hello family!! love you so much! this week was great! I love my ward, they are so nice to me and think that i am good at this crazy language that i am trying so desperately to speak. PS fun fact of the week I have recently

I think i told you last week that I restarted the book of Mormon. I seriously love Nephi. He's the greatest!! I love studying about his acts of faith. what was particularly amazing to me this time as I studied about their trip back to jerusalem to get the plates was that they failed twice (three times?) and still nephi didn't doubt that the Lord would provide a way for them. Have we ever received confirmation that something will work out and then we try and it seems like we fail and we question if they Lord will really help us? because i'm pretty sure I have. And I love what Nephi says "As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down...until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord has commanded us" He knew they had a purpose and he knew that the Lord would provide a way for them despite the fact that they had failed the first couple times--just emphasizes the fact that also we have to do things the Lord's way. We have to seek the Lord's way because our way is sometimes not the best even though we think that it is.

Another thing that i learned this week is the influence of happiness. one night we spent most of the night with one of our investigators through a series of events that were unexpected and afterwards i was just physically, spiritually, and mentally drained and exhausted. I flung myself (yes I am dramatic) on my chair when we got home and just looked at my companion and her just being her just said something I don't even remember what it was and started laughing and first i wanted to punch because i was so frustrated but i just took a deep breath and laughed with her. and i felt so much better! My companion is seriously such a blessing to me right now because she helps me be happy and smile when i really really don't want to. Life is so much better when we're happy. and the great thing is we can be happy even through our most difficult trials. seems impossible right? but that's the hope that the gospel gives us. Our investigator asked me the other day why I was always happy and what I do to overcome my problems. and the only answer I could give her was 1. prayer 2. scriptures 3. family aka everything about the gospel. Only through the gospel can we feel true happiness even in the darkest of times. I truly believe that. We are so blessed to have the gospel a part of our family. it can help us forgive people like when they put something on my blog that i told them not to!!!! and it can help us develop greater love for each other, the way that Christ would love everyone.

I got to watch conference this weekend and it was awesome! can't wait when i can go back to the conference center and be in the presence of the prophet and apostles (dad provide the tickets thanks)

love you all and i pray that all of you know that every day!!

 

Sister Blickenstaff