Bonjour family and friends!!
This week we spent a couple days in Nancy, France for interviews with President Babin and Zone Conference. The church has released a new missionary daily schedule and so we talked a lot about that. We talked about the importance of agency and how we are being trusted to decide how to best use our time. It is true that God has created us to "act and not to be acted upon" and our whole life is a test of how we will use our agency!
We had a lesson with one of members that hasn't come to church for a long time but has recently began to have the desire to go to the temple again. She works on Sunday so sometimes it is difficult to come, but she has started paying her tithing again since the last time we talked with her! This time we talked about the importance of putting God first. We talked about priorities and how we miss out on lots of blessings when we put the things of the world before the things of God. When we have an eternal perspective we realize that worldly things are only temporary but the things of God are eternal. "20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (3 Nephi) Our priorities in life reflect the desires of our hearts. Our actions reflect what we think is most important. This is a concept that we all need to be reminded of every once in awhile. Then, after some self reflection, decide where our "heart is" and what we need to change to make sure it is in the right place.
Yesterday, we went out with the young adults to visit other members in the ward. We visited this one member in our ward who has a really cool conversion story. He was telling us that he was raised in a catholic family and he had a lot of questions about life that he couldn't find the answers too. He said that in particular he was looking for purpose in life. He couldn't believe that we were on earth just to work, eat, sleep etc., and then do all the same things the next day. He knew that there had to be more purpose then just that! One day, he was at a really low point and so he decided to pray for the first time in a very long time. He said that after he prayed he felt pretty good and so continued on with his day. In that same week, two missionaries knocked on his door. They taught him about Jospeh Smith and the restoration and he said he could physically feel that it was true. While he was telling us this story, the spirit was so strong! He began thinking about baptism and he said that he had more opposition n his life than ever before. His wife told him that if he got baptized that she would divorce him. He didn't know what to do because he loved his wife but he also had a testimony of the church and wanted to be part of it. He told us that he feels that Heavenly Father was testing him to see how much he truly loved Him and if he was willing to follow his commandments. He went ahead with his desire to be baptized and before his baptism his wife had a change of heart and was okay with it. His wife has been taking the missionary lessons ever since... it has been 20 years!
This member has such a strong testimony! I think I learned way more from him, than he learned from me. We talked about having an eternal perspective and how that often requires having patience and faith in Heavenly Father's timing. We got to share one of my favorite scriptures, "For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven..Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation...For after much tribulation come the blessings." (D&C 58) I am grateful to know that God has a plan for each of us and even though we might not understand everything that happens in our lives, He does. He just asks us to be patient and trust in Him and all will be well. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
Love, Soeur Johnson
This week we spent a couple days in Nancy, France for interviews with President Babin and Zone Conference. The church has released a new missionary daily schedule and so we talked a lot about that. We talked about the importance of agency and how we are being trusted to decide how to best use our time. It is true that God has created us to "act and not to be acted upon" and our whole life is a test of how we will use our agency!
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| Zone Conference! |
We had a lesson with one of members that hasn't come to church for a long time but has recently began to have the desire to go to the temple again. She works on Sunday so sometimes it is difficult to come, but she has started paying her tithing again since the last time we talked with her! This time we talked about the importance of putting God first. We talked about priorities and how we miss out on lots of blessings when we put the things of the world before the things of God. When we have an eternal perspective we realize that worldly things are only temporary but the things of God are eternal. "20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (3 Nephi) Our priorities in life reflect the desires of our hearts. Our actions reflect what we think is most important. This is a concept that we all need to be reminded of every once in awhile. Then, after some self reflection, decide where our "heart is" and what we need to change to make sure it is in the right place.
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| Visiting Castles in Luxembourg! |
Yesterday, we went out with the young adults to visit other members in the ward. We visited this one member in our ward who has a really cool conversion story. He was telling us that he was raised in a catholic family and he had a lot of questions about life that he couldn't find the answers too. He said that in particular he was looking for purpose in life. He couldn't believe that we were on earth just to work, eat, sleep etc., and then do all the same things the next day. He knew that there had to be more purpose then just that! One day, he was at a really low point and so he decided to pray for the first time in a very long time. He said that after he prayed he felt pretty good and so continued on with his day. In that same week, two missionaries knocked on his door. They taught him about Jospeh Smith and the restoration and he said he could physically feel that it was true. While he was telling us this story, the spirit was so strong! He began thinking about baptism and he said that he had more opposition n his life than ever before. His wife told him that if he got baptized that she would divorce him. He didn't know what to do because he loved his wife but he also had a testimony of the church and wanted to be part of it. He told us that he feels that Heavenly Father was testing him to see how much he truly loved Him and if he was willing to follow his commandments. He went ahead with his desire to be baptized and before his baptism his wife had a change of heart and was okay with it. His wife has been taking the missionary lessons ever since... it has been 20 years!
This member has such a strong testimony! I think I learned way more from him, than he learned from me. We talked about having an eternal perspective and how that often requires having patience and faith in Heavenly Father's timing. We got to share one of my favorite scriptures, "For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven..Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation...For after much tribulation come the blessings." (D&C 58) I am grateful to know that God has a plan for each of us and even though we might not understand everything that happens in our lives, He does. He just asks us to be patient and trust in Him and all will be well. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
Love, Soeur Johnson
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