Talking to EVERYONE

This week was a definite growing experience for me. So since  I have been out now for about a year, I had begun to reflect on my expectations I had set for myself at the beginning of my mission. I realized that though I had come a long way, I still was not at all where I had expected myself to be. For a moment I got a bit discouraged and quite a bit frustrated, however, Heavenly Father is so very mindful of me and I came across this scripture in Jacob chapter 4 verse 7, which says"The Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace and his great condescension unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things." I recognized that it is ok to fall short, to be imperfect and still improving, for we know that we are given weaknesses to be humble. 

  So I began to ponder on how I might be able to humble myself to recognize the hand of God in this work. So I decided to focus on one of my weaknesses this week and work hard to improve it, I chose talking to everyone. Not just those people who are at the cash register or walk past you on the street, we took it to the next level and pulled over our car to talk to anyone who we saw. Now I know this may seem sort of silly, because aren't missionaries always supposed to talk to everyone, but I had begun to let my fear keep me from even reaching out. However, as I prayed for the strength and courage, we talked to everyone this week,  and the results were miraculous!!!

   It was an amazing opportunity to, on a daily basis many times during the day, to testify of our Savior Jesus Christ. We handed out a bunch of copies of the Book of Mormon, and we now have so many more people to teach. One lady even thanked us for"bringing our shining spirits to brighten up her day." Don't get me wrong, there were many who were not interested, but we figured it out and for every two that were not interested, two accepted us!! It is true that by ourselves, we are weak and imperfect, but when we partner ourselves with our Savior and rely on his strength, anything and everything is possible. 

~ With Bunches of Love,

 Sister Jordan

Mailing Address: 1109 E 66th Street

Kearney, NE 68847

Hope and Happiness

     In my studies this morning, we sang the song, "We are all enlisted" And the last verse has stuck with me all day. First, " Fighting for a kingdom, and the world is our foe; Happy are we! Happy are we!" I thought that was funny, we are fighting but happy, how does that work? The answer for this happiness  is found in the last stanza, "Dangers may gather--why should we fear? Jesus, our Leader, ever is near. He will protect us, comfort, and cheer. We're joyfully, joyfully marching to our home." And it hit me, oh my goodness this is soo true!! With just having hit my year mark, going home is an upcoming reality, which truthfully fills me with a bit of worry and fear. This world is crazy and it gets worse daily, as a missionary we are sheltered from most worries and struggles, but that is not how it will be when I get home. 

       However, I realized this week, that I need not fear, because as I tell all who I come in contact with,  we can have hope and happiness as we center our lives on our Savior Jesus Christ. Here in Kearney we recently had our stake conference, and wouldn't you know it,  the topic was how we can better live a Christ centered life. I want to share just the highlights of numerous wonderful and inspirational talks. To live a more Christ centered life, we need to make prayer, scripture study and church attendance priorities, not just for ourselves individually but as families, eliminate bad influences by asking yourself the question, "If the Savior walked in would I feel comfortable watching, reading talking etc....?", to attend the temple as often as possible, and lastly to make it a family effort. There is immense strength in uniting together for one purpose as a family. Life is not easy, nor was it meant to be, it is a time of testing and trial. The only solution to lasting and eternal happiness lies in our Savior Jesus Christ and obedience to his commandments.

       Though the world will tell us these commandments are restrictive and imposing, in reality, they free us from Satan's temptations and allow us to determine ourselves all that we do.  My invitation to you is to try and choose something that will more fully center your life on Christ, something that will stretch you and exercise your faith. I can promise you, because this is what I have discovered first hand, that as you more fully try and center your life on the Savior, all other fears will disappear, you will be happy in any circumstance, and you will be filled with a joy that will radiate and effect all who you come in contact with!

