Aug. 16, 2017 ~ "THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE" (Week 5)
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| (This is the face you get when it's raining AND you get to leave your
house for the first time in 5 days AND Hermana Ferrin starts quoting Nacho Libre. Life is SO GOOD! 😃😃😃) |
Hola familia y amigos!
I am so grateful for all of you! Thank you for the letters and prayers and love you have sent my way.I appreciate your kindness and examples!❤
We had another great week here at the CCM! I officially have my sticker, which means I am on week 6 and will be leaving for California next Wednesday! I am so excited!!
This week, most people in my district were sick, including both of my
companions. On top of that, one of my companions received a concussion
from getting hit in the head with a volleyball. She was out of
commission for 6 days (she got hit last P-Day)... So we
spent most of the week in our casa, which made me a little bit
stir-crazy... But I got lots of personal studying in, which was awesome!
And it truly made me love and appreciate my district and teachers
because I sincerely missed them!
On Friday, my district celebrated Christmas! We wore Christmas colors
and sang Christmas Hymns the entire day. We even drew names and did a
small Secret Santa gift exchange. It was awesome! As you read in last
week's post, the Elders in my district can be a
bit crazy... But we always have a good time and they are always making
us laugh. Aside from everyone being sick and afflicted, we had a very
Feliz Navidad! 🤶🎅👼🎁❄☃️🌲
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| Feliz Navidad! |
(With Elders Skinner & Brooks)
I was sad to see my friends leave this week, but I am super excited for the things they will accomplish in the field. The two I was saddest to see go were Elders Brooks and Skinner (my cousin and friend from home). They are some of the best guys around! I could always count on at least one of them asking me on a daily basis how I was doing and if they could do anything for me. Elder Skinner even gave me a Snickers bar before he left. Thank you, Joey & Lisa and Chet & Andrea, for raising such great sons! They will be amazing missionaries! 🤗
I am always saying embarrassing things in Spanish (I told you about the chastity incident last week, which I still get teased for on the regular). One time I meant to say that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you can be clean from your sins, which is the word pecados, but I accidentally said pescados, which means fish. So I literally said, "Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you can be clean from your fish." Another one I meant to say was, "God can make your weaknesses into strengths," which is fuerzas, but I accidentally said fresas, which means strawberries. So apparently God can turn your weaknesses into strawberries, if you didn't know yet. Haha the rest of my mess-ups are not appropriate for the masses, but I wouldn't be mad if y'all prayed for my Spanish. Or that my investigators can have the gift of discernment and a sense of humor. Haha either will suffice. 😘
(With Elder Brooks)
Things are going really well here! We were told that in order to be fluent in the language, you first have to make 30,000 mistakes while speaking it. So I am continually getting better! 😁 Being a missionary seriously is the best.
It seems as though there are a lot of people who are struggling-
whether it be from illness or self-doubt or sin or heartache or whatever
it may be. I want to say, right away, how much I love you and how much
God loves you.💗💗💗 Whatever is weighing
on your heart can be lightened through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
You'll get through this, I promise! However, sometimes getting through
things requires effort on our part. Even if sometimes we might feel we
don't have the strength to give it.
The past week or so, I studied the phrase, "Thy Faith Hath Made Thee
Whole." This is a phrase that the Lord has said to those he has healed
on multiple occasions. Because he is unchanging, I know he can say it to
you too.
(Studying! And more studying!)
Enos cried in mighty prayer all the day long and into the night, for the welfare of His own soul and for the souls of His brethren. He had a "hungered soul" and suffered much. But he also had "unshaken faith in the Lord", and "labored with all diligence." Enos made an effort to go to the Lord. Because of this, the Lord blessed him. He said to Enos, "go to, thy faith hath made thee whole," and promised that whatsoever thing he asked in faith, would be granted.
The woman with the issue of blood suffered for 12 years. She spent all she had and visited many physicians, but "nothing bettered"... in fact, she got worse. But when she heard the Savior was coming, she made an effort to go to Him, regardless of her years of struggling and being considered an outcast. She fought through the crowd and had faith in His ability to heal her. Because of this, the Savior said to her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."
Bartimaeus was a blind man who sat on the side of the highway. When he heard that Jesus was near, he began to cry out, begging Him to show mercy. Many people "charged him that he should hold his peace", but this only caused Bartimaeus to cry out louder for the Savior. Upon hearing him, Jesus stood still and commanded that Bartimaeus come unto Him:
"50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."
Ten lepers stood afar off in a certain village, where they were met by the Savior. They lifted up their voices unto Him, begging to be healed. Jesus told them to show themselves unto the priest, "and it came to pass, that, as they went they were cleansed." And to the one that returned to glorify God, Jesus said, "Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."
Being healed by the Savior requires effort on our part. He needs us to demonstrate our faith in Him through our actions, because we receive no witness until after the trial of our faith. Sometimes we might have to pray all day for the welfare of ourselves or for the welfare of others. Sometimes we have to fight through the crowd, just to touch his garment (And that's after suffering for 12 years and spending all you have to not get better and being considered an outcast). Sometimes we have to cry out louder for his help when others are commanding us to give up or be quiet. And maybe after he bids us to come unto Him, we might have to walk that highway blindly. Sometimes, when we seem to be right where we should be, standing in front of Him, he might ask us to go elsewhere, expecting us to trust that His way of healing is different than our own.
I've heard some say, "God... will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able," (1st Cor 10:13), with good reason, because its a scripture! When we refer to this verse, we often read that one line without finishing the scripture. Which says, "But will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it"...
I've seen first hand many people who were given WAY more than any mere mortal could ever handle...by themselves. I have learned we ALL have different things that require healing; I don't think anyone is exempt. This is why we need A Savior. This is why we need Jesus Christ.
He is the "way to escape" as mentioned in the verse.
He is the way to
happiness and joy and peace.
He is the way to healing.
He is the way to
return to live with our Heavenly Father.
He simply is The Way.
He just
expects us to make an effort to come to him... and to show some faith.
I love you all!! But you already knew that. 😊💗
I love you all!! But you already knew that. 😊💗
Love, Hermana Brooks
*Today I played basketball and packed my suitcase. I beat one kid in horse 12 times in a row before he finally gave up. Haha it was awesome!
(These are the sisters in our rama/Branch. I love them all!)
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