Week 53 - "Sittin' on the dock of the bay..."

Hi Ya'll!

We had zone conference this week! Elder Christensen, of the Quorum of the Seventy, and his wife came and spoke to us. It was such a great day. One of my favorite things he talked to us about was the Holy Ghost. I gained such a better understanding for the third member of the Godhead.

The Holy Ghost shares the perfect love for us that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have. He will never lie to us. He walks with us, as much as we possibly allow, by trying to live in accordance to the laws of heaven. He loves us in our imperfection. He speaks to us personally and uniquely, so our spirits recognize Him. The veil did not effect Him. He remembers who we were before we came to this life. He knows our eternal destiny and potential! He influences us based on that knowledge of us, and those around us. 

I see Him more now as one of my best friends. When we're studying the scriptures or trying to understand things of spiritual nature, He enlightens our minds and quickens our understanding. Have you ever had an experience like that, when thoughts just start pouring in? This happens often while I'm reading the scriptures (now), or when I'm driving (pre-mission). Or when you have those random moments of joy, that just seem to come out of no where. Maybe while you're walking somewhere alone.. That is Him there comforting us, telling us He's there.

Elder Christensen taught us that in order to understand the Holy Ghost you have to learn to connect the thoughts in your head with the feelings in your heart. 

If Moses wouldn't have done that, he wouldn't have had the faith to part the Red Sea. He connected the thought to do so, with the confirming feelings in his heart. Knowing he had the power from God to make it happen, he acted in faith. Often we have thoughts, but we rationalize ourselves out of acting on them. We need to learn to ask the spirit to witness that the thoughts are from Him. Connect the thought with the feelings in our hearts. 

He also taught us that emotions are just a fruit of the spirit.. they are not the spirit. We can be emotional, due to our own strong feelings regarding an experience, without the spirit being present. So it takes discernment, and practice. We have to be patient with ourselves, as we learn to follow the spirit in our lives. 

In the scriptures we get to experience the fruits of the spirit. (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, and temperance) It's so important that we take the prophets counsel to read the Book of Mormon every day, so we become familiar with the way the spirit speaks to us as individuals. This is one way we get to know the spirit, so we can recognize him "out in the world" throughout our day. 

Ah, we had the sweetest experience last night contacting at the river walk!! 

There was this older man and woman sitting on a bench facing the river. They had several lines in the water, huge fishing poles leaned up against the gate. 

The man was really talkative, but I felt prompted to talk more to the woman, and make her feel included. She had a tender spirit about her. I asked her what was something she liked from her childhood, that that brought her joy to remember. She told me that she was athletic when she was young, and played volleyball! She also had the opportunity to learn to snow ski in North Carolina! I told her that I grew up skiing in Utah, and that my sisters play volleyball! This made her happy, and she opened up. Through the conversation she told us she had recently found out from her parents that she had German roots, which brought up family history! As we testified of the sacred nature of families, we explained that the Full Gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored to the earth, which made available the ordinances necessary for families to be sealed together for eternity. She was listening so intently. At one point she turned her head away from us, and the spirit got so strong. We could see the emotion on her face as tears ran down her cheeks. Sister Begay testified that what she was feeling was the spirit, and that the Gospel truly bad been restored. I told her that Heavenly Father has always been aware of her.
Oh, I could just live in that moment forever! Her name if Margaret, and we are meeting with her later this week. If things go well, we will make sure to introduce her to the family ward missionaries. I was so grateful for the focus we have had on family history in our mission recently. I really feel the pull from the other side, in finding those who have been prepared. Oh, my heart. The love I felt for them in that moment was one of the most powerful feelings I've ever had.

As we walked away, a tug boat passed by, with a man singing and playing guitar live to couples eating dinner on the boat. He was playing one of my favorite songs. "Sittin' on the dock of the bay, watchin' the tide roll away..."

I love you guys so much,

love Teirs