I loved your emails this week! Thanks for taking the time to write me. Mom, Thank you so much for the cute Valentine's package! I loved it, thanks for the cute photo album! That was sure fun to look through, talk about an eventful year! I'm so excited to see where Jennica gets called! My guess is.. Either... Stateside- California, or Georgia; Out of Country- France! You'll have to keep me posted. She's going to be an incredible missionary! :) I can't believe Brady comes home next month! That's so exciting! Also, you'll have to keep me posted about Cali, I'm going to have to write her! I'll definitely keep Aunt Linda in my prayers. Mom and Dad, Happy 21st anniversary! Glad you're going to go celebrate, that'll be fun! Glad to hear you've all had a great week! :)
My week has been so fun, exhausting, uplifting... Every emotion- I think I've felt it this week. I have to say I love living with another set of Sisters we have so much fun! At night when we've come home, we have a lot of fun. The other night we all put on clay masks haha. Or we'll make Food together, etc... I got to go on exchanges with Sister Luki this week, So much fun! :) It's been such a great week.
I want to thank you for all of your prayers. I've seen them answered! :) I've seen so many tender mercies this week!
A member of the 5th Young Single Adult Ward- Jacob, was baptized on Saturday. We invited Chynna to come, to see what baptisms are like, and to come feel the spirit there. As we told her it was for Jacob, she told us that it was his testimony that had really touched her in fast and testimony meeting, that he'd said exactly what she needed to hear while she'd been fasting for her answer to know if the church was true. After Jacob was baptized we asked her how she felt, she broke down in tears, and said told us she really felt this was the path she wants to take. It was such an incredible baptism, Jacob's parents who aren't members came to support him, and two incredible converts gave talks, it was all centered on Jesus Christ. It touched my heart to see Jacob walk into the font, to know that he was promising to dedicate his life to Heavenly Father, to follow Jesus Christ. It was so sweet, after church on Sunday Sister Lamb and I saw Chynna and Jacob talking. I don't think it was just a coincidence that he's been placed in her life at this time. His testimony has really strengthened hers. It's been amazing to see Chynna's enthusiasm about the Gospel. She is incredible! :) Seeing the happiness she has makes everything all worth the while. It's moments like these that make the hard work all worth it. Seeing people feel the joy of the gospel. :)
In the Book of Mormon Alma talks about the joy he feels as he see's his brothers change their lives, and feel God's love in their lives and come to understand their divine identities. I was reading this verse last week, of how he explains his joy, and this is exactly how I feel. :)
Alma 29:16
16 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my ajoy.
I've loved reading about the great missionaries in the Book of Mormon... Ammon, Alma, and Aaron. So many great examples to look to...
Another miracle we've seen this week, was with our investigator Jacob Preston. He's an atheist, but he's opening up, and wants to know if God is there. He is brilliant, he's an engineer, and he very well rounded. His concern is having "Proof" that these things are true. We read Alma 32 with him. God really has provided us a way to have evidence that these things are true. We taught him that God has provided a way. We've taught him about the Spirit and how when we feel the spirit, it's truly God speaking to our hearts.
We read Galations 5:22 22 But the afruit of the bSpirit is clove, djoy, ep
23 aMeekness, btemperance: against such there is no law.
He's a very philosophical thinker, in our last lesson, he contended that maybe we were just appeasing our conscience by "Doing Good things". We talked about the evidences of God, through the outcome of the blessings that come from keeping the commandments. The adversary wants us to believe that there aren't consequences to action. This is when we become endangered. I love in Alma 32 that it invites us to conduct this experiment, by reading the Word of God, and coming to know for ourselves.
21 And now as I said concerning faith—afaith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye bhope for things which are cnot seen, which are true.
26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than adesire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
I love how Alma goes on to say that whatever Seed we plant, will yield the fruit it states it will. For example, if we plant a carrot seed- it will yield a carrot. The seed we plant by reading the word of God is gaining a knowledge of our value in Jesus Christ. This yields- us being enabled in our lives, to feel God's love, to become more than we could by ourselves.
31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own alikeness.
Then he goes on to say that when we experiment and see the blessings that come, that through the spirit our knowledge can be perfect.
34 And now, behold, is your aknowledge bperfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your cfaith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your dmind doth begin to expand.
I'm so grateful God has provided us a way to truly Know for ourselves that this is truth. We don't just have to rely on what others say. I've felt this so strongly as I've been reading the Book of Mormon. I know that it's truly God's word. We invited Jacob to read every day, and pray to know that God is there and that this is his word. I just hope he'll open his heart.
Anyway, It's been a wonderful week! I've learned so much, It's the greatest thing in the world to see people find joy and purpose in their lives! I don't think I've ever felt happier! :)
Love You All so much! Hope you all have a wonderful week! The Gospel is True! :)
Much Love, Sister Sarah Clark
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