This week has literally flown by. At the end of this week, the transfer will already be half way over! Do you remember Rosie? Well, we came up with a solution for her. There's a park/pizza place down the street from where she lives. Every time we have a lesson with her we knock on her door, ask if she wants to go on a walk, and we take her to the park. It's a lot better of an environment for her and for us. You can feel the spirit a lot stronger than you can at her house. Frankly, it's not there at all. We were able to share the message of the restoration with her this week. You could see, as we were speaking, some sparks light up in her eyes. It made sense to her. She's honestly super cool and I've grown to love her so much in the short amount of time we have known her. We spent a lot of time in Covington this week. It's a very interesting city...I LOVE THE COV. A mission truly opens your eyes and makes you grateful for the things that you have and the lessons you've been taught. It makes me extra grateful for the gospel. Seeing people who don't live the gospel make me sad. Sometimes I wish they knew that it could help them!
This week we also had exchanges with the STLs. Sis Allridge came to LSP with me and we had the best time of our lives. We ate so much food. We made pancakes for breakfast and then went to the ward mission leader's house for breakfast...and he gave us pancakes while we talked about our investigators. AHHH WE LOVE FOOD. It's honestly just been a really good week. We have people to teach and I've never been so busy in my life. You know how Joseph Smith was spiritually exhausted like a lot? Yeah. Missionaries have that same problem too! That's how you know you've been doing your job. Last night (Sunday) we had dinner at the relief society presidents house. The Loosle fam! They have four kids. They have a daughter with down syndrome. Her name is Emily, and she's 22. For those of you who don't know this, I just absolutely love people with disabilities. When I met Emily my heart was so full. Me and Sis H are now her "New best friends!" YAS. She is literally a piece of heaven!
This week I came across a scripture in 1 Corinthians 15:10. It says, "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." It is by the grace of God that I am who I am today. It is His grace that young missionaries are able to do the work of the Lord. We are simply instruments in his hands. As members of this church we have the obligation to live in a such a way that God's grace is sufficient for us. God's grace is sufficient for all of us. I know I've talked about grace a lot in the past, but it is something that I start to understand more and more each week. Grace is literally the enabling power of the atonement. The atonement increases our desire to become sanctified. One of the ways we can do that is by taking the sacrament. The sacrament is literally necessary for our salvation. To quote President Welch, which I probably will do for the rest of my life, he says, "The power of godliness is manifested in the partaking of the sacrament." The sacrament helps renew covenants we have made with our father in heaven. For me, it is no longer a snack! It's an ordinance which I will strive all my life to be worthy to partake of. It enables us to feel the redeeming power which comes when we truly repent and submit ourselves to the will of Heavenly Father. God is good.
Enjoy my pics of this week! Also, Emily is in one of them...I LOVE HER.