29 Y dijo Enoc al Señor: ¿Cómo es posible que tú llores, si eres santo, y de eternidad en eternidad?32 El Señor dijo a Enoc: He allí a estos, tus hermanos; son la obra de mis propias manos, y les di su conocimiento el día en que los creé; y en el Jardín de Edén le di al hombre su albedrío;33 y a tus hermanos he dicho, y también he dado mandamiento, que se amen el uno al otro, y que me prefieran a mí, su Padre, mas he aquí, no tienen afecto y aborrecen su propia sangre; Moises 7:29,32-33 this week helped me realize a little bit of why God cries. We had a great week, lots of people to teach and a lot for God to teach me. Last week I talked about that family from Honduras that we found late Sunday night, we went back to teach them and taught them the restoration, the spirit was strong and I felt God's love and we invited them to come to church and things kinda changed. they told us a little about their church experience. They have been to a lot of churches, and have seen a lot of bad things. They have seen a lot of churches that just aren't doing what churches should do and they said we're sorry to say we just can't believe that any church can be different. I felt so sad in my heart for these people who have looked for God their whole lives and looked for the truth and been beaten down by heartbreak so much and for a moment i thought, well I can't blame you, but the more I reflected on the situation the more I realized that we are different. None of those other churches they have been to has the restored truths of Christ's church. But yet, I could see why God would cry because of these poor people. it gives me hope to know that there are better things for us. This week, we also started teaching a girl named Kayra, she's the sister of a recent convert from about 2 years ago. She just came from Tijuana and is working here for a while, but as we taught her this week she told us of how her boyfriend had been killed two months ago, and thats really why she came to the states for a while, because she couldn't handle it. my heart just hurt so bad! These people just want joy, but it was another testimony to me that truly the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only place we can find peace in this world. We just have to remember that. In zone conference this week we watched a video, (its called "the worst mission call ever" by clint pulver - 10/10 would suggest you watch it) and at the end he just talks about how its so easy for people to get us to question our beliefs or question ourselves or for circumstances to make us question if there is a God, but we have to remember those moments we got down on our knees and felt the truth. We have to remember those moments we felt God's love, and we just can't forget. In this moment of self reflection, I tried to truly remember the moment in which I knew. There's been a couple times I've definitely gotten down on my knees and asked for knowledge and have been blessed with the confirming spirit of the truth of the message I share every day, but I still have questions, all of us do. I decided to fast on Sunday for some answers, and it was incredible to me how God being so merciful filled my day with experiences to know that this is the true church. That it does have the restored priesthood authority of God. That I'm truly never alone. That I do make an impact on people by sharing my testimony, even if they slam the door in our faces after. I know that this is the truth. Our branch president was released on Sunday, something waaaaaay out of the blue, but it was so tender for me to feel God's love for him, his gratitude for his sacrifice, and the truth that he had been called of God and that our new branch president had been too. I've never felt so light, so happy, so grateful really ever before. I know theres a lot of churches out there, a lot of confusion, a lot of pain, but I know even more that joy in life comes from living the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its just a fact. sometimes, we just have to remember, and do the things God asks us to, because we don't want to make God cry. I love this gospel!!! Hermana Reed 1 dia de servicio! thats our investigator on the left, cuttin weeds in a dress and shes 8 months pregnant. theres the bar.
