Aug 15, 2016

NUTELLA SHAKES @ THE STEAK n' SHAKE. There's no "shakin and bakin"
going on, but it's still awesome !!!!

Bro. Mette came to church! Wahoooo.

We made our mini missionary a GREENIE MEAL. Seriously one of my fav things to do!

Yeah I might've dropped my chili cheese fries ........ Some kids can't even ....

Tonya ! One of our members. She's awesome.

STuDIES SHOW RESULTS of SISTERS JOSEPH SMITH HIGH--

I'M ON A JOSEPH SMITH HIGH. No worries...this is a really good high to be on! It's super safe and all the cool kids will be doing it someday. It all started this last  week when we had zone conference. Zone Conference was amazing, as usual! Each month we have a scripture focus. This month is a quote from Joseph Smith, it says, “The  Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." And y'all this is soooooo all happening! ESPECiALLY in my mission...this is legit to see all these things actually be brought to pass! Joseph Smith's ACTUAL words and prophesies are being brought to pass, how cool??! 

*** I cannot emphasize enough the importance of writing in journals! It is sooooo important!!!! You know why?...Well, my Grandma Christensen wrote me about some of my awesome ancestors who ACTUALLY KNEW Joseph Smith!  This is a LEGIT first account and we wouldn't have known this unless my awesome relatives took the time to write in his journals. I have really come to have a better understanding of the importance of journal writing since I've learned of these ancestors and been here in Illinois. I have learned soooooo much more about Church History. I love love love love Joseph Smith. 

It is gonna be sooooo cool to meet him. My jaw is gonna drop. No joke.  

So here's an account from ancestors : 

Seriously I love Love this gospel! Soooo mucho!!!! NO amount of words can even come close to telling you how much I love this gospel. My testimony has grown sooo mucho. I'm on FIRE and and NO ONE can stop me!!!!! I sure hope I stay here another transfer so I can go to Nauvoo!!! The church is soooo true! Sis. Mühlestein and I watched the Prophet Joseph Smith Restoration video and I loved it so much more. My studies, reading, and pondering the Book of Mormon have deepened because the church is true. I've been striving to deepen my testimony and understanding of these things I know to be true and hold so dear to my heart! I cannot deny this is true. TRUTH SURE MAKES SENSE. 

COOLEST THING :

We have been working on cleaning out our Area Book. We stopped by one of the people listed and a young girl, Avery, answered thee door. Then her Dad came and we talked to them.  The whole time her Dad kept saying they already have a church home and they're good where they're at. On the other hand, young Avery kept smiling and saying she REALLY WANTS to come to our church. We went  to hand the dad a Book of Mormon and invite him to read it. Avery snatched it like it was precious cake  and said she's gonna keep it a read it. I'm pretty sure my eyes popped outta my head and jaw dropped. I was soooo amazed at the excitement this little girl had about this precious message. I have a STRONG feeling she's gonna be baptized, cause she was so excited about church & gave us a REFFERAL before we even asked her for any. 

Sad moment.... 

Reggie, one of the cutest elderly ladies who plays bingo, passed away Thursday and my heart sank when the other ladies told me. I've really really come to love these people. It's sad to see them go but HOW AWESOME and how comforting is it to KNOW we have the Plan of Salvation. We have a Plan of Happiness that allows us to be with those we love after this life. Reggie will forever be missed here. 

FUNNIEST THING --

You know your comp knows you VERY well when she pours your typical glass of chocolate milk right before you walk into the kitchen for dinner. Chocolate milk is my life these days! 

You know you worked hard when you fall asleep praying .. 😂

At Ward Council yesterday Bishop Mehr said, 

"WHERE ARE WE WITH OUR PERSONAL SCRIP STUDY? 

WE ARE UNDER CONDEMNATION. IT IS THE KEYSTONE OF OUR RELIGION.IF WE DON'T DIG DEEP INTO THE SCRIPTURES, WE ARE IN TROUBLE. WE MUST HAVE THE SPIRIT. WE MUST DIVE IN THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

YOU CANNOT HAVE A MEANINGFUL STUDY WITHOUT STUDYING THE OTHERS STANDARD WORKS.  PERSONAL SCRIPTURE STUDY & PRAYER ARE THE NUTS & BOLTS OF THE GOSPEL."

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I KNOW this is sooooo true!  So get reading the scrips!  Joseph Smith was killed and went through soooo much for us to have it. You know you better be reading it daily... not just reading, but pondering! 

We recently heard this AWESOME quote: 

"Joseph Smith died for the Book of Mormon and never gave up. You don't have to seal the Book of Mormon with your blood, but if you had to... would you?" It's something I've really been pondering. And honestly I WOULD. 

In my last area, we knocked on a random door. A guy came out on his porch and started talking to us and listening to what we had to say.  Then he said, "oh, you're Mormons.  Well tell me this...if I got my gun and shot you, would you go to heaven? What's your belief on life after death?" We  tried our best to teach him a basic Restoration message. He got very frustrated and said, "You're not answering my question. Hold on while I grab something." I legit thought I was gonna die. I was pretty positive he was gonna grab his gun. But I was so ready to continue defending the Book of Mormon and die for it. Scouts honor. 

