Have You Found The Dragon Egg Yet?

Good morning, all! Sister Barney and I are enjoying this glorious sunny Monday at USM, and we are preparing for a Zone P-Day today! Hurray!

This week has been pretty funny, honestly. Sister Barney and I had the privilege of trying Koolickles -- pickles that have been pickled in Kool-Aid. 

For the record, they're delicious. I regret nothing. 

While having dinner with a member, one of them said that one of her friends thought that when we leave on missions for the Church, we are on a hunt for our "dragon eggs." 

Ah, yes. The dragon egg. I've waited my whole life for this quest.

I will find you. 

We have added Elder Davis to our egg-seeking district, and he came out with me! He's a hoot. We've all been adjusting to the slight changes President Olson has made, and we're all enjoying the finicky weather Mississippi has to offer. One day, it could be completely wet and overcast, and the next it could be like today -- bright, sunny, and breezy. 

On a particular wet and overcast day, Lamar County had a "Clean Up Lamar County Day." You had to go to a community center either in Purvis, Hattiesburg, or Oak Grove and sign up, receive a trash bag and a grabby-claw-thing, and pick a street to clean up. Elder Eells, Elder Davis, Sister Barney, and I all picked a road in Purvis and spent the morning cleaning it. We had so much fun! We found some cool stuff on the side of the road (Sister Barney found herself a nice spoon! That's the second one she's acquired), and we had a great time bonding with each other and Pappy, the Lamar County worker who watched over us and made sure we didn't get hit by cars. 

Nothing brings more peace and joy than being in the service of others. God grants peace to those who seek to better the world around them. Whenever we are hurting spiritually, the best thing we can do is turn outward, and give what we can to relieve the anguish of another. In turn, the Lord will bless you with the love of the Spirit, and an increased capacity to withstand the hardships that come your way. 

God gives us all kinds of reinforcements for hardships. He has given us the Holy Ghost, to guide us when we need him, and for those of us who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, we have that companionship all the time as long as we are worthy. He's given us the scriptures, which I have come to love with all my heart. You can learn so much from the scriptures: from the progression of Paul, to the miracles from the missionaries Nephi and Lehi. The scriptures contain the answers for everything. 

Speaking of Paul, I've learned so much from him over the past couple of days. Paul was not a good man, much like Alma the Younger. Both were out to destroy the church, to arrest Christians and persecute them. Paul was Jewish, and a strong one at that. But he then had a vision from the Lord, and the Lord chose him to preach the gospel. 

Why would the Lord pick these people to preach? Alma the Younger was a sinner. Paul held the coats of those who stoned Stephen. Both of them were not going about doing good; they were fighting against Christ and His followers -- until they were touched by the Spirit, and they both experienced miraculous changes of heart. 

Both Alma and Paul threw themselves into the work. The moment they were called, they decided to be chosen. They thrust their whole souls into the work; they put both feet in line with Christ's and aligned their will with God's. Although both experienced extreme trial and tribulation, nothing stopped them from being bold and happy, and holding to the truth they knew. 

Throw yourself into the gospel, brothers and sisters. Don't do something halfway; we didn't come here to only make it halfway! If you know that you can do anything through Christ, why not do anything for Him? Plant both feet firmly on gospel soil. Be not moved. Push forward with faith. 

Do not be a lackluster servant. Be a Paul; be Alma; be the change God sent you here to be. He sent you here not only to be changed, but to change the world around you. 

Have a good week, brothers and sisters. Do not be afraid of the good you can do. 

Love y'all!

Godspeed!

Sincerely, 

Sister Rose 

Selfie with the STLs!

Our new district! From left to right: Sister Barney, Sister Nash, Sister Bartsch, ME!, Elder Pierre-Louis, Elder Paxton, Elder Davis, and Elder Eells!

Miss'ippi Landscape!

Clean Up Lamar County Day with Elder Davis! :D

Sister Barney and I are hardcore!

LOOK AT THE HORNS THOUGH!

Sister Barney and I take entirely too many selfies!

Purvis missionaries UNITE!

lder Paxton is literally Spiderman #BadIdeas

Guess Who Is Not Getting Transferred?

(Me. The answer is me.)

Missionary Lingo: 

District: a group of three or more companionships assigned to an Area. For instance, I am part of the Purvis District, which consists of the Purvis Sisters, Purvis Elders, and the Spanish Purvis Elders. 

