Sister Bailey Guthrie: BLESSINGS ON BLESSINGS!

Bumper Stickers in the South!

Blessings on blessings this week. On Wednesday Sister Lange, Sister Clarke and I went on an exchange with our Sister Training Leaders in Searcy. I got to be with Sister Peterson. She's a great gal. We taught the restoration to a woman named Skylar and her sister, Hayley who was

super interested. It was refreshing to teach a lesson to someone who doesn't have a language barrier. We read from the Book of Mormon with a woman named Angela. She's a bigger black woman and she's hilarious. She told us that she took a bath at 1 am and woke up in the tub at 4am. She said "the water was freezing and you wouldn't believe how

On our exchange

pruney I was". People in Arkansas are funny. They tell the best stories. That night back in Paragould at Book of Mormon class I smacked my face on a door. I was all disoriented and went into the bathroom and was half crying, half laughing with Sister Lange. So, I've had a big bump on my head and a fat lip all week. Cute.

On Thursday we drove down to Lonoke for zone conference with the Wakolos.Every day with President and Sister Wakolo is the best day. One thing

President said is that our success through out our mission and the rest of our lives will be measured in our Heavenly Father's eyes. I love that. We've been really busy this week, which is good. I feel like Ive lived in Paragould my whole life and I've known these

Probably what the second coming will look like

people for years. The more I am here, the more I have seen how desperately everyone needs the gospel in their lives. Life is hard and comes with

real trials. In three weeks I've seen more pain and suffering from divorce, abuse, drugs and alcohol, mental and physical illness, etc. than ever before. One of our mission mottos is that missionary work

isn't hard, it's harder. I think that applies to life as well; it's not hard, it's harder. I will forever love the talk "I Am a Child of God" by Elder Donald L. Hallstrom in which he says "When difficult

things occur in our lives, what is our immediate response? Is it confusion or doubt or spiritual withdrawal? Is it a blow to our faith?

Do we blame God or others for our circumstances? Or is our first response to remember who we are--that we are children of a loving God?

Is that coupled with an absolute trust that He allows some earthly suffering because He knows it will bless us, like a refiner’s fire, to become like Him and to gain our eternal inheritance?" In D&C 122:5,7

the Lord says to the prophet Joseph Smith while in Liberty Jail, "If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in peril..

know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience,

and shall be for thy good". Alma 26:27 says, "Now when our hearts were

depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted

us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with

patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." Before

coming on my mission I went through a period of time when my "heart

was depressed" and I was "about to turn back". I was struggling to

accept the path Heavenly Father was asking me to walk. A little over a

month into my mission, I can tell you that I thank God every single

day that I am here. I thank Him for helping me have enough faith to

align my will with His. I thank Him for helping me "bear with

patience" the results of the decisions I had made that were not

according to His will. I have now begun to realize how perfect His

plan for me really is. He knows and loves me. He knows and loves you.

He gives us trials in this life to bless us and strengthen us. "..for

I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be

supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions,

and shall be lifted up at the last day" (Alma 36:3). My favorite scripture has been and continues to be Joshua 1:9, "Have not I

commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." As President Wakolo would say,
"Don't worry, be happy! We have the Lord on our side."

OUR INVESTIGATOR RANLY WAS

BAPTIZED, AND RECEIVED THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST AND THE PRIESTHOOD

ON SUNDAY. My heart is so full. I met Ranly my first day here. He

didn't say much and kind of hung out in the background of our lessons.

Once I got to know Ranly more, something changed. I think I began to see him the way our Savior sees him. I saw him dressed in white,

entering the waters of baptism. I saw him as a missionary. I saw him in the temple, being sealed to his eternal companion. I had a strong impression after my first week here that Ranly

was ready to be baptized. As we progressed with him over the next couple of weeks we realized how true that was. He has an incredibly strong and sweet spirit. He will do much goodness in his life. I read D&C 15:6 the other day which says, "And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen". The gospel changes us. The atonement saves us. In one of my favorite Christian songs it says, "you gave your life, to give me mine". Because of Him we can be freed from sin and suffering. We can return to our

Heavenly Father and rest with those we love.

MUCH love,

Sister Guthrie