Luckily he just grabbed his Bible. What an experience! I love Joseph Smith and all the early pioneers who sacrificed so much for us to have the Book of Mormon. They went through sooooo much and the least I can do is ....Be a full time missionary and bear testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ. I love our Church History!  I love being a Mormon. I KNOW it. I LIVE IT. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!! The church is true, my friends. 

Now I want you to ask yourself ....would you seal the Book of Mormon with your blood if asked to? How is your Book of Mormon reading going? How could you improve it? 

2 Nephi 7:7-9 -- when we are rejected and bashed, or even just day to day stuff, we must remember as our testimonies are strong the Lord will help us and Satan won't have power over us.

I am soooo beyond grateful Heavenly Father sent me to this area and mission where my testimony gets strengthened every day! Yeah bashing and getting rejected hurts, but because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ my testimony is strengthened. I am grateful for the hardship that I continue to face on my mission, because it builds up my testimony. I FIRMLY believe that WHEN we prepare ourselves spiritually we CAN AND WILL overcome the challenges we all face in this crazy life. I know it's true cause I've had the opportunity  to be built up so strong spiritually these last 8 months. 

I love in 2 Nephi 9:23 it talks about the "crosses of world" and endure it well...all the persecutions, judgements, and bashes and being despised we will  FOREVER  have joy. In this area we get so much of this and I know that we all have "crosses of the world" and they can be very hard.  Yet I KNOW as we bare them well and continue to be strong and stay on the right path we WILL be blessed. 

Alma 47: We MUST  stay on the high ground in this ever changing world or else we will struggle. I know one of the best ways to do so is by studying and reading the Book of Mormon at least 20 mins each day. It's CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER!!! 

Alma 48:19. “No Less Serviceable”  I think sometimes we look to leadership positions as this big thing that is so awesome and cool. Sometimes we get jealous, but we shouldn't because just as David Archuleta says in his beautiful song "Glorious":  We ALL have a part! There are times when we feel down or inadequate, but all of us have a purpose that's been within us ALL ALONG! And it's for us to figure out. We are all Gods instruments and hands. He loves us all. Our tags or labels DO NOT even come close to defining who we are. It's what talents we have, the good desires we have, and what we choose to do with them that defines us. We are all in this together! We are a team. We are in a symphony together. So let's continuously fine tune ourselves, and we will be a better team in this ever so crazy harsh world. I really just want each of you to know that you are soooooo important and special in God's eyes. FORGET the world...they're following Satan as their captain. He's just jealous of us. Forget the world. Come back to the Lord. Come back to remembering and KNOWING how wonderful you EACH are. We each have our own melody, we all know how to let it ring out....because we again use our talents and abilities differently. Because we are all unique so let's let it GO !!! GOD LOVES YOU.  JESUS LOVES YOU.  I love ya. 

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What does it mean that Helaman was “no less serviceable”? President Howard W. Hunter (1907–95) taught that all righteous service is equally acceptable to God even though not everyone will serve in prominent callings:  “Even though Helaman was not as noticeable or conspicuous as Moroni, he was as serviceable; that is, he was as helpful or useful as Moroni.  Not all of us are going to be like Moroni, catching the acclaim of our colleagues all day every day. Most of us will be quiet, relatively unknown folks who come and go and do our work without fanfare. To those of you who may find that lonely or frightening or just unspectacular, I say, you are ‘no less serviceable’ than the most spectacular of your associates. You, too, are part of God’s army.

“Consider, for example, the profound service a mother or father gives in the quiet anonymity of a worthy Latter-day Saint home. Think of the Gospel Doctrine teachers and Primary choristers and Scoutmasters and Relief Society visiting teachers who serve and bless millions but whose names will never be publicly applauded or featured in the nation’s media.

“Tens of thousands of unseen people make possible our opportunities and happiness every day. As the scriptures state, they are ‘no less serviceable’ than those whose lives are on the front pages of newspapers.

“The limelight of history and contemporary attention so often focuses on the one rather than on the many” (“No Less Serviceable,” Ensign, Apr. 1992, 64).

Some miracles : 

• I saw a less active whose been away from church for several years. When we asked her if she'd be ok with visiting teachers coming she said yes. That's a HUGE STEP ! Cause before she said she never wanted to be contacted before. 
• I got to eat CORNDOGS again from the celestial ice cream shack 😂
• Gibbons fam bam had us over for dinner and made awesome Mexican food. WAY GOOD enchiladas  which was a big tender mercy cause I was really wanting some of mí Madre's enchiladas. Sis. Gibbons & Sis. Oxborrow adopted me so I'm never coming home. 😂. They're seriously awesome. I love Illinois!  See y'all in the next life. 

I've never been more sure in my entire life that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints really is true. The one and only true church upon the earth. I love it. I know it's true. 

Xoxo 

Love always sista Karigan Allowitz