This week was a weird one because I had a nice minor case of Bronchitis and with some wonderful medication and rest I got feeling 100% better! So this week we tried our very hardest to keep track of our investigators and out of all things that happened this week unfortunetly we are learning that one of our investigators, Nikki Ray, may not be getting baptized along with her daughter and her husband. As much as I have been taking it hard that she hasn't come along as fast as her family I was reminded by the spirit and my companion that everyone converts at their own pace and comfort and she isn't going to be lost forever. I know that, and I also know that Heavenly Father is mindful of every person here on earth and that they all will receive the gospel (or at least have the opportunity to) because Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us!
Yesterday at church the speakers spoke about faith and repentance in the Gospel. Brother and Sister Vastbinder did a marvelous job at teaching and explaining the meaning and reason for the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. Sister Vasbinder also read a wonderful story called "Life after Delivery" and for us knowing whether or not there is a God:
Conversation in the Womb – A Parable of Life After Delivery
In a mother’s womb were two babies . One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”
“Nonsense” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”
The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”
The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”
The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”
The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover if there is life, then why has no one has ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”
The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”
The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”
Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”
To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”
I absolutely loved this little parable and it is so true that we cant see or sometimes feel God and justify that God is not there because or lack of Physical evidence. However I know that God is there, that He is all around us and wants to strengthen and bless us and help us in everything we do. Sometimes we just need to listen closely and do as he asks of us and we will be given the testimony that we know He is there.
Another wonderful thing that I learned this last week is the importance of Agency! I have been using it wrong out here on my mission! Now this doesn't mean that I have purposely been breaking rules or being disobedient but I haven't been truly using it at all. We were reading in the Ezra T. Benson book for relief society yesterday and how agency is our God-given ability to choose how our "Life's story" will pan -out. We read this scripture from a passage:26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
"27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned." (D&C 58:26-29)
I learned that I cannot just wait for God to give specific direction without really doing anything and expect a prize for waiting- I have to put my every effort in being a servant of the Lord, do all I can to do good continually and then pray for guidance and inspiration and then "get on my feet and work". I am not ashamed to do so and I am not afraid to work hard, I know that Lord is here every step of the way when I use my agency right! :)
Last night we and the Thaxton's went to have a lesson with Stephan (Sister Clark and I taught him at the beginning of my mission) and he has been coming to church for a good three and a half months now and we taught him the plan of salvation last night! It went so well and we explained everything so slowly that he could simply understand everything and we asked him if baptism is something he would want, and he said yes and we were jumping out of our clothes we were so excited! But we know we still have to go slow and told him to pray what day that he wants to be baptized on and he said he will, so we just will be patient and "Do our duty, that is best, and leave unto the Lord the rest!" (Quoted by Thomas S Monson).
Anyway I love you all and pray for you in every moment I can! This work is moving forward, I promise you that.
Love ALWAYS ;) ,
Sister Jones
Questions for our Kizzer:
*Who is Mona Lisa? (Part of my letter to Kizzer: "Bro. Thaxton added me as a friend on FaceBook - and so I accepted him. Pulled up his profile and pics - and Low and Behold --- there were pics of my awesome daughter at Christmas time. I just had a permanent grin seeing you out there and about.
“Nonsense” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”
The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”
The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”
The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”
The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover if there is life, then why has no one has ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”
The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”
The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”
Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”
To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”
I absolutely loved this little parable and it is so true that we cant see or sometimes feel God and justify that God is not there because or lack of Physical evidence. However I know that God is there, that He is all around us and wants to strengthen and bless us and help us in everything we do. Sometimes we just need to listen closely and do as he asks of us and we will be given the testimony that we know He is there.
Another wonderful thing that I learned this last week is the importance of Agency! I have been using it wrong out here on my mission! Now this doesn't mean that I have purposely been breaking rules or being disobedient but I haven't been truly using it at all. We were reading in the Ezra T. Benson book for relief society yesterday and how agency is our God-given ability to choose how our "Life's story" will pan -out. We read this scripture from a passage:26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
"27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned." (D&C 58:26-29)
I learned that I cannot just wait for God to give specific direction without really doing anything and expect a prize for waiting- I have to put my every effort in being a servant of the Lord, do all I can to do good continually and then pray for guidance and inspiration and then "get on my feet and work". I am not ashamed to do so and I am not afraid to work hard, I know that Lord is here every step of the way when I use my agency right! :)
Last night we and the Thaxton's went to have a lesson with Stephan (Sister Clark and I taught him at the beginning of my mission) and he has been coming to church for a good three and a half months now and we taught him the plan of salvation last night! It went so well and we explained everything so slowly that he could simply understand everything and we asked him if baptism is something he would want, and he said yes and we were jumping out of our clothes we were so excited! But we know we still have to go slow and told him to pray what day that he wants to be baptized on and he said he will, so we just will be patient and "Do our duty, that is best, and leave unto the Lord the rest!" (Quoted by Thomas S Monson).
Anyway I love you all and pray for you in every moment I can! This work is moving forward, I promise you that.
Love ALWAYS ;) ,
Sister Jones
Questions for our Kizzer:
*Who is Mona Lisa? (Part of my letter to Kizzer: "Bro. Thaxton added me as a friend on FaceBook - and so I accepted him. Pulled up his profile and pics - and Low and Behold --- there were pics of my awesome daughter at Christmas time. I just had a permanent grin seeing you out there and about.
Monalisa (her Facebook name?) also added me and said she knows you- saw you at YW nights etc. Who is she? She is so nice. She said her mom and sister live in Idaho Falls? Tell me some about her too!")
Answer: Mona Lisa is the young woman's leader here in Olney and she is probably 4'9 and is the sweetest philopino lady every! She converted when she was 18 or 19 and got her sister to convert and one day they expect her mom but she says like she told you that her mom and sister live in Idaho falls and she says that you should visit them and get a picture and send it to her! But she wants to talk to you more and I love her and you would too! :) Brother Thaxton thinks your a cool woman-no lie! He saw a quote that you put on FaceBook and wrote it down in his planner and he saw that you call me "Kizzer" and now calls me that and than smiles and laughs at me ha ha he a is a great mission grandpa! :) ha ha give grandpa high five for me! :) Is he doing better? his knee doing well? anyway let me know!
*What happened this week with you being sick?
I am feeling soooo much better now! and not my comp has a stomach bug and possibly the flu so this next week is going to be not so fun again but we are trying to make the best of everything!
Katelyn went on to tell her Dad in an email that Sister Hinton is now super sick and they are spending some time at Bro. & Sis. Thaxtons. They must be awesome mission grandparents to watch out for these two!
I have a request? will you send out my spring clothing? I am ready to trade out some of them, the weather is on and off here so I will keep my thicker stuff but I really need a change in wardrobe before I go crazy- I borrow a lot of Sister Hinton's clothing! haha
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