THREE WEEKS AND COUNTING

Well, three weeks from today, at this very time, we will be preparing to land in Salt Lake City.  Where has the time gone? Can that even be possible?  I am so glad we decided to serve a mission and that we were called here to serve in the House of the Lord.  I have gained so much insight that I didn't have or hadn't thought about before serving full time in the temple.  I have been able to rub shoulders with some awesome people of great spiritual strength.  I have also be here as young sisters in the gospel have been so excited to serve in the temple over and above their busy schedules at the University here.  Some of these sisters are recent converts themselves but have such a love for the gospel and the temple.  My testimony has grown right along with theirs.  The mission has been hard at times, even most of the time but it is another witness to me that I can do hard things and that I have chosen the harder right among the other things that I could have been doing.

Yesterday in Sacrament Meeting, we were privileged to have Elder and Sister Swinton speak to us.  They are serving as the directors of the Visitors Center here.  She has written several books for the church and was asked, while they were serving as mission president in the London South Mission, to write President Monson's biography.
I love her stories of him and the testimony she has of him being the Prophet for our day.
She asked us to think about promptings you have had to act on someone else's behalf.  I know that I have had some of those promptings and have not acted on them a few times and feel very bad about that now.  President Monson often speaks of listening to that quiet prompting but Sister Swinton told us that he was not always good at listening.  One story involved him being torn between doing what the spirit told him and visiting a man in the hospital or staying in a stake meeting that required him to sit on the stand.  He knew he would draw attention to himself and possibly offend the Stake President so he stayed in the meeting.  After, he hurriedly made his way to the hospital only to find that the elderly man had been calling for President Monson (then a bishop).  The man passed away minutes before President Monson's arrival.  He made a commitment to himself to never ignore the spirit again.  Today, he is a master at listening to those small promptings.  Again sister Swinton asked, "How are you doing?" When we follow the prompting and act, we are on the Lord's errand.  "Strive to be the one that the Lord knows He can call upon to do His work."  What a powerful statement.  I really have a long ways to go with this but I know that if I am prompted to do something, I will do my best to act on it.
Elder Swinton talked about the beauty of the Christus that he has the blessing to look at each day.  I will admit that when we walk past the visitors center, I look at it in awe too.  He made the comment that our whole purpose of our very life is to become like Christ.  Wow!  Do I have a ways to go.
Another interesting concept he talked about was the grand council in Heaven.  We know that Christ told God when asked who could come to earth and carry out His plan, "Send me and the Glory be thine."  Do you thinK that each one of us answered in that enthusiastic way? When I was asked who could come to earth and experience a certain set of trials, church callings, triumphs, etc., did I say "Send me, and the glory be thine."?  I hope so.  I also hope I will continue to accept those things that are in store for me whether I think I asked for them or not.  The way we handle those experiences in this earthly life will determine how much like our our Savior, Jesus Christ we will become.

Well, I had better close for this week.  Only two more posts will come having to do with our mission but I have become so accustomed to writing a few things each week for my benefit and those few members of my family that follow this blog, I will probably still write. I know this will be a good resource for me to look back on and reflect how I am doing in becoming more like Christ.

FOUR MORE WEEKS! EEK!

Well, here I am.  Just four weeks left.  I commented to Larry yesterday that at the beginning of the week it seems like it will be long but by the end of the week we are wondering where that time went.  I think I am wondering where this last six months went.

 I love the days I spend in the temple. There is just a special spirit there but most days I am so busy that I fail to take time to bask in that spirit felt in the temple.  Our temple Matron, Sister Kealoha always reminds us that we need to take time to minister to ourselves as we serve diligently in the temple.  For me that means a few minutes of peace in the Celestial Room with my focus on what my Heavenly Father has done for me and the blessings I have received throughout my life.  I always take a little time to reflect on my eternal companion and what he is doing on the other side of the veil and if he is happy with the things I am doing in my life now as I prepare to someday meet him there. (Although, I hope that is not for many years.)

Each Sunday I feel like I have a Spiritual Feast.  Today I read the Sunday School lesson complete with five chapters in Mosiah.  The main focus on the lesson was that we, like the people of the Book of Mormon, have a living prophet who receives revelation from God concerning the members of the church.  I truly believe that Heavenly Father watches out for us as a people and gives revelation that will help the world in times of need.  Some of those things mentioned were: the beginning of Family Home Evening and how it helps families endure tough times, getting out of and staying out of debt, the changes in missionary service i.e age, method of presenting discussions, etc.  I know that each general conference, the things we learn and are reminded of come from revelation and are given to improve our lives and help with our understanding of gospel principles.

