Hi family! Glad to hear you're all doing well enough. Mom, I so sorry about your knee! I'm glad you have a good attitude about it. There are some people we visit that have a lot of health problems and they won't let you forget how miserable they are. We went shopping yesterday and got boots. We'd both been wanting them. I'm so excited I can wear SOCKS now!!!! Good because it's getting cold and more rainy. I didn't get the package yet. I expect it will probably take longer and longer to get mail/packages because as the holidays come up the secretary at the mission office probably has a lot more mail to sort out. People keep asking how long we have left, especially because they've seen us both so long in the same area. I don't think you have to worry about very much from Santa this year, at least in the way of clothes. Everyone seems to be going through their closets and giving us hand-me-downs. The only thing I would really like is the Primary Children's songbook on cd. Our ward mission leader in Hanford let us borrow it and we listened to the songs as we drove everywhere. My companion won't say she wants or needs anything (but I do know she LOVES Barbies). Mom, I have a favor to ask. Sister Dylan keeps sending me the sweetest cards with money taped inside. I honestly can't remember her face. I don't want to come home from the mission and not recognize her. Is there any way you could discretely take a picture of her and send it to me? She's really nice to keep thinking of me. She just sent me a card with a gorgeous Arizona sunset in the desert with cactus that reminds me exactly of home. Inside was a $5 bill. I sent her a thank-you-card. Oh, and Lila, do you think you could write down your experience and testimony of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy? I'd like to use it when we teach people.
I love you all so much!
Hi everyone! Hope everyone's got good plans for Thanksgiving and getting excited for the holidays in general! We're doing great and seeing miracles every day. One big miracle is the family of Sandy, one of our recent converts. The reason she had to wait to be baptized was she had a live-in boyfriend who was actually an inactive member. She finally decided to tell him he had to leave. She was able to get baptized after that. A big miracle is that since then, he has been coming to church. He still spends time at Sandy's house and is there when we teach. He is listening to us more and seems to really be trying to do better. He is living at his parents' house who are active members and I think his brother who is a returned missionary lives there too. Sandy and her kids are going over there for Thanksgiving and we were invited too. I'm amazed to see that progress. None of it has been because of us. It really is the Spirit that changes people.
The other day I was kind of feeling discouraged. I was just feeling inadequate like I have too many things about myself to fix, many of which I don't realize I need to fix. It felt kind of like when you eat a cupcake and find a bug in it. You are not only horrified, you wonder just how many more bugs and unpleasant things are in there that you don't see. This makes you nervous and scared to eat the rest of the cupcake. Anyway, so I just opened my scriptures. I started reading Moroni 8. Verse 3 says "I am mindful of you always in my prayers; continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end." I know a lot of you are praying for me and I want you to know I can feel it and appreciate it very much. I'm praying for you all too.
I read a good scripture this week in Hebrews 12:9-10. This points out some very important things: We are in subjection to our Heavenly Father. We reverence Him like we reverence our earthly parents. The Lord chastens us for OUR profit. When we go through hard times it really is for our own good. He knows all and because He loves us, everything will eventually work for our good.
One of the sad things about the mission are the people who won't let you help them, both the spiritually depressed and the ones who are happy where they're at and don't feel a need to learn anything different. We have things they need to know but they simply have no desire to do anything different. However, we need to respect people when they don't want to listen. We saw kind of a funny sign when we were out knocking doors this week. It said "No soliciting: We paid at the office, we found God, we love our vacuum." At least they didn't have a dog. There's been a lot of grumpy dogs out lately. I can't remember if I've said this before but we were out riding our bikes and visiting some people who live more out in the country. We decided to knock the houses on the way back since there weren't that many of them. We rode up to this one house that seemed safe. We started to walk up to the house when a big black dog comes barking around one side of the house. About 7 other dogs come around the other side, one big and the rest smaller. We just stayed where we were so they just settled down and sniffed at us. We just walked away. We are protected by divine power.
I love Alma 42:30- "Oh, my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do you let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart; and let it bring you down to the dust in humility."
When we think about repentance, it's not really a chastisement, but an invitation to come closer to God through Jesus Christ. There are no excuses, we all need it. Not only because we're not perfect but Heavenly Father mercifully has blessings that he is eager to give us if we only humble ourselves and repent. Even if you think that you're not worthy of those blessings, remember who you are: glorious spiritual children of a divine Heavenly Father.
I know the church is true! I know Christ has restored His gospel through a living prophet.
Everyone remember to count your blessings this week! Every breath is a gift worth using to sing praises to the Heavenly Father that gave it to you!
Hermana Evans
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