Week #31 - Walking in a White-Washing Wonderland

Hello Family!  

So, I've been TRANSFERRED! I'm now in the beautiful area of Lauderhill South, speaking Spanish (Happily!) and WHITEWASHING! WHoo. I feel like I'm getting a good enough handle on this that the Lord decided I could handle it. The area is amazing and the ward is hilarious. I love it here. Sister Bradley is my companion and she is probably one of the most laid back, fun people ever. I already love her to pieces and we have very similar goals to work HARD and get this area up to the fire-filled area it was before. Keep you posted :)  

So, Funny story.

Once upon a time Sister Lake had transfers. She packed up her belongings in a neat little row and walked off to know her fate. After the meeting she packed up her new car with a little skip in her step and drove to new horizons. That night she unpacked with a hurried vigor and realized rather disparagingly....that ALL OF HER SHOES were left behind....So, I've been wearing the same shoes everyday...and praying it doesn't rain :) But no worries, I get them next week...but it's definitely been a giggle. I keep thinking about How to Train your Dragon when they guys says,  "They always steal your socks....but only the left ones....what's up with that?" How I got so lucky to lose ALL of my shoes, who knows?

This week I've been learning that the Lord has very individual and completely perfect plans for every single one of us. I've looked back at every companion that I've been with, the area wherein I served, my leaders, and realized that each one had something that I needed to learn. I also look back and realize that there were people who had qualities ....or rather, weaknesses that I had that I couldn't see until another possessed the same. The only way that I can possibly explain the phenomenon is...that God exists. He loves me. He wants me to become like Him. He doesn't just give us a fake promise that if we do X, Y and Z  then He will make us into marvelous beings with talents and abilities and truly perfect us. God KEEPS HIS PROMISES. We just have to keep ours. It's like a pinky promise....who can only break it if you break a finger...and that just hurts. We have our baptismal promises, temple promises, and sacramental promises (or covenants) that if we break....it just brings sadness, pain, frustration, and anger.

Victor's Birthday

For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why I wasn't happy. I was SO confused as to why I had all these blessings and had all these resources of love but yet felt as if my life was on hold. Like I wasn't living. Every day felt like it just slugged by with no progress or fun and I had no desire to do much of anything. I was confused and angry that I couldn't figure it out and that I had to rely on my Savior for anything. I was independent right? I had my agency right? Well...I figured it out! Yes, our agency is OURS.Yes, we are here on this earth to choose and to learn, to be our own master and to fight these hard battles...but really...Our purpose here on this earth is to choose Him...to let the Grand Master take over. To allow our will to be His will and for our heart to be His heart....in that moment, our lives change. In that moment, WE BECOME. 

In the Book of Mormon I've been reading in Helaman 10-11(?) and how Nephi and Lehi teach the people and try to get them to repent. The chief judge dies and then NEPHI PROPHESIES THE WHOLE THING! But yet, the people still don't listen. Nephi leaves the city and God tells Him to go back. Nephi goes back and still has NO success. Then the plague comes and humbles them, they repent.....only to return back to their old ways a chapter later. THIS IS NOT BECOMING! This is sitting on your tush (just for Eden) and watching the movie of your life pass on the screen and then getting up for popcorn! I don't want to be like this. Do you? Do you want to let NOTHING move you short of a spiritual plague? Where you can't feel peace, love, charity, or happiness? When we step back and look at our lives in this prospective....it changes things. Selena Gomez shout out, "A year without rain."....when I wasn't doing what I was supposed to....it really felt like an eternity of desert. But now, I feel like I'm vacationing with my family in the green, wonderful forests of Washington, lying in a hammock. Can you look at your life and visualize your own paradise? Or do we see desert? 

I complimented my recent convert on her dress when we were knocking doors....and at the end she stripped and gave it to me. Haha, I died laughing. Cute huh? :)

We visited a less-active who was going through some really hard times. The whole family is inactive actually. His father slept with his Aunt and he now has a sister/cousin. His GF was abusive and then left Him. He has started doing a lot of not so great things and was denying the existence of a God at one time. But we went over and I was able to share my testimony of this exact principle. That TRULY, repentance is like receiving that rain of peace after a spiritual desert. TRUE REPENTANCE, when we change...truly our lives change! He took our word for it. HE CAME TO CHURCH. He hasn't come for 5 years. He said he is coming next week. I love him so much! I hope and pray that God can use us here!

This is the ultimate test. To choose between the carnal, natural man and our glorified, TRUE selves. "I want to be the BEST I can....and live with God again"

I love you all! I love my mission and I LOVE THIS GOSPEL. It is so true.  

Hna Lake