Monday, July 25, 2016
My motto for this last week...REJOICE EVERMORE!!!
My dearest Family and Friends,
Well, I´ll be honest
and say I´ve been trying to think about and plan out this letter for a long
time now and no matter how hard I try I just can´t figure out what I want to
say. How do you put a year and a half of the best experience of your life into
one little email? There are so many feelings in my heart and so much I want to
share. I can´t believe all that’s happened in this short time and all the
growing and learning I´ve experienced. Part of me feels like I´m dying...like
I´m leaving behind a part of my heart that will forever stay in this beautiful
country. But the other part of me is so full of gratitude for this incredible
experience and an excitement to be able to put everything into practice that
the Lord has taught me. I think Ammon says it best in Alma 26 when he spends a
whole chapter just glorying in the Lord and trying to put the joy of a
missionary into words. In verse 16 it 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 which I feel."
I honestly can´t
express what I feel reflecting on this mission experience, however, one thing I
do know for sure - One of the biggest feelings I have is of gratitude to the
Lord. Another scripture from this same chapter has been on my mind and in my
heart these past few weeks. Verses 11-12 say, "I do not boast in my own
strength, nor in my own wisdom, but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is
brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am
nothing, as to my strength I am weak. Therefore, I will not boast of
myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all
things, yea behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land,
for which we will praise his name forever." Here on my mission I have
learned that I really am nothing. I am so weak, so imperfect, yet I have also
seen the incredible strength of the Lord. I´ve learned to rely on him and seen
that when I do, all things are possible. I have truly seen miracles in this
last year and a half, and they happen EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! It´s not because of
anything I am doing, it´s all thanks to Him and His infinite goodness.
In Alma 29: 9-10 it
explains a little more, "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and
I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord
hath commanded me, yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an
instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance, and this is my
joy. And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and
coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy, then do I
remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer,
yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me."
I´ve only tried to be an instrument in the hands of God and as a result I´ve
seen and felt that great love and joy. I´ve seen the Lord change the hearts of
my brothers and sisters here and it´s reminded me how much he´s changed mine as
well. He has been so good to me and so good to his children here in little
Lima, Peru.
Last night I was
making a little list of some of the things I´ve learned and I thought I´d share
a few really quickly.
1. How to
recognize and follow the spirit.
2. How to love
a new culture and people
3. How to study the
gospel and learn by the spirit
4. Obedience - The
first law of Heaven
5. How to get along
with so many types of people and love them
6. How to trust in the
Lord and what it means to really have Faith in Christ
7. How to live a life
of Service
8. The importance of
Family
9. What it means to be
a disciple of Christ
10. Gratitude for all
I have
11. Covenants and
ordinances are the key to eternal progression
12. The temple is the
goal
13. How to be a leader
and be humble
14. The power and
importance of the atonement of Jesus Christ
15. How to live the
gospel because I love it and understand why, not just because it´s what you
do.
I´m out of time, but I
testify that this work is true. I love my Savior. I’ve felt His love and seen His
hand every day. Before I trusted that the Lord would help me create a beautiful
life for myself, now I know how. I want to give my life in His service. I love
him so much. I know this is His gospel and that He has restored his church on
the earth in these latter days. I know we have a prophet who receives
revelation from God. I will forever be grateful for this experience. I can´t
wait to see you all soon and share these feelings in person. Love you all!!!!!
HURRAH FOR ISREAL!!!
Hermana Cox
Visit back to San Roque
French toast in divisions with Hermana Ekins!!
What two north american missionaries do when they are together. :)
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