"Happy Easter everyone!
It was a great Easter here in Oswego! Everyone is talking about the
Because of Him video and that's because it changed lives! My favorite
thing about having iPads is being able to show those little Mormon
messages for our lessons. I've seen that video like 100 times and it
never gets old. If you haven't seen it then go to lds.org and watch it
right now!
I'm way jealous that my family got to go to the Easter Pageant, I've
still never been to that! And that so cool you all got to do baptisms
for the dead in the Gilbert temple. So many exciting things are
happening!
Well the biggest news from the week is I met someone from home! I'm
telling you, there's just something about where we live. So there is
an Elder Skinner serving in this mission. I met him at Zone Conference
this week and he's from Thatcher Arizona. So already we know we are
going to have friends in common! Then I tell him that I'm from Heaven,
also know as St. Johns, and he asks if I know the Hancock family. Well
of course I do! So get this, his sister is married to Trent Hancock! I
think her name is Adele. And I was like, No Way! My best friend is
Mellica and she's his cousin! I was way pumped. It's such a small
world in the church:)
Well Easter is so good as a missionary! Because when you knock on
people's doors and say you want to share an Easter message they feel
more obligated to let you in. We went to this awesome families house
for dinner and it was so good! It didn't really feel like Easter but
it definitely meant more in the way of the true meaning of Easter. I
can't believe that Mothers Day is only 3 weeks away! You know what
that means?! It means it'll be my 11 month mark! Just kidding, it
means I get to Skype home and see your wonderful faces! I have no idea
time or anything like that yet but just let me know next week so I can
plan around that. I'll have to Skype Garret separately so work it out
amongst yourselves who goes first and I'll be able to Skype from my
iPad again.
We have transfers next week. I can't believe it's already been 6 weeks
with Sister Teerlink! I have no idea what's going to happen. I always
make a guess and it seems like the opposite or unexpected always
happens. But I don't really feel like my time in Oswego is to an end
yet. We shall see what The Lord has in store.
Well I am officially allergic to cats. This week we stopped by a less
actives house and she has a cat. A really mean cat! She jumped up and
bit my companions arm and was just hanging on! It's a good thing it
wasn't me, I probably would have died! I wouldn't be surprised if it
were part cat part lion, it was so mean! But anyways, this lion cat
walked across my lap and out of habit I reached up and pet it's tale.
Bad idea. And the worse idea I had was to scratch my face after that.
Really bad idea. During the next lesson we were watching the
Restoration DVD with Taylor, the 18 year old whose been coming to
seminary, and my face started to swell up!!!! I could just picture me
looking like Harry Potter when Hermione hits him with a curse and his
face swells up. That was not comforting! But luckily The Lord was
blessing me because it didn't swell up noticeably and a member gave me
some allergy medicine. I feel like every week for the rest of my
mission I'm going to have some eventful cat story. So I am trying to
figure out how to deal with this infirmity. I can't just take allergy
pills everyday, I don't want to! And we went to this other members
house and I didn't even touch her cat and I could barely breath when
we left her house. So I took an allergy pill when we left and that was
a bad idea. Because it was our last appointment of the night so I went
to bed not too long after that and the next morning I felt so groggy.
This is what happens when I don't have my Mom to tell me what to do.
So we'll see what I figure out to deal with this. Is there anybody in
our family allergic to cats? I don't think so!
This week we had a wonderful Zone Conference. I know I've mentioned
President Fenn is wonderful, but he is truly so great! I wanted to
share with you a little of what he talked about. He taught us about
trials and adversity in this life. I find it interesting how when some
people face a hard time, they turn away from God. They leave all that
was good in their lives and turn to what they think it easier. But why
isn't our natural instinct to turn to that very being who created us?
Jesus Christ is the one and only person who knows exactly what we are
going through because He also endured the same agony. We know that
Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, he bled from every
pore and he suffered such agonizing pain we cannot comprehend it. And
He did it willingly because He loves us. Well each of us must go
through our own Gethsemane experience. Each of us must feel just a
tiny bit of what He felt so that we can come to appreciate the true
sacrifice He made for us. And that's why we can always find hope
through the hard times. We aren't the first to experience these hard
times. President Fenn said that the answer for everything you are
facing at this moment is to carry on. Pray for extra help but always
carry on. When Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail it took 110 days for
him to receive the revelation from The Lord that we all know so well.
Joseph asks Oh God, where art thou? And The Lord responds "My son,
peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be
but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt
thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. (D&C 121:7-8) I
love how He calls him, My son. We truly are sons and daughters of God.
And that knowledge is enough to get me out of bed every morning and to
do the Lords work. I know with all of my heart that Jesus Christ
atoned for each one of us. Because of Him, I can be with my family
forever. Because of Him, none of us never need feel alone. Because of
Him, I get a clean start each week at church. Because of Him, I am
here in Illinois teaching about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I
am so grateful for Him and I know that He lives. I, add my testimony
to that off Elder Bruce R. McConkie. I love his final testimony: "And
now, as pertaining to this perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding
of the blood of God--I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at
Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the
Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He
is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent
of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I
shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet
his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I
know now that he is God's Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and
Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood
and in no other way. God grant that all of us may walk in the light as
God our Father is in the light so that, according to the promises, the
blood of Jesus Christ his Son will cleanse us from all sin." I know
these words are true and I am grateful for them.
Never forget your testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. He really lives.
I hope you all have a safe and blessed week! May you share this
happiness with those around you. I love you all!!!!"