Zones: a cluster of districts in an Area. For instance, I belong to the Hattiesburg Zone, which is based around the Hattiesburg stake. 

Stake: taken from terms in the Old Testament, a "stake" is a cluster of wards (which are just local congregations), which refers to covering God's children with a "tent" (since you hold down a tent with stakes) so that they can be brought into the fold of God.

Transfers: when missionaries are moved to a new area every six weeks

Good morning, fellow citizens! It's a beautiful, cloudy day in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and the mission is buzzing with the new transfer policies and changes to the mission. Effective this transfer, the Clinton and Jackson Zones will be combining into one Zone! The H'burg Zone will also be absorbing the Meridian district and the Bogalusa elders. Welcome to the Zone, y'all! 

As for transfers, we used to have our Preparation Day on Tuesdays during transfer week. Those being transferred would consequently lose their P-Day, as it takes forever to get anyone anywhere in the MJM. If your area was close (as I have been lucky to have close areas), then you would have time to grocery shop and get settled in, but if you're going across the mission, then that's another story! 

President Olson has changed this policy, so now Mondays will always be our Preparation Day. We will receive transfer calls on Monday morning instead of Saturday night, so we would then use our P-Day to pack and get ready to be transferred. We would then be transferred Tuesday morning. Those companionships who are not being transferred at all will then have a regular P-Day on Monday and resume regular missionary activities on Tuesday. 

Sister Barney and I are not being transferred, though! Sadly, we are losing our dear District Leader, Elder Chase, who will be transferred this week. We won't know where he's going until he gets there! 

The Lord blesses me with a lesson every week. I'm constantly learning about the Spirit, the true gospel, and people in general. But, this week, I was studying a BYU Speech given by Jennifer Paustenbaugh entitled, "When Your Bow Breaks." She bases the entire speech around the story of Nephi and the broken bow. 

 

I will tell this story for those who haven't read it. In the Book of Mormon, we read in 1 Nephi 16 that Nephi, a righteous man and his brothers, Laman and Lemuel have found themselves hunting in the wilderness for food for their families. They have a lot of mouths to feed between their parents, Lehi (a prophet of God) and Sariah, the sons and daughters of their friend Ishmael, and their wives and children. They have a lot to handle! 

So, equipped with a steel bow and arrows, Nephi goes into the wilderness to hunt with his brothers, who are armed with slingshots. Things were going great; the Lord had provided plenty of food, everyone was happy -- until Nephi's bow breaks. 

 

A bow can supply far more food than a slingshot can. Would you agree? With no way to obtain food, the families begin to starve, and they then begin to blame it on Nephi and the Lord. Even Lehi begins to murmur -- that's when you really know it's bad. 

But, despite his afflictions, worries, and strife, Nephi crafts a new bow out of wood and makes himself arrows from sticks. He then goes to his father and asks where he can go to obtain food. Humbled, Lehi prays unto God for guidance, and Nephi is then able to feed his family again. 

 

It's so much better if you read the story, but we can learn a lot from Nephi and his response to his afflictions. When have our bows broken? Lemme tell ya, if I were to make a score of music for a mission, it would be measures and measures of endless bow-snapping and strings breaking. Things go wrong all the time; plans do not go the way we want them to. This isn't much different from regular life, where what we envision in our brains is not what happens in reality, much to our dismay. The Lord lovingly hands us trials, and we are left starving, lost, unsure, and without our bow. 

I've pondered this parable for a while. I thought of our responses to our trials; I've watched how investigators respond to their trials, how companions, members, and people we find respond to the things that completely turn their lives around. As humans, we tend to want to give in to our "natural man" (Mosiah 3:7) and wallow in self-pity, allow ourselves to bask in the darkness of worry and depression because sometimes searching for the light in darkness is simply too hard. We often want to take the easier route, stay in our comfort zones, when the Lord has blessed us with an opportunity to learn and grow if we but choose to respond to our trials in the right way. 

In this BYU Speech, Sister Paustenbaugh mentions the steps we must take to make it through our trials, such as: praying, asking for help, reading the scriptures, and -- the one I would like to emphasize -- to have a positive attitude. President Uchtdorf admonishes us to have an attitude of gratitude in whatever stage of life we are experiencing. I like to take a leaf out of Nephi's book after Lehi died. If we read in 2 Nephi 4, we are able to read Nephi's Psalm, where he writes, 

 

"Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard. 

Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. 

I am encompassd about because...of the sins which do so easily beset me. 

...nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted." 

 

Nephi did not ignore the problems he faced, and Nephi had a great many afflictions, brothers and sisters. Nephi has always been an example of great faith, diligence, continual prayer and love and reliance on the Lord, and most of all, honesty. He is honest with himself and with those of us reading: he aches. Sin, affliction, and trials hurt. The bow might hit us in the face when it breaks; our fingers might bleed on the string; we may lose a good arrow. Trials do not hit us lightly. They were not meant to. 

 

But we have a loving God who desires our greatest happiness. He asks us to be happy even in times of trial, for that is the true test: to smile when it hurts, to serve when you need others, to be more selfless in light of selfishness. You have a choice to make -- do you become like Laman and Lemuel and sit around, complain, and curse the Lord for what He's done? Or do you respond like Nephi -- do you pray, do you study, do you ask for help, do you try and make more out of what you have and know that the Lord will pave a way for you? Do you press forward in happiness, knowing He has your back every step of the way?

We frequently forget that our Savior has walked these paths before. We are walking through old footprints. He has walked this path when there were none before Him, no imprints to follow. He had to press forward with faith, to be loving, to be selfless, to make the way for those of us whose crosses are bearing down on our backs and we can't seem to see His tracks anymore. 

He is there when our bow breaks, brothers and sisters. He is there to help us put it back together, make a new one, and find what we need. All our Heavenly Father asks of us is that we rely on our Savior, Jesus Christ, and do our best; be happy in times of trial, for you will then have a taste of the eternal, godly happiness to come. 

It's been a good week, brothers and sisters. I'm learning a lot about choices, about love, about charity. You must love others when you can't seem to see them as the child of God they are. 

Be happy, everyone, and remember Who is there for you. 

 

Love y'all. 

 

Godspeed!

Sincerely, 

 

Sister Rose 

 

 

We had ZTM this week, and I got to take on last selfie with my beloved Sister Thompson! Have a great mission, girlie! 

Mississippi has its beautiful moments

 

 



 That awkward moment when you find a myriad of random potted plants missing their pots in the middle of the wilderness...

 

[screams about horses!]

 

 That awkward moment when you find a myriad of random potted plants missing their pots in the middle of the wilderness...

Our district before transfers!! (Right to left: ME!!, Sister Barney, Elder Pierre-Louis, Elder Eells, Elder Chase, and Elder Paxton.)

 *tries to take selfie with Elders* *only Elder Pierre-Louis notices*

 

Conference Greetings!

Missionary Lingo: 

Prophets: men holding the authority of God, called of God to receive revelation for the world (for example: Moses, Noah, and Abraham) 

Priesthood: the power of God; the power and authority to give blessings, heal the sick, cast out demons, and baptize.

Dispensation: periods of time when God has called a prophet

Good morrow, brothers and sisters! 

April is one of my favorite times. The sun is shining in Mississippi, the fire ants are in full fighting force, and the world is covered in a thin layer of yellow pollen. I love it! It's exhilarating! 

Sister Barney and I have been having a grand time lately. She and I take many photos, and we are constantly talking. She's becoming such a great friend! She's a fantastic teacher, who has so much experience and knowledge of the gospel. She invites the Spirit in every lesson, and I so sincerely love that about her. We've been teaching and working, discovering new ways to teach, and growing closer as time goes on and the transfer comes to a close. 

That's right! We're at the end of the seven-week transfer! Next Tuesday will be T-Day, so if I somehow get moved from Purvis, y'all will know! 

(Also, here's a shout out to my mom's boss, Gillian! Love ya! Thank you for all the support! My mom will miss you, I know!) 

Sometimes I think I know almost everything about the gospel, and then the Spirit comes to me and gently whacks me upside the head and hands me a question that troubles my soul. Questions are a marvelous thing. Our Heavenly Father never discourages us from asking questions. He wants us to study the gospel, to know it, to question it, so that we can come to a better, fuller understanding of the plan He has for us. 

This weekend, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held General Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. At General Conference, the world has the opportunity to hear messages spoken from the mouths of inspired men and women called of God, and they even get to hear from our modern-day prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, who holds the same Priesthood keys as the prophets of old. I am grateful to live in the last dispensation. I read in a BYU speech the other day that those of us living in the last days are God's most powerful runners; we are here, chosen to come to the earth at this time because we are His strongest children. We are here to run the race and win for Him. 

