Family and Friends-
Sometimes I just feel lazy and don't write very good letters... I'm sorry. But this week was a really good one! Today we took a bunch of pictures at the University of Concepción, one of the biggest and most prestigious universities here. It was fun being on a campus again and I loved all the beautiful buildings and gardens.
The more interesting part of my email today will be the update on a certain bitter man that I told you about a couple weeks back. Remember the one that was a little too quick to see imperfection in church leaders? The one that was causing his wife serious heartache because of his spiritual sluggishness? Remember that I told you that even with all his flaws, God will never give up on that man? Let me tell you how he is doing, as of yesterday.
Ever since we committed him and his family to pick things up, he's been reading his scriptures every day. He is praying with his family and by himself. He even agreed to come with us and bring his family to a lesson with us! In that lesson, he shared a beautiful testimony about how he'd felt at his baptism, and about how when we start reading our scriptures habitually, we develop a spiritual need for it. When we visited their family yesterday, his wife pulled out a book and showed us the record that they'd been keeping of their Family Home Evenings, and her smile was bigger than an 18 inch completo. (teehee, Chilean metaphor that none of you will really understand...Sorry.)
Change is real. I have seen it, felt it, and learned to seek for it with God's guidance. It is so, so hard sometimes to grab hold or let go of life's big moments, but when I squeeze my eyes tight and trust in God, I've always seen it come out ok.
On another note, almost had a heart attack this Sunday. I looooooved General Conference, but I had to do some pondering on Tuesday when I realized how much self control I was having to exercise to show the same patience and love that I usually show towards others. Why was it suddenly more difficult than usual? During my personal study, it became more clear- I hadn't taken the sacrament that week. I had not had lifted from me my burden of sin or guilt, and I had to work so much harder to get through two weeks without that cleansing power. This Sunday started out a little crazy, trying to pick up people that didn't come to church, and we ended up setting out for church later than we should have. For a while there, I thought we were going to miss the sacrament again, and I was dying inside!! But just then, a member passed by and drove us there, and as I took the sacrament, I literally felt all my feelings of frustration, tiredness, and guilt wash away. It was amazing. I hope we really treasure that.
I love you all very, very much.
Hermana Oldroyd
Sometimes I just feel lazy and don't write very good letters... I'm sorry. But this week was a really good one! Today we took a bunch of pictures at the University of Concepción, one of the biggest and most prestigious universities here. It was fun being on a campus again and I loved all the beautiful buildings and gardens.
The more interesting part of my email today will be the update on a certain bitter man that I told you about a couple weeks back. Remember the one that was a little too quick to see imperfection in church leaders? The one that was causing his wife serious heartache because of his spiritual sluggishness? Remember that I told you that even with all his flaws, God will never give up on that man? Let me tell you how he is doing, as of yesterday.
Ever since we committed him and his family to pick things up, he's been reading his scriptures every day. He is praying with his family and by himself. He even agreed to come with us and bring his family to a lesson with us! In that lesson, he shared a beautiful testimony about how he'd felt at his baptism, and about how when we start reading our scriptures habitually, we develop a spiritual need for it. When we visited their family yesterday, his wife pulled out a book and showed us the record that they'd been keeping of their Family Home Evenings, and her smile was bigger than an 18 inch completo. (teehee, Chilean metaphor that none of you will really understand...Sorry.)
Change is real. I have seen it, felt it, and learned to seek for it with God's guidance. It is so, so hard sometimes to grab hold or let go of life's big moments, but when I squeeze my eyes tight and trust in God, I've always seen it come out ok.
On another note, almost had a heart attack this Sunday. I looooooved General Conference, but I had to do some pondering on Tuesday when I realized how much self control I was having to exercise to show the same patience and love that I usually show towards others. Why was it suddenly more difficult than usual? During my personal study, it became more clear- I hadn't taken the sacrament that week. I had not had lifted from me my burden of sin or guilt, and I had to work so much harder to get through two weeks without that cleansing power. This Sunday started out a little crazy, trying to pick up people that didn't come to church, and we ended up setting out for church later than we should have. For a while there, I thought we were going to miss the sacrament again, and I was dying inside!! But just then, a member passed by and drove us there, and as I took the sacrament, I literally felt all my feelings of frustration, tiredness, and guilt wash away. It was amazing. I hope we really treasure that.
I love you all very, very much.
Hermana Oldroyd
Lunch
with the familia Chavez, and their son bought us Dr. Pepper because he thinks
all Americans love it.... No worries, I pretended that it was my favorite drink
in the world and it actually reminded me a TON of Grandma Oldroyd.
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