Things have been so good. I love this branch. Really, it's been like a
dream come true.
Yesterday we got to bare our testimonies in sacrament meeting. I told
the story about Irma and her conversion. Anyways while up there I
could see everyone. This woman who lives in Roswell, but comes here
had brought a friend to church. So immediately after sacrament meeting
I grabbed my companion to go meet her.
The friend recognized me! I had tracted into her before! It wasn't
until her member friend talked with her that she came to church. The
member was working in the nursery, so we took her friend to Sunday
school. When we got there, there was no one. So we decided to just
teach her the class! Haha The lesson was on sacrifice. It talks about
how back in the Old Testament times, the people had to sacrifice their
best animal, but after Jesus Christ came we no longer have to do that
because He is the Ultimate sacrifice.
3 Nephi 9:
18 I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end.
19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea,
your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I
will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.
20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a
contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a
contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost,
even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of
their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and
they knew it not.
21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the
world, to save the world from sin.
22 Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little
child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold,
for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again;
therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.
She then asked what a "broken heart and contrite spirit" are and we
talked about how
"The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal
thing we have to place on God’s altar,” said Elder Neal A. Maxwell
(1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “The many other
things we ‘give’ … are actually the things He has already given or
loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by
letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we
are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is
truly ours to give!”
And
"The healing of our heart begins when we submit to and worship God.
True worship begins when our hearts are right before the Father and
the Son. What is our heart condition today? Paradoxically, in order to
have a healed and faithful heart, we must first allow it to break
before the Lord. “Ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken
heart and a contrite spirit,” the Lord declares. The result of
sacrificing our heart, or our will, to the Lord is that we receive the
spiritual guidance we need. With a growing understanding of the Lord’s
grace and mercy, we will find that our self-willed hearts begin to
crack and break in gratitude. Then we reach for Him, yearning to yoke
ourselves to the Only Begotten Son of God. In our brokenhearted
reaching and yoking, we receive new hope and fresh guidance through
the Holy Ghost." Neil F. Marriott
She said, "that's something I want!" So we invited her to be baptized.
She's planning on September 17.
This week was incredible as well. While visiting Maria (our favorite
:)) she expressed how she was scared to die and how sad she is about
all of the war that is going on in the world. She is amazing and loves
serving everyone. (Literally, she has rooms of clothes she plans on
taking back to Mexico and was so concerned about what she could do for
Syria.) but her concerns were very real and causing her a lot of
anxiety. Finally we were able to sit her down and read some scriptures
with her such as Romans 8:28, revelations 21:3-4, And Alma 40:11-13,
23. And We talked about how this life here is such a short part of our
eternal existence. It was amazing to just see her body filled with
relief. Especially as she told us, "I remember the elders talking
about this! Now I understand."
I know that God has a plan for each of us and that we are all here as
a part of His Great plan of happiness. It isn't easy, because quite
frankly, it wasn't meant to be. But I know that because of Jesus
Christ, all of the wrongs in the world will be made right for those
that Love Him and Follow Him.
This is an amazing work.
I love and miss you!
Love,
Hermana Wallis
Ps. Members made us leave with their coats because it was raining so hard.
Also, I have never been given so much food in my entire life. (This is
all from yesterday.)
Kind of looks like we just robbed the area...
dream come true.
Yesterday we got to bare our testimonies in sacrament meeting. I told
the story about Irma and her conversion. Anyways while up there I
could see everyone. This woman who lives in Roswell, but comes here
had brought a friend to church. So immediately after sacrament meeting
I grabbed my companion to go meet her.
The friend recognized me! I had tracted into her before! It wasn't
until her member friend talked with her that she came to church. The
member was working in the nursery, so we took her friend to Sunday
school. When we got there, there was no one. So we decided to just
teach her the class! Haha The lesson was on sacrifice. It talks about
how back in the Old Testament times, the people had to sacrifice their
best animal, but after Jesus Christ came we no longer have to do that
because He is the Ultimate sacrifice.
3 Nephi 9:
18 I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end.
19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea,
your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I
will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.
20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a
contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a
contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost,
even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of
their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and
they knew it not.
21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the
world, to save the world from sin.
22 Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little
child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold,
for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again;
therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.
She then asked what a "broken heart and contrite spirit" are and we
talked about how
"The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal
thing we have to place on God’s altar,” said Elder Neal A. Maxwell
(1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “The many other
things we ‘give’ … are actually the things He has already given or
loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by
letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we
are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is
truly ours to give!”
And
"The healing of our heart begins when we submit to and worship God.
True worship begins when our hearts are right before the Father and
the Son. What is our heart condition today? Paradoxically, in order to
have a healed and faithful heart, we must first allow it to break
before the Lord. “Ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken
heart and a contrite spirit,” the Lord declares. The result of
sacrificing our heart, or our will, to the Lord is that we receive the
spiritual guidance we need. With a growing understanding of the Lord’s
grace and mercy, we will find that our self-willed hearts begin to
crack and break in gratitude. Then we reach for Him, yearning to yoke
ourselves to the Only Begotten Son of God. In our brokenhearted
reaching and yoking, we receive new hope and fresh guidance through
the Holy Ghost." Neil F. Marriott
She said, "that's something I want!" So we invited her to be baptized.
She's planning on September 17.
This week was incredible as well. While visiting Maria (our favorite
:)) she expressed how she was scared to die and how sad she is about
all of the war that is going on in the world. She is amazing and loves
serving everyone. (Literally, she has rooms of clothes she plans on
taking back to Mexico and was so concerned about what she could do for
Syria.) but her concerns were very real and causing her a lot of
anxiety. Finally we were able to sit her down and read some scriptures
with her such as Romans 8:28, revelations 21:3-4, And Alma 40:11-13,
23. And We talked about how this life here is such a short part of our
eternal existence. It was amazing to just see her body filled with
relief. Especially as she told us, "I remember the elders talking
about this! Now I understand."
I know that God has a plan for each of us and that we are all here as
a part of His Great plan of happiness. It isn't easy, because quite
frankly, it wasn't meant to be. But I know that because of Jesus
Christ, all of the wrongs in the world will be made right for those
that Love Him and Follow Him.
This is an amazing work.
I love and miss you!
Love,
Hermana Wallis
Ps. Members made us leave with their coats because it was raining so hard.
Also, I have never been given so much food in my entire life. (This is
all from yesterday.)
Kind of looks like we just robbed the area...
Madeleine would love to hear from you madeleine.wallis@mldsmail.net
