Go do work my friends...

Well this is no bueno!

Corona has been really tough lately. We are BARELY teaching lessons. 

It's been hard and it's definitely getting to me. 

But, last week we were blessed to hear from Elder Richards of the seventy. It was awesome! He spoke to us for 4 hours straight and we were all just writing as fast as we possibly could.  He said some things that whether he knew it or not, were meant specifically for me.

He stood in front of all of us and said "Did you know that you can measure your faith?" 

We said "yes" and he said "Oh really? How? How can we measure our faith?" 

Everyone was too nervous to say the wrong answer so it was quiet for a while and then someone stood up (we always stand when we have been called on to speak) and says "by our commitment to our Savior." 

That's what we were all thinking....weren't you? 

Then Elder Richards said "No. Faith is not measured by our commitment, but by our actions." 

I thought about that for a minute...especially my actions over the past week. Have they shown my faith? Did I rely on Heavenly Father to guide me and did I trust the path that he laid out for me? Or am I sometimes too proud? Maybe not intentionally, but do I always follow promptings I receive? 

Sadly, I could not say that I had followed every prompting.

I continued to think about it all week and strived to follow every prompting. Sometimes it's hard to discern between my thoughts and the ones the Lord put there, but then I realized that if I pray to recognize the promptings from the Holy Ghost then I must follow ALL of them because they all come from Him.

One day this week, Sister Jin and I could not find anyone to teach. We literally had our ward list and binder of formers and were visiting everyone we could think of. 

We were almost to a members home when the thought came to me "What about Rose Carter?". She is an older lady that is a dry Mormon and the Bishop asked us a few weeks ago to meet with her. We visited MULTIPLE times and even left her a note one day, but have never been able to talk to her. 

I am hesitant to continue trying to get into homes of those we have left notes with that didn't respond. There are A LOT of people here that are less active because they were offended by missionaries. 

Personally, I think that's a ridiculous reason to stop going to church, but I still don't want to be one of those missionaries. 

I asked Sister Jin if she thought it was a good idea to visit Rose and she had the same hesitation. I then felt like we needed to call Bishop and see if he had her phone number so that we could call her first.

The second we called him he said "Yes! I just got off the phone with her son-in-law. He said that she is home right now...I was just going to call her!" 

We told him that we were really close (a block away) and that we could just go visit her instead.

We turned down the street to go to her house and she had literally just pulled into her garage. Sister Jin tried to get her attention before she shut the garage door, but she didn't hear her. 

We quickly went over to knock on the door and she answered, happy as can be, saying "Oh sisters, please come in! I just walked through the door and am only here to pick up my mail before I leave again. You caught me at the perfect time!"

We went inside her sweet home. She looks like she's mormon. She decorates like an older, single member and she even smells Mormon. Weird, but you all know what I mean. 

We asked about her story and she said that her daughter and son-in-law are members (her son was just released as Bishop) and they live in Newport, Ca. They are about to have a baby and since the weather is so much nicer there, she is living with them all summer and won't be back in Corona until the beginning of November. 

She comes back once a week for a few minutes to get her mail and to check on the house. 

She was in a hurry to leave so we left a spiritual thought and right before we walked out I said "You said that you are ready to become a member... have you thought about a date for baptism?" 

She said "I've been talking to my son-in-law, but I haven't exactly decided yet." 

I said "Okay, well let's set a goal that we can work towards so we can hit the ground running when you get back. Since you will be home the beginning of November, how about you get baptized at the end of the month?" 

She said "Sure...that sounds great! I am so exctied to get to know you girls and learn from you!"

We left on cloud nine! How crazy is that? The quiet simple promptings of the spirit lead us to life changing events. 

I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost and the blessing He is to my life.

Elder Robbins, serving in the Corona ward with me, bore his testimony yesterday and shared a poem. I really loved it. 

It goes something like this:

Believe and be saved the minister said,
Believe and be saved and rise from the dead.
Through grace ye are saved from sin and from hell,
So simply believe and all will be well.
The preacher continued and read from the book,
How all can reach heaven, both angel and crook. 
When all had been said and the church recessed;
With money collected and everyone blessed;
The preacher retired to his spacious new home,
In his humble Mercedes all covered in chrome.
He sat in his study, his thoughts running deep,
He dozed for a moment, and died in his sleep.
He ran to Saint Peter and wearing a grin,
Said "I believe in the Savior, so please let me in"
"Oh no, not another", said Peter with a sigh,
"Satan's sure working, the tolls running high."
The preacher looked puzzled, then saw in a flash,
God's plan for salvation, beginning at last.
Believing is nothing, if nothing is done.
In getting to Heaven you follow the Son.
To follow a leader, you do what is said,
Faith without works is nothing but dead.
Satan knows Jesus, believes in him too.
So what's the difference between Satan and You?
Believe in the Savior, but always recall,
Faith is important, but sure isn't all.

Author Unknown

So go do work my friends!! Be done with lesser things! And rise up! (Thanks Dad :)

Love and miss you all SO much!

Sister Nelson

(email received September 30, 2013)

"Zone Sistas"