"For perfect love casteth out fear"

September 15, 2014

Sixth Area Bathgate, Scotland

Sister Ashdown

So this week was great and busy and we have such a busy week ahead of us as well since Sister Ashdown goes home next week. Monday we spent pday with a less active and her kids. We played some good football and just had a really fun time running around with them. Then that night our Bishop and his wife took us out to eat. We had a really good talk about the work and the ward and how we can help to strengthen and unify them. It was really good. Tuesday we started our exchange. We did the exchange in Falkirk then me and Sister Hales came back to Bathgate to get to work. It is cool she is really good friends with Zoe Hart from Aspen Grove. We had a lot fo fun and taught some way good lessons. One of which was the first lesson with Anna since she was baptized the previous sunday. She was doing so good. She was just beaming and couldn't stop talking about her baptism and her testimony and how she has just been telling everyone. It was amazing! Her confidence has been boosted and she is just glowing. We had a couple appointments cancel on Wednesday but we found a lot of really cool people. But then we had to take a train Wednesday morning to exchange back. When me an Sister Ashdown got back to Bathgate we had a lot of apointments. Our investigator Eilidh is 10 and we have been helping her learn the Articles of faith which have been way good. She is great! Then we also saw the Deans and Graham that night. Graham is hilarious! Such a cheeky old man. He is doing better though we talked about temples and what he needs to do to prepare. It was a really good lesson. The highlight of Thursday was that we had Zone Interview Training. We started the training with me giving a 10 min talk on the effects of the fall and the need for the atonement. It went well. I got a letter from mom the day before and that really helped with my talk. Obviously because of the fall we have physical death (we die, physical pain, disabilities, scars, etc.) but because of Jesus Christ and His ressurrection everyone will freely have the gift of ressurrection. Then there is Spiritual death which is (separation from God, sin, and so many other things that make us fall short or imperfect). Something that Moms letter helped to realize was a part of it was fear. In the bible dictionary it says that fear is the first effect of the fall. Fear is something that I have struggled with my whole life and something that almost withheld me from coming on a mission. But because of the fall brought opposition and "opposites" fears opposite is faith. Because of the fall and our separation from God we must have faith. We must have faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement and because of His atonement and His love we can over come our fears. "For perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4 :18, Moroni 8:16). Because of him we can have faith and we can over come fear. We can accept his atonement and live with Him and our Heavenly Father again. This was the idea of my talk. It really helped open my mind to better understand the fall and the atonement and all that it includes. It is infinite. I am truly grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and the atonement and how it truly carries me everyday. It is what enables me to carry on and to progress each day. The rest of the week was good but sadly Steph wasn't baptized on Sunday. She texted us on Monday saying that she wanted to push it back and since then she wont answer back to any of our phone calls or texts. We hope that we can talk with her soon and continue to pray for her. Anna was confirmed on Sunday which was a huge miracle. There was a big ordeal and she almost didn't make it to church but she made it and all is well (there is more about this in the voice recording).
I love you all. Just know that I have a testimony of this work. I have a testimony of the Restoration of this gospel and that Christ is our Savior and this is HIs church. It blesses me everyday and I am grateful for that. It is so amazing!!!!!! I love it!!!!


Love Sister Moore