Letter 8/24/14

This last few weeks I've been trying to really focus on the Atonement. The Atonement is pure love. I don't think we even begin to comprehend how big and strong it is until we really start consciously looking for it and using it. The Atonement is Christ becoming At-one with us. My invitation for you all is this (and please let me know how it goes through letters and email and such): learn more about the atonement. Pray and ask God in what way you should start, then listen and look, then do that one thing. Do this over and over and talk to God about it--it will change you. 

We lost one of our own. Sister Vea is wonderful--spunky and funny. She knows how to love God and how to have fun. It only took a few moments to know you could trust her. Please pray for her family.  Please also don't forget to pray for her companion and everyone else involved. They need your love. They need God close. 

These two ideas may not seem connected, but if you look close you'll see they are.

Love,

Sister Short

 Thought for the day comes from "Leading Like the Savior" by Ryan Carr (Ensign July 2014).  Christlike leaders seek to help others develop.  President Kimball taught: "Jesus trusts his followers enough to share his work with them so that they can grow.  That is one of the greatest lessons of his leadership.  If we brush other people aside in order to see a task done more quickly and effectively, the task may get done all right, but without the growth and development in followers that is so important.....  Jesus gave people truths and tasks that were matched to their capacity.  He did not overwhelm them with more than they could manage, but gave them enough to stretch their souls." 

Letter 8/10/14

Life lesson--stuff is expensive! I do NOT know how all you adults do it!  Note to self--be good at budgeting! Seriously, that's a great skill to have future missionaries learn. I feel like I'm sort of getting the hang of it so I'm excited. It's just funny what things one learns on a mission that one isn't necessarily considering....

Something has really hit me in the last few days--missions prepare us for life. The things I am learning here will shape my future in a way I can't even comprehend. I look at myself when I left...and then now...and then I imagine the future and I KNOW God wanted me here. I KNOW I will never be the same.

Story of the week! (sorry it's not detailed....)

So, I was on exchanges with Sister Jeppson. So we did a whole bunch of things, and then ran out of plans. So, we went and had dinner and I was talking to Sister Jeppson and I was feeling kind of stressed (I really don't like not having plans) and then Sister Jeppson suggested we go walking. So we went to OTM at the pond. We walked out there and nobody was there. 

So we just decided to walk to the nearest neighborhood. We walked onto that street and felt prompted to a house. We knocked and talked to a really sweet young lady and gave her a Book of Mormon. Then we were prompted across the street to a house. We talked to the lady there. We start telling here about our beliefs and a man walks out of the bedroom and goes "It was an angel named Moroni." So we are going "whaaaaaaat?" and saying "wait come back!" as he walks towards the kitchen. Turns out the man is SUPER nice and SUPER funny (he actually sort of reminds me of my brother Jon) and his grandparents are the ones who started the family history center in the area so he knows TONS about LDS people and our beliefs. It was amazing to talk with him and (fingers crossed) hopefully we will hear more news soon. 

Then we walked across the street and talked to a member and her daughter who  just moved in and wants to quite smoking. (FYI we have a GREAT stop smoking workshop--just saying.) THEN a man drove up on his motorcycle who knew Sister Lawrence and said "You aren't my Sisters." (I knew he was okay though because he was wearing a "Dads Against Daughters Dating" T-shirt). We explained about exchanges and he said to bring Sister Lawrence by. So then we start walking home to grab our car.

On the way Sister Jeppson waves at a cop car and I tease her with "Only waving at the cops huh?" She explains that no--actually they had been pulled over twice by that cop in like the last week. It was for silly things so they got off with warnings,  but she was hoping they'd get to talk to him again because she felt like he had been prepared.  We were about to get into our car when; "I thought I'd come and talk to you before I had to pull you over." That's right--the cop. We ended up talking to him a long time about our beliefs. We gave him a Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong. I am so excited for him to read the Book of Mormon! 

Well, I love you all! Keep up the great work and don't forget to read the Book of Mormon!

Love,

Sister Short

 Thought for the day - Jean A. Stevens, "Fear Not; I Am with Thee".  "Our Father knows us and hears the pleadings of our hearts.  He accomplishes His miracles one  prayer at a time, one person at a time.  We can trust that He will help us, not necessarily in the way we want but in the way that will best help us to grow.  Submitting our will to His may be difficult, but  it is essential to becoming like Him and finding the peace He offers us.