The Character of Christ:)

 August 11th, 2014

Good morning, good morning! ( singing in the rain:)

Myself and Sister Blake with our coconut cake we made for the wedding!

I sure love my family. Today as I was looking at old pictures I was struck by a gratitude for how much Heavenly Father loves me that He's enabled me to grow up in the gospel and continue forward in faith. This was quite the week of faith!

First off, the wedding of Monika and Tadeusz wasn't our investigator. Sadly:) This couple are both members and Monika has been waiting a lot time faithfully to be married in the temple and she finally got her dream!!! It was a lovely wedding, our Monika actually had to go to the hospital with her mom for the week and so we didn't get to meet with her, but we have faith that she's doing well!

We did find a new eternal friend this week! ( I'm kind of sick of calling them new investigators:) Her name is Kinga and she's wonderful! We met on Monday and the lesson went really well and then she came to church on Sunday. Before church we watched the restoration video and it is so true! I was really praying that the Spirit would be there during the meeting and it definitely was. As I was watching it I just realized that the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ is SO LOVELY! There is so much good that has come from it. At church the Spirit was strong and we all felt it, including Kinga! We'll see how she keeps progressing! Miracles abounding.

Another miracle... this week we were praying to know where to go contacting and we decided on Nowe Miasto. So we went there and were walking around talking with people, for a couple of hours we shared the gospel, and then took an ice cream break:) As we were walking back up the street eating our ice cream, Sis. Blake noticed a Chinese woman sitting by a window shop who she wanted to talk to! She couldn't speak English or polish but then this young girl came out of the store and asked us what we wanted and she looked at our name tags and said... oh you're missionaries!!! Whoah!!! She ended up being the daughter of this mom who had been living in Poland where Sis. Barth is and was being taught by her. She and her family were on their way to Switzerland to drop her off at school where she'll now be studying. We were able to bear witness of the gospel and it give her one more witness that she should meet with missionaries in Swiss. It was a miracle! The right place and the right time for that person!

Family History Board!! 

Then another miracle happened, we decided this week to do a family history board!!! We even spiced it up a bit by dressing up like 50's girls to talk with people on the street. It was really good and we met some cool people( hearts of the children:) but the real miracle took place later. We were walking back from Nowy świat and I was looking at the restaurants and saw everyone drinking alcohol, except one mom and her daughters. I smiled at them, and I heard her lean over and quietly say to her daughter ( hey, it's the sister missionaries) Whoah! I stopped and said, "are you a member? " She ended up being an inactive member who was there with her daughters for a few days. She had the SAME conversion story almost identically to Sis. Poklinkowska. We told her to remember what she knew, to search the scriptures and to make the first steps back to activity. It testified to me that the Lord loves all His children. Truly He does. His hand is always extended.Count your blessings:) Suddenly I remembered all of these miracles we saw.

Something else I'd like to share is what I learned this week. I was feeling a lot of irritation and frustration and comparison for the past few weeks and was not relying on the Spirit because of this. This week I decided that I needed to change. I needed the Savior's atonement to take place in my heart, that it could in others. I really prayed to know what to do, what the first step should be. I was led to Matthew 14. Please read it tonight. It is a lovely story of the true character of the Savior Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ , my friends, isn't knowledge.It's better. It is inner confidence and assurance that my spirit loves and relies on Him and that He loves and loves and loves me as well. This is true for all of us. I believe in Christ. Faith in Christ is understanding that His promises are sure, it is experimenting on His words and being humble enough to accept the answer. As we act even in a twig of faith, Heavenly Father allows us to grow it. I have seen this on my mission in others, in world history, in the scriptures, in myself. I had so many experiences this week that allowed me to remember and rely on the Savior. I stand as a witness of His love.

I realized that I desired to change and be like Him! but how? Well in Matt. 14 I found my answer and the Spirit confirmed by what Pres. Jaggard calls a " Spiritual hug" it isn't just a warmth like a hug but it envelops my mind, my heart, and my soul. It is love:) Anyways, that's how I think it's best described for me. Christ just found out about the death of His trusted friend, John the Baptist, who died in a terrible way. He surely NEEDED and wanted to get to the mountaintop to pray and seek comfort and guidance, but along His journey He is met by the thousands. People with sick children, evil spirits, terrible illnesses and spiritual baggage from sin. I don't know how He felt, but I know what He did. In deep love and sacrifice He healed them, taught them, and even when the disciples were ready to leave, He fed them and prayed for them. Then, and only after loving and caring instruction and goodbyes, did He retire to the mountain to pray. This experience, coupled with many others allowed me to see that the thing I need to change is to stop stressing about me and my spirituality and if I'm progressing and growing in the gospel well-enough and look out. Like the Savior.

I don't intend to perfect this or be the best at it right off the bat, but I have faith that as I act on my faith that I've acquired through years and years that I too will be able to love as Christ did. To look outside of myself, and even when I feel anxious or scared or insufficient that I remember others and see their needs and trust in the Savior to provide.

Sister Pokli and myself preparing to paint fingernails!

I learned so much this week. Spiritual experiences don't happen like this every day, and every week can't feel that way, but I'm grateful for the opportunity I had.I have faith in the Savior. His promises are sure. I have seen this in my life as He's guided and directed me to where I need to be and who I need to become. If we feel we're drowning but we are living true to our commandments then it truly is like being in shallow water, we just need to put our feet down on the foundation the Savior has built and we've worked towards. The foundation of faith.

I love being a missionary. I miss my family and care about you all alot and got a sweet sweet e-mail from my harmie pants that made my day;) These things help me look outside. I have a testimony of the truth of my message, and I've seen the fruits of it in many many people's lives, including my own!

The Church is True!

Love, Siostra Ali Hemming