Cheerfully Doing All In My Power : )

I know... I know... it's not P-day. I ran away from the MTC.

Kidding. (Je blague! Je blague! I kid! I kid!)

This is just my fake kind of P-day because the day of my real one I'll be on a plane to Paris. I guess going to France is MAYBE worth missing P-day.

Ok. 100%, COMPLETELY, POSITIVELY, AND ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT.

 I sorta came up with a "mission motto" this week. It comes from Doctrine & Covenants 123:17. I adjusted it for me, and it is "CHEERFULLY DO ALL IN MY POWER." 



 

I CANNOT wait to get to France. I am excited to break down all the "European Mission" stereotypes! God said "the field is white and ready to harvest" not "brown and ready to plant." I will NOT let anyone but the Lord set my expectations for my mission. I know I was called to France for a reason. I was called to France thousands of ages ago. Heavenly Father planned for me to go to France at this time long long ago. I'm not called to France because I took and French and was raised to love the French people. I took French and was raised to love the French people because I was called to serve in France! Marcus B. Nash said that we made covenants to find our investigators before we came to earth. I may not know who they are, but the Lord knows and I was called by Him. I know if I am trying my hardest, He will lead me. :) I heard a story this week about a convert to the church. When she received her patriarchal blessing, it said "You would have received the gospel earlier in your life if Elder White had served a mission." WHOA. THAT HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS. The Lord is preparing people for me to find RIGHT NOW. I have to do everything in my power to find them and rely on the Lord to lead me to them! The Lord has placed people in your path, too! Share the gospel whenever you can! It may be the most important conversation of someones life. And remember, they are on earth... which means they accepted God's plan once! Don't doubt they'll accept it again. :) And NEVER NEVER NEVER limit what the Lord can do through you!

My teacher, Frère Smith

 

I had a really really cool experience this week. I was talking to my teacher, Soeur Judd, about some hard things that had happened. I told her I was no longer frustrated, but just didn't know what more I could have done to make it better. She listened patiently and kindly and then when I was all done she said "Ok, I want you to try something for me. Will you please? This is something that changed my entire mission. Will you live with Christ this week? Now don't just say "sure" and never think about it again. I want you to think about what living with Christ really means. It means whenever someone says something mean or hurtful, you see Christ snatching those unkind words right our of the air before they ever hit you. It means when you begin to think unkind thoughts about anyone, you see Christ pulling out those thoughts and changing them to nice ones. It means whenever you feel left out or lonely, you step aside so Christ has a place to walk right next to you. You can't be sad, or hurt, or discouraged, or lonely, or angry, or unloved when you know the Savior of the world is standing RIGHT THERE NEXT TO YOU.

My teacher, Soeur Judd

That night I decided to try it out. The first hurtful words that came my way stung for a second...but then I could just see Christ standing there snatching those words right out of the air. Immediately, I could feel the healing power of the Atonement wash over me. The words meant nothing and I could see how maybe the person was tired and wasn't thinking about what they were saying. It was amazing. :)

I know it sounds so mormon-ey and cliche (There's even a song about it...and WWJD?) but GIVE IT A CHANCE before you think "That's a nice thought" and move on. MAKE THE ATONEMENT REAL IN YOUR LIFE.

Thank you so much for the package, Mom! I got it right after e-mailing last Monday. Thank you so much for all the inspirational quotes and talks and loving words! I am so grateful that my family is not a distraction in the slightest, and that every single letter I get just makes me want to work harder. THANK YOU!! You fill my life with happiness!

 

I know that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet and that Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet on the earth today. I know that God is in the details of your life and that he WANTS you to rely on Him. He is sad when you limit the power of His Son's sacrifice. The Atonement is real. PRAY PRAY PRAY!! I promise you that God will answer. No matter how far you have wandered, I know that you can NEVER sink too low for the Light of Christ to reach you and beckon you home to your Father in Heaven.

Alors... this is it. GAH! Au revoir, mon amis! Talk to you again from across the Atlantic!

 

Paris, J'arrive!!  :D

Avec amour, Soeur Autumn Bradley