Be A Friend

Hey all!!! I hope that life is treating you all well!! I especially hope that you all in West Virginia are enjoying all the green and hills.

This morning, as my companion and I were heading out the door at 6:30am for morning exercise, the sun was peeking over the mountains, and it's light caught on the cumulus clouds that were also moving west, tinting them each a light shade of pink undermined by dark orange right at the mountain peak. It was beautiful.

This past week has been busy. On Monday, we were privileged to meet with an 8 year old who is preparing to be baptized this upcoming week. It's amazing how someone so young can already know and understand so much about the gospel!

On Tuesday, we got to meet with a less active sister in our stake who has such a testimony of the importance of family and studying scriptures. Never lose that. She continues to develop her testimony, and she does that by reading the scriptures and applying those principles to her daily life. That's the key. What good is all that precious guidance without applying it?

On Wednesday, we spent about an hour in the morning pulling weeds, which I now have a respect for and really enjoy. It's crazy how fast weeds grow and how big!

On Thursday, we were honored to hear from Elder Don R. Clarke of the Seventy in a meeting at the mission office. He spoke mostly about what our purpose is and how we can be better by helping everyone deepen their faith, no matter who they are. After our meeting, we went to meet with a less active sister in our stake only to find out that she was having a horrible day. We talked with her about how her washer had broke, she dropped her phone into water and it stopped working, and how everything seemed to be going wrong. We knew that God loves her, so we immediately got a hold of some members who would be able to help her out. The greatest gift that we can offer one another is our individual love and support. Sometimes people just need someone to care and be there.

On Friday, we had companion exchanges. I love exchanges! It gives the missionaries an opportunity to work in another area with another companion for 24 hours so they can see what things work in other areas, then apply those things in their areas. It is also really helpful in developing a fresh view. I got to be with Sister Ngauamo, who is from Tonga. She taught me a little Tonga while I was there. :) We also got to meet with a family who has been less active, but their children are wanting to become active again and be baptized. It's amazing how much children can influence us. They have such an innocent faith in God that He loves them and will provide. If only we could all be like that.

While I was with Sister Ngauamo, she gave me some very good advice. She said, "The strongest person is not the one who shows it physically, but the strongest person is the one who can control her heart and her thoughts, and control her eyes and lips, and can control her ears to hear. That is the strongest person."

On Sunday, we had a miracle. We had invited a less active sister to church, so we went and knocked on her door at 8:30am. She felt too sick to go to her ward's sacrament service at 9am, but she came to another ward's sacrament service at 11am. Also, the less active sister who was having the trouble with her washer earlier in the week also came to church. Immediately, she became friends with members in the ward.

I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to be friends with people, and I mean everyone you meet! Think about how you would feel is every person you ran into just passed you by. You'd be lonely! Don't let it be that way. Be a friend. Matthew 24:12 talks about what happens if we stop being a friend. Let's not let that happen.

P.S. It is my brother's birthday this Saturday (August 23), so if you see him, wish him a very happy birthday!