Fayetteville NY Week 5 – Look into Peoples Eyes

This week has been amazing :)) I want to start off by expressing my deep gratitude for all that God has given me. I am so incredibly grateful for my family. I have missed them more this week more than ever, in my entire existence! But as I turned to the Savior, He helped me through it! I am so grateful for the atonement to heal me from EVERY sin, pain, struggle, or problem im facing. Through pouring out my soul to God, He not only took away my homesickness and my worries but he gave me added strength and joy! Joy that I have a family who loves me! That I can talk to them every week! That I can live with them for eternity! That I’ve had the most surreal experience with them and that they are happy and healthy! I honestly feel ridiculous for even feeling so homesick, but I just wanted to tell you that I know God is aware of our needs. He wants to help us through them. He can’t help us if we don’t let him. Most of the week I was withholding blessings by not turning to God wholeheartedly. I thought I could overcome it on my own. I would pray and say “I know I’m being dumb and shouldn’t miss my family. I know that I can get over myself if I just work harder.” But I eventually prayed and said “I’m being the best missionary I can be because I miss my family. I can’t get through this alone. I need your help. I need the atonement. Please help me focus on the work and find peace concerning my family.” And- INSTANTLY. I mean right in that very moment, I felt the Savior lift my burden. I felt intense joy fill my soul and I knew that my family would be okay! I knew that I was loved by God and He showed me how greatly blessed I was. I felt an overwhelming feeling of gratitude! I then turned to D&C 31 and I read my patriarchal blessing and they brought me SO.MUCH.PEACE. SO.MUCH.JOY. I knew That my family would be blessed. I knew how blessed I was because of them. And I knew I had to work my hardest every minute to help others find the joy I felt. To share with them the reality that their families too, could live together forever through Jesus Christ and to take the blessings and experiences I had and share them with others. God is so loving and so aware of each of us. The Saviors atonement is the most precious gift. (Now I know I made that sound like I’ve been way sad and depressed but I honestly never shed a tear over missing my family. I still had so many joyful incredible moments this week- in fact most of them have been! It was more of a constant anxious/confused feeling, but it’s gone now so don’t fret! Jesus has got my back 🙂

The thing that really blows my mind is how much you can learn from other humans, Alex, Min, Jon, Amy, Rebecca, Anne, Noelle, Tanner, Deangelo, Cathy, Paul, Jack, Aura etc. etc. etc. Everyday I come in contact with so many new faces. Each person has taught me so much in such unique ways. The Holy Ghost really opens my eyes to people’s spirits and it enlightens me to new understandings and blesses me with such a strong LOVE of all! One of my favorite things to investigate is not only people’s minds but their spirits. Everyone has such different spirits and its positively beautiful to see! It’s amazing how the Holy Ghost can strip people of their physical appearance, their weird habits, their interesting ways and reveal a spirit. I love that spirit inside people. I immediately see it when I look in their eyes. Eyes blow my mind.

We have a couple new investigators this week. Tanner and Sammy. Both in their early 20s and so open to learning. Tanner showed up at a lesson we had with Deangelo and Jack (the guys we met playing basketball). He is a thinker and threw some wild questions at us which we answered very clearly and boldly. He loved the Restoration and Plan of Salvation. He got so excited about it! It just made so much sense to him. It was the best thing to see someone’s face when you tell them that they are a child of a loving Heavenly Father and that God has a plan for them and that Christ can cleanse you and that we have a modern day prophet. Wow! And Sammy we ran into tracting. He has sweet dreads and handmade belle-bottom jeans. He is at a really low point in life but coming back up. He is living at home because he screwed up his life and he recently overcame drug and alcohol addictions. He loves stones and crystals and has found healing through them. He loves Jesus too but hasn’t gone to church in a while. He took a Book of Mormon and is stoked to learn more!

And our dear, sweet Ming (woman in her 40s from China who can’t really speak English) told us that the Book of Mormon is her best friend and she knows God has been answering her prayers and she hopes to be baptized one day! We watched the Restoration video with her in Chinese and I had a powerful experience. Tears were streaming down my face as I watched this video with Ming. Just like Joseph, she was lost and confused, not knowing what Church was true and not knowing how to find God. She prayed and asked God and the Holy Ghost gave her an answer. She knows God loves her and she knows that Joseph was a true prophet because of the feelings she gets when reading the Book of Mormon. She wants her boyfriend to get baptized but he is atheist. It will happen one day and I will attend their sealing 🙂

GOD IS SO GREAT. I have seen miracles and mercies every hour on my mission. Once again, I can feel your thoughts and prayers and love and it strengthens me so much. I don’t know how I got so lucky with such a wonderful support system but I thank God for you all. My challange for you this week is to really look in peoples eyes and allow your eyes to be opened to the beautiful spirit within them. Allow this awakening to wash away all judgments, anger, hurt, fear, frustration etc and as you look in their eyes and feel of their spirits… LOVE THEM. See beyond their mistakes and just Love them. Wherever they are at in life. You will be shocked at the endless beauty you find in others and the love you will receive for them. I know we are all family. Only pure love-the Love of God can allow us to recognize that. I love you ❤