Gifts of Love

This has been a wonderful week! Although it has been slow with making
contact with all our investigators, we had some great lessons and
experiences with those we were able to meet with. I love those moments
where we are able to see an investigator really internalize what we are
teaching. When they come to church and feel that spirit, it is amazing
to see them have the Lehi and Tree of Life experience and they truly feel
that "as [they] partook of the fruit thereof it filled [their] soul with
exceedingly great joy; wherefore, [they] began to be desirous that [their]
family should partake of it also; for [they] knew that it was desirable
above all other fruit."

Another great part of the week was the feeling of Christmas! I received the
gifts from my immediate family and extended family which is so
wonderful! It means so much to me to have these small acts of love
- opening a small gift each morning that coincides with scripture and a
mission story to read; reading love notes that contantly remind me of the
love I have for my extended family. How true the words are that "the family
is central to the Creator's plan" for what would we be like without that
love and unity with our family and friends. This past Sunday, I had the
opportunity to teach the Gospel Principles class. It was something I
was asked to do last minute, but it went so well for we spoke on charity:
the pure love of Christ. People are more prone to remember to be charitable
during the holiday seasons. It brings so much joy into our lives when we
express that love to others. It is during Christmas time that we need to
really look deep into how charity changes our lives so we can remember how
important it is to continue to live with charity the whole year long. A
great observation was about the rewards in heaven we will receive as it
depends on the sacrifices we have here. If we show love to someone who
already loves us, how hard is that? Why would we gain a great reward from
an act that was easy? It is through reaching beyond ourselves to help
strangers and enemies, that we can really see that change within our lives
and truly experience the blessings and rewards that charity can have on our
eternal progression and personal potential. Christ himself continued to
love those that took part in causing the suffering of His crucifiction. He
plead with the Father to "forgive them for they know not what they do."
What love He has for us to still hold that constant hope that we all may
return to God again. If the Father has everlasting love for each of His
children no matter our actions, and Christ, His Son, has such great love for
us to suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross for us, that
means each of us have that same ability to feel that love for each person we
meet. We are to be like the Father. What He is, we can become. Each of us
have the potential inside ourselves to have that pure love. Let us work to
truly and fully obtain it by constantly showing our love to all our brothers
and sisters upon this earth. That is the greatest gift we can share with
others.

TENDER MERCY: THE PEOPLE WE MEET ARE TRULY A GREAT BLESSING IN OUR LIVES. A
HIGHLIGHT OF THIS WEEK WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE WARD CHRISTMAS
DINNER PARTY. WE HAD SIX INVESTIGATORS (FIVE FROM THE EAST, ONE FROM THE
WEST) COME TO JOIN THE FESTIVITIES. IT WAS AMAZING THE FUN WE ALL HAD
TOGETHER. ALL THE SISTER MISSIONARIES WERE SERVERS FOR THE DINNER SO WE GOT
TO SEE EVERYONE THAT CAME, TALKING WITH THEM, AND WATCH ALL THE INTERACTIONS
BETWEEN THE MEMBERS, PART-MEMBERS, AND INVESTIGATORS. THEN WE ALL GATHERED
FOR THE PROGRAM WHICH WAS SO CUTE, SHOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRIST BEING
THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES. THERE WAS A LOT OF MEMBER INVOLVEMENT AND WE HAD
SO MUCH FUN AND LAUGHTER. WHAT JOY IT BRINGS TO OUR LIVES TO HAVE THAT
FRIENDSHIP AND UNITY. OUR INVESTIGATORS ENJOYED BEING THERE AND IT REALLY
TOUCHED MY HEART TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THAT TIME TOGETHER, CREATING A CLOSER
BOND OF FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE WITH EVERYONE THERE.