Note from this Missionary Mom: DOUBLE DIGITS!! WE ARE AT 99 DAYS!!

 

 

Hello neat people that I love :)

Operation Gratitude service project

Sister Ipson One Year Mark

My District

Welcome back<3

 This week:We decided to focus this week on finding. We heard many miracles from missionaries spending a lot of effort into knocking, so we decided to try it out! We knocked for straight up 6 hrs one day and many more hours throughout the week!

I can honestly say I have never had so much opposition, hate, cursing, and rejection my whole mission!! haha...

Weighed down from the wickedness of the world, we were pretty tired and disappointed with the lack of fruit from our efforts.

BUT after sacrament, a member approached us. She told us she and a friend had gotten into a gospel discussion. She asked her about Joseph Smith and said while bearing her testimony about the First Vision, she got emotional and her friend got the chills! Her friend was astounded and asked to take the lessons!!

I was then reminded that there are many unseen efforts among us and I need to have better trust in God.

I've been thinking a lot about opposition. Elder Oaks gave a phenomenal talk this past conference titled "Opposition in All Things". Even though it's not always pleasant, I need to remember that opposition is essential in order to exercise our agency and to progress. We wouldn't know joy if we knew not misery. Opposition is a good thing.

But I also got thinking about how they say: "God will never give you anything you cannot handle" and that's usually used in regards to a negative connotation, but I think it's also relevant to positive things as well. For example, I don't think I would win the lottery tomorrow because God