October 13, 2015 - John's Creek

This week has felt like it has gone by in a blur! We did a lot of service this week and one of my favorite experiences was helping an incredible family who's been through a lot. They are not members of our Church. They heard about the missionaries from an LDS friend. About 2 years ago their new house flooded and destroyed everything and I mean everything. Right now their house is pretty much an empty shell. We've been able to help them clean and we just barely started painting! I have to admit that it reminds me a lot about the good ol' days when we would work on our home. :) This experience has been a testament to me that our experiences prepare us for the future and if we choose they can bless the lives of others. Besides that we've been staying busy visiting less-actives, former investigators, and etc. This morning we got back in with V again! (She was a former investigator). We had a member with us and it went super well. I was surprised to find that V remembered a lot of what we had taught her back in Webb Bridge which was comforting to know, because of the language barrier. 
Recently I've found a lot of comfort and peace in Mosiah 23:21-24, Mosiah 24, and Alma 34:41. We've been asked by our Mission President to study an attribute of Christ everyday for 30 minutes (15 minutes personal study, 15 minutes companion study). I always love studying the attributes of Christ in Preach My Gospel, but recently the attribute of patience stuck out to me a lot. Recently (in the past 5 months) I've had a lot of missionaries express that they don't feel successful because they work so hard and nothing happens and as I've been studying it really hit me; sometimes “the heavenly virtue of patience is required.” (President Monson). In Alma 26: 28-31 we learn that these ancient missionaries did a lot of the things that we do today. They, " traveled from house to house...and...entered into their houses and taught them...and...taught them in their streets...and...upon their hills." They were cast out, mocked, and so much more and yet they never gave up because they loved God, His children, and trusted in the promises He had made. 
"Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and [the promise] bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." (Alma 26:27) A scripture that has great significance to me states this, "And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out...lest ye become sinners like unto them; But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions." (Alma 34:40-41). 
This is another one of His many promises to us. I know He lives. This is His work and I thank Him everyday for giving me this opportunity to be apart of it in such a personal way. I know that life is full of many challenges and difficulties, but if we patiently hold to the promises and covenants that have been made by actively following Him (taking the sacrament, having scripture study, prayer, temple attendance, loving, and serving each step of the way), trusting Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we can look towards the future with optimism and a brightness of hope. With faith in Christ, hope in His promises, and love towards God and His children nothing can stop us from reaching the full potential that our Father in Heaven sees in each of us.
I love y'all sooooooooo much-oooooooooooooo!!!!!!! Remember that y'all are always in my prayers, everyday. I pray y'all have a blessed week.
Lots of love (from your favorite Sister Missionary),
Sister Megan Rice