At General Conference, we have the opportunity to receive revelation for ourselves through the Holy Ghost. Isn't that exciting?! I always like to come to Conference with an arsenal of questions that I have prayed about, so that I know that these are the questions God has prepared for me. At the October 2014 General Conference, I had the question in mind, "Should I serve a mission?" That question was answered multiple times within the first session, and now here I am, testifying that God does answer our questions, and that those answers are for our benefit. 

The questions I asked at this Conference were not exactly as life-changing as that one. They were more personal, full of worry of a little kid going to ask her dad a question and being concerned for the answer. 

Since serving in Mississippi, I have been taught of my Heavenly Father's love multiple times. As I sat through hours and hours of talks and music, I felt an increasing love in my chest for my Father in Heaven, and then an even more overwhelming feeling that I have a Savior who loves me and wants me to do my best. 

I think we sometimes forget that all God asks of us is to do our best. He honestly just asks us to do good, nothing spectacular. To help us do good, He's given us Jesus Christ, whom I mention in almost every letter home. I want to stress the importance of Christ, brothers and sisters. He is my Savior, my Lord, my Redeemer. He is the light at the end of our darkest tunnels; He is the warmth we yearn for; He is the pathway back home. 

Heavenly Father wants us to come home. If there's one thing I learned from General Conference, it's that God has provided us with everything that we need to return back to Him. We have prophets, apostles, restored Priesthood keys, scriptures, temples, and a Savior who gave His life for us. 

I can't really explain more than that. All I've felt that I should share with you is that Jesus Christ loves you. He has literally engraven you upon His palms. When He sees His scars, He sees you. He feels you. He feels the hurt, the anguish, the turmoil you feel. He knows it. He's been there. Multiple times have I had to remind myself that Jesus Christ is right beside me. When my chest tightens, when it's hard to breathe and the world's noise suffocates my ability to feel love and comfort, the memory of the Atonement comes to me. 

You can study the Atonement as much as you want, but you can't know if its fullness unless you use it. Christ did not die so that you could ignore what He did. He died to fix you. He died so that when you break into a thousand pieces, He would be there to slice Himself on your pieces as you put yourself back together again. 

This e-mail may be short, only because I think all I can ask of you this week is to utilize the Atonement. Let the Lord encompass you in His winds, and let Him carry you home. 

Let Him love you, brothers and sisters. He is there for you. 

He loves you.

And I do, too.

Godspeed. 

Sincerely, 

Sister Rose 

Sister Barney poses by a flooded creek

:D Companionship selfie!

Look how green everything is!

Our porch got only slightly flooded 

we went to the most darling deli with the STLs! It's called South Mouth, and it's super great. A+! 10/10!     

Easter Greetings!

Goooooooooooooooooooood morning!! 

I would first like to start this e-mail off by saying hello to those who have approached me and told me they read these silly blog posts! For instance, President Silas! Hello! I hope all is faring well in Hattiesburg! And also, Sister Bartsch's mom! Hello! Your daughter is a fantastic Sister Training Leader. Thank you for being so supportive of her! And, Happy Easter! (That goes for all of y'all!) 

Did y'all have a good Easter? Ours was rainy! But it was fun, even so. We had some wonderful members take care of us, and even gave us Easter baskets! (Thank you, Brother and Sister Dennee, and also Sister Grover.) Church was all about the Atonement, the love of our Savior, and turning our thoughts to His sacrifice, but also to His resurrection. Too often we dwell on the Savior's crucifixion, and too little do we turn to the miracle that was His rising again on the third day. I hope y'all had the chance to celebrate that miracle and feel His love for you.

We had Zone Conference this week with the Gulfport Zone! I had the chance to see some lovely missionaries who I've served with before. We might have one of the biggest missions in the states, but it feels so small as you start to get to know more of the missionaries. 

We received some great insights about planning, safety, and teaching. Our cars received this handy-dandy devices called Tiwi's! Our car didn't receive one, only because we'll be getting a new car very soon and there wouldn't be a point in installing a Tiwi. These little devices monitor our driving; aggressive driving, speeding, sudden breaking, whether or not the seatbelts are buckled, etc. They don't exist to tell us what we're doing wrong, or to get us in trouble; they exist to keep us safe, and to keep us obedient and diligent. It'll be exciting to see how this changes the mission! 

