Week #24 - I am so thankful for the The Book of Mormon. It can bless and change your life!

Hello Family!

This has been an awesome filled week with many a moments that have strengthened our faith and helped us to learn what humility really is. 

First of all, 2 of the 3 Hondurans got baptized - Jenny and Nancy. We have worked our missionary buns off to help this blessing come to pass for them. The DAY before their baptism we went over to finish up teaching them and had just began with a prayer and a few sentences when Abigail (The 3rd Amiga) walks in with some friends. They sit down and we awkwardly just sit there making small talk until we took ahold of the conversation and started answering questions about our beliefs. They seemed very interested and continued asking more and more. Then the wrecking ball hit. The husband asked us our beliefs on the Trinity. We explained how we believe that we have our Heavenly Father (God) and that each of us are His spirit children. We then explained how Jesus Christ is the Son of God and therefore our brother. The Holy Ghost is a spirit who testifies of Jesus Christ and HF. Each is separate but the same in purpose, to help us return and live with God again. We know that in Corinthians it says that God will always have us testify of God by two or three witnesses. Jesus Christ and Holy Ghost will ALWAYS testify of the Father and try to achieve His purposes for us. Anyway, this set the husband off. He started disputing it and trying to debate it with us.  The spirit just left and the spirit of contention consumed the conversation. It was gone. My heart was pounding and I was starting to just get frantic. I could FEEL it gone and NEEDED it back immediately. It was awful. We firmly told him that we didn't want to fight and that he had his beliefs and we had ours. That was the end of it. He just looked at us and said, "I can't change you...but God can. I wasn't going to come in to the home but it's a good thing I did." Then Jenny, our investigator, started asking him questions and debating with him. He got up and started pacing around, shaking fingers and speaking loudly. Turns out, he was a pastor from another church. We were terrified. Our sweet girls whom we loved with all our hearts were listening to false doctrine IN THEIR HOME. Long story short, we went home terrified. Couldn't sleep. When we got to their home the next night they explained that they still wanted to be baptized and that this pastor was actually an answer to prayer. They knew that he was a false church and that ours was the restored truth. Jenny was debating with him because we wouldn't and she knew he was wrong! Their baptism was in the ocean and afterwards, they both exclaimed how wonderful it felt. I love these girls with all my heart and would gladly take bullets, physical or spiritual, for them any day. But God doesn't work that way. He loves us all so individually that He will test us in ways only we can truly use to overcome our weaknesses and find joy.  

 

Second of all, I owe every single on of you an apology. Through my studies in the Book of Mormon and words of the apostles....I have come to the glaring reality of my prideful nature. I have been so haughty and prideful these past few years and CANNOT bear to look back on those years with anything but shame; shame yet gratitude for the atonement of Christ. Through this I am able to let go of those regrets. But all who read this.....just know how sorry I am. How anguished I truly am to think of the people's lives who I have darkened through our association. I am so sorry!!  I have said words selfishly, acted in enmity, and told lies to bring so many others down. Please, forgive me? You are all wonderful and I am so grateful for the examples that the Lord blessed me with growing up. You are each so close to my heart :)  I have been studying more and more in the Book of Mormon and seeing my life just change. This Book is of God. Period. I have the firmest testimony that through reading this book....our lives can be changed. I have been reading with the question in mind of "Who Am I?" and have had the Lord open my eyes to things I didn't even know! I have so much more confidence in who I am now and I have the ability to love so much more fully. I learned in Jacob 5  A LOT about humility and the Lord's way. Did you know that it is impossible for an olive tree to reach full production WITHOUT the grafting in of other branches? It is just like us! As children of our Father in Heaven, we CANNOT reach our full potential or capacity without the grafting in of examples displayed by other people. As we choose to allow the Lord of the Vineyard to place people in our lives that we can learn from and then to accept the reality of our weakness....We will become strong. Ether 12:27. I look back at past friendships, relationships, and companionships and have my heart brought to the glaring reality of my weakness. How I needed those people in my life to save me from myself! Also, how many others I left by wayside, ignored, ridiculed, and maligned just because I felt inferior. I. CAN. NOT. EVER. DO.THAT. AGAIN. It is my firm testimony that we are ALL amazing. We are ALL marvelous. WHO CARES what Joe Schmoe has that you don't. WHO CARES if they are a leader and who aren't . You are the ONLY person that can do YOU the best. So stop wishing to be everyone else and understand that God MADE you; an almighty, all knowing, perfect, powerful Being of light and truth created YOU. That means....there are NO mistakes. So stop believing there is something wrong with you. You were created with everything you needed to be GLORIOUS! 

I love my companion!
Together for at least six more weeks!

I LOVE YOU!!! Have a good week!

Hna Lake