It is great being a missionary!

So I was able to have a ward council with a member of the Seventy. His name is Elder Hiam. It was great. You can feel the Spirit so strongly from them. He just wanted to help us to continue to have an effective ward council, so that we know how to better help this area. He told us that we need to not ask people to come to church, but we need to ask "Will you prepare yourself to take the sacrament?" That is so true.  The sacrament is why we go to church. I love the Sacrament. It is the time each week that we can renew our covanents that we make with our Savior Jesus Christ and with Heavenly Father. It is our willingness and our desire to follow what God has commanded us to do. Each week, if we are repenting and doing the things necessary to prepare for the sacrament, it is like we are getting dunked again each week. Each week we have our slates wiped clean again. 

 

Not only did he tell us that, but he said the Savior wants to come, but He is waiting until we complete the work that we have to do. What if we are the ones that are holding the Savior back from coming? What do we need to do so that we can prepare for His coming? Are we doing everything that we can? Are we working hard enough? I know for me, that I feel like I need to be working harder, pushing forward, and never have any regrets.

The Lord has given us all of these guides in our life that all we have to do is listen and follow the promptings. One of the greatest guides is patriarchal blessings. I have been reading mine a lot more lately, and in it I know that I am doing what I am supposed to, more things are making sense to me. The same with reading the scriptures. This transfer I am reading the New testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. By reading all of them at the same time, I am gaining a greater knowlegde of the Savior. How amazing is He? Think of all the things that He has done for us or what he is still doing for us.

Well we had a ward BBQ this week, and it was fun. We were able to meet a lot more members in the ward. It was a great turn out. There were so many non members there as well. The ward had a goal of how many invitations that they need to extend each month to make to their friends to either come to church or come over to dinner when we are there, or just to start talking about the gospel. So how do you think that you can do that? Who can you talk to? Who can you invite? We always need help. We are only two people, and we can only talk to so many people. Just think how many people you know, though, that you can talk to.

Well we had a lesson with Jacob this week. HE ACCEPTED THE INVITATION TO BE BAPTIZED!!! We had a lesson on the Restoration of the gospel. Afterwards the member that we brought bore her testimony. Then we asked him what he thought. He said that he felt like it was true. That he felt peaceful when we were there. I told him that it was the Holy Ghost!! Then we asked him to pray to know if it is true. He told us that he was excited to come to church then he ended up having to go to San Diego so he wasn't able to come. I know  that if he does come, he will know that it is true!

It is great being a missionary! I know that the gospel is TRUE! I know that  Jesus Christ came to earth for us! He established His church and brought the gift of the Priesthood. He knew that by coming to earth He was going to have to die and suffer, but He did it. He knew that it was for ALL of us. He wanted us to have the opportunity to come back and live with our Heavenly Father again. I love being able to remember what He did for us each Sunday when I partake of the Sacrament.

Well I hope everyone is having a great summer, and a great week. Take a moment this week to think of all the things that the Lord has given you, and share that with someone else. Well I love all of you.

Love,

Sister Bell