Dear Family and Friends

Dear Family and Friends,

      So, this week we mostly did a lot of service! Which mostly consisted of pulling weeds for people. I didn't know this but pulling weeds can make you really sore when you do it consistently for 4 or 5 hours.... Either that, or I'm super out of shape.. I wouldn't be surprised if both were true. But, It was a really good week. Which, I say every week. Honestly though, even on the tough weeks I don't know that a week spent fully on serving the Lord could be a bad one. We were able to teach a lot which is always good:)

       I find it funny though, often on the best weeks I have the hardest time figuring out what to write about in these letters!! Unfortunately, our investigator hasn't set a new baptism date. She has been having problems that don't have anything to do with the church that are just proving to be set backs. It makes me sad but, I know that her testimony is sincere and as long as she holds onto the teachings of the church then she will be baptized. Maybe not this week or even while I am still in this area. But, it will happen. In fact, Sister Rehm (our new mission presidents wife) talked about her conversion and how it took her a really long time and a lot of missionaries before she was baptized. It wasn't because she didn't believe it, it was purely because she didn't know how to tell her parents about her baptism. So, I know that if it is not her time now to be baptized then her time will still come:).

       Other than that I'm not sure I have many other exciting updates, but I will leave you with a scripture. So, this week seems to have been a theme of things, I think Heavenly Father is trying to tell me something. But, recently as I have been reading the scriptures I have noticed how often when it talks about battle it talks about them going to battle in the strength of the Lord. Even yesterday at church all the talks were on how we can have courage through trials. This morning I was reading in Numbers and I usually find it really confusing... And still do but in chapter 14 verse 9 there was a part that caught my eye cause it goes along with this theme. "Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not" Also in Mormon chapter 2 the end of verse 26 "... Nevertheless  the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren."

       So, I believe I mentioned already but last week was kind of rough for me. Somethings happened that just caused me to think 'why me? My whole mission I have worked hard to be so obedient and be a good missionary and person. So, why do I have to go through this trial?' But, as I have been studying this week I have realized that if we are obedient and doing our best and constantly drawing closer to the Lord then there is no trial that we go through that he is not with us every step of the way for. No matter what if we are following Him then every trial we face we face with him by our side. There is no trial or pain that we can suffer that Christ has not already suffered on our behalf. HE and only He knows our exact pain and exactly what we are feeling. We can always turn to him to help us and to heal us. This is something that I know to be true!

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Sister Bice