Week 34: 4/7/2014

April 7, 2014

Longmont, CO

 

 

I want you to think of some great movie duos.  Who might represent Sister C and I?  Oh the options!  But to tell you the truth, I am Izma, and she is Kronk.  Yep.  Ever since an Emporer's New Groove quote came up about a month ago, it has become increasingly apparent that I am Izma.  A few key lines would be ones such as "The nerve of some peasants!" and Sister C's observation of "what is holding this woman together?" "This is Izma, living proof that dinosaurs once roamed the earth" haha at least she has good taste in color!

 

This week we got to help a man named R clean out his apartment.  It was quite an adventure!  Not the most disorganized place I have been in on my mission, but that may be because he had limited space.  Mom, thanks for helping me recognize how to help people work through the keep/toss process and Dad thanks for raising me brave enough to tackle icky jobs!

 

We got to embrace all kinds of awkwardness this week, so still living up to my transfer goal!  One awkwardness was having a doorstep lesson, and asking if we could pray as the person's friend was coming up the walk and waiting to talk to her.  Hopefully he could feel the Spirit too!

 

One of my favorite parts of this week was we still got to meet with P, even though Stop Smoking class was cancelled, and talk about her questions.  When we arrived, she informed us that she had asked B already if he would start us off with a prayer :) Ah happy missionary moment!

 

General Conference was uber duber good!  I loved every minute of it.  Last week as I was working to "serve with all of [my]...mind" I worked really hard on taking notes during study, which I think was a good prep for conference notes.  I plan to continue the study notes and this week as I serve with all of my strength I think Elder Bednar's talk is a good one to apply :)

 

So I thought of a fun game to play!  No matter what my dear companion says, you should not be worried when I say this ;) This will actually be fun!  What is the game you ask?  Let's call it "Tuesday is My Favorite WeekDay".  Since I am the leader of this game, I am going to pick a color, to wear and look for on Tuesday and you can all match!  Why would we play this game?  Reasons abound!  First, I want to create some family unity as we all expand across the planet.  Second, sneakily I am trying to make you all think missionary thoughts throughout the day. 

 

Example: Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful...hey the sky is really blue today!  Wait, blue is the TMFWD color that Sister DeFord (a missionary) picked for today!  You know, this is a fun game, but what makes me even happier is the gospel!  Maybe I should tell my friend about it! ...

 

Example: Hey Michael, nice blue shirt!

Thanks, blue is the TMFWD color this week, and it's Tuesday!

What is TMFWD?

A fun game my sister came up with to create family unity while we expand across the planet.

Expand across the planet?  Where is she?

Well in Colorado, serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ...

 

Now family, what do you think about my sneaky plan?

 

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to wear green tomorrow.  Will you do this?  As you notice green in the world around you will you think of missionary and grateful for the gospel thoughts?  To quote a brother in the ward "If you think about it, and pray about it, Heavenly Father will do something about it."  I know that as we have our minds and hearts in the right place, there will be unexpected and unbelievably perfect opportunities to invite others to enjoy the blessings of the perfect gospel of Jesus Christ. 

 

This gospel is perfect.  The plan which our Father in Heaven has set for us is also perfect.  Even though we are imperfect, He works with us to be part of the plan, and lay out the opportunity of our eternal salvation and exaltation.  As a missionary, there are definitely moments and days when I feel that I have messed something up, where I know that I could have done better, but didn't.  Being called to work in the labor of the salvation of souls, this can be pretty discouraging, as I don't want to be the cause of messing up someone else's chances for happiness.  However, let's think back to a really big mistake someone made...

 

In the beginning of time, after the creation of the world, when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden they had peace and lives of innocence.  The world was in a state of perfection, but it could not progress.  At that point it was impossible for any of us to come to earth, so we waited anxiously in the premortal life to see what would happen on this new world.  Eve was tempted, she chose to eat the fruit which would mean her removal from the beautiful Garden.  Adam chose to do likewise, so that they together could begin the whole human family.

 

Though the tempter was Satan, the master of lies and deceit, and opposer to all that is good, even he could not confuse or corrupt the great plan of our Creator.  The fall of Adam and Eve was a necessary and understood part of the plan to bring about the human race so that we could have bodies, choose between good and evil and receive the reward of our obedience.  Though some look on that event as a terrible mark, scarring the beginning of our history, I am so grateful for it!  Because of that choice, we are here.  Their decision did make it necessary to have a Savior, but he was also prepared from before the foundation of the world to accept that role.  Because he paid the price for that fall, none of us need suffer the consequences of sin, save those of our own which we are not willing to give over to the Lord.  When we do let them go, we are blessed to be able to feel the joy and wonder of forgiveness and his atonement.

 

So, was the fall of Adam and Eve a mistake?  No way!  Due to the divine plan for that single act of far-reaching consequences, there is no way that I or anyone else can mess up bad enough to ruin someone else's chance at happiness and exaltation.  The only person's salvation in which I have a definitive role is my own.  I am grateful for the chance to play a part in the lives of others, and hopefully witness the change of their lives towards the better, but if I was unable to fulfill the necessary role, Heavenly Father will find someone who can.  He does not lose His children.

 

That being said, it is always good to strive to be the person on whom Heavenly Father can count to get the work done.  This is how I work out my own salvation, by becoming that kind of person, and as I try, experiencing the blessing of seeing His work accomplished, and witnessing the great love which He has for each of His children.

 

With that kind of assignment, this has been a lovely week in Colorado! 

 

I love you and hope you have a wonderful week :)

 

love, Sister Emily DeFord