FIRST, Sarah is getting baptized on January 20th!!! Yes, this is worthy of THREE exclamation points. If you'll remember, Sister Moore and I taught Sarah over the phone once. She was so incredible to talk with, she even pulled over to the side of the road so that we could talk with her. We taught her about the Restoration and why the Book of Mormon is important and she said that now she understood. So of course we invited her to be baptized right then and she said "yes". That was on December 19th and we couldn't get in touch with her after that. On Tuesday Sister Mendivelso and I sent Sarah a text, which said: "You feel God's love when you read the scriptures ". A few hours later we got this text back from her: "Thank you so much! I am being baptized on the 20th. Thank you so much!!! ". We literally jumped for joy when we got that text. It's probably the happiest text I've ever received in my life. Just a few moments ago I talked with Sarah's member friend, Jennifer, on the phone and she was absolutely ecstatic. Jennifer thanked me for asking if there was someone that I could call for her and she told me that Sarah is using her frequent flier miles to fly her out for the baptism. What a miracle. Heavenly Father loves each of us so much.
SECOND, we had Zone Leader Council on Tuesday (that was when Sister Mendivelso and I sent Sarah a text). Zone Leader Council was in the Capitol building last transfer and this transfer it was in the Relief Society building. It felt like we were meeting in a palace because that building is so beautiful. We met in the Presidents' room which has pictures on the walls of all of the presidents of Relief Society, Young Women's, and Primary. That building had a special spirit about it and one of the hosts there told us that it was built using the donations of sisters in the Relief Society. Each sister in the Relief Society was asked to donate $5 and they kept records of every sister that donated.
Anyways, Zone Leader Council was incredible. That is where all of the Zone Leaders in the mission meet together with President and Sister Holmes and the Assistants and talk about what we need to do and focus on in the mission for the transfer. We talked a lot about accountability and it really made me think about whether I'm taking my accountability to the Lord seriously. Sister Mendivelso was already teaching me about accountability before Zone Leader Council because when she says her prayers each night she makes sure to give an accounting to Heavenly Father of her day's work (PMG 151). In my work as a missionary and after my mission I am accountable to Heavenly Father for how I use my time and someday I'll have to stand before him and tell him who I've become. We read a great scripture in Alma 5:15-19 that really helped me to understand how important it is to understand accountability:
15. Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?
16. I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?
17. Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?
18. Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?
19. I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?
I sure hope that someday I can stand before God with a pure heart and clean hands.
THIRD, we had leadership training on Wednesday and that was also incredible. It was also in the Relief Society building. Sister Mendivelso and I presented about the 12 Week program that is used for training new missionaries and is also incredibly helpful in any training situation. We have quite a lot of material to study from as a missionary: the scriptures, Preach My Gospel, Our Heritage, White Handbook, etc. and the 12 Week program helps us know what we need to study and what materials are helpful so that we can come up to speed as missionaries as fast as possible. It was really fun to present.
Oh, I also got to talk with the young woman that has Crohn's just like me. I told her that God keeps His promises and that if she needs to go on a mission, then a way will be prepared for her.
I love being a missionary. I know that what we share is true and that baptism is the first step back to Heavenly Father. God answers prayers--no doubt. The gospel of Jesus Christ is real and I can prove it because I'm happy.
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