Well, friends.. the most important thing that this week's email will contain is this link to this amazing Easter video for all denominations that the Church just released yesterday. It is found at:
Watch it. Seriously, go now. It's only 2 minutes long and will make you really happy that you took the time to see it - it will help you catch the reason for this Easter season like nothing else. It's called Hallelujah - which means, Praise Ye Jehovah. How cool is that? Anyway, this email will still be here for you to read after you've watched that amazing 2 minute video that you'll want to share with everyone. :)
Well, this week was pretty wonderful if I do say so myself! On Wednesday night, both Sister Rogers and I felt like we needed to go visit a girl named Tiffany who we had contacted once and she said she was interested in learning more about the Church, but has never been there again no matter what time of day we have tried/won't answer her door for us when she is home... so, anyway.. we both felt distinctly that we should go visit her. So, we did, and after knocking twice, she answered the door and I asked her if we could come in and share a message with her right then. Well, she let us in and we were able to teach her and her 2 year old son, Noah, about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It was amazing! She said that her boyfriend is a recovering alcoholic and that she had been just starting to go to these support group meetings for family members, and that those have really helped her a ton to be able to start feeling like God is really in her life and that He loves her. We taught her about how much God loves her, about how the message that we share will bless her and Noah's life so much, and just testified to her how much we know this all to be true. Noah was pretty loud and hyper during the whole thing and Tiffany was getting distracted with him, but once we started quoting Joseph Smith's vision where he sees God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, it was so powerful. Her eyes were locked right on ours, the Spirit was almost tangible, and even though Noah was making just as much noise, she wasn't paying attention to him at all, but right afterward all she said was, "wow." It. Was. AMAZING! It's moments like this that just make every bad response from people soooooo worth it. She told us afterward, "You know, missionaries have been here before and have taught me this same thing, but I didn't feel it or understand it at all until tonight." We know that she has been being prepared from the moment other missionaries met her 3ish months ago. What an awesome experience! We are so excited for Tiffany! :)
Also, this week we had a meeting called Specialized Training where we all go as a group of 14 missionaries (just the ones serving in this part of the mission - Sandpoint) and receive training from our Mission President and his wife. Well, this meeting was amazing, but during the lunch break, something really amazing happened. A Sister that had helped to make us lunch came over and sat with us Sisters and asked Sister Rogers and me where we were from. I told her Oregon to which she responded, "Which part?" "Keizer" "NO WAY! Have I got something amazing to show you!" She then proceeded to go over, grab her phone and tell me all about how this man that she went to High School with lives in Keizer (it's not a big town, friends - that's a miracle in and of itself), and that she was talking to him about the Church and that he wanted to learn more and that she was praying about a way to get him some fellowship from members in Keizer but didn't know how, and how she felt prompted to come over and sit with us and to ask me what part of Oregon I'm from (even though she had no reason to because she didn't know anything about Oregon) and how awesome it was that I was from there!! My Mission President gave me his phone to text my parents about him and they are now in contact with him - all from one little missionary lunch in Sandpoint, Idaho! HOW AMAZING IS THAT!? Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ truly do take their work forward in mysterious ways - such a cool experience to be able to be a part of!
I also got to go on exchanges this week with a sister down in Sandpoint. Well, she doesn't have a license, so I got to drive in their area and we just put the addresses of people we were going to visit into their GPS and go from there.. Well, it turns out that their home address doesn't register in their GPS and that there was no way for us to find our way back home... well, this wasn't the first time, unfortunately, that I have been lost on my mission, so while I was driving, at each turn, I decided to just try my best to listen to the Spirit to find our way home. It was so neat because we got lost like 3 times and each time we were able to find our way back just by listening to the Spirit on where to go! I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers through the Holy Ghost and that He loves us so much! What a marvelous blessing that is!! :)
Also, yesterday, after an entire 4 whole weeks with no investigators at Sacrament Meeting, THREE CAME!!! It was nothing short of a miracle.
My spiritual thought for this week comes from Moroni 7:45, but this week I learned something really cool about having charity for ourselves - to see ourselves the way that Christ and Heavenly Father see us (italics added)- "And charity suffereth long while we are learning, and is kind towards ourselves, and envieth not (does not compare ourselves to others) , and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked at yourself for not being perfect or as capable as others, thinketh no evil about yourself and others, and rejoiceth not in iniquity (by beating ourselves up)but rejoiceth in the truth that we will figure things out in time, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." How neat is that? We're taught to liken the scriptures to ourselves - what better way?
Well friends, I know that this Church is true. I am so grateful for the amazing, once-in-a-lifetime, opportunity I have to be a missionary! What a marvelous blessing this Gospel is! Have the best week and know that you are all loved! :)
-STOP! ..and appreciate Sandpoint. Cool Stop sign on exchanges.
-A really cool sign that makes me chuckle that a member has hanging above their garage at their house. :) haha
-THIS WEEK I REACHED 7 MONTHS as a missionary! Holy Guacamole.. can time quit moving so fast? Anyway, I had to take this picture because 7 symbolizes complete, whole, rest, perfection... If you think about it, 7 is the perfect number. Alma chapter 7 talks about the Atonement of Christ, verses 11-13 in that Chapter list 7 things that the Atonement covers (if you define these words you discover that it is infinite - the Atonement covers everything), Christ had 7 wounds on His body that He freely shed for us.. the list can go on. So, reaching 7 months is a pretty great deal. :) (Also, the thing I'm doing with my hand means 7 in Sign Language- just FYI. :) )
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"God be with you 'till we meet again!"
Hurrah for Israel!
Much Love,
Sister Jennifer Griffith
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