Monday, August 19, 2013

August 19, 2013 Maren

After last week I feel like there isn't that much to tell this week. The big news is this:

Yesterday was E......'s birthday and we went to see her. We taught her the end of the Plan of Salvation and asked her what knowing this plan means for her personally. She said that it helps to know the plan because then we know what we need to do. And then she preceded to ask us if she could still get baptized but on the 7th and if her family could come. We were like "YES!" on all accounts. We are planning on introducing our branch presidency to her husband so that he can feel good about the whole process. Especially since one of them will probably actually be doing the baptizing.

I am always amazed at the change that i can see in her each time that she opens the door for us. She Radiates the love of God and the light of Christ and has a true desire to do what is right by him. We will be spending a good amount of preparation to make sure she is ready for that date, and that the service is spiritual and uplifting for her family.

Thanks for sending the book with Sister Stenquist again. It was amazing! I already finished it. It makes me want to come home and just be a member missionary. That is where it is at. You all have so much power. If we could just get every member in the world to live by those principles, well..... we'd see miracles and the numbers in the church would explode! I especially loved the story about the branch who called proselyting families and they had to bring people to the church to be taught and then when they were baptized they were immediately assigned to do the same thing. That is amazing! I also loved the chapter on how to be digital missionaries. There is a lot of power in that. I invite each and every one of you to become digital missionaries today. Be vocal about what you believe and invite people to learn more. Branch out and keep your baptismal commitment to stand as a witness always. 

I loved Stephanie's email this week. (or maybe it was last week's email i just got it today). I could feel her joy through her words and am so grateful that her prayers have been answered. I just hope I can become a missionary like my siblings are.  They are such great examples to me and seemingly spiritual giants. 

I hope the car is okay, and wasn't too expensive to fix... I am glad you were close to home and that we have awesome neighbors who help us out all the time.

Family, I want to bear you my testimony that this church is true. So many people tell us they don't believe in god for this reason or that and I find that their evidence against his existence is exactly why I know that he is there, that he is our father, and that he loves us. One I hear most often is that if he existed he wouldn't allow all the suffering to happen in the world. Family, we know God's plan. He told us before we even came here that we would suffer. We have to learn and experience it for ourselves. Its the only way we can become like God. He gave us our agency so that we can make choices and choose to follow him. He doesn't force anything, we make our own choices and that effects the world around us. I also read a talk this week about God's Laws and his Love. Often people confuse or try to impose one of the other. They say that God's love trumps his laws and so it will be okay. We see this all the time. People who say they can do what they want and God's love will save them in the end. But that isn't true. God loves us all implicitly but we still have to Obey him. I see this happening in the world around us but it also happens within the Church. I have become more aware of it in our teaching because people often say that their families can be together forever, which is true because God loves us and wants us to have that, but only if we do it his way. We cannot live in sin or choose not to be sealed in the temple and think that we will get the same blessings. It doesn't happen. We have to be living it, we have to be obeying it. God Loves us so he give us his law so that we don't have to wonder in darkness. We know the way, we just have to follow it and help others find the way on our journey. 

I love you family! 

Love,

Sister Hale

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