Ohhhhh....my sweet daughter. Sometimes (more than sometimes) she worries too much. I just have to laugh.......BUT she is very insightful. Just gotta love her!!!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012 8:29 AM
"Dear Dad,
I'm sitting here in the chapel in Milano 1 and as I was listening to the YW Conference (which was GREAT even in Italian) I had some questions come to mind that I am pretty sure you can answer.
My feelings came stronger when I heard President Monson speaking to the YW. How am I to raise a righteous family? How am I to fin a companion to discipline my children in a righteous way and through the gospel, just as you have done?
I thought back on some of my friends in HS...their father's being Bishop's and Stake President's...and their standards less than admirable. I even think of some family members who are in this same boat! And I puzzled and just...don't get it! One of my friend's turned openly gay and married a man. I must find a righteous husband who will openly help my sons and raise them in righteousness. Okay conference is starting...
And so we jump ahead to April 3, and how grateful I am for the servants of the Lord. I wrote questions down this conference and I KNEW that the Lord would answer. I could FEEL it; it was a feeling of complete confidence and almost a buzzing inside. My greatest question was asking the Lord HOW am I to search diligently for my future companion, just as Elder Causse counseled me to do? And I had a feeling that Elder Scott would be the one to answer...and he was. In order to search diligently, I must remain close to the Spirit and scriptures. I need to heed the counsel of the prophets and the Savior and His teachings. I was afraid that I would be coming back into "life" blindly, but it won't be s. I'm excited and feel more assured in this gospel than I ever have my whole life.
I also went to the Lord with questions about my health, as to which Elder Nelson responded beautifully. In personal study, I asked myself what exactly is the meaning of "Christ" because we always hear Jesus THE Christ. Brother Hallstrom answered it by saying that Christ means Messiah or Anointed One. Before the Sunday Morning Session, I had struggled over my weaknesses and how frustrated I was...over how many chances I have missed. What were the words out of Jeffrey R. Hollandìs mouth?Direct quote of my sorrow answered with a direct promise of the Atonement of the Savior..."
And so that is where we stand...I am just so grateful for the prophets and how BLESSED we are to be watching General Conference with ALL sessions available to us!! I can't BELIEVE I would fall asleep!! Never again....it gave me a spiritual recharge and has CHANGED my mission. I am taking leaps and bounds and feel like I really CAN continue....thank you for your prayers!! Love you!!"
And thus you all see the letter I have written to my father, which summed up this week EXACTLY for me. I feel so reinforced that I cannot even explain myself. My life has taken a complete turn, and I feel now, MORE THAN EVER so close to my Heavenly Father. I am finding JOY and HAPPINESS, TRULY in the work, and I pray for charity every day...which the Lord is blessing me with. It's like a shade has been lifted from my eyes and I SEE people as they are...Children of God. And I don't really have a fear anymore to talk to people...This gospel is what will SAVE the world!!
We had a lesson with Francesca the other day and it went BEAUTIFULLY. She made these HUGE cookies and I had to reject them because of the gluten issue and she forgot! SHe gave me an orange instead...and I just chuckled to myself because LAST time she made these DELICIOUS cannoli and I ate them anyway because she was so proud of them..."I made these special for you because I know you are Celiac (that's just what I tell people for easiness) and so I left out eggs!" hahaha...one thing I CAN eat...So I "died" happy because they were truly delicious. But the lesson...we broke it down into little pieces because she has SO many questions!! But, at the end...as we were talking about miracles, she began to cry. She's VERY heavy and doesn't know what to do about losing weight...Here in Italy they don't help you much in that matter...hello...Mission suit? But, as we testified that if she worked hard to get to church, the Lord would bless her and we talked about Sacrament Meeting and she asked us to sing a Hymn....I opened right up to Abide With Me Tis Eventide, and mentioned how this was not only my favorite but also my father's and I testified of the truthfulness. I sang soprano and Sorella Hanks sang alto..and Francesca silently cried throughout the whole thing...saying she never heard anything sound so beautiful and that she was grateful to God for giving her this blessing. It was all I COULD DO to not cry the Spirit was so strong. It was such a blessing to feel the Lord's love for this special daughter.
This Sunday is Easter Sunday and the ward has asked the missionaries to be in charge....2 weeks ago my companion and I shared a lesson in Relief Society which went really well...It Is Better to Look Up by Elder Cook. And this week, President asked me to speak on God is our Loving Heavenly Father..as to which I need to share a personal experience. How could I not declare that God is my loving Heavenly Father? I am so excited for this experience and please pray for us to have a family ask us to Easter Dinner...or else we're spending it alone.
Jesus Christ lives. He died so that we might live and broke the bands which hold us tightly, so that we may brake them to. Go to the Lord in prayer and allow the Savior's atonement change you life. Anything important to you, is important to the Lord and He WILL help you change! I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple and the sealing ordinances which will take place in my life..the next ordinance I have been asked to prepare for by the apostles themselves. The Lord ONLY wants our happiness and we will find it, only through Him. I Know that my Redeemer lives! What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, he lives who once was dead...I know that my Redeemer lives. He is real and He is there. This I testify in the name of my loving Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
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