Our Relief Society lesson was on the blessings that come from paying tithing.  I have always done so with no questions asked but I remember one particular time when Carl and I went to tithing settlement several years ago.  We were building a new home, Ryan was on his mission so we were paying for that and tithing, I was teaching part time but also had gone back to school and was paying tuition.  When we looked at our income versus the amount paid out for tithing and the mission we were amazed at how much of our income that was yet we were still able to buy the things we needed for our family and the new home.  I truly have a testimony of tithing.

Tonight we attended the annual Temple Devotional.  Larry was asked to bear his testimony and did a very nice job expressing our gratefulness for the opportunity to serve this mission in the Laie Temple.  He also told of a couple of spiritual experiences he has had while in the temple.
We were reminded by President Nihipali that it doesn't matter how far away the temple is from where you live but how far away you are from the temple.  I really liked that analogy.  We need to attend the temple regularly in order to gain that knowledge and and faith that are required of us by God.
Sister Kealoha spoke of the fact that in the 1000 years of the millennium, we will be those people working in the temples of the world doing the work for all who will accept the gospel on the other side of the veil.
President Kealoha talked of the sacrifice that we are all making to serve in the temple each week.  He reiterated the fact that the Lord expects us to sacrifice in order to receive the blessings of exaltation.  We have to sacrifice something good for something better.  That happens through temple service.

Many of the people there tonight expressed their sadness that we are leaving soon.  It is nice to be told that because it means we must have done what we were supposed to do here in a pleasant and friendly way.  We will miss these people as well.

On to another week.....

MOTHERS DAY 2016

Here is another week come and gone.  We are down to only five weeks left now.  I think I mentioned last week that I am getting maybe a bit nervous to leave here.  Our daily schedules have been pretty much planned out for us with not much to interfere.  Next month I will be going back to reality.  Back to the day to day runnings of a house, children (though they are married and on their own) and grandchildren.  Yes, I am ready for all of that again and will embrace it as I have before but it still makes me a bit nervous that I will be responsible for what I do with my time and how my decisions fit into my quest for eternal salvation.
One of my dear friends from the temple, Sister Feinga, made a comment last week that I have given much thought to.  Some of the sweet sister missionaries were leaving the temple and after we gave them hugs and told them to have a nice day, Sister Feinga said "Can we always be like the missionaries, just one thing on our mind."  I have thought about that in a few different aspects of life.  Of course, because of what we are doing right now, the temple comes to mind. May we ever attend the temple with just one thing on our mind. Leave all the "stuff" outside while in the temple- with an eye single to the glory of God and what he wants us to do with our life. Remember always that the temple is God's university where He will instruct us on all things pertaining to our salvation.  It is our job to ask for that instruction and incorporate it into our lives.

Because today is Mother's Day, I can also relate the comment from Sister Feinga to that.  Can we always be the best mom we can be.  We have been given stewardship over these children while they and we are here on earth.  We are to teach them in ways of righteousness and raise them to be upstanding adults so that they can contribute positively here on earth and be ready to return to our Heavenly Father and to our eternal families when that day comes for each of us.

Today in church, a new bishop was announced.  In speaking to the congregation, he said that he couldn't possible do what he has been asked to do with out relying on the Lord.  I think that is true in so many areas of life.  I don't think I could have come on this mission without the reassurance that Heavenly Father would help me every step of the way.  And He has.  I couldn't have done Motherhood without relying on my Heavenly Father to help me teach them and love my children unconditionally.

The former Bishop's wife, Julie Ah You, bore her testimony and made the comment that one of her children had asked, "What if there is no heaven like we have been taught?"  She testified that she knew that there was a heaven and we could all be with Heavenly Father again if we were obedient, but IF there isn't, we have not been hurt by living the gospel as Christ has given it to us.  And we have hurt no one by living the principles and ordinances of the gospel as outlined by our Heavenly Father. We are living good lives and doing good things and believing and hoping for better things in the hereafter.  That is our goal.

One last comment for today.  Our Relief Society Lesson was about spreading the gospel around the world--Missionary work.  I am so glad I decided it was ok to leave my family and friends for a year and serve this mission.  I quote from the lesson "To satisfy the new demands being made upon us in this great missionary work of the last days, perhaps some of us (particularly the older generation whose families are raised) need to take stock to determine whether "walls" that we have built in our own minds need to come down.  For example, how about the "comfort wall" that seems to prevent many prevent many couples and singles from going on a mission?  How about the "financial wall" of debt that interferes with some members' ability to go, or the "grandchildren" wall," or the "health wall" or the "lack of self confidence wall" or the "transgression wall," or the walls of fear, doubt, or complacency?  does anyone really doubt for a minute that with the help of the Lord he or she could bring those walls crashing down?"  A couple of those "walls" were very real to me before we decided to put our papers in.  So glad they came down.

Until next week.............