Hello Family!
It has been another wonderful week!
Danica! Happy Birthday tomorrow! I
can't believe my "little" sister is turning 19!
Sister T and I received our new
companion and trainee, Sister Jo! We love her dearly!
On Monday, we went to Taste of
Ethiopia. Sister T and I keep seeing it and decided that we would go
on our last p-day of the transfer, as either a "it was a great
time together" lunch or a "farewell" lunch.
On Tuesday we had the greatest phone
call-lesson ever with Brother M! On Sunday when he told us he wanted
to get baptized and asked what he needed to do, we gave him all the
pamphlets of the commandments! (that's the kind of person Brother M
is. He really does his research!) So on Tuesday we called him and
asked if he had read them- of course he had and remembered
everything! And he committed to live each of the commandments right
there on the phone! Also, that morning I had did my morning study
with the question of how we could help Brother M to accept a
priesthood blessing. He had never agreed to receive one before,
because although he wanted one, he feels he can't accept something
without giving back to that individual. While I was studying about
the priesthood, it became very clear in my mind that Brother M would
one day BE a priesthood holder! Things started falling into place in
my mind, and I realized that he could one day serve others as a
priesthood holder. For some reason the idea had never occurred to me
until then! So Sister T and I realized that the way to help Brother M
accept a priesthood blessing was by helping him realize that he needs
to prepare to be a priesthood holder so that he can serve others. We
talked to him about it on the phone and it was great! He said he
would gladly receive a priesthood blessing that night.
So On Tuesday night we met at a
member's home and two priesthood holders came. We taught about the
priesthood, then Brother M received a priesthood blessing. It was so
beautiful and the Spirit was so pure and strong in the room. After
the blessing I could see more light than ever in Brother M's eyes,
and he sincerely thanked the priesthood holders as well as the member
whose home we were at and Sister T and I. He is so filled with
gratitude and is so humble these days. And there is a visible
difference about him. He really has so much light now. I know that it
will be permanent and increase even more when he receives the gift of
the Holy Ghost.
I have been studying charity more
recently. I know, and I love that, charity is literally a gift from
God! I have felt that. It sometimes seems to spring up out of
nowhere. I remember the first time I met Brother M and how that love
just overcame me, even though I knew nothing about him! God blesses
us with love for those we serve, and it is a love that is so hard to
explain.
I like how Preach My Gospel explains
it.
"When you are filled with charity,
you obey God's commandments and do all you can to serve others and
help them receive the restored gospel... Charity is a gift from God.
...You will come to feel a sincere concern for the eternal welfare
and happiness of other people. You will see them as children of God
with the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father, and you will
labor in their behalf. ..You will try to understand them and their
points of view. You will be patient with them and try to help them
when they are struggling or discouraged... You will develop charity
as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself."
(pg. 118)
On Sunday we had ward conference. I
love what the bishop said during his talk. We should never assume
that Salvation will be or should be easy. It was not easy for our
captain, so why should it or would it be easy each of us, the
passengers. A member of the Stake Presidency spoke about the pearl of
great price spoken of in the Bible. He testified that we are the
pearls of great price, and that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ see
us as so valuable that they would do anything to have us! Our value
is determined by the price that was paid for us. Heavenly Father and
our Savior have paid that price, and it is fixed. Our value to Them
will never decrease or be diminished.
I have never experienced or felt more
happiness in my life than I have in these past few weeks.
"The Lord will reward and richly
bless you as you humbly and prayerfully serve Him. More happiness
awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among His
children." (Preach My Gospel, first presidency message.)
I know that my Savior lives. This is
His true church. I've realized that the more I love the people here,
the more bold I become- the more I try to take out any extra fluff to
what I say, and the more I strive to help others make and keep
commitments. God has made the gospel so clear. He wants EVERYONE to
understand it so that they can be an agent and make correct choices.
I know that one of the greatest things
we can learn to do is to follow righteous leaders and examples. Even
Jesus Christ, the greatest Leader to walk the Earth, was a perfect
Follower to a Righteous Example. He always acknowledged his Father
and that he only did what he saw his Father do.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you,
this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my
church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do;
for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;" (The
Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 27: 21)
Thank you for all you do and for your
prayers and support! I love y'all!
-Sister [Erica] Greenall (I won't
be able to just sign "Sister Greenall" for much longer!)
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