I swear every week I have this huge list of all the things I want to share and then I get on and respond to everyone (CC IS GOING TO NORTH CAROLINA EVERYONE!!!! AHHH!) and then have ten minutes left...so yep, sorry about that.
The defining experience of this week was Saturday. One of the recent converts in our ward asked to meet with us and when we went over, she handed us a book she has written along with a letter asking for her records to be removed from the church. She feels that the Plan of Salvation is wrong and doesn't agree with the word of wisdom. Her mind was made up, so I bore a simple testimony and told her our bishop will be in contact to help her with the process. I got in the car, backed out, drove down the street, and cried for 20 minutes.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, God says that his work is like a river and that "no unhallowed hand can stop the work of God". At times it can feel like Satan's work is actually the river, and I am the feeble hand trying to stop it. I wish I could let people feel how much God loves them and how much happiness and peace is found when we embrace and apply the gospel. And if I feel so strongly that way, I cannot imagine how much God is trying and reaching out to all of us while still respecting the precious gift of agency. All is done under God's will, protection, and guidance. And we are much happier when we allow Him to shape our lives.
A quote from personal study I really liked: "A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. That is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation truly know how strong it is...A man who gives into temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in" -C.S. Lewis.
We had the amazing oppertunity to go to a training from Elder Dube and we have a mission conference with him on Tuesday as well. I was so impressed by his ability to make everyone in the room feel loved and to teach us without us feeling like we were being taught. I am excited for Tuesday!
I love you all and hope you have an awesome week! Congratulations Kristen and Seth on your new twins!
-Sister Bren Scadden