Dear family,
All of upstate New York seems to be on storm watch. President Wirthlin has given us guidelines and we will be prepared for whate'er comes our way (sorry, I just watched the AWESOME new Bible video on lds.org and I'm now in Old English mode). I'm not sure how big the storm will be up here in New Hartford--we'll wait and see. We have food and water and blankets and a flashlight, so we should be okay. :)
Protocol for Halloween is to be inside at 6 pm unless we have an appointment, but with the storm a-coming...again, we'll see.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROBERT!!! I hope your sixteenth is most magnificent! And have so much fun with Lindsay at MORP. It'll be a great time. I LOVE YOU! I can't believe you're three days away from being 16. That's weird. Do you remember this, Christie, from when you were in the SDRCM? How strange.
Sister Castaneda and I had such a great week last week! We met a lot of people who seem to be searching to find God and truth, and it's been very neat to just be guided by the Spirit to say the things we needed to and to invite them to do what will most help them. Heavenly Father knows His children perfectly, and He lets His servants know what they need so we can help them! What a marvelous work and calling! We met a young man, for instance, who is getting ready to join the Marine Corps, and it just so happens that he'd like to join a church before that happens. He expressed how upset he gets by the hypocrisy he often sees in different churches and church goers, and that he just wants to know the truth. Hmmm...Hahaha. Needless to say, we talked and told him about the Book of Mormon and all of the goodness of Jesus Christ's church being restored, and that he can find out FOR HIMSELF from God the truth. Then we gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and invited him to church. We're hoping to see him again this week.
I've been reading in the end of Helaman and the beginning of 3 Nephi, and what keeps standing out is how sneaky and persistent Satan is. Whenever something good is going to happen to us, he battles with the bad. Of course we know that there needs to be opposition in all things or else we wouldn't know the good (2 Nephi 2), but it's just been so interesting to be reminded that we need to STICK TO OUR FAITH or else we can be battered by the devil's counter attacks. And something the Nephites did in 3 Nephi 3:21 was gather together in the "center of [their] lands" against the incoming attack of the Gadianton robbers. Don't leave room for softness or weakness! The enemy of our soul and happiness doesn't give up, so we can't either. It's so comforting to know that God will not give up either. He is always the perfectly steadfast Captain of our souls. This is probably scrambled, but I've just been thinking a lot about opposition. Elder Andersen said in this most recent General Conference that our challenges can either strengthen or destroy our faith--it's up to us! So...in connection to us this past week, we've had some really, really great times, and we've also had some debilitating lows, but it always ends high and good when we keep going in faith. Likewise, our dear friend who's baptism is coming up experienced some SERIOUS opposition last week and we've been struggling with her to help her through. Good thing we're not alone to cope with all of life's craziness. Everything will work out. One of the reasons I love reading so much, especially the scriptures, is because I can see so clearly how things get better, why they get better, and how they get better. Heavenly Father loves us so much to give us the great comfort of the scriptures, and the Spirit that accompanies reading them.
This area...has hugely blossomed. I'm amazed. It's true, we aren't steadily teaching a large number of "non-members" every week, but those members who've kind of fallen off the path a bit or gotten lost, we get to see them and help them, and the members are starting to respond more, and OH! I wish you could just be here and experience this, too! It's not enough for us to be passive in Jesus Christ's Church or His Gospel--we need to go and rescue others as guided by our loving and ever-patient Father. This life is NOT just about "me, me, me." We are preparing to meet our Father once more, and report back to Him how we did in becoming like Him. How can we become like Him and report well if we don't help His other children, reach out, UNCIRCLE OUR WAGONS? God loves us so He expects us to be better, to do better--even if it's just a little bit more every day--so we can achieve our potential. He can see our potential, but I'm not sure that we always can/do.
We're having a great time in New Hartford! I love and miss you!! You are bright sunshine for me when I'm too stuck in the muck--thank you! Have a FABULOUS week, and I can't wait to hear from you again next week. :)
Love for always,
Sister Smith
P.S. The picture is of me and Minerva McGonnagal (I'm pretty sure that's spelled incorrectly, but I've been away from my HP for too long) at the Primary Halloween Party
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