Letter 1/4/15

(Hand written letter from Desiree sent Jan. 5, 2015)

Dear Blog,
     Today I'm just going to do what's on my mind for the blog.
     I think what I've been thinking about is how love is such a powerful thing.  Literally it binds people to each other.  I literally feel an ounce of love could fix a gallon of problems.
     Now don't misunderstand me - I'm not by any means perfectly loving.  No way. But I try again every day.
     We have a perfect example of love in our Savior.  He loved us enough to give everything.
     Everything in the Gospel makes sense because of the love of God.  It's the framework to the Plan of Salvation, it's the reason for the Restoration, and it's the point of the Gospel of Christ.
     The atonement itself - the center of all doctrine - is a supreme act of love.
     God is love - not the superficial, human, flaky mirage of love, but true, pure, perfect, eternal love.
     It isn't love to leave us to be whatever we want.  It isn't love to let us run wild.  It isn't love to be confusing.
     It is love to help us embrace our divine potential.  It is love to teach us wisdom.  It is love to reveal pure doctrine.
     God loves us so much.  He loves us so much that he sent his perfect son to be reviled, demeaned, rejected, and murdered.  Why?  Because he knew.  He knew what that sacrifice would mean to us.  He knew it would save us.
     Love has given us a way.  One way.  The only way.  Love has given us everything we need to know.
     Perhaps it would be best of us to reflect on the question Christ posed to His servant Peter on the shores of Galilee, "Lovest thou me?"
     Then, perhaps, it might be wise of us to reflect on the reply our Savior gave so directly, "Feed my sheep."
     As our heart fill with the selfless love of our Savior, our hearts are changed like unto his.  This is joy.  This is what we are meant to be.  May we each be so.

With love,
Sister Short

Letter 12/27/14

(Hand written letter from Desiree sent Dec. 30, 2014)

Dear Blog,
     So, news of the week!  We had transfer calls and I'm staying here with Sister Booms.  Backtracking though; this last week was Christmas and it was a lot of fun.  We woke up at 6:30 and opened presents.  Lots of wonderful people sent Sister Booms and I gifts.  It's so kind of people to think of missionaries - especially at the holidays.  We were very blessed.
     The most wonderful part of Christmas though is getting to Skype our families.  My little brothers especially have managed to not be so little anymore - they're young men!  Just seeing everyone made me so happy!
     It's moments like these that make me so aware of the love I have for my family.  I just can't imagine that much love to go away.  These feelings are part of how I know of the eternal nature of the family.  This much love can't just end - and it really doesn't have to.  I can't imagine eternity without them.
     If you don't really understand what this means yet, I would invite - and highly suggest - finding out for yourself.  It's of utmost importance.

                                                                                Love,
                                                                         Sister Short

Oklahoma, Tulsa Mission Conference

Letter 12/22/14

Dear Blog,

It's been a week I can't even put into words. Miracles are so real. 

The one story I want to tell is about a recent convert named Xavier. He is 15 and so sweet. His whole family got baptized and are going in January to the temple to do temple baptisms. He was so excited. Watching him--seeing that he understands in a personal way what an important thing this is--made the experience special for me. In the temple we take names of deceased family and we perform proxy baptisms for them in order to bless them--to give those people the opportunity to accept what we have. There were two names from my family that were especially for him. Before we went in I gave him the names and told him how very special these people were. How they had been waiting for a long time for him to help them. I could see the awe and responsibility in his eyes. He was so proud to have those names. This experience--though it may sound simple--is very precious. This 15 year old boy knows by experience what he is giving. He LOVES the Gospel. I wonder what the world would be like if we each could see the world the way he did--I wonder how much more we would cherish the sacred. 

When this family goes to the temple in January, the two oldest boys are going to be baptized for their father. This is a holy and sacred thing. I am so proud of them.

With love,

Sister Short 

Letter 12/14/14

Dear Blog,

I'm going to start today with a quote from my mom's email to me (she's so cute :) )

     Quote for the day - "The Atonement is an enabling power.  As we turn to the Lord in prayer, He will make our weakness our strengths.  We can trust in the Lord.  You can trust the Lord with all your heart, and your faith will give you the power beyond your own."

