Monday, December 17, 2012

Lessons, Crosswords and Mission Goggles


Family and Friends!! :)
 
Lessons, Crosswords and Mission Goggles
 
First of I would just like to start off the blog post with the announcement that we committed both of our progressing investigators to baptism!! Honestly though, yesterday was probably the best lesson my companionship and I have taught thus far, thanks to Heavenly Father :) I see Hermana Catron almost every day during meal times and she surprised our district by making us a cross word puzzle with our names as the answers, she used scriptures from the Bible and Book of Mormon as clues, in turn I made her one and apparently it was significantly harder lol. Our zone was pleased to have a new district come in 2 weeks ago, all elders half going to Columbia and the other half going to Mexico, we have gotten along with them awesomely! And yes, I just said awesomely...we noticed earlier this week that they had joined together with our elders in forming number signs on their hands and they notion them to each other, us Hermanas of course do not know the secret code but I will have you know that we sprung their trap. Two days ago, Elder Hill accidently left the "key paper" with all the symbols in sight and Hermana Leavitt saw it as she went to grab it, Elder Hill took it and ripped it up and threw in it the trash. Later that Night, while it was just us Hermanas in the room, we took the paper from the trash went back to our room and taped the pieces back together which said this, "Each Hermana has a number, #1 Kennedy, #2 Whipple and #3 Leavitt, if you show one of these numbers on your right hand, that means you are falling for them, if you show one of their numbers on the left hand that means they are starting to get on your nerves." I can tell you that as a trio we spent ten minutes of straight up laughing...apparently the mission goggles have been coming in fast :)
 
Character of Christ and the Time of His Birth
 
Every Sunday night, we have the privelege of watching recorded devotionals from previous holidays or other significant devotionals namely from apostles or the Prophet, this past sunday we watched the recording on Elder Bednars talk on the Character of Christ, talk about amaaaazing. Really after that talk I was so sad that I couldnt get it typed out or that it was recorded anywhere on lds.org. So I will do my best at paraphrasing this incredible message and spirit he shared with us. As you read the New Testament which contains majority of Christ's ministry and miracles performed on earth, at every possible moment you will notice that He was completely and always selfless. Elder Bednar quotes stating," There would have been no atoning sacrifice without the character of Christ...He took every opportunity to turn out towards others when we at the natural man always tend to turn in." He continues to say that the three most importants things you can do while living and learing on this earth is knowing that Jesus Christ and the Father do exist, then correctly knowing of His attributes and then alstly knowing that the direction of our path is in accordance with these attributes and His will. There is so much more I want to say but I am running out of my email time, so before I go I would just like to share an exerpt from one of my journal entries.
 
In Alma 34, "For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, yea not a sacrifice of mand, neither of beast...for it shall not be a human sacrifice but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.." I often forget that the infinite part meand that He suffered for the pain of our sins, mistakes and their consequences for forever. Imagine only making one mistake as small as having a bad thought towards another and He suffered for our probationary state of that unhappiness but also the mark that continues on in the internities, I cannot imagine multipling that by a severity in sin and then multiplied by all the people who have ever lived or have yet to live. So I ask that just during this time of Christmas will you join me in taking the time to stop and think and ponder this in our hearts, I hope by do so we can all have a greater capacity to love one another and enjoy the moments that matter especially during this Christmas season. I know that as you come to know this man, you will know that He was so much more than a man and that He can help you change, your old heart will die and you will be given a new one. I am beginning to know my elder brother more and more each and every day I am here and I couldnt ask for a better Christmas present :) Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! :)
 
-Love Hermana Kennedy