~ With Bunches of Love,

 Sister Jordan

Mailing Address: 1109 E 66th Street

Kearney, NE 68847

Real Intent
This week was just wonderful as usual! Had so many great lessons, had our mission "Olympic tryouts" (I qualified in the ladder sprints), an amazing missionary meeting full of the Spirit (at which we gave a training about the importance of real intent), and ended our week with a concert by the BYU Idaho Symphony! It was the best!!!! This week though, I want to tell you about one of our investigators who is a perfect example of someone with the "real intent" we read about in Moroni 10:5. He is a young boy, about 15 years old, right now he is in a youth correctional facility, so we go there to visit and teach him. A little bit of background, he has had an extremely rough upbringing and there fore learned some not so great habits, a couple of which landed him here in the facility. Though he is 15 his understanding is of someone who is about 10, but he honestly has a heart of gold, and a hunger to learn about God and to do what is right. We have been teaching him for about three months now, an the growth he has made is tremendous!!! He prays everyday, especially when he get angry at his group members, he has been reading from the Book of Mormon, and greatest of all, he says he is beginning to feel God's love for him. Funny story, this week, we were teaching the Ten Commandments and also that we need to love our neighbors. In his child like  innocence, he thought we meant he had to be "in love" with everyone including his mom haha He was like, "that's kinda weird..." So we explained that is was a family love and not in a romantic way. When I first met him, I just wanted to take him home to Mama so she could love him and teach him right. Though sometimes I still have the desire to rescue him from the situation that he is in, I realize I am helping him on such a deeper level. By teaching him the gospel and showing him how to live a better life, our Heavenly Father is embracing him and supporting him, giving him the love and guidance he needs to become a better person, not just now but forever. This gospel is wonderful, life changing and so simple a child can understand it. Seeing the beauty of the gospel at work in this young man's life changing him and shaping him is too wonderful to adequately express in words. This is why I am a missionary! Not just now, but forever, because all need to know of the power and support that is in our Savior Jesus Christ and the love that God has for each and every one of us. 

~ With Bunches of Love,

 Sister Jordan

Mailing Address: 1109 E 66th Street

Kearney, NE 68847

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY - APRIL 1, 2016

SILLY FACES!

UNITY (one year anniversary, April 1, 2016 - WOW!!)

Oh man, this weekend was General Conference weekend!!!!!! I  seriously felt like a kid on Christmas, haha, I was sooo sad when it was over:/   I LOVED soo many of the talks, and how most talked, a lot, about our divine nature, and the potential we have for greatness, but that greatness can only be grown through the opposition of trials. My favorite was, as always, President Utchdorf. He spoke on the importance of obedience, and how it is a symbol of our faith, and love for the Savior. I also like the Father talk by Elder Christoferson, even though I'm not a father, or a mother, haha.  Still, I feel like the principles apply, because I am still trying to come closer to Heavenly Father, and this talk perfectly outlines more things I can do:) 

 Another interesting theme, I recognized this conference was that of unity. Uniting us all through prayers of faith for the speakers and choir. Unity in the fact that we all have trials and afflictions. Unity in all being beloved children of a most high God. Unity through the equal opportunity we all have to be strengthened, and cleansed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Unity with God through the blessing of the temple, and the power that comes from a united, Christ centered family. There is great power in unity, as we learn in Mosiah 18:21, that the people should "look forward with one eye, having one faith, and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity, and in love, one towards another." Having our hearts knitted together in love, focusing on our Savior, is the only safety in this crazy and confused world. 

I pray that we may all remember the things taught to us this conference.  We know that Christ has ordained these men to be prophets seers and revelators, that through them we can receive inspiration and guidance for ourselves and our families, thus to keep us safe and bring us peace. May we reverence their words, and study them as if the Lord himself had spoken them. May we also remember the words to the hymn"I Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet", "When dark clouds of trouble hang o'er us and threaten our peace to destroy, there is hope smiling brightly before us!" I know that hope come from the words of our living prophets and apostles today and we will not be led astray.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

~ With Bunches of Love,

 Sister Jordan

Mailing Address: 1109 E 66th Street

Kearney, NE 68847