March 10, 2014

This week has been so spiritually uplifting. I was able to hear Elder Ballard come speak to our mission on Tuesday, and John Bytheway came to our Stake Women's Conference on Saturday. I learned so much about how to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him. I learned that we too often think we are supposed to be perfect, and then come unto Christ, but it doesn't work like that. If you had to be perfect to enter the temple, we'd have 142 empty temples. There's a difference between being worthy, and being perfect, and when we understand that, we judge others less and feel more hope for ourselves as well. I've also learned that we need to enjoy our lives as they happen, and not wish our lives away, saying that we'd rather be somewhere in the future than right now. Pslam 118:24 says, "This is the day which the Lord hath made, rejoice and be glad in it." Being happy to be yourself, wherever you are at, is so important. 

My tripanionship has had some health struggles this week, and yet as we worked our hardest, we touched many people and I was so blessed to see some of the results of our efforts. I visited an elderly couple while I was on splits with a member, and we invited them to come back to church and partake of the Sacrament again. The very next day, Sunday, they were sitting in the congregation! We also found 3 new people who are ready to be taught and 2 are a mother and 10 year old daughter who just moved here. They found themselves without a home and some distant relatives they'd never met (who live in our area) took them in and are helping them out. They came to church on Sunday and the mother cried during church and said the talks all seemed to be just for her. 

We also have a new Senior Missionary couple assigned to our stake, and they are such a blessing already to us. They are visiting the older people in our area who need help with enduring to the end and overcoming offense or other issues that hold them back from coming to church. They are so wonderful--and they live in this stake already, so when we leave, they'll always be here. They are called "live at home-member/missionary support" senior couples, and every stake in the church will be getting them at some point. That means 67 senior couples just for our mission! The work truly is hastening, and the Lord's hand is in it because it's His work. How blessed I am to be a small part of it!

Hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Sister Fluegel