Mi Familia
This week was quite the emotional rollercoaster, but it was
exactly what needed to happen. Heavenly Father was so aware of me this week.
Not that he isn't other times, but I guess I just noticed it a lot more this
week. Something I've learned my whole life, but especially on my mission, is
that trials and adversities are necessary for our aided spiritual growth.
Heavenly Father sent us here to become like him to literally learn to meet him
at the level he is at, when we get back to him. I love the story of Michelangelo with the statue of David. He talks about how he could see David and what
he could become even when he just had the huge block of marble. He talks about
how he just carved away all the marble to release David to his full potential.
I think Heavenly Father is the same way. Like it says in the scriptures, we are
all just lumps of clay, here to perform our labors. And just as Michelangelo
chipped away the chunks of marble to release David, Heavenly Father does the
same for us. And this week a HUGE chunk of marble was chipped away from me this
week. Through out the whole process, I learned A TON that has helped me so
much. There was so many things placed in my path this week, that all combined,
taught me how much Heavenly Father really does care about us.
-The first is that I finished the Book of Mormon this week.
I believe it was no coincidence that I finished it this week. I acted on Moroni's
promise at the end of the BOM and I asked God if the BOM was true, and once
again I received a witness that it is true.
-The second is we had a Preach My Gospel Study with the Zone
Leaders on Friday. We talked about the BOM and scriptures from the BOM that
really helped us on our missions and our testimonies of the BOM. The spirit was
so strong. I really needed that time to share my testimony. If we don't share
our testimonies we lose them and I certainly did not want that. But what we
talked about next was what I needed. We talked about 3 stages of missionary
work.
1. Plough
2. Sow
3. Harvest
We have to get out and find people to teach and weed out the
ones who aren't interested at this time. We have to plant the seeds of faith in
good soil. Then we get to harvest them into the waters of Baptism. Each stage
is just as important as the other. And no matter what stage the work I am doing
is in, it is important to my Heavenly Father. I need to be finding the joy in
the small everyday miracles that occur instead of the big things that don't
happen without lots of small steps of faith.
-The Third was Church yesterday. Never in all my life have I
grown so much from going to Church then I have on my mission. It’s probably
because I changed my attitude and learned that Church is vital to my Salvation.
It’s where we go to renew our covenants with Heavenly Father and with out that
we cannot be fully clean. District Speakers came, President and Sister Owen,
and they talked a lot about trials and overcoming them. She told the story
about Pres. Eyring’s Dad who weeded for a job. But his hips were in such bad
shape that he was pulling himself along on his elbows. At the end of the day he
went up, and they told him he had been picking the wrong weeds. That they had sprayed
those and they would die soon anyway. And Brother Eyring just started laughing.
Pres. Eyring asked him why are you laughing? You just spent a hard days work
for nothing. And he said "we didn't come for the weeds, we came for the
Savior." She then talked about that no matter what happens we cannot give
up. We have to continue striving. What if we just needed that one more prayer,
or that one more step of faith to receive the help that we needed. I then
taught the Gospel Doctrine lesson and we talked about Joseph Smith’s experience
in Liberty Jail and how he gained the help and strength he needed. I then bore
testimony of the Savior, the spirit was so strong. I felt like my heart was
going to burst. I'm so grateful for the Savior, for his willingness to choose
the path He trod. One of my favorite quotes is from Pres Eyring: "It will
comfort us when we must wait in distress for the Savior's promised relief that
he knows, from experience, how to heal and help us...And faith in that power
will give us patience as we pray and work and wait for help. He could have
known how to succour us simply by revelation, but he chose to learn by his own
personal experience."
So throughout this whole process I learned that I didn't
come for the weeds, I came for the Savior. I didn't come on my mission or even
to the earth to suffer trials and the "weeds" of life. I came to
experience trials so that I could learn about my Savior’s great and eternal
sacrifice. I came to develop God-like qualities that will help me become like
God. And the best way to learn that is through adversity. It certainly isn't
easy, but we wouldn't learn any other way. I now know that My Savior lives,
that he does know me perfectly and he can heal my broken heart. My setting
apart blessing talks about me being able to know that Jesus is the Christ and I
can tell you that I definitely know that now, more then I ever have before. So
a new theme I chose to have for the Rest of My Mission is the words to Savior
Redeemer of My Soul
1. Savior, Redeemer of my soul,
Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous pow’r hath raised me up
And filled with sweet my bitter cup!
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.
2. Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect thy will.
3. O’errule mine acts to serve thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.
Chasten my soul till I shall be
In perfect harmony with thee.
Make me more worthy of thy love,
And fit me for the life above.
Through out the process of the mission we try our best to
become like the Savior and be transformational teachers. And my best practice
this week was seeking for the spirit above all else. We met with a Less Active
and we were teaching about the BOM and committing him to read and pray to know
it’s true. I really wanted to give a promised blessing that would really help
him. I was sitting there and the thought came to my mind, promise him added
peace and comfort every time he reads the BOM. So I did and I certainly Felt
the spirit testify to me and then I testified of the BOM. I love when the
spirit directs the very words that come out of my mouth.
Something else I've really been trying to work on is having
a positive attitude and that for me has not been an easy task. I think I just
want the big miracles, that I completely by pass all the small miracles that
happen every day. I need to focus on the small miracles, because if my joy only
comes because of the big things, then I'm not going to be very happy all the
time. The true joy comes from serving the Lord, so I'm trying to improve my
attitude and make sure that I show Heavenly Father that I do love the sacred
trust that he has placed with in me.
I love you Heaps! Thank you for your incredible example to
me.
Love you Heaps
Sister Alexis Benjamin
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