Hi everyone!
I'm doing well and am loving all of the things I am experiencing as I
serve the Lord right now. I've got a great companion, I've made some
wonderful relationships, and I feel like I get closer and closer to my
Father in Heaven every day. I couldn't be more blessed!
I came across a scripture recently that I have been pondering deeply
about this week. I found it in Doctrine and Covenants section 123:17,
it says "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all
things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the
utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be
revealed." I absolutely love this wise counsel given to us from Joseph
Smith, and I was able to really apply it throughout this week as we
worked trying to find more people to teach. It's become apparent to me
that most of the miracles happen at 8:00 at night after we've put in a
long day of hard work and kept going despite all of our plans falling
through. This has happened almost every single day this week, isn't
that incredible?
We had a really obvious miracle on Tuesday especially as we left our
apartment at approximately 12:00 to start teaching lessons.
Originally, we had the whole day pretty planned out with previously
set lessons and we were prepared to have a fairly successful day. With
all of the referrals that we have been receiving lately, we were
feeling a little bit of pressure too with trying to contact all of
them. So, we were booked...or so we thought. One by one, every single
lesson fell through. As the day continued, we found ourselves running
out of ideas, getting really tired, and about ready to give up. But we
kept going, trying not to get discouraged after working hard all day
without teaching anyone. At the end of the day, at about 7:45pm we met
a beautiful family with 3 kids who were so grateful that we showed up
"randomly" at their doorstep to teach them about God. Surely the Lord
is involved in all of the little details of our lives. I am so sure
that it was in his plans all along for us to do all we can, even if it
means struggling for a little while, and then to see his miraculous
arm reaching out to make up the difference for our imperfect efforts.
Tomorrow we are taking a temple trip to the Gila Valley! This week I
have been working on preparing myself spiritually to receive specific
counsel and guidance from the Lord when I go. In the process I have
learned a couple valuable principles about the temple that apply
specifically to some of my investigators. We have been working for
several weeks now with an investigator who has had severe problems
with the word of wisdom and taking care of her body. In relation to my
studies this week on temples, I came across a scripture that compared
our bodies to a holy temple of God. First Corinthians 6:19–20
states: “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the
Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye
are not your own? “For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s.” Now, I realize that most of you are pretty familiar with this
comparison, but the concept that caught my eye and had a deep impact
on me was that we are bought with a price. Our bodies, our spirits,
everything we have both temporally and spiritually were not, are not,
and can never be truly ours because of the infinite debt that we owe
to our Savior Jesus Christ, who sacrificed so greatly for us. He paid
it all, and words cannot express the gratitude I feel for him.
These are some of the thoughts and feelings that I will take with me
to the temple tomorrow, as well as my prayers and my desires to be a
spiritual strength to my family. I will be thinking of you!
With all my love, Hermana Townley
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