Monday, October 17, 2016

Mosquitoing Jesus

Good afternoon, world! It's a drizzly day here in Biloxi, Mississippi. Which is new since the last few weeks have been sunshine and clear skies! But, that's okay. We've come to expect the unexpected.

This week, Sister Maughan and I have been busy, busy, busy! To save some miles, we spent a few days on our bikes, which was a blast. I have to say, we're rather spoiled on the coast. Unlike the rest of Mississippi, most of the land is flat, which makes biking rather easy -- minus the occasional missing piece of sidewalk, sudden off-roading, or unfortunate pedestrian coming the opposite way.

I do have to say, I don't sweat nearly as much this time of year than I did in the summer! That's a blessing right there. What blessings have y'all had this week?

Sundays are usually the busiest days for missionaries. In Biloxi, that is the day we meet with our Ward Mission Leader, make a million phonecalls to be sure our investigators are making it to church, suffer through the sweat and stress of making sure those said investigators are enjoying their time, and sometimes we help the other missionaries with their investigators as well! Before a mission, I had no idea that missionaries were so busy on Sundays. It's been quite the eye-opening experience -- the missionaries in my home ward always looked so calm and collected, like they're sure of what they're doing and where they're going. I now understand how they feel -- and realize they were fooling me the entire time.

To add to it, Sister Maughan and I had the opportunity to speak at the Keesler Air Force Base Branch's sacrament meeting this week. We went from our rather large, child-filled ward to a quiet classroom dappled with twelve airmen, ready to listen and receive guidance. Sister Maughan and I were a little nervous, but we did it! I will have to say, Sister Maughan is an excellent speaker with a fantastic testimony. I wish all of you could hear it. She's awesome.

We spoke on the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one of the most important events of all human history. I'm so grateful for this event, as it has allowed me to know the truth, to serve a mission, and experience the foretaste of eternal joy that comes from being a member of Christ's true Church in the latter days.

In the search for truth, our Heavenly Father asks us to listen with different ears than those on the sides of our heads. A friend once told me, "In this life, you are not a body going through a spiritual experience; you are a spirit going through a bodily experience."

As I've talked to a myriad of people, prayed, and worked, I've realized the truth behind this statement and what it really means. We are spirits, you know. Our spirits and our bodies were meant to be as one for eternity, and this life is just the beginning of it. We, of course, will die and our spirits will be released for a moment, but there will come a day where they will be reunited once again. My spirit knows my Heavenly Father. My spirit was there before she came here, and she knows my Father's voice.

It reminds me of the eleventh chapter of third Nephi in the Book of Mormon. This is the chapter in which Jesus Christ, after His death and resurrection visits His followers in the American continent. In the third and fourth verses, we read:

And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing with one another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.

And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.

That voice came to the multitude thrice. By then, they could hear the voice, which was our Heavenly Father telling these people that Christ was here, and this was His Beloved Son.

Sometimes we have a tendency to only listen with our physical ears. We listen to a friend, a family member, the television, what's on around us. We take in our external influences but forget the quiet, gentle influence trying to nudge us inside. Think about this experience: this event was the Son of God appearing to them! Wouldn't we want to hear shouts of praise? Something loud, something like a trumpet? Wouldn't we expect something crazy and astounding?

But that didn't happen here, did it? The scripture says that the voice that came to them was "not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice." And yet, it did pierce them straight to their cores.

Our spirits know when heaven needs our attention because our spirits were there not too long ago. Our bodies have learned the earthly language, the temporary reality that we are in. But our spirits know more; they know of a Heavenly Father who has a greater plan for us --

-- so why don't we listen?

The pursuit of truth requires that we listen with more than just our ears, brothers and sisters. It requires that we utilize the scariest path any human being could take -- the path of faith.

Faith requires that we listen with our hearts. Faith asks us to trust that there is someone or something higher than us, who knows more than us. We do not know everything, nor will we ever in this life. But we can know that we have a Father who loves us, that there is more to come after this life, and that the only thing that needs to prove it is how we feel.

Do not deny the feelings you have. That is truly how our Heavenly Father talks to us; He chooses to speak to us in small, gentle, nudges of the heart because He knows that that is the thing that will test our trust the most.

Trust your heart. Trust your spirit. Trust how you feel.

Because Heavenly Father trusts you.

I've seen this principle used this week. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to rely fully on the Spirit for eighteen months. I'm so grateful to be able to spread this message -- to help others recognize the voice of our Father, just like the Nephites did in the Book of Mormon.

Listen well, brothers and sisters.

Have a good week.

Godspeed!

Sincerely,

Sister Rose
Selfie with the comp <3

 It was Elder Chukwu's birthday this week, so we made him a cake. This is what happens when you don't have anything to serve a cake on... #MissionaryApartments





Sister Maughan had some Utah honey frozen in the bear container. The only way to defrost it was let it sit in boiling water without letting the plastic touch the pot. So she used spoons.
  


CHECK OUT THIS HOUSE ON THE AIR FORCE BASE. YES. GOOD. A+ HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS.



Sometimes I do this when I study. #PonderAndDraw

Sister Maughan is a goober. The hard-boiled some eggs and this is what she did. (In case you can't read it, the package says, "Little Humpty-Dumpties.")
 


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