My Heart is in Texas: Humidity, Heat, Rain storms, Lightning, Thunder... Good thing missionary work is steady!

Heat and Humidity

We haven't been able to get very good sleep this last week... Saturday night we came back to the apartment and it was 80 degrees! Our Air Conditioning decided to not work and of course on a day we weren't able to contact the office. Yesterday we came back and it was 86 degrees in the apartment... Gotta love this Houston heat and humidity!

Highlights!

~David's brother Joshua got baptized this last Saturday! Their dad was able to come, so hopefully the Sisters will be able to teach their parents, David & Patricia. Keep them in your prayers!

~Viet was able to come to sacrament meeting! He loved it! He even borrowed a white shirt and tie from a member of the ward.

~KP bore his testimony during sacrament meeting yesterday on Faith!

~Had an awesome lesson with Joseph this week! Completely following the spirit! There is so much truth to asking inspired questions!

We helped to clear up his confusion and encouraged him to pray and ask about three things. 1- if the Book of Mormon is true 2- if Joseph Smith was a prophet 3- What day he would be ready for baptism.

He told us yesterday at church that he felt good when he prayed and took that as his answer. He is praying about a date to be baptized!

~Mike's brother's heart definitely is being softened as we are helping with his house. Everytime we have come over he says, "I still can't believe you're helping me out." We were able to give him a Book of Mormon and talk to him about his faith. He says he has a desire to strengthen his faith and come back to church. We are hoping that we will be able to teach him!

~We taught Teshawna yesterday who we met at Target! She says that she doesn't go to church because she feels like when she goes something is missing and so she does't want to waste her time! We shared the Book of Mormon and told her this is what she is missing in her life! We are excited for her!

~We are doing a 30 day fast in our ward and members sign up for each day. We are hoping to raise member referrals and missionary work through them. I think it will be a good way for them to prayerfully fast and pray for the goals they want to set.

~Helped a Less Active member clean her house for the Fourth of July! It made me realize that as much as I wanted to be out popping fireworks and doing something fun, that providing service is what matters and was probably the best time spent on the fourth.

President and Sister Mortensen

We were able to meet our new mission president and his family! They are awesome and I know they are going to continue to hasten the work here in Texas! They are very young and have a really good sense of humor. He gave an awesome training relating Ammon as a servant to King Lamoni and Missionary work.

Some good quotes from the training...

"Adversity is what servants of God Embrace"

"God wants to bind so he can free.

Satan wants to free so he can bind."

"When we miss the sacrament, the spirit gets farther and farther away from us."

"Sin robs you of the ability to reason properly." - James E Faust

Atonement and Sacrament

I was reading an article in the June 2014 Ensign titled, "Amazed at the Love Jesus Offers Me" on the Sacrament & sacrifice of the savior, in the importance of "remembering the body of thy son."

I LOVE this part of the article:

"We folded back the beautiful white tablecloth that covered the bread. As I held the bread, I knew I had the responsibility of breaking it as part of the ordinance, but I hesitated. The bread represents the body of Christ. I thought of the soldiers hurting the Lord, and I didn’t want to break the bread. When I broke the first piece, I thought of the painful and humiliating way Jesus was treated prior to His death—the crown of thorns, the whipping, the suffering. The tears continued to roll down my cheeks as I prepared the bread.

Then the thought came to me that these painful and humiliating events were necessary. They were part of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and He made the sacrifice because of His love for me and each one of us.

I began to feel a great peace and joy. I broke every piece of bread carefully and slowly, knowing that what I held in my hands was about to be blessed and sanctified for a special purpose and represented something very precious, beautiful, and extraordinary. I felt the great responsibility of doing this ordinance so that those in the meeting could renew a covenant with the Lord and receive the blessings of the Atonement.

When we finished, I saw the trays filled with the broken bread. The sight was marvelous and sublime. My companion said the prayer. Never before had I so clearly understood the phrase “that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son” (D&C 20:77).

When I partook of the bread, I felt my Savior’s love once again. I felt protected, humbled, and determined to do what’s right. I wanted to examine my life and repent of all I had done wrong."

As the bread represents his body, I was struck by the breaking of the bread and imagined Christ's pain in the way that he was treated before His death. he was broken, humble & suffering for OUR sins, MY sins. Each week we "break bread" representing his body and have the opportunity to partake. As we partake and lay up our sins we are in turn cleansed and come closer to him. I just really love how we can continue to learn more about the Atonement and our Savior! The sacrament is important!

Love y'all!

Sister Loo