In other news, I have discovered that Sister Barney is far braver than I am. You see, beside our duplex is this unsuspecting tree, always staying still, branches brushing over our roof. We will sometimes hear its little twigs whip our home in the morning as the wind blows, and it's usually no big deal. There was one night, Sister Barney and I were trying to clean our car, and we heard these odd, rustling noises, similar to what the leaves do when the wind blows. But, as we looked up, we realized that the tree wasn't moving, nor was the wind blowing. 

That's when we realized --

-- it was the beetles. 

I don't know what kind of hellish creatures these are, but they're disgusting. I'm offended that you even house these things, Mississippi. We came home from a long day of working, when in the brights of my headlights you could see swarms of these beetles pelting themselves against our windows and doors, large black dots dive-bombing the glass, ricocheting off the doorknob, trying to desperately reach the warmth of the light inside. 

Needless to say, Sister Barney and I spent a good portion of the next few minutes sitting in the car screaming. 

We watched them launch themselves at our door, only to plink onto the ground on their backs, little legs writhing as they tried to roll themselves uprightly again. 

We came to the conclusion that we were not going to be able to unlock the front door. I flat out refused, honestly. I debated sleeping in the car that night. But, my brave companion leapt out of the car, grabbed our hose, and began to unleash a water war upon the beetles. 

(I, of course, got all of this on camera.) 

She stood there, blasting those creatures all over our porch. They all stilled and seemed to grip the pavement and tresses of our porch, trying to hold on -- and hold on they did. Because they didn't leave our porch at all. 

More screaming ensued. 

At this point, we debated lighting our whole house on fire. Beetles were now launching themselves at the car doors. I was cowering in the driver's seat, still filming, watching as my companion rushed to the car and pulled herself inside. 

We'd decided to run around to the back door, where the beetles had not touched. We have since fixed this beetle problem by not leaving our porch light on at night. 

Within the safe confines of my apartment, I have been immersing myself in talks given by those inspired by the Spirit, preparing myself to receive revelation from modern-day prophets appointed by the Lord this weekend -- because it's General Conference! :D 

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to listen to guidance from the auxiliary women's leaders, such as the General Relief Society President, Primary President, and so on. I needed that inspiration, lemme tell you. The whole conference was service-oriented. All of the talks encouraged us women to continue to serve others, to listen to the Spirit, to be led in our efforts to help our fellowmen, and to be righteous, uplifting, strongly-voiced women for the latter-days. 

My thoughts were turned to Moroni's description of charity: 

"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." 

Later on, Moroni says, "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." 

I am a firm believer in the fact that all answers to the questions of our souls can be found in living the gospel. Charity is a largely emphasized facet of it, and it is one of the greatest attributes of Christ we can attain. 

I never truly made the connection between what charity really meant and how it applied to me until this Women's Conference. I knew that it was the pure love of Christ, but what exactly did that mean? 

I thought of Christ and the example He set for us. Christ is the ultimate example of charity; He loved openly, freely, deeply, and sincerely. He had the concerns of others at the forefront of His mind; all of His efforts, teachings, and actions were for others and never for Himself. His heart was always set on the will of His Father, on the needs of His brethren, and on the divine mission that He was on. 

The Spirit touched me during that moment, and I had an epiphany. I knew what I needed to do; I knew what change needed to be wrought in myself through means of charity. 

I've always loved serving others, but to have the pure love of Christ was different. To be as loving, forgiving, and selfless as the Savior is an unattainable feat in this life, but to reach for that is what our Father asks of us. He asks us to love our neighbors, give what we have until we can give no more, to take care of ourselves but first and foremost, to not put ourselves above anyone else because we are all sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. He asks us to align our will with His so that He can bring about a mighty change in our hearts; through charity, we obtain forgiveness, brothers and sisters. 

To repent is to change. It is a commandment to change. Lose yourself in the love of Christ, the love He had for others, for the welfare of His brothers and sisters, and you will find yourself purified through Him, and His atoning sacrifice. 

I have found such love in service. My burdens are lighter, my heart is wider, my smile is bigger, too. To serve is to find joy. As I do more for others in Christ's name, I find my Savior doing even more than I imagined for me. I wish to be a disciple that bears His name on my heart, and imparts of His love through the works of my hands. He accomplished the greatest act of love and service for all mankind; the least we can do is serve one another.

