What wonderful work

Date: Monday, April 12, 2010


Hello Family!

I loved hearing from you this week, like always. Mom thanks for all your thoughts on conference. There were so many things that touched my heart. The church is true, and we have it because the family is so important. The church is centered around the family, so that we can build the kingdom of God. There has been so much I have wanted to say to you all lately. Right now I have tears in my eyes just thinking of you all. Dad, Mom, Candace and Evan and your family, Tara, Sean and Kim and your family, Ritchie, Chris, Jason, and Crozier. As I think of you all individually I feel an overwheliming sense of love. I know families are eternal. And we learned a lot about that in General Conference.

This last weekend was really wonderful. Brother Himioben was baptized and confirmed this week and it was a wonderful baptism. A lot of the ward came to support him and his brother in law baptized him. His father in law said that they had been praying for him for 30 years to get baptized and they were so grateful he had finally decided to do it. IT was very spiritual for all there. It was also special to hear him bear his testimony yesterday after he had received the Holy Ghost.

I am so grateful for the Spirit that helps others know and love the truth. We had another investigator there that attended the baptism and he ended up giving us a referral which we called and he said that our investigator had told him we would call and is excited to meet with us tonight. We were also very happy. Also a neat thing was yesterday morning during personal study I had the prompting we should call and invite Sencan to church. He was the one that came to the baptism, but had said he didn´t have time and would see us on Monday. Well after studies we called him really fast and he said that when we called him he had been thinking about us and said he would like to go to church. It was something really small, but great. After sacrament meeting he said he knew this was the right way for him to go. He said he feels so good every time he comes to church and meets with us, something he has never felt before any where else. We told him it was the Spirit, and he could always have it by him if he got baptized. He said he wanted to get baptized, and so we are meeting with him tonight to set a baptismal date.

I have been thinking a lot about the temple lately and it´s importance. I realize the importance of making more covenants for yourself, without it we cannot live by God. But also I have been thinking about the importance of returning to the temple. The other day as we were contacting I could sense the uncleanliness of the world. And as I sensed that I thought of the temple. How holy and clean in every sense of the word it is. I realized how much my testimony of the gospel has grown since I have been through the temple. And that would have never happened with out going there, and not just once, but repeatedly. When we go to the temple we make covenants and come to a better understanding of who God is. And because of that I know better who I want to be. And I learn more and more of what that is every time I go. And it is something wonderful.

I have many other thoughts, but I will leave them be. :) One last thing before I go. :) Because of our potential Satan tries so hard to distract us and unprioritize our priorities. I cannot even describe the sadness and heartache I have seen since being out here from people that got distracted and stayed distracted from walking on the straight and narrow path. I have been thinking about how much happiness God promises us, and how much happiness Satan promises us. How is a person to know what will bring happiness? They both look good a lot of the time. And I like what President Uchtdorf said that temptation wouldn´t be temptation if it didn´t promise pleasure. We would not be stupid enough to be tempted if Satan didn´t make it look good. But in my short life so far, I have really come to know that Gods happiness lasts and doesn´t bring lasting pain. I really liked the analogy shared in the Sunday afternoon session of conference that a mother takes her baby into the doctor to get a shot on purpose because she knows that the little pain now will go away, and is nothing compared to the pain that the baby will have later on if it does not get the shot and gets measels. And if we submit our will to God now, not only will we not have pain someday, but he will replace it with more happiness and joy than we can even imagine with our mortal senses. Of this I am sure.

I love you family and I will let you know what happens with transfers next week.

Til then!
Sister Melinda Fitzgerald