Faith, Not Fear. The Challenge To Become. Dreams Come True. No Lights.

Hello To All!

 

As always, a wonderfully miracle filled week with lots of opportunities to become. 

 

Elder Oaks writes a talk titled "The Challenge To Become". The link for it is https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/10/the-challenge-to-become?lang=eng . I read his talk this past week for the first time (thanks dad for sending that packet of talks, I LOVE them) and it really hit home for me.  I learned so much from it!  "The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something."  I am so grateful for this sacred opportunity that I have as a missionary to strive to "become" what my Father in Heaven desires for me.  It's a challenge.  But it's how the Father has set it up.  And He does everything perfectly, just for us. 

 

"If you don't have time to pray and read your scriptures, you are busier than God ever intended you to be."  We printed off a reading chart for some youth in the ward this past week and this quote was on one of the Book Of Mormon Reading Charts.  I really liked it.  I know I have been guilty of this in my life.  It's a good reminder for me!  "The scriptures do not change, but we do and so the same scriptures can give us new insights every time we read them" (Elder. Oaks).  I have seen this time after time in my life, especially on my mission.  The scriptures are amazing!  :)

 

Before I left Maplewood we had a chance to teach Cheryl again!  She is amazing.  We taught her in the Bishop's home.  Cheryl works at the hospital and Bishop is doing his residency in her department right now.  Bishop is the one that invited Cheryl to come to church on a week that he was conducting the sacrament meeting.  She hasn't stopped coming since and will be baptized this Thursday.  As we met with Cheryl in the Bishop's home, Bishop shared a very special insight.  He said that doing his residency in her department did not make sense for his career at this time.  Logically, he should have waited until next year to do his residency in her department.  But he said that after he prayed about it, he felt it was what he needed to do.  And now he knows why.  It was for Cheryl.  As he shared this in our lesson, Cheryl was nodding her head up and down and with tears in her eyes said, "I know, I realized that the other day too, I knew it was "off" that you were doing your residency now, but I understand why now, it was for me".  God truly does work miracles in our lives.  He guides us in our lives to be in the paths of those that need us. 

 

Well, I am officially back in Alief South!  I had a great time in Maplewood, but now I am back in Alief with Sister. Williams!  :) It is good to be here.  My "motto" this transfer is Faith, Not Fear.  I realized that coming back to Alief caused me to have a lot of doubts and fears.  There is a lot of work that needs to be done here and that can be overwhelming.  I found myself allowing my doubts and fears to get me down a little bit.  But them I remembered the counsel from last general conference.  "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith".  I know that Alief is where I am supposed to be.  And we all know that it is not where you serve, but how.  God has a specific assignment for me at this time.  And all week and for this transfer I am determined to know what that is.  And I have committed to my Father in Heaven that I will choose faith, and not fear or doubt.  There are so many examples of this in the scriptures.  The 2000 Stripling Warriors.  Nephi vs. Laman and Lemuel.  The Savior healing the father's son in Mark 9:24 when he says "help thou mine unbelief".  Mosiah 26:3 "because of their unbelief, they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened".  D&C 6:36 we read "look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not".  I know that when we turn to the Father and access the Atonement and choose faith, we can overcome doubts and fears we have in life.  No matter how big those fears or doubts are.  2 Timothy 1:7 teaches us that fear comes from Satan.  Faith is to choose to believe the good thoughts that come from the light of Christ.  Doubts and fear come from the adversary.  Whose side are we going to choose?  "Coincidently" enough this was the study topic I studied with President. Ashton this morning.  God is amazing. Let Us Choose Faith. 

 

"All of God's children wear the same jersey ... this mortal life is our playing field.  Our goal is to learn to love God and to extend that same love toward our fellowman." (Elder. Uchtdorf) Yesterday I was sitting in Relief Society at church (the women's class) and the teacher said "we all have worries on a daily basis, will we have food on the table, will we be able to provide, will the lights stay on..."  Will The Lights Stay On.  I can't explain how strongly that hit me.  I have never in my life had to worry about the "lights staying on".  I was blessed with a father and a mother who were able to provide for me.  I never grew up then or now worrying about "the lights staying on".  As I sat in relief society yesterday I felt this overwhelming sympathy and love and charity for the Alief Ward.  This is the life these people live.  These are their worries.  Their concerns.  This is what keeps them awake at night.  I have no idea what that feels like.  I can't relate to that at all.  But I know that the Savior can.  And I  know that I have been called by a prophet of God to represent the Savior and I know that I can develop charity for these people and I can receive revelation on how to help them.  I am thankful for this opportunity that I have right now on my mission to serve, to help, to lift where I stand and to do the will of the Father.  I know this is His work. 

 

I had to make a phone call this past week to a sister in the mission.  The trick was that her companion needed to not hear the conversation.  It was confidential information.  The only thing I could think of was that I would have to call while her companion was in the shower.  So I decided that I would call in the morning, in hopes that she showered in the morning.  And before I went to bed the night before, I told God my plan and I asked him to have the Spirit remind me that I needed to make this phone call at the exact right time (when her companion would be in the shower) and I promised that I would stop whatever I was doing and go make the call.  Well, I woke up the next morning, went running, started getting ready for the day and at this point I had totally forgot I needed to make the call.  It hadn't come to my mind at all.  I was brushing my teeth and thinking about the plans for the day when all at once I remembered I needed to make the call.  I rinsed as fast as I could, made the phone call and guess what?  The other companion was in the shower.  I know this may seem like a "coincidence" to some, but it isn't.  It's a miracle.  The Spirit is amazing.  God is the best partner any of us can have in this life.  The best. 

 

We found 2 new investigators this past week that are amazing.  A mother and a daughter!  When we knocked on their door and got talking with them, the mother told us that just that morning she had prayed to God and told her she wanted peace back in her life again.  Miracles. They are wonderful, they have baptism dates and her daughter has the most amazing questions in the world.  We were talking about prayer and how it is a commandment to kneel and pray in the morning and at night and the daughter said "that sounds like a really good idea, I am going to start doing that".  We didn't even have to invite her, she just knew it was the right thing to do!

 

African People are my favorite in the whole wide world!  Seriously!  We had dinner with a family from Africa this past week and they were so kind and so humble!  I LOVE them!  Love love love love love love love times never ending African people.  They amaze me!  :)

 

At the beginning of my time in my first area (Hermann Park) we began teaching a young man.  Heribel.  He was wonderful.  He had many great questions, a great desire to change and I will never forget the night he told us he knew The Book of Mormon was true.  He struggled with some addictions and he struggled and struggled to overcome them.  He had many baptism dates and Satan just worked so hard on him.  This past weekend he was baptized!  :) Dreams Come True.  He made it.  It was such a special day!  Almost all of us that taught him (a lot of sister missionaries) were able to be there.  And his family came!  It was wonderful!  :)

 

The Church Is True.  God Is Real. 

 

With Love,

Sister Kunzler