Oct. 16, 2017 ~ MASTER, THE TEMPEST IS RAGING (Week 14)

Hello everybody! 

YES, I AM SAFE. Haha. 

The fires aren’t really near me at all. But thank you for your prayers and concern. 

We are actually more worried about the overdue earthquake… my town lies right on the fault! Apparently, it’s expected to be pretty big and October is earthquake month. Emergency preparedness classes/kits line the churches and businesses downtown and everyone is kind of freaking out... 

But of course, no one knows when it will happen or if it will even happen within the next 2 years. The things going on around the world have given many opportunities to teach of the signs of the second coming of Christ and the peace we can receive through Him. So that's been cool.

Things have been going well here! We are teaching lots and knocking on TONS of doors. It's always funny when someone automatically says, "no hablo Ingles" as they're closing their door, and we quickly say, "hablamos Espanol!" Haha they always have an "oh dang" look as they are inclined to then listen to our message. It's awesome. 

Speaking both English and Spanish is such a blessing!

We set a few baptismal dates this past week, but they aren't set in stone for various reasons. Please pray for them. They all could use a little help moving in the right direction.

 

As you saw a few weeks ago, our house has been giving us a few problems...

We were locked IN because our doorknob broke AND now there are more issues... 

Our heater won't work. We spend every morning studying in sweats, coats, blankets, hats, and gloves. You would think with us being in California, it would be warm all the time... But it's not. Also, we keep finding SLIME trails on our carpet and in our kitchen. Which means, somewhere in our home, we have one or more snails wandering around and leaving their trails on everything. But we can't find their hideout! Haha. 

AND our toilet broke. AND because I am the greenest missionary in the house, I was elected to fix it. As I was gagging, my fellow sisters sympathetically yelled, "Don't you dare throw up, we have enough to worry about!!"
So that was nice.
No further details will be included.

(But yes, the toilet is now functioning thanks to my Rich genes...Thanks Grandpa Rich! 👍👐). 

(Grandpa Rich & I)

The past couple of weeks, I have listened to a song called, "Just Be Held" nonstop. 

I think it was on an EFY album, or something... anyways, there is a part that says, 

"If your eyes are on the storm, you'll wonder if I love you still. But if your eyes are on the cross, you'll know I always have and I always will."

(Teresa's Note: Here is a link to the song "Just Be Held" by Casting Crowns, a contemporary Christian Band)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yNhJB1ptG4

In Mark Chapter 4, we read about Jesus and the disciples on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater inland lake a little over twelve miles long and seven miles wide. It is quite low… about 700 feet below sea level… and the heat becomes quite high. The hills surrounding the water rise up very sharply and to considerable height. “The cold air rushing down from the hills meets the warm air rising from the lake in such a way that sudden and temporarily violent storms can occur on the surface” of the water.  It was in a storm just as this that Jesus and his disciples found themselves one evening...

37."And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 

38. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39. And he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40. And he said unto them, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?"

In a talk entitled "Master the Tempest is Raging" (Give it a read! It's really good!) Howard W. Hunter said, "All of us have seen some sudden storms in our lives. A few of them, though temporary like these on the Sea of Galilee, can be violent and frightening and potentially destructive. As individuals, as families, as communities, as nations, even as a church, we have had sudden squalls arise which have made us ask one way or another, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" 

He then shared the words of the hymn, Master the Tempest is Raging...

Master, the tempest is raging!

The billows are tossing high!

The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness.

No shelter or help is nigh.

Carest thou not that we perish?

How canst thou lie asleep

When each moment so madly is threatening

A grave in the angry deep?

Master, with anguish of spirit

I bow in my grief today.

The depths of my sad heart are troubled.

Oh, waken and save, I pray!

Torrents of sin and of anguish

Sweep o’er my sinking soul,

And I perish! I perish! dear Master.

Oh, hasten and take control! 

"Then this beautiful, moving refrain":

The winds and the waves shall obey my will;

Peace, be still! Peace, be still!

Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea

Or demons or men or whatever it be,

No waters can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean and earth and skies.

They all shall sweetly obey my will.

Peace, be still! Peace, be still!

They all shall sweetly obey my will.

Peace, peace, be still! 

Here, President Hunter said, “Too often, I fear, both in the living of life and in the singing of this hymn, we fail to emphasize the sweet peace of this concluding verse”:

Master, the terror is over.

The elements sweetly rest.

Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,

And heaven’s within my breast.

Linger, Oh, blessed Redeemer!

Leave me alone no more,

And with joy I shall make the blest harbor

And rest on the blissful shore.

(Hymns, no. 106.)

None of us are exempt from adversity. That's a fact. We will all struggle. We will all waver. We will have moments when we feel like we are drowning, or our boat is just too full. We will all encounter storms and winds and moments where we ask our Savior, "Master, carest thou not that I perish?" 

During those times, the Savior will always be there. 

He does care.

Too often, our eyes are on the storm and we question if His love is still there. 

When we look beyond the storm we will remember His love and just as he said to the storm… 

He will say to our hearts, "Peace, be still."

The storm will pass. It always does.






💗💗💗💗💗

I love you all so much! Thank you for your love and support. I am so grateful for every single one of you.
 I always appreciate letters, love, and prayers! 

Love, Hermana Brooks