Let Us Be Converted

Today at 11:41 AM

Well hello there!! How are you all doing this fine week? Things here in Texas are just as great as ever. The Lord truly is watching over us and is so mindful of us. We are so very lucky.

 

 

                      

                                   Just making some chile rellenos!
 

So I'm going to start off with a great miracle that we have had this past week. We were walking down one of our dearly beloved streets (literally like Mexico) and a car pulls up next to us and a woman says "Hola Hermanas!" Turns out that she is a member who had just moved to that street two days before. She had us get in her car and she took us down to a trailer they had just bought. She didn't know where they'd be going to church, what ward they were in, or anything--and then she saw us! I know that it wasn't coincidence that the Lord placed us in one another's paths. She has a son on a mission too! Whoo! She invited us to come over to dinner later that week and when we got there she tells us they invited neighbors over for dinner! Ahh!! That is just what we long for as missionaries! That's how we can work through our members to find new people to teach! Unfortunately the family they invited didn't get there until right when we had to leave, but just seeing her desires to share the gospel with everyone is so amazing! She is so excited about the work. I already love her so so much and know that she is going to be an incredible addition to our ward.

This week was full of so much learning on my part. As I am looking back through my journal I think...wait, that was this week? Time is flying so fast and so much is going on that it's almost impossible to remember everything! I had the opportunity to speak at Zone Conference this week on our responsibility in helping others become converted, and that was a good experience for me. I talked a little bit about the difference between testimony and conversion and shared an example from the New Testament about the apostle Peter. In Matthew 16 it says: "13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some,^aElias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ^aye that I am?

 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the ^aChrist, the^bSon of the ^cliving God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon ^aBar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not ^brevealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

It's obvious that Peter has a testimony of the Son of God, but we find that He still must do more to be converted. At the last supper Christ says to Peter: "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." And then there is this AWESOME quote by Dallin H. Oaks: "In order to strengthen his brethren—to nourish and lead the flock of God—this man who had followed Jesus for three years, who had been given the authority of the holy apostleship, who had been a valiant teacher and testifier of the Christian gospel, and whose testimony had caused the Master to declare him blessed still had to be “converted.” Jesus’ challenge shows that the conversion He required for those who would enter the kingdom of heaven was far more than just being converted to testify to the truthfulness of the gospel. To testify is to know and to declare. The gospel challenges us to be “converted,” which requires us to do and to become." 
Whoa, that puts it into perspective doesn't it? I've been learning these things for 19 years of my life and I am still in the process of being converted. It made me think, "What more does the Lord want me to do right now?" As Preach My Gospel says, you can't convert someone past your own conversion. So I need to continue striving and learning to be the most converted to this gospel and to Jesus Christ that I can be, and then I will be a more effective missionary. I hope that each one of you can think about that, what more do you need to do right now to be more converted to the Lord? And remember this " Consecration is the only surrender that is also a victory." 

Love you all so much! Thank you so so so much for all that you do for me. I am truly so incredibly blessed to have such an incredible family. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

            

                             THE FATTEST BEAGLE I HAVE EVER SEEN

                                 MEG DOESN'T EVEN COME CLOSE!