Inspirational

Hey yaallllll a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks!! My

sweet sweet companion sister Lloyd finished her missionary service and

has gone back back to cali cali. God really blessed me with her as a

companion and the blessings keep flooding in because my new companion,

sister Anderson is SO GREAT. Every night we lay in bed and talk about

how much we love being companions and it's been about a week. We have

goals and a vision for this transfer and we know that it was inspired

that we became companions. We've set a goal to baptize within 30 days

and we are working hard every day to increase our faith. 

This week we've had some really good experiences. On Thursday we went to the

Lakeland sisters area to help them find some new people to teach.

Sister Hall, Hermana Olsen and I tore it up in an apartment complex. I

spotted this girl from a distance wearing ugg boots and a red bandana

and the spirit testified to me that we needed to talk to her. I

awkwardly shouted to her to get her attention and we made our way

over. She ended up inviting us right into her apartment and we taught

her about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the

prophet Joseph Smith. Also in the apartment complex we met a fine

group of young hooligans hanging out under a gazebo. They laid down a

fresh beat and we sang amazing grace. They may have uploaded it to

YouTube, we aren't sure. 

Another highlight of this week was that on Friday we biked 12 miles for one appointment. We have been teaching 15 year old Caleb for quite some time now. We set a baptismal date with him a couple of weeks ago for the 27th of May. We really felt like we needed to have a lesson with him on Friday so we made the 6 mile trek to his house as soon as the rain let up. Well, bike tires slip in rain and mud so keep that in mind. After an hour of biking we arrived at Caleb's house. We watched the 20 min restoration video with him and he

was dialed in. You could just tell that he was really pondering it. After the video we asked him to describe how he felt. He said that it was inspirational and that he felt like it was true. We made a real breakthrough with Caleb in that lesson. He told us that he had been

praying about his baptism. So cool. 

After the lesson we headed out, 6 miles back to the church. We had drastically underestimated how long it would take us to bike 12 miles so we were already running late for our dinner appointment. We peddled towards our next destination with

speed although our energy levels were low. We approached a gas station

where a car was pulling out. Naturally, I began to slow down. Sister

Anderson later told me that at about that time she thought to herself

"I probably shouldn't do this" and then the next thing she knew she

was in a bush. Well, whatever she did that she shouldn't have done

caused her bike to practically slip out from under her and propel her

into a nearby bush (see picture below). I wish y'all could have seen

us laughing to tears on the side of Yale and Covington Pike road. This

experience solidified sister Anderson and i's friendship as well as my

testimony of God's sense of humor. To add to all of that, on the way

home to our apartment that night sister Anderson's dress got stuck in

her bike chain. As we worked together to get the situation resolved,

we bent down at the exact same time and bonked our helmets together. I

swear it was like something out of a movie. We doubled over laughing

once again. I think that day was the best day of my mission thus far.

On Sunday of course we were able to FaceTime our mothers. I really

wasn't mentally prepared this time around, but it was great to see the

faces and hear the voices of the people I love the most! My mom gets

this face when she's about to cry that is quite distinguishable. When

I saw that face towards the end of our call I really broke down. All I

could say is that every day is so hard.. so hard. But that every

single day has been worth it and that I'm so thankful for the

testimony I've gained. I was due for a good cry so thanks mom. 

This week I have been studying and pondering repentance in preparation to

teach it to Caleb. I've learned so much through studying for our

investigators. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of

God" (Romans 3:23). We all sin, "and no unclean thing can dwell with

God" (1 Nephi 10:21). We must repent. True repentance involves

recognizing that something you have done is not in line with the will

and commandments of God, which leads to remorse and Godly sorrow. True

repentance also includes confession to the Lord (and maybe one of the

Lord's representatives on Earth if the load is just too heavy for you

to bear on your own). We must make restitution for the wrong we have

done by doing all that we can to make it right. To truly repent and

access the healing power of the atonement, we must forsake our sins

and do all that we can to leave them behind. This can be so tough, but

there are a few reasons why it is worth it. First, the promise of

peace and joy. The Book of Mormon prophet, Alma the younger describes

some of his feelings during his conversion and repentance to his son

Helaman in Alma chapter 36. He says, "But I was racked with eternal

torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked

with all my sins. Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for

which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had

rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy

commandments... And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with

torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins,

behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the

people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to

atone for the sins of the world. Now, as my mind caught hold upon this

thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy

on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the

everlasting chains of death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I

could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory

of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did

behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite

and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son,

that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as

was my joy". It is night and day y'all, night and day. I can testify

to you that THIS IS TRUE. Sin brings guilt, pain, sorrow, misery,

distress, depression, anxiety, secrecy, and shame. Repentance, the

atonement of Jesus Christ, the love of God bring the exact opposite. I

can testify that it is true. I've felt it. God has promised, "though

your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they

be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isiah 1:18) and "he who

has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord,

remember them no more" (D&C 58:42). I know without a doubt that God

the Eternal Father lives. I know that He sent His son Jesus Christ to

suffer and die for my sins and for your sins. I know that Jesus Christ

heals broken hearts and contrite spirits. If you do not know that

these things are true, you are delaying happiness and peace that can

be found with a knowledge of their truthfulness and implication in

your life.

Much love y'all,

Sister Guthrie