So during the conference, President would randomly pick on people to give a 5 minute talk on the topic he assigned. He would pick 3 people, sing a song, then they would speak, then he would pick 3 more people, we would sing, they would speak. He did about 3 rounds of that. Anyway, he gets up on his third round, and asks me to get up and talk about what Moroni 10:32-33 mean to me. So I open my scriptures and the first line of 32 says, "Yea, come unto Christ and be perfected in Him..." President has been talking to me about not being such a perfectionist and chilling out. So of course he gives me these scriptures about how we can be perfected in Christ. I got up and said, "Very funny President." He just smiled. As I thought about what I needed to learn from this scripture, I thought about 3 Nephi 9:22 where it talks about becoming as a little child and told of a couple of experiences and even related Abby a couple of times. This turned out very well, but then as I was talking, I looked at the last line of vs. 33 where it says, "that ye become holy, without spot." I stopped and read over it again as it hit me powerfully in a way I wasn't expecting. It was then I knew what I was supposed to learn from this situation. To be truly perfect is to be holy and without sin. That is all that matters. It doesn't matter if I look perfect to the world or do everything people see perfectly, it only matters that I am continually changing and becoming more like our Heavenly Father. My relationship with Him is all that matters. If I continually repent and have a change of heart, it is then I can strive to be perfect in His eyes. It makes sense in my head, and I had a really neat experience I was not expecting to have. I later thanked President because I know he was led by the Spirit to have me recognize something I needed to learn.
Well, I am going to start off with Sunday, probably one of the best days on my mission. I say this because we were more blessed than I have ever seen so far on my mission. As we were thinking about who was going to come to church yesterday out of all the people we were teaching, we were thinking maybe 2 or 3 people would come. Nope, not just the two people showed up, but every single person we are teaching besides 1 person came to church. I was completely shocked! As we sat in sacrament with all of these people around me that we are teaching, tears came to my eyes as I thought of how the Lord just continues to bless us. I don't know how we deserved this, but it was amazing. Our sacrament meeting was packed! It was just amazing.
Well, just as I am sitting here emailing, this kid comes and sits by me and says, "Hey I remember you! You told me to go to Mormon.org once!" Haha so I start talking to him and he said he went to the website and he wants to go to church with his family, but they don't go. He wanted a Book of Mormon, so I gave him one and talked to him about it. As I am talking to him, the lady that is sitting next to Sister Jacob says, "Where is your church located?" So Sister Jacob just started talking to her and she is interested. WE ARE SO BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, I am sure you are all wanting to hear about G. So G came to our Book of Mormon class we teach, and we were discussing the story of Alma the Younger and his conversion. So he raises his hand, and says, "I have gone through this same situation that he is talking about in vs. 28-32 (ch. 27 of mosiah). When you taught me how to repent and told me to repent, I spent many days in prayer repenting for the things I have done wrong. These past couple days, I have been able to thank the Lord for what He did for me so that I could repent and that I have found the gospel!" Wow.. I had the biggest smile on my face. He isn't even baptized yet and he is relatiing the scriptures to his own life! He is incredible! On Friday was his interview and he passed, of course! He is just so excited. He wanted to take some time to think about his program for the baptism because it is a very important decision. His whole family is coming as well! Yesterday in Sunday School, we were talking about the Priesthood and how missionaries are called to specific places for a reason, and he said, "I know that they were called here at a specific time as well. If they would have come to me 10 years ago, I wouldn't have been ready. But I had to be prepared and humbled to know the truth, and when I needed them most in my life, they just showed up!" I know the Lord puts us where we need to be. I just can't even imagine if we wouldn't have stopped him that day when he was running across the street and we somewhat chased after him. Haha that was funny, but goodness the Lord is just pouring his blessings upon us.
T and her family are doing so well! Now they ask us how the Lord blessed us that day rather than us asking them. They have progressed so much just by praying as a family every night and sharing a thought. I have such a strong testimony of that now, because I know it brings love and peace into a home. They came to church and loved it. T can't imagine not going now. I just love it out here! The work is so great and there is so much to do!
One last story. We have been teaching this lady who is less active and she still teaches her kids from the Book of Mormon she is just nervous to come to church. She is so wonderful, but is hesitant about church. So her neice and nephew from Florida came to visit and they are active and sat in on our lesson with her. So then yesterday, the niece calls her and says, "Lets go to church!" So she got her aunt to go to church and she LOVED it! Her kids loved it too! So all because her niece got her to come to church, now she feels great about it. The power the youth have is incredible out here.
Well, I could go on and on, but I am out of time. But I love you all! Keep praying and studying the scriptures! AND GO TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!! I love you all!
Love, Elizabeth
TAWANDA!!
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