Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Keep It Secret. Keep It Safe.

Good rainy morning to y'all! How was your week? Cold? Ours wasn't. It was literally climbing into the high eighties this past week. I literally can't even remember how I dressed for warm weather anymore. Oh, well. Good thing it's raining instead!

Sister May and I have been busy bees this week. (That might be a Mormon joke if you live in Utah.) We've been teaching and preaching and working as missionaries do. We were able to teach a wonderful lesson to a wonderful person this week. He's an investigator who's a little rough around the edges. We found him while walking along the side of the road, and Sister May crossed the road and talked to him. We've been teaching him the doctrine of repentance.

I can imagine myself on his doorstep. It was cold, a nice bone-chilling breeze gently brushing by. He was holding a Book of Mormon, front cover bent so he could read the right page. Leaning against the wall casually, he listened intently. The Spirit surrounded the porch as we asked him about the Book of Mormon, about knowing if Joseph Smith was a prophet, about praying to know if this is true.

"How does all of this make you feel?" we'd asked him.

He paused for a moment. "Happiness. Peace," he said. He smiled. "Like sunshine."

I felt in my chest this tightness, this swelling emotion that moved me to bear my testimony. In that instance, Sister May and I felt the Spirit so strongly as we told him what those feelings meant. I'd liken it to a section in the Book of Acts, chapter two:

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (37-38).

We asked him to be baptized. He's considering it, and we are praying for him.

This gospel moves people to change. There are things we must do to show our obedience to the commandments, just as Jesus Christ did His entire life. As we come to know Him and be more like Him, as the Spirit touches us, we will be asked to change.

Yesterday, we met at the Brownlee building with the Monroe Zone for a combined Zone Conference. Weird, right? President Olson squeezed us into the little chapel to give us words of inspiration, revelation, and love. I'm so thankful that this mission is led by him. I know he has been called of God to lead the Mississippi Jackson Mission. The progress I've seen since I arrived has been absolutely phenomenal and I know that, of course, every part of the mission works to push it forward but it makes a huge difference when our mission president is consecrated and concentrated on his purpose. Thank you, President Olson.

I'm so grateful to be in this mission, to watch it change, and to see a change in myself and those around me.

I'm so thankful for change.

Heavenly Father has made me into someone I never imagined becoming. I am better, not great, but better than who I once was. I am so thankful to be a "disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God...called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life" (3 Nephi 5:13).

I am so thankful to be a missionary. I am so thankful to be a missionary at this time, in this place, with these people. Life is so inspired, brothers and sisters! Goodness! Heavenly Father is just waiting to pour out immense blessings upon us!

Be better than you were. Feel the sunshine. Be happier. Seek the Spirit. You will find it.

See y'all next week!

Godspeed!

Sincerely,

Sister Rose

That moment when the elders in your district decide to drink a blended Happy Meal
 



Disgusting.
 



Sincere compliments from Sister May.

That moment when you're so unified that you step out of your closets like this.

Homies from the past. I LOVE YOU, SISTER STEADMAN.

You're pretty chill, Elder Pierre-Louis. Have fun in the Monroe Zone!



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