April 7, 2014

OH myyyy goodnessss! I love conference so much! SO MUCH! I felt so close to all of you as I watched it knowing that I knew exactly where you were and what you all were doing brought me a lot of comfort.  When Sister Stevens in the Sunday session quoted Isaiah 41:10, I could just see mom and Saryn quoting it right along with me and Sister Stevens. It brought a little tear to my eye. Like a little baby. But I just loved it.  We met with James on Friday and invited him to the member’s home we stay at to watch it.  James was so excited.  He said he could not wait to hear the prophet speak and that he had always heard about the prophets from the Bible but that he had never considered that there could be a prophet on the earth today.  He stayed awake and listened all of Saturday and even went to the Priesthood session with the member we live with, Brother Stevens.  After Priesthood he was interviewed by our District Leader to be baptized and he told Elder Beck, I have a lot of friends that don't allow me to become the person that God wants me to be, so I am going to follow the council of the prophet and , "GET OUT"  AH! Oh James, I love you.  But conference really was wonderful.  Can you believe that there are 142 operating temples around the world and by 2015 we will have 170....Brother Stevens said when he was growing up that there were only 13 temples.  It is amazing how the church has grown.  Elder Holland laid down the law....as usual. BUT I LOVED IT! He talked about how if you haven't already you will be called upon to defend your faith.  I am ready.  The mission has showed me that there is nothing else that matters but this gospel and where we stand with the Lord. I loved how it was said, that thinking, What would Jesus do will not always bring a popular response.  He talked about how the true and restored gospel is on the earth today and we are members of it. Live it.  I was reading a talk this morning my Elder Ballard, my man, and he said, "All of us should constantly think about the Savior giving His life for us.  We must never forget that He suffered rejection, humiliation, unspeakable agony, and eventually death in order to save you and me and the whole world from sin.  Can any one of us go before Him in some future day and say that we didn't share the gospel with others and help others come to the missionaries because we were too busy, or too shy, or for any other reason?"  Obviously he was talking about missionary work but it made me think of the gospel in general. After all Christ has done for us can any one of us go before Him and say that we were too afraid to stand up for our beliefs?  That we didn't want to offend anyone? Or that we just plain didn't care?  In the grand scheme of things it matters where we stand with Christ and His gospel not with where the world stands and changes. I was talking to Sister Stevens and she said that all the easy things in the gospel have been done, only the hard things are left. Bring it on. 

I cannot wait to get the Ensign and read all of the talks and mark it up.  So many wonderful words were shared and it really made me think how incredible this gospel is and how precious it is. What Joseph Smith did was the most important act in the history of the world and it will never be repeated again.  Let us be grateful and show our appreciation for all that has been sacrificed so that we can have the gospel in our lives now.   

So the beginning of the week started out pretty rough.  We went over to James's house to have a lesson with a member and when we got there Gracie was sitting on the steps outside his house....dun dun dun.  She approached us and said that James's cousin came over that day and told him that if he joined the Mormon church he would not only be disowned, but he would be thrown out from his tribe and never be allowed on tribal land again.  She asked us to stop calling and to not return to his home. I asked if we could talk to him directly and she said he was really upset and was having alot of anxiety and asked her to talk to us.  STAB IN THE HEART.  I was with Sister Drama at the time and I did everything I could not to break down and cry.  We keep getting told that Missoula is going to explode that we just need to have 130 more baptisms and there will be a temple built here.  We keep getting told that the work will pick up and people are just waiting to hear our message.  After that moment I lost all of my faith.  James is our ONLY progressing investigator and even then he dropped us.  We made some pretty lofty goals as a zone for baptisms this transfer and after the conversation with Gracie my heart sunk.  I had to put gas in the car and shed a few tears, wiped them away and went back to work and taught a member lady that was having a really difficult time.  Sister Session and I and Sister B and Sister Baird all fasted for James and that day he called me and Sister Session and told us he needed to talk to us. FASTING WORKS MUCH FAMILY! All four of us went over there and James had no idea what we were talking about.  Gracie had made up the whole thing.  THE WHOLE FREAKING THING! He had had a rough week with Gracie and his friends and all their drama and he slipped up and drank.  He said he was so embarrassed that he did that, so he didn't call.  OHMYGOSH. I wanted to die.  I was so happy to hear that he still wanted to be baptized and he even said that his cousin came over to tell him that he needed to get away from Gracie and that he was happy that he was finding religion in his life.  James told us that he had filed for divorce and wanted to be baptized on the 12th.  HALLELUJAH! I left that meeting feeling so ashamed for what I had felt earlier.  We even got a call from a member that night that had someone that wanted to be taught.  The Lord is so stinken aware.  I am a little baby girl.  Sometimes the Lord takes us low so he can bring us even higher.  I came away from that knowing that my faith could use more work and that in times of trial is that how I am going to react?  Without faith and hope in the Lord that he can and will provide?  I AM CRAZY! He will! And I know he will.  I am so thankful for my Lord and Savior and my Heavenly Father that DO NOT LEAVE US ALONE. They know us and they know our circumstances and they will provide as we are doing their will and keeping the commandments.  

Last week I went to the Bison Range.  WOOOTT WOOT! Montana fun! Ha, it was fun.  Bison were in the road.  I wanted to touch one so bad, but the ward missionary, Sister Bragg wouldn't let me.  It was funny because the next day Sister Drama found 3 ticks! AH! super disgusting! Also, update on her. She got a call from president and got transferred on Wednesday to White Fish and was told by President that if she can prove herself and get along with her companion for a month she will be reassigned to a Spanish speaking mission.  She is really excited and can do it. I totally have all the faith in the world that she can.  

For the past couple weeks Sister Session and I have been going around to all of the members and bearing our testimonies of Joseph Smith and the Restoration and have given the families a Restoration pamphlet and challenged them to give it to someone within the week and we would come back the next week and follow up.  Ha, only one person has done it. COME ON PEOPLE! So here is my challenge to you familia.  Get a pamphlet from the Sisters in the ward, they have a million in their trunk and pass one out to someone this week.  D&C 84:88 says, "And whoso receiveth you there will I be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."  This is the most important work on the face of the earth.  The Lord is going to be with you and send his angles to surround you and bear you up 100%.  

This gospel is true! I love it! And I also love that Montana is getting warmer and getting green! I love being in Missoula and know that this is where the Lord needs me at this time.  I trust in the Lord and have faith in His plan for each of us.  He loves us and knows us.  

I love you all! Until next weeeeeeek! 

Peace and blessings my child. 

Sister Molisky