lisellovingleeds : Obedience brings blessings!

Hello family!

Another week has come and gone and I can't believe it! Time just flies too quickly. I am really just trying to enjoy every minute of being a missionary because too soon it will be all over.

I feel so grateful to be a missionary and get to see that hand of the Lord so much each day. He is always there, we just need to look a bit harder sometimes.

I am learning so much about obedience and when we are obedient that is when the miracles and the blessings come. We all need to learn obedience in life because that is how we will make it back to our Father in Heaven. I have been reading and studying about the life of Nephi. I am amazed at how willing he was to obey and to trust in the Lord. He says in 1 Nephi 18:16 after his brothers bound him with cords, "Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions." Sometimes we still face challenges and hard times even when we are obedient, but that is because Heavenly Father wants to make us better, he wants us to learn and grow. We too can thank God even through our trials just like Nephi did!

We started seeing a former investigator named Anna from Poland again, she was just extremely busy with the holidays and wouldn't make time to see us. But we had an incredible lesson with her. She said she notices a difference when she reads the Book of Mormon, she can feel a warm feeling in her head. We helped her to recognise it as the spirit and then helped her to remember she can have the Spirit with her always! Anna has a little son who has sports every Sunday morning, so it is almost impossible for her to get to church, but we will keep working with her and help her to see that the results of going to church are so much greater than sports!

Brian, our investigator from China has been meeting with the elders in a close by area because one of them is Chinese speaking. He feels more comfortable speaking in Chinese so it has helped a ton! Which has been great, he has really enjoyed meeting with them. He also said the Book of Mormon has helped him see what really matters in life! He does have some small concerns with joining the church because of certain traditions in China, but he said he loves the people he has met who go to our church. He says they are very friendly and they seem happy, he is looking for that same happiness. We promised him that he can feel that same happiness he just has to give up certain things! Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.

I am thankful for this gospel and for the blessings it brings to our lives. I am so thankful to be born of "goodly parents" who taught me the gospel all growing up. I am thankful I get to teach what they taught me. The gospel is truly how we can be happy and have direction in our lives.

I invite you to pray for the chance to stand as a witness of Christ each day and I know you will have the best week ever!!

love, sister stevens