God Knows Your Heart
Hello Everyone!!
This week was full of little tender mercies and blessings!! I was feeling a little off still at the beginning of this week with all of the change and everything, so, one of my first little tender mercies was when Elder Rouse and Elder Collins came to the church building Wednesday night. It was perfect because I was feeling pretty sad and "off" all Wednesday so when they came I was able to ask Elder Rouse for a priesthood blessing. What he said was just what I needed to hear and even more than what he said was just the spirit that I was able to feel through the power of the priesthood and blessing! It brought so much peace and comfort to my soul!
This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, was when we got the great privilege to listen to Elder Bednar!! Saturday we had a meeting with him from 10-1 with all the missionaries from Romania, and then there was another meeting from 3-5 that all the youth and young adults were invited to! After our first meeting on Saturday we all had lunch there at the church and to my surprise, many of my close friends from Cluj that I have not seen in months came down for the Saturday night session!! It honestly made me so happy! My friends from Cluj, my very first area in the mission, became my family! So to be able to see them all warmed my heart so much and was just what I needed after the last two weeks of feeling more stressed!
And then on Sunday, I got to see even more members from all the areas that I have served in so far!! My heart was so happy seeing so many of the people I love so much all together in one place!! On Sunday, I got to sit with Iepure family which made me feel like home, getting to sit with a family for church, and there were so many children in the chapel too, and I just loved being able to hear them throughout the meeting! You would not initially think that hearing children make noise during a meeting is something that you would long for or miss but it just felt like home and I loved it! It is the sound of families coming together no matter what age, to learn and come closer to Heavenly Father and closer as a family unit while at church!
One of the big take-aways that I loved from Elder Bednar's words was his focus on the importance of the Holy Ghost! At the very beginning of all that he talked about he shared with us that he did not want us to write down the words that he spoke but instead he wanted us to write down what we felt and what came into our hearts as we chose to learn by faith and through the spirit throughout the next two days! I loved the spirit that I felt this weekend and all that I learned, not particularly from what I heard vocally but more importantly what I heard through the Holy Ghost and also how I felt as I soaked up each meeting as much as I could!
Here is just a list of a few things that really stood out to me throughout the meetings:
-When preparing to teach others, the best method to use is to observe, listen, and discern. After those three steps, you will have a better idea of what to say and share when in any type of situation.
-To make my personal studies more meaningful I should set aside time each morning to listen to what the spirit wants to share with me and then make a plan of how I will act on those promptings! What will I do to help make what I am prompted to do, happen!
-The objective of obedience is to Become!
-When you complete your mission you are not released when you go home, you are simply transferred to a new area and type of missionary service, you go from being a full-time missionary to becoming a lifelong missionary.
-Pray like an agent, not an object! Choose to act! Choose to make a difference, Choose to change and become more in Christ!
-You are never free until you understand that you are not in control! Heavenly Father is! He knows best! When you submit to His will you will start to see more blessings in your life, more success and feel much more lasting happiness and joy!
-Never stop pressing forward! Always be looking at new ways you can become better and improve! Don't let trials and mistakes halt your progression!
One question I asked during a question/answer part of our meeting was, "How do I know if I have done enough? How do I gauge when I am trying my hardest or if I need to toughen up and try harder?
One of the scriptures that was read in response to my question was D&C 97:8-9 which reads; "Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice-yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command-they are accepted of me. For I, the Lord, will cause them to bring forth as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit."
I know that Heavenly Father knows the intentions of my heart! I need to be patient with myself but also choose every day to be a little better, to daily repent, and to always be listening to the Holy Ghost to teach, direct, and guide me!
God Knows Your Heart! Keep Moving Forward, Keep Striving, Keep Progressing!
There is so much more I could put but I would just like to end this weekly letter by saying thank you! I am so grateful for each and every one of you and for your example and influence in my life! Thank you for your prayers, thank you for your testimonies, and thank you for your support! I love you!!
Sora Acton
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