How has your week been? I hope it has been going
well, things are progressing rapidly in pueblo west! We have a baptism
this Saturday!! My little trainee has had to invite someone to be
baptized and prepare a baptism all in the same week! But that's
alright... That she can take. Its the weather here in Colorado that is
bugging her:) She is from Hawaii and her name is Sister Soliven and the
poor girl has had terrible allergies!! She didn't know she had allergies
until she came to somewhere a weed ridden as Pueblo West Colorado. But
she is being a champ about it all! We are getting along well though and
she has promised/threatened to feed me spam and make me like it.. We
will have to see how that goes. :/ Yesterday we had interviews with the
mission president and while he was doing interviews we had the
opportunity to do some extra personal study which was great! I love to
study and read the scriptures! So, I was reading about Ammon which is a
great missionary to read about. And Ammon he is praising and rejoicing
in the success they have seen and his brother Aaron rebukes him and
tells him that he is getting carried away to boasting and Ammon responds
that no one can boast too much in the Lord and in Alma 26:16-21 he
says:
"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea we
will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever.
Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of
his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards
the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest
part of which I feel.
17 Who could have supposed that our God would have snatched us from our awful, sinful and polluted state?
18 Behold, we went forth even in wrath, with mighty threatenings to destroy his church.
19 Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction, yea,
why did he not let the sword of his justice fall upon us, and doom us
to eternal despair?
20 Oh, my soul, almost as it where, fleeth
at the thought. Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in
his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and
misery, even to the salvation of our souls.
21 And now behold, my bretheren, what natural man is there that
knoweth these things? I say unto you there is none that knoweth these
things, save it be the penitent."
I really like those
scriptures because he is talking about the reason why he can praise God
with full purpose of heart. And that reason is that he has been on the
other side. He has seen the influence and power of Satan. There are
scriptures that talk about how even after his conversion and as he was
going about preaching the gospel there 'hearts were depressed' and they
were about to go back. But the reason for the fullness of his joy is
that he HAS made mistakes and because he has made mistakes and
experienced depression and sorrow he is that much more able to feel the
joy that comes from following Gods commandments and specifically in this
example sharing the gospel that he has come to love so much with all of
those he comes in contact with. Its great to know that even though
things are rough right now and may continue to be for a while that we
can 'experience joy even in times of trial, you can face life's
challenges with a spirit of peace' (plan of salvation pamphlet.) I know
it is a reiterated phrase but God never ever promised this life would be
easy but he promised that it would be ever so infinity worth if even
during our trials. Everything happens for a reason. I love you all and
hope you have a good rest of the week!
Love,
Sister Bice
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