Wow.
What a crazy week. So many things have happened and I can’t believe its
only been 7 days. But like I always say missions are the fast track of
Salvation. Something that I really have loved about my mission is the way the
Lord prepares me for specific things. This week I found out I was being released
as a Sister Training Leader and transferring/opening a new area for sisters.
Wowza! Crazy changes happening. One of the ways the Lord prepared me for this
was in MLC this week. The Assistants gave a training about the children of Israel. Moses at the time
received revelation from Heavenly Father to call some of the children in and see if this next
place they had arrived at was to be the land of promise. Moses tells them to go
in and be of good courage and find the good grapes of the land, or to find the
good things about the land.
20 And what the land is,
whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be
ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was
the time of the firstripe grapes. Numbers 13:20
They
go in and they find the good things. They see that there are a lot of good
grapes and things to use. But then they get scared. They see that there are the
big strong sons of Anak. As they come back to report all they can look at are
the bad things about the land, not the good.
But
there was one, Caleb, who possessed a different light. He spoke to the people
and addressed the concern but acknowledged that they would be able to overcome
it.
30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and
possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. Numbers 13:30
As
the story continues the people still don’t want to go in so the Lord tells them
they can’t but that Caleb can go and possess it because he had the right
attitude he could go in because he trusted in the Lord.
24 But my servant Caleb,
because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
(Numbers 14:24)
I
felt so strongly in MLC, then not knowing that I was going to be transferred,
that I needed to break down barriers. That I needed to be the one who had the
different spirit about me. I was just thinking that it would apply to my area
in Toronto, but obviously the Lord had bigger and better things in store for
me.
After
I found out I was being transferred I continued reading in Numbers in Chapter
16 and this verse really stuck out to me.
9 Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you
from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord,
and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
Heavenly
Father separated me from my old area, my old calling and is now calling me to
do more service in another place to help his children come unto him. I feel so
privileged to have this new opportunity with the short time I have left, to
give it all that I have. To show the Lord that I am ready and willing to go
wherever he desires to send me. This is how I will become like him, this is how
I will show him that I am worthy of the blessings that He desires to place upon
me.
My
area is Hassall Grove, in Hebershem zone. It certainly is a complete change from
anything I have ever done on my mission. The area is full of Samoans, Tongans,
Cook Islanders, New Zealanders, and it is great and I am excited. I know the
Lord is trying to help me to grow and gain more love and appreciation for all
of his children. It certainly isn’t in my comfort zone, but just like Caleb
said, I am well able to overcome it with the help of the Lord. And that is my
core experience with God this week. Even before I got to the new area, the Lord
was breaking down barriers that would prevent me from working so that I could
have full faith and trust in Him.
In
teaching as Jesus taught in my new area, it has been amazing that the Lord is
just guiding us directly to those who are prepared. In the last couple of days
we have felt strongly that we needed to follow up with a couple of less actives
and both times they weren’t home. But guess who was? The people down the road
from them. One was a man just outside washing his car. We just started chatting
with him and initially he said no, he didn’t want to meet with us. But we just
took that as opportunity to teach him more. We both felt strongly that we should share with him the unique message of
the restoration. After we shared that he opened up and invited us back this
week. What a miracle.
At
another less actives home, we had just hopped out of the car and a woman came
riding her bike up the road. She just stopped in front of us and started
chatting with us. We talked to her and told her about the restoration as well.
We talked about God and his love for all of us and she looked on the verge of
tears. I guess she had some struggles in her life at the time and we were there
just at the right time in the right place. It really was such a blessing. She
invited us back over as well. Truly Heavenly Father is blessing us beyond what
we even deserve. We have been here for 3 days now and it is wonderful.
I
honestly was a little nervous about the whole thing. But it has been amazing. The members are incredible and they are so
willing to help us out and it is just going to be wonderful. But the only
reason I know that it is okay and how I can even go from day to day is because
the Lord has blessed me to have the Spirit with me. In part of my setting apart
blessing it talks about how I will be blessed to be confident so long as the
spirit is present. And I have seen that so much since being here. I have been
able to be confident and a powerful servant of the Lord, but only because of
the gift of the Holy Ghost, him as my constant companion. And obviously I’m not
perfect. I don’t always have the best record but Heavenly Father is quick to
forgive, to look beyond my weaknesses and realize that we
are here to do His work in His way.
Honestly,
I am so happy and excited to be here. I wouldn’t want it any other way. The
Lord truly is blessing me incredibly.
And I think a huge theme for this transfer is going to be love. I’m going to
have to show more love then I ever have before, to change the way I do things.
It is going to stretch me and help me to grow. And each day my weakness, of the
flesh, coming short of the Glory of God, will only allow me to put more faith
and trust in the Lord. I know that He guides this work. That it isn’t me at
all. I don’t know what I would do if I had to make all the decisions and do all the
work without His help. But the best part about all of this, is that I don’t
have to. The Lord has promised us that He will be there for us every step of
the way.
I
know that God lives! He loves us, he is very aware of us. I know that no matter
what happens I will do all that I can to serve Him and be the best that I can
be, because these people deserve it and I wouldn’t want to be any where else.
Love
you all
Sister
Benjamin
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