A few weeks ago I was asked to give a talk in sacrament meeting reporting on Erika and how she is doing on her mission. So last week I gave this talk...
I am pretty excited to talk about Erika and her mission. She is serving in the Ohio Cincinnati Mission and loving it.
Erika is an awesome letter writer and email writer, which I am grateful for. Her letters are fun to read. She has alway been a very happy girl and that happy spirit is touching a lot of people. She is learning a lot and growing in the gospel. Some things you don't realize you will gain from a mission until you are serving and one of those things we can see is that her mission is helping to heal her heart and many gospel principles she is learning at a whole new level. I think most of you know, but for those that don't, her hero and older brother Cole passes away from cancer just over a year ago. In one of her letters from the MTC she explained how she gained a better understanding of prayer...
(from her letter) "I am so grateful for the gospel and I na so excited to her it with others. In class the other day I came across something that I had to tell you about. We looked up prayer in the bible dictionary and a certain sentence stood out to me, it says, "The object of prayer in's to change the will of God". As I was thinking about it I think that when I was praying for Cole at the end that's exactly what I was doing. I was trying to change Gods will even though I knew he wanted it a different way. I had been thinking a lot about Cole that day and realized that I might have been a little upset at God for not answering my prayers. So I really needed that that day."
She has been able to relate to a lot of people because of this experience with Cole and even though it is hard for her to talk about she shares it often and people open up to her. In one of Cole's blessings it said his experience would help a lot of people, we are seeing the realization of that blessing.
Another thing she learned and shred with us... she said, "On Wednesday we had a new missionary training meeting in the mission home so I got to see most of the missionaries from the MTC which was pretty awesome. I learned a lot and it was really awesome. The first thing that came out of the presidents mouth was what I had been praying about for the last 2 weeks. It was an amazing experience. He also said something else that I thought would be really awesome to share with your all. He said, " The miracle is always at the other side of the trial. If you give up half way through you won't see the miracles." I have never thought about it like that. We get blessings all the time but we don't see miracles without a trial. We have a lot of people that that we are working with right now that want to see their life change and they want to become closer to God by they aren't willing to change anything. They ant to see the miracles because they are going through some trials but they are giving up half way through so they can't see them yet. " I really needed to hear that the week I got that email. It is wonderful how the Lord is aware of each of us and our needs.
She also has told us of her love of the Book of Mormon and how much she is learning. In a letter she wrote, "I have learned a lot about the Book of Mormon. The only advice I have is 1. When you read a chapter think how that applies to you and how does that chapter bring you closer to God. 2. Just like when you go to general conference with a question in your heart and you get more out of it, go to church with a question as well. 3. It's kind of like the first one but, ask your self, what are you doing each day to bring yourself closer to God?" I have loved how what she is learning and applying in her life is helping our family become stronger also! She is a great example to sand we love and miss her.
Serving a state side mission she has not had to eat any super crazy stuff....yet, but one experience she told us about was somewhat of a challenge. She told us, "A bad memory I had this week was I ate a brownie from a less active and there were spiders all over my plate but I ate it anyway because she is the sweetest old lady and I couldn't tell her or it would break her heart. It was nasty! I never want to eat another brownie!!! Then she goes on to say... "Also we went to visit an investigator after dark and she got so mad at us. She told us that we shouldn't be in the neighborhood after dark because it is really scary. She told us never to come at night because a few weeks ago she was out at night and got beat up. Mom don't worry about me by the way. But there have been a few people tell us not to go to certain neighborhoods after dark. Oh and the other day, I have to tell you, It was snowing so we went out shoveling the widows in our wards driveways. We parked at this beer market and when I was getting the shovel out of the car this dude in the car beside me rolled his window down and said, "Hey Girl!" I was ignoring him because I felt so awkward. He said it about 5 times before I looked at him and then he said, "Waz your name girl?" I said SISTER LOVELL. Then he got quiet and said, "Oh sister?" Then he drove off and yelled, "God Bless." It was super funny and super awkward."
"We found a new investigator this week named Stanley and he is hopefully getting baptized this next month. He is super awesome and has a great spirit. He just got rid of his cancer and he is so excited to become closer to the Lord because that is what has helped him through. I am excited to teach him more because I can tell he is going to be an amazing member. When I first taught him I could see him working in the the,pale and being there as people first walk in because he has the greatest smile. I am excited for him."
I want to close with part of her testimony and then quote from Pres. Uchtdorf... "The mission has really changed me. I have already learned so much. I have grown and I am so glad I made the choice to come. I was questioning my decision at first but I wouldn't trade the experiences I have had already for the world."
She is such a great missionary and so eager to teach the gospel!! You probably can't tell how proud I am of her. The scripture she chose to put on her missionary plaque is Alma 29: 9-10... ( I read it in the talk but I'll let you look it up :) It is also part of her testimony.
Pres. Uchtdorf said, " As you lose yourself in there service of others, you discover your own life and your own happiness." I can see this happening in Erika's life and in turn it is strengthening our family as well. I feel so blessed to have the gospel in my life and for Erika's willingness to share the gospel with those people she has the privilege of teaching in Ohio.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Rylee's 1st Birthday! (Kjerstin and Kurtis's daughter) |