2 la rama renton hipana :) 3 CORRUNDAS 4 fam selfie 5 thought id send a pic of the study space its been a while
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Pretty awesome week this week! So last Tuesday was Esmy's baptism and it was AMAZING :) so here's some branch facts really fast, we combine with an English ward for the youth classes because most of the youth speak english more easily, so Esmy has a lot of friends in the English ward that came to her baptism and the room was packed! We counted and there were over 60 people there, we stopped counting at 60 we had other things to do, but everyone loves Esmy so much. Anyways, the English people got there on time for some reason, and we were waiting on Esmy and her family to come hahaha she only came 20 minutes late, but we weren't panicking don't worry. Anyways, the baptism went off without a hitch, she was so happy and then her sister who is still investigating said the closing prayer and it was so powerful. Hermana Wilson and I did a lil' piano/cello duet and it was such a great night. Esmy has never been happier, I'm so happy for her, and mostly that God let me be a part of her life. She has been through so much more than a 12 year old should have to go through, but by being baptized by someone holding the restored priesthood authority of God, she has been washed clean and she can really "nacer de nuevo". Nobody deserves it more than her. This week has been a good week of evaluation for me. When you hit a year in the mission it starts to become real like maybe I actually won't be a missionary forever, and hey that's not okay with me so I've been thinking of goals and ways that I can keep progressing and become the missionary and person that Heavenly Father wants me to be, because I definitely haven't hit the mark yet. It was interesting because then at MLC on Friday, we were counseling as lidership about goals we can help our mission achieve and I felt like I just wasn't getting the same vibe that all the other missionaries seemed to be getting and it really made me think about the way I look for personal revelation. As a missionary, in my experience, it's more of a gut feeling of "go here now" or "go talk to that person" or "turn around" or "stop talking, let your companion talk" (that one comes a lot). For example, on Sunday after church we had a lesson but our plans fell through and so did our dinner apointment so we were looking through plans and I just felt to go to a potential named Alex who was our old ex-neighbor. Alex opened the door and within seconds invited us in, woah wait what we haven't talked to you in weeks but he was ready to recieve us right then. We taught him and his daughter who just got here from Honduras and read to them 2 Ne 1:6 that talks about everyone who is here is brought here by the hand of the Lord. I know thats true because they need to hear the gospel. It was amazing how prepared and ready they were and we had no idea like if we hadn't have gone we wouldn't have been able to come to a closer knowledge of the plan that our loving Heavenly Father has for them. I'm definitely still learning how the spirit talks to me, but my mission president gave me some awesome advice to at the end of each day to write down ways I followed the spirit during the day, because the more we recognize it, the easier it will be to recognize it in the future, when it is more important too. God has a perfect plan for all of His children! He loves us and is just waiting for us to turn around and accept him and His perfect plan. I know this is true! Happy Labor day and happy SEPTEMBER WHAT EVEN. con amor, Hermana Reed Pics:
1-2 esmys baptism :) 3 casi todos los misioneros que la ensenaron 4 equipo hermanas (RIP Danny Torres he went back to school this week) 5 mensual thug pic @ MLC 6 my bff president rasmussen 7 weekly fabiola selfie 8 comida hondurania 9 look what i got all the sisters to do in the MLC pic TREND SETTING 10 chila quiles de la hermana jeronimo SO GOOD i think its safe to say that some days are more celestial than others. Today was top notch. We went to the temple as the north half of the mission (QUICK JAB AT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE CLOSE TO A TEMPLE THAT THEY CAN GO TO ALL THE TIME, GO FOR THE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO CAN'T I MISS THAT PLACE) and then tonight is ESMYS BAPTISM!!! So many covenants so little time. So I dont have much time to write, but I just wanna say how much I love this gospel. I was talking to my mission president in interviews and he's like hermana reed you got 5 months left what're you going to do and I just was reflecting on how my worst day on the mission is seriously filled with so much more joy than my best days were before. It's a joy I have never experienced. It's a joy that only comes because I'm in full fledged service to my Father in heaven and my Savior Jesus Christ and I feel like I'm playing on their state basketball team and its just so much greater than anything I've ever known. I can't even describe it! This week was mostly preparing Esmy for her baptism, getting her interview squared away and getting her clothing and seeing her get more and more excited. It's so cool seeing that yeah she doesn't know everything but she knows this is right. We had our final lesson before baptism yesterday and we just said Esmy how're you feeling and she takes a deep breath and says "nueva vida". I know that baptism really is a new life. We can change everything. We can be new people. that's what the gospel does that's what Jesus Christ does! He makes us new people. and I am so so so grateful He made me a new