Jan. 1, 2018 ~ "It is good for me to draw near to God...trust in the Lord God" (Week 25)
Hi
everyone!!
HAPPY
NEW YEAR!
NEW YEAR!
Thank you
for everything!! I was overwhelmed by the letters and cards and packages I
received this Christmas! It was such a tender mercy to be able to open all of
them and to hear from you. It was also amazing to be able to talk to my family!
They haven’t changed a bit ;) Except for the fact that Camilla is apparently
taller than me now… but it’s not true because I’ve actually grown taller too! I
measured myself last week, and I am proud to say that my high school basketball
roster is finally valid ;)
Anyway, I
felt so much love, and this Christmas was awesome. I am so incredibly grateful
for all of you!! Thank you a million!! I LOVE YOU!!
 |
| (Christmas Lights With Sofia) |
The work
here is still going strong! Our recent convert, Sofia, is absolutely amazing. A
large part of our teaching pool has been through referrals from her. We are
working hard with less actives and active members, and it has been awesome! 75%
of baptisms come through member referrals. We have big hopes for this transfer!
Please pray for Sofia to continue to progress in the gospel. Also, a few of our
other progressing investigators are Monica, la familia Reina, Angela and
Manish, and I know that they would all appreciate your prayers.
Also, the
missionaries here in our area could always use some prayers 😊 Elders Taylor and Quiros, & Hermanas Cordero,
Penrod, and Coates. Thank you so so much!
We painted this giant Book of Mormon and went to Christmas in the Park as a District. It was such an awesome contacting tool! We handed out tons of cards, gave away hot chocolate, and sang carols.
Tons of people took pics with the giant Book of Mormon. This is how a lot of conversations went...Them: "Oh my gosh I love that play!" Us: "No way! I heard the book is better! You should read it"
(As we hand them a Book of Mormon 😀).
(As we hand them a Book of Mormon 😀).
 |
| (Sunday night Caroling. We did it every week in December.) |
 |
| (Tamales for Christmas Dinner) |
It's crazy
to think that it is already 2018... But to be honest, I am still trying to wrap
my head around the fact that I have been serving a mission for almost 6
months.. Where does the time go??!
2017 was not
the year that I had planned for myself... In fact, every single thing I had in
my plans DID NOT happen. NOT ONE. Haaaa. Talk about humbling. But what resulted
was so much better than I could have ever planned for myself.
Instead of
following my plans, I followed Heavenly Father's (mostly unwillingly, if I’m
being honest). I was led from one place to the next, literally around the
country. Somehow he knew that I needed to live in Texas, then Utah, and now
California. Somehow he knew that I needed to say goodbyes and hellos to those I
had never expected to leave or meet. Somehow he knew that I needed to take
certain classes, work in certain places, and go through certain trials. Somehow
he knew that I needed to struggle, laugh, grow (literally and figuratively 😉), and learn. Somehow he knew that I wasn't where I
needed to be (literally and figuratively, again), and he cared enough to help
me change. He knew me better than I knew myself; he still does. And though
I spent literally the entire year walking blindly and sometimes fearfully, I
was led by the hand of a loving Father who wanted nothing but the best for His
daughter. Though I never knew what was in store for me, or what to expect, or
where I would end up, I knew that everything would be okay.
In the book
"Believing Christ" by Stephen Robinson, he recounts a story of when
he was a young father of two twin girls. To he and his wife, the decision to go
to the swimming pool with the intention teaching the girls to swim seemed
like a wholesome and enjoyable family activity. After they had everything
situated, Stephen picked up one of his daughters and headed to the pool. He
said, "As we walked into the water, I was thinking, 'Gee, what a swell dad
I am. This is a great family home evening.' But as my daughter felt the water
rising around her, her thoughts were, 'my dad is going to drown me. I'm going
to die.' In a panic, my daughter began to kick and scream. She scratched for my
head and did everything she could to get out of what appeared to her, deep
water that would kill her.
Finally, I
had to grab her and wrap my arms around her, then just hold her and say, ‘Becky,
calm down! I am your dad, I love you! I'm not going to let anything happen to
you. You're perfectly safe. Relax, and trust me!’ And bless her heart, she
stopped fighting, she relaxed, and she trusted me. Then, and only then, could I
put my hands under her and hold her out of the water. And so she began to learn
how to swim."
I'm sure I'm
not the only one who has felt like Becky at times. I'm sure I'm not the only
one who has addressed Heavenly Father with phrases like, "REALLY??"
Or "I can't do what you're asking", or "Thanks but no
thanks," or "You've got to be joking", or "Heavenly Father, don't
you realize how hard this is for me??" I'm sure I'm not the only one who
has panicked, kicked, and screamed at the seemingly crazy plans my Father had for
me. But how blessed and comforted we can be at the knowledge that our Father in
Heaven loves us and truly wants nothing but the best for us. Everything He asks
of us is for our own benefit. He sees the whole picture. He has a plan. He asks
us to swim, only because He knows how good it will be for us. All He asks
of us is to relax and trust him. THIS is what enables the learning
process.
“But it is good for me to draw near to God: I … trust
in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.”(Psalms 73:28)
PS... I'll
do better at writing this year. But I still can't promise that it will be a
weekly thing…
Haha sorry, Grandma. Still love ya. ❤❤
Haha sorry, Grandma. Still love ya. ❤❤
Xoxo
Hermana
Brooks
Comments
Post a Comment