your letter this morning and amSOOOO happy. I
think it brought me more joy that any letter I've gotten all week (not
that i got that many ;)) But seriously. It was awesome! look for your
reply this week.
To my other brothers.... See... if you write me you will get a personal response! I want to talk to all of you!
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