person. Last quick highlight of the week: sister training leader perks means I got to be companions with hermana short for a day and it was so cool how we just fit back into that mold of companions and we could teach together fluidly again. We had the best lesson with Wendy, the Guatemalan (not sure if i've written about her before) but we taught the plan of salvation so simply and so powerfully and you could just see Wendy understanding and processing that there's purpose to everything and there's joy in everything. it was awesome, and she came to church with her lil 3 month old baby and the rama went nuts over lil mia. There Jesus Christ goes again, changing peoples lives. Anyways, hermana short is also as amazing as ever and I am just such a #proudmom. This week will be equally as crazy, and maybe every day wont be as celestial as hoy but lets be real every day on the mision is a dia celestial. I LOVE THIS WORK AND I LOVE THE GOSPEL. Shoutout to the big guy upstairs for letting me serve him for a whole 13 months now. con amor, hermana reed ps next week pday is a tuesday because labor day! feel free to email me what labor day is because i still dont know! love you all! 1 found this gem of fabi: look at her baby leg fat and ask yourself why we dont accept this on adults anymore its a crime
2 this is hermana hoyos old mission planner, dad look familiar? 3 finally took hermana wilson to mcdonalds (shes obsessed) ive never seen her happier 4 weekly selfi with fabi 5 temple w/ hna jeronimo 6 this is dayna, my life role model and recent convert 7 las hermanas 8 my bff president rasmussen 9 WAFWM :) This week's letter is dedicated to the tv show 24. You'll never believe everything that can go on in 24 hours. 6 pm Saturday night- we are in Graham, WA. Yes, my first area in the mission. We are back because NAZARETH IS GETTING BAPTIZED! Nazareth was one of the people Hermana Souza and I taught back in December. She is so aweosme, from the Dominican republic and has been progressing so much. She loves the book of mormon and was so happy to be baptized :) I loved being there with her and seeing the whole branch again. it was a tender mercy for sure. But it was amazing. 8pm - we are getting gas at a gas station and There is a very passionate jehovahs witness at the pump next to us who starts trying to fight with us about religion and really me and hermana wilson aren't saying anything we really respect what everyone believes and we love how passionate she was but no she talked to us for 20 min at this gas pump and told us everything that's wrong with our religion and how she thought sister missionaries weren't real. Hey there Satan trying to make us feel bad after a baptism we see you. 10pm - we recieve a drunk text from Antonio telling us he doesn't want to meet with us anymore because he thinks he's falling in love with us. Okay its fine I can cry in my bathroom for a bit. 630 am sunday morning - alright todays going to be better i'm going to watch bible videos instead of getting ready. 10 am - leave the house to find a half eaten, rotting, dead rat on top of our car. we are still unsure of how it got there... but it was repulsive!!!!! so gross!!! 11am - hermana reed finally gets the dead rat off the car with a stick and has bleached her hands twice :) 12:30 pm - we're at church. Life is better. we have 4 investigators! 2 are from venezuela, new investigators we literally met Saturday afternoon who have been praying for someone to come to their door to help them find the path God has for them because they don't speak the language of this country. So amazing. So prepard. Lisvi and Darwin and their cute lil 4 year old Camilla who LOVED CHURCH SO MUCH :) 2:30 pm we're about to start sacrament meeting, but Lastenia is crying?? so we go out to the hall and she tells us that the situation at her home has gotten out of control. She needs to leave and she needs to leave today. 3:30 pm the RS says that Lastenia and Esmy can move into her house. miracles. 6 pm - we talk to the zone leaders who are going to start teaching Antonio now because we know he knows this is the true church but Satan is confusing his feelings of the spirit for feelings of love for the sisters. My heart was pretty broken. But the elders will do so good! 7 pm - we are at lastenias helping her move all her stuff out. Is this really happening? we are so happy because theyre going to be SAFE and even more HAPPY. 8:45 pm - okay we gotta hurry we have to be home but Esmy is just following us around why isn't she helping us? we say Esmy come on lend us a hand let's go and in all the craziness she says/kidna shouts "me quiero bautizar". everyone stops moving. um WHAT. she says "me quiero bautizar ahora". She said she's wanted to be baptized for a long time but she hated all the fighting and yelling in the house but now that theyre leaving she wants to do it now before school starts. She's getting baptized next wednesday. probably the most ridiculous and emotionally straining 24 hours of my life but here's to the fact that God can plan way better than I can and that miracles happen every day. I love you all have a great week!! Hermana Reed IV 1- rita moved to mexico ):
2- weekly selfie with fabiola 3-4 almost all the missionaries that taught joey and nazareth :) 5- family photos, wow im a mom with two kids who am i 6- JOEY BAPTIZED NAZARETH IT WAS BEAUTIFUL 7- me after getting the rat off our car. pray for us. |
Hermana Fallyn ReedMissionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Federal Way, Washington Mission. July 2016 - January 2018. Archives
January 2018
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