January 27, 2015

So yesterday we had mission leader council, which is why I'm emailing on a Tuesday. The meeting was GREAT. We talked mostly about faith and how we can develop our own faith while encouraging all the missionaries in this mission to do the same. There was a lot of really great stuff said. I always leave those meetings inspired to be better and to make little changes. This time it was to serve my companion more and to try to radiate outwardly the joy I have inside of me instead of always putting on a sarcastic outer shell.

Kaye called us this week sobbing. She said that she has been really struggling with quitting coffee and that she has headaches all the time. She wanted to come to church on Sunday but she felt just awful and tried on her dress and it didn't fit her and that was the final straw for her. But she decided to open up her Book of Mormon to look for some comfort and read Moroni 8:25-26.

25 And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;
 26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.
She said that she just had a feeling of comfort come over her as she read that. She didn't say it, but I think she knows that when she is baptized she will be able to regain the hope that she has lost over years and years of heartbreak. She has already started to feel that hope.

I also had the really neat experience of being able to attend church on the army base this Sunday! They have a special 2 hour service for the soldiers in basic training and AIT. More than half of those who attend are not members of the church. In the relief society class I was in, there were 14 people there and only one was a member of the church. I got to talk with all of them for a little bit and we got to compare our lives as soldiers and as a missionary. It was really interesting and humbling. Three of those female soldiers are going to start taking the lessons next week!