I've had that song stuck in my head all week, probably because life IS a happy song and I do have everything I need right in front of me.
So sorry about not sending an email last week! Our mission has officially entered phase 2 which means we can go into members homes for brief, socially distanced and masked visits, as well as teach in people's home AND gather as districts on P-days again!!! So last Monday was way too much fun to write an email. But now I have 2 whole weeks to catch y'all up on!
I don't normally share a lot about the people we are teaching, (I think it takes waaaaay too much explaining to understand all of their backgrounds and progress, so I usually just skip it) but our friend Chris needs prayers! He was introduced to us by a less active member of the branch because he was not feeling the Spirit at his church and felt that he needed direction in his life. Since then he has gained a beautiful testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and has sacrificed so much to prepare himself for baptism. We are so proud of him and his progress! He is trying to overcome a smoking addiction right now and we would really appreciate it if you kept him in your prayers this week. He has made a lot of progress this past week and just needs one more push to completely quit!
HOW AMAZING WAS CONFERENCE?! Wow. I am so grateful for the living Prophet and Apostles. My favorite quote from conference was from Rebecca M. Craven's talk. She said, "I hope I have changed since yesterday." How amazing is it that change is possible? And even more miraculous: change for the better! Change that brings you CLOSER to God! Change that lasts! We have an indescribable gift from God called the Atonement of Jesus Christ which is the reason change is possible. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to change! Mosiah 3:19 describes just some of the qualities that we should strive to obtain by changing our natural man into a saint through the Atonement of Christ. With a list like that, it's gonna take a while! But God knows that and because He teaches us line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, it will take some time. We must be diligent in changing a little bit every day. I have seen change in myself, it's pretty gradual but it's definitely there. I am eternally thankful for the Atoning sacrifice of my Savior Jesus Christ that has made that change possible. And because I want to continue growing closer to Him, I hope I have changed since yesterday.
On Thursday we went to go visit one of our friends who hasn't been answering our phone calls, and it was actually the first time I've met him in person (lol it's the last week of the transfer! #gratefulfortechnology). He is absolutely hilarious!! He introduced himself to me as "The Reverend Leroy Brown of the church of what's happenin' Brothuh!!" It is so interesting to me that he knows the church is true. He believes it all (he called Porter Rockwell one of his heroes! Never thought I'd be talking about modern-day Samson with an investigator). The only thing that he is letting stop him from uniting with Christ's church is his beer and tobacco. It makes me so sad! But how often do we do that in slightly less obvious ways? We let just that one show or just this one kind of music get in the way of allowing the Spirit to fill our lives more abundantly. The Lord usually asks us to sacrifice the thing we least want to let go. For Abraham it was Isaac. What is the Lord asking you to give up for Him?
We had transfer calls on Saturday! Nothing happened to me and Sister Foster, we both get to stay here in Brevard!
I love this work so very much. I know that it is His work and moves forward no matter what happens to the world. I found a quote that I really love this week: "When God gave you a calling He already factored in your stupidity." He knows us! And STILL trusts us! I love this work, I love you all, and I love the Lord!
-Sister Shumway
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