Hi guys :)
This week has been great! We have been crazy busy!! Lowest amount of lessons I have had since last January... haha, but not because we didn't work hard... just because we had lots going on!
On Tuesday we had exchanges with Hermanas Cropper and Ferrell :) It was SO great!! Hna. Cropper came to Boulder with me and we had a blast! I love that girl! So fun :) We were able to see lots of people that she taught when she served her and it was great!
And then the snow came... and it came hard! The roads haven't been that great... Ally is the designated driver, but she doesn't feel comfortable driving in the snow, especially in an old, little corolla.. So she called the Senior Elder who is over the cars and now I am the driver :) I am happy about it! I love to drive and I know how in the snow :) So it all worked out well!
We had a Leadership Meeting in Fort Collins on Thursday with Elder Baxter from the 70 :) He came with Elder Cook a few months ago and now back to our mission again. There were about 20ish plus missionaries at this meeting. It was SO wonderful!! WOW!! Elder Baxter is like my new favorite General Authority! (is it ok to have favorites??) haha! We went around the room and talked about traits of a leader. It was really inspiring! He told us many wonderful experiences he has had. He is also just so hilarious and real! I love that about him! He is from Scotland and his wife is from England and they just lay on the American jokes. It is really funny! He acts himself, but he has mastered the whole "best self" thing. That is what I have been trying to do on my mission. BE ME, but be the BEST ME. And he is a wonderful example of that!!
At the end of the meeting, I was asked to give the closing prayer, but Elder Baxter asked President Brown if we could change, and that he could say the prayer instead. I was on board :) OH MY GOODNESS!! I do not even know how to describe the way I felt as he prayed, other than my heart could have literally leaped out of my chest for joy and for feeling the spirit so insanely strong!! There was not a dry eye in the room. This is literally the most sacred experience I have had on my mission. I will simply never forget it. The blessings he left us were so personal, so sincere, so heartfelt, and he just kept piling them on. It was simply amazing!!!
Then on Saturday we had our Mission Tour with him. It was in Longmont. It, too, was fabulous!!! Sister Baxter spoke and she is just a doll!! I love her! She spoke about how our missions are preparing us for marriage and all other things we will face in life. We are learning how to have a successful temple marriages. It was really wonderful to hear! Especially since I have only a month left... it was nice to really reflect on how my mission will literally impact me for eternidad!
Then Elder Baxter got up and talked about how much he loves us and how much the Lord loves and adores us. He talked a lot about the Atonement and how Christ suffered in the flesh, meaning he suffered as a human not a God. He literally took upon him 100 billion people's sins, pains, temptations, sufferings, death, etc as a human!!!! How He and our Father in Heaven count the number of tears on our pillows and how they weep with us. It was powerful!!
Then he had us put our first names in front of certain scriptures, like...
"Hannah, I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be your reward and eternal shall be your glory" (D&C 76:5-6).
or...
"Hannah, all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ" (PMG pg. 52).
It was so powerful and wonderful!!!
There was a Q and A after and one of the questions was how do we stay strong in such a wicked and crazy world. The answer... THE TEMPLE!!!!! The temple is the only way for us to stay strong! It is where everything is centered on Christ, where everything is good, and holy. I can't wait until I have the privilege to go to the temple regularly! I know it is the holy house of the Lord!! Elder Baxter said that for every temple that is built, Satan looses power. The temples not only bless the members lives, but even the non-members that live near it. I thought that was really cool!!!
Well family, I love you so much!!!! I appreciate all you do :) Have the best week!!!
Love,
Hermana Mangum
No comments:
Post a Comment