FIRST OF ALL… PHILLIP IS NOW A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS!!!! :’) I am so grateful that God lead sister Thomas and I to his door. After that first lesson with him, we both expressed that we felt his ancestors had been preparing him and that they guided us there. Phillips father, who has since passed was a “Jack-Mormon” and I’m sure he has helped him out from the other side! I remember seeing a photo of his parents, grandparents and other relatives on his walls and feeling a strange connecting to them and deep love towards them! I know that this really is the Lord’s work- it is a work of miracles. A work that CHANGES people and there are unseen forces working with us on the other side of the veil to bring souls to Christ! Phillip is a great man who loves to give and serve. He is the one who bought us the folding chairs! Always so thoughtful, which leads me into this awesome scripture:
“I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” -Mosiah 2:19
When we reach out in love to others, we are showing our love to God! It is often easy to love, but at times, loving others can be uncomfortable, inconvenient or difficult. The story of the good Samaritan in Luke 10 is a great example of this. So many seemingly righteous people walked past this robbed, beaten stranger, but the Samaritan has compassion on him. He went out of his way to help him. He went above and beyond what he had to do- tending to his wounds, providing food and water, taking him to shelter- with no thought of himself. Do we look up from our smartphones? Up to those around us? Up to seek Gods will? “The Character of Christ is looking outward when the natural man would turn inward” -Elder Bednar. It is easy to love when it is convenient. It is hard to love when it requires sacrifice on our part.
It was a hot day last Thursday at about 5:00 and Sister Smith and I were really craving some Max’s ice cream. It was a tough day and we were both super exhausted. Before we left, I knelt down and vocally prayed to God to give me the energy to do His work. We walked out of our apartment after grabbing a quick dinner to go get our sweets. On our way out, we noticed a small family of three loading up their U-Hall. We immediately insisted we would help them, threw on some jeans and went to work! We spent a couple hours helping that family. We got sore backs, sweaty clothes, and smiles on our faces! God had answered my prayer and gave me the strength and energy to move some couches and desks haha! Im not sure if this little Chinese couple and their teenage son could have done it without a bit of help, honestly! They were overwhelmed with gratitude- it warmed our hearts! I thought back to all the times others have helped my family move and was very grateful to them. It wasn’t the most convenient time to serve this family- we had to make little sacrifices like our ice cream and our tired bodies- but it gave us a love for the Wo family and even more love for God!
I am so grateful for the blessing sister Smith and I had to serve Laurie and Aaliyah, Joe, Portia, Savannah and Vera, John, Jason, Charity and Norma, Steve, Cliff-dog, Justin and so many other INCREDIBLE humans that we have been teaching and working with! As we have given our all to them, we have received so much in return. They are such a blessing in our lives!
I am also so grateful for sister Smiths service to me! She was such a remarkable companion and example to me! She will do incredible things as she returns home and continues to serve and bless others! How I love her!
This week I invite you all to SERVE! To look outward when the natural man would look inward. Try to serve at the most inconvenient times, to the most difficult people to love in seemingly uncomfortable ways and I promise you, the Lord promises you that you will be happy. You will come to love them, God and yourself far greater. If you want to be happy-just serve! That is the true secret to happiness in my book! That is what Christ did, and that is what we must do!
Sister Rebekah Ruth Folkman 