I love that! We really don't realize how much we can go through and come out okay until we do. I look back on times in my life--and my mission--where I felt completely without the ability to even want to do more let alone the ability to do it. It's just SO hard. And it still is sometimes. But I've found that as I reach out to the Lord and ask for help he always answers me. Every single time. There has never been a cry so pained or helpless that he hasn't heard, Sometimes those answers are slow to come and experience makes them clear, but always I feel him close. Always when I ask for help I know he IS helping. This season we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world--but also the Savior of YOU. Sometimes we forget that. Sometimes we don't comprehend that he saved us each INDIVIDUALLY. He not only saved us from being sinful, but he saved us FOR something. He helps us BE something. HE ENABLES US. He is there to keep us going when we don't know how we can possibly go any more. 

Now, if ANYONE out there doesn't know this for themselves yet, or wants to know more (whatever faith you are--including LDS) then ASK. Ask God. He WILL tell you. You need to know. 

I have an experience from this week about asking. There is a man we are teaching who I met for the first time this last week--he had dropped off the map and hadn't been taught for a long while. We ran into him at a community dinner. He started telling us about all the things that were going on in his life (very hard, overwhelming, painful things). He was really struggling. So we talked a bit and offered to help in the way that helps us. He agreed. So, we went and sat outside and talked. We were prompted to have him say a prayer telling God what was going on. Then we asked him to just open a Book of Mormon up and start reading. We got a few verses in and he wanted to show us the thing in the scriptures that had been on his mind--he went off talking about it. Throughout this all I just kept getting the prompting that he needed to keep reading--he had given up too early. So I asked him to keep reading in the Book of Mormon as I looked up the topic he had been talking about. As he read my companion and I both prayed in our minds that he would get that answer he was looking for. We could feel the still that came as he began to actually receive those answers he was looking for. It got very still, and then he started laughing! He told us how simple it was--that it was written right there! The joy we saw in his face as he received the answer to the questions of his heart was wonderful. I know that God will answer our prayers. I know that as we diligently seek those answers we gain a witness in our own heart. I know God will lead us. 

I hope each of you took up my challenge from last week. It is an opportunity to ask and receive that will strengthen your faith. Remember I want to hear about them! :)

Love,

Sister Short

Letter 12/7/14

Dear Everybody,

How's life? Hope it's good for you! You know what? It's pretty good for me. It's nearing Christmas here and the joy of the season is everywhere. Downtown is decked out it white lights, Christmas music cascades from mounted speakers, and cute old streetlights makes me feel like I stepped back into the 1930. It seems like everyone is soaking up the season--and loving every second of it!

As for us and our work, we have been working hard. We talk and talk and talk. We even go caroling! Well, sort of--since both my companion and I have a recovering winter cold and I myself am a bit tone deaf, we pop open a portable player and show everyone the He is the Gift video. Then, if someone doesn't have the time for our fantastic 3 minute video we give them a card with:

" Discover the Gift

Embrace the Gift

#SharetheGift "

and the link to Christmas.mormon.org to watch the video

This is a time in the world with a great need for ALL to draw a little closer to Christ. Some of us still need to spiritually meet him, some need to become reacquainted, and some need to give him more time. Whether it's time to discover His church, or time to simply pray more fervently--it really doesn't matter. If we will just do what we can to do what WE can--both in our own lives (which we CAN do) and for others (which we CAN help and encourage!)--then the world would be so much brighter. 

I would hope--and in fact INVITE--everyone who reads this to do SOMETHING (prayerfully identified) to both draw themselves nearer to Christ and to help another. If we each will take a leap of faith and not fear--just love Christ and our fellow man--we will know in our hearts we have given Christ a gift he truly desired.

Now is the time--"Tis the Season" after all ;)

Love,

Sister Short

Letter 11/30/14

(Hand written letter from Desiree sent Dec. 5th)

Dear Blog,
     Anyone out there who hears from missionaries besides me has probably noticed a difference.  I don't tend to say how my whole week went.  I hope that isn't boring.
     I struggle so hard with words.  I am only eloquent when guided by the Spirit.  I struggle - even in these blog posts.  But I know I'm trying.  I know why I write you all and why I'm out here - because I love you all.  I love people.  I love seeing them happy.  I love seeing the Spirit touch them.
     I'm weak.  I'm imperfect.  I'm totally, completely, and terribly human.  But do you know what?  My soul is noble.  My future is bright.  My destiny is eternal.  SO IS YOURS!
     I know that if you'll pray and ask - truly and with intent - God will tell you this too.

Love,
    Sister Short