The Gospel is Great.

This week has been amazing!!! Rebecca got baptized and the service was so special. Brother Turvey baptized her and the spirit was so strong!. Afterwards she bore her testimony and it was so solid! She talked about how if it wasn't for the gospel and for the members in the ward then she wouldn't be here.  She said she isn't 100% in most things but she knows the the church is true and the Book of Mormon is true and that Christ is her Savior. Her testimony really strengthened mine. I think everyone is at that point in some regard. We're are not 100% on most things but as long as we push forward with faith in Christ we will be blessed and our faith will grow!
Recently I was listening to a talk by President Uchtdorf from the October 2009 General Conference entitled "The Love of God." I got some helpful personal insight. He says:

"My dear brothers and sisters, don’t get discouraged if you stumble at times. Don't feel downcast or despair if you don't feel worthy to be a disciple of Christ at all times. The first step to walking in righteousness is simply to try. We must try to believe. Try to learn of God; read the scriptures; study the words of His latter-day prophets; choose to listen to the Father, and do the things he asks of us. Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible--and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you."

I definitely have times where I feel "unworthy" to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, not from sinning but just because I feel inadequate. The words of this apostle strengthen me so much to know that all we have to do is try and when we try, with help from Christ, we will grow. He goes to to talk about how this gospel is centered around love. The first and second greatest commandments are love. We should show love to all, most importantly to those who are closest to us. Rebecca has expressed how we have shown her so much love and how it has helped her learn and grow in the gospel. 

My "high" of this week besides Rebecca getting baptized would be my personal and companion studies and just getting along with Elder Slade. We have been killing it this week as far as following the spirit and doing work. In my personal studies I was studying a lot about the atonement. Because it is the best subject ever! I'm actually just reading the Book of Mormon and highlighting anytime it mentions Christ. I have learned so so much!!! I feel like I'm really getting the scriptures now for the first time. An hour of personal study is way too short. My testimony of Christ grows every time I read the scriptures. I love how you can read the same thing 100 times and continue to learn every time. The gospel is great.

Poly Family!

General Conference!

My top 3 favourite were Jeffery Holland's talk about the sacred role of motherhood and how no love comes closer to the Savior's than a mother's love for her child. And then Vern Stanfil's talk about how sometimes we find ourselves in darkness and we can't make it through the tunnel just with our own light. We need to rely on the Savior's light to guide us and also the light of others. And then Elder Cook's talk about Bristol (which is the zone I'm in haha) I was actually in Bristol when I was watching that talk. But he said we need to be "ship shape and Bristol fashion." He talked about how to protect ourselves from the unseen danger of Satan and how Satan can hit us with unexpected temptations or trials at any time so we always need to have ourselves prepared. He talked about righteous self-control which I loved!

Watching conference as a missionary is so stinkin cool. I felt a lot more in tune with what was being said and I picked out some different things specifically for investigators but so much was for me. I need to continue to strengthen my own conversion to Christ so I can help others come unto Him. I loved the analogy by Elder Maynes about centering our clay because I love ceramics and it made me think a lot about myself. It's so hard to make a bowl on a potter's wheel if the clay isn't literally perfectly centered. If it's even the slightest bit off, the bowl will have imperfections and air bubbles.  It's funny because we had zone training with the mission president this weekend and I went on splits with the zone leaders. I was talking to my companion about how I feel like the mission wants us missionaries to be kind of like robots. They want to to always be exactly on time and say all the right things all the time and just be perfect. But I realized that in order to be 100% obedient we must have our lives centered on Jesus Christ or when we are obedient we will just feel like robots. We need to do things out of love for the Savior not just because we are told to. I'm not sure if any of that made sense haha.

Testimony of Christ

I have an unshakable testimony of Christ. I know that this gospel can make anyone happier no matter where they are in life. I wish people could just see how amazing it is and actually use it because then their lives would be so much better and they could have so much happiness. Being a missionary is different than I thought it would be. I thought I would put on the badge and transform into another person but I'm definitely still me. It's just as a missionary it's a lot easier to see the gifts I've been given the biggest one being the gift of the Holy Ghost. It's something I've always had but hardly ever used. I'm learning how to listen to the Holy Ghost and trust in Christ more then ever. I know that if I'm keeping the commandments and do what I should be doing i don't have to doubt whether or not i should be doing something or talking to someone. The spirit is my guide. It's such a powerful gift that all baptised people have. We just need to exercise the faith to follow what He's saying. I'm am eternally converted to Christ and His gospel. He is my strength and the reason I feel like the happiest person alive. 

A scripture I love that helps me through trials is  D&C 121:7-9

7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

9 Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

"Thine afflictions shall be but a small moment." They may seem overwhelming now but they are going to make you into someone you never thought you could be, someone more like Christ.