Good morning everyone!
we decided to get up a little earlier and have some time to email home. thanks to everyone who sent me dearelders or letters that last day. I feel so loved and i am planning on using some time on the plan to resond to your wonderful letters (oh the beauties of a 16 hour flight- dad you know what i'm talking about)
this past week has been a crazy one but i have really felt the Lord bless me. we have been spending our time packing and cleaning and saying good byes and studying and praying so hard. we are so excited to go to the airport today. we had a day last friday called in-feild orientation where we got to learn more about making plans and goals, working with members and contacting (all of the things we didn't really get to focus on here) i learned the importance of working with members during that day. wow- when members are involved in missionary work, the work is able to soar. i am so proud of my family being able to participate in helping people come unto Christ. teaching in a members home with a member present is really the ideal setting. i loved carli's last letter and her enthusiasm for teaching. carli- your last letter touched me so much. i am inspired by the missionary work you are doing and for your love of the gospel. I hope i get the chance to talk to you today. i know the time schedule is weird but i hope it works out. i am so excited to talk to everyone!
our devotional this past sunday has had a profound effect on me. the speaker was the director of proselyting for the entire church. he spoke to us about the Book of Mormon. the first thing he did was show us a clip for the Book of Mormon musical ( do not look up any part of this musical- it is crude and anti-christ and should be rated R). the clip was the opening song, where the producers decided to show missionaries talking about the book of Mormom. as we watched that clip, i have never felt so empty and sad and like there was a hole inside my chest. the spirit was not there and i felt so awful inside. how could people destroy something that is so sacred to us? he showed us this clip but then showed us what the church was doing to fight back against this power of satan. they bought time on a jumbo-tron in time square, set up kiosks, put up billboards, signs on taxi cabs, and pictures all over the subway in new york with the 'I am a mormon' adds on them. this church will not stand idle and watch our values be mocked. we have been put into a world where the things we know are sacred are being put on display and viewed as strange or old fashioned. but we have been given the charge to stand as a witness at all times, in all things and in all places. i love the example of carli, who told me that her and her friends are doing missionary work at lunch time. you do not know the effect you are having on those around you. you are a light. i know that this world may seem turned upside down. even those we think we can trust in can sometimes make us doubt our own testimonies. but we must always have faith in Christ. we must always be WORKING to strengthen our testimonies. we cannot be lazy and un-diligent (?) and then expect to have God help us when we need to stand for truth and righteousness. we must have integrity and diligence. we must be doing everything we can every day to strengthen our testimonies- especially reading in the Book of Mormon and praying. people think that because we're missionaries, we have it easy testimony-wise. i want to tell you that it is not easy. we have to work just as hard to remember to diligently study every day. we have to work just as hard to remember to pray every moment. we are all missionaries and representatives us this church. we must be doing all we can, so that when God needs us to speak for Him or act in His name, we will be prepared. we never know when we will be called upon to do a great work. when that time comes, which it will, we must be ready. luke and davis- NOTHING is more important right now that for you to be preparing to serve a mission. i mean preparinig spiritually. i have felt real power in some missionaries here at the MTC whom i know have been preparing to be here for a long time. those are the missionaries that will perform miracles. i have also felt the absence of the spirit with some of the missionaries here. they talk about things that i don't want to hear and they do things that an average 19 year old boy would do. we have been called by a prophet and set apart to be the Lords servants. the setting apart literally means a setting apart form the evils of the world- it means seperating ourselves from worldly things and staying pure and righteous. you can start your "setting apart" right now. you can choose to be clean and different. then when the Lord calls you to this great work, you will be ready. i love you and i''m so proud of both of your decision to stay clean and to be examples to those around you. i know the scene in ShangHai can be a little tough with all the ex-pats, but i am so proud that you are rising above that. I know the Lord is proud to. He has faith in you
i'm off my soap box. i love you all. we're going to get breakfast now and then off to the travel office and then off to the airport. I'll be calling the home phone when we get to LAX. and i'll call blake and kelly too. i love you all so much and im forever grateful that we are a forever family. you are the best support team i could ask for. this Church is Christ's true church and He leads it. the Book of Mormon is true and brings me closer to Christ and God every time i read it. Thomas S Monson is a prophet and receives revelation from God on how to direct this church. I know that Christ stands at the head of the Church. I know that I have been called of God and that He has a plan for each of us. I know that through the Atonement we can be cleansed and be given the power to become like Christ. I know that Christ is my Redeemer and that He loves each one of us.
i love you all and ill talk to you soon
all my love
Sister Paige Newman
ps mom- it's a good hair day
pps blake and dad- i'll say Hi to taiwan for you. im so blessed to be carrying on our mandarin tradition. i love every second of it :)
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