Serve someone today. Find Christ in the ways you thought you never could.

I love y'all. Have a good week! 

Godspeed!

Sincerely, 

Sister Rose 

Easter chalk talk from Sister Bartsch!

Getting ready for Zone Conference

Found this in the road.

I don't know how many pictures I send home of Mississippi skies, but this is just so beautiful!

Got caught in the rain.

BEETLES!!!

Sister Barney and I looking fine!

I got to see Sister Poulson at Zone Conference!

Time To Build An Ark!

Hello, all! Are you dry? Mississippi's not! 

I remember in Flowood, everyone always told us how everything was so dry. Little rain had blessed Mississippi that summer; everyone's lawns were brittle; no fires were built, for fear of burning down the whole state; not a cloud drifted in the sky, and everyone was very aware of it. 

Hearing all of the Mississippites' prayers, God turned to them and said, "You might have to build an ark." 

And now some people are swimming to work. 

(I kid. I kid!) 

We've had many adventures in Purvis! Never is there a dull moment with R&B. We have been trying some new finding opportunities! We have begun picking up trash off the side of the road (of our own free will), name tags on display for all the cars to see. Adorning yellow latex gloves, Sister Barney and I merrily picked up beer bottles, fast food containers, grocery bags, etc., that had been left on the road, whether from the wind or from a car whizzing by. 

This gave me a greater love for the earth. I haven't always been too fond of the outdoors. Anyone who knows me will remember when I was little, I would scream bloody murder if I saw the shadow of a fly in the corner of the room. I'm better now, but part of me still preferred the indoors to the unfamiliar territory of the outside. 

Since being in the lush, green atmosphere of Mississippi, I've grown to love its contents: from the deadly, chigger-containing grass, up to the pine trees that have begun sprouting little yellow flowers, peeking out at the sun from high above. It makes me think of a scripture found in the 59th section of the Doctrine and Covenants: 

"Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to place the eye and to gladden the heart; 

Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul." 

While I may not see much joy in chiggers or bloodthirsty ants, I do enjoy all of the beautiful sights Mississippi has to offer, as God intended for me to. Every place has beauty to it. That I can promise. I remember living in West Texas and despising the concrete scenery, but marveling at the menacing shade of brown that would cover the sky during a dust storm, or the sunsets that flooded the sky. When I moved to Colorado, I learned to love the mountain passes, the waterfalls cascading down rocks, sunlight peeking behind arches. 

God's world has much to offer us. He is always thinking of you and what's best for you specifically. This world was created for our benefit. Think of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Their calling to this earth was heavy; they were to be the first humans on God's earth, to keep His commandments and live in His presence until they chose to partake of the fruit. 

They came here to make decisions, as we have always been able to do so. We all chose to come here. You, reading this, chose to come to this earth and accept the trials that would be bestowed upon you. I've had my share of trials that make me ask, Why? Why would you even agree to that? But, it always works out for my benefit. I cannot think of a trial that hasn't strengthened me in a way, that hasn't taught me something, that hasn't made me draw closer to my Heavenly Father. 

With the world in bloom and allergies floating around, take some time to marvel at what God has given you. Purvis is an area with very little street and city lights, so at night, the stars are abundant, glittering, and gorgeous. We tend to pause and take some time to gape at those, and how small we are. 

With Easter this coming Sunday, remember the sacrifice our Heavenly Father gave. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). This scripture is popularly quoted, especially this time of year, but it has so much truth in it. 

God loves you, so He gave His Only Begotten Son. When Adam and Eve fell, they were subject to both spiritual and physical death, as are we. But through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are able to overcome those things. Through Christ's everlasting atonement, which started in the garden of Gethsemane and ended when He rose again, we, too, are able to overcome the dark abyss of death and be welcomed home into the loving arms of a Father who loves us. 

I would like to quote the testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith after he had seen a vision. In the Doctrine and Covenants, we read: 

"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

For we saw him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard a voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father." 

He lives, brothers and sisters. He lives for you. 

Don't forget Him this Easter. Remember that He lives, and what that means for you. 

https://www.mormon.org/easter

#Hallelujah

Godspeed!

Sincerely, 

Sister Rose 

Conni Cone!!!!

Mississippi Views!

It's a nice day for a photoshoot

We're adorable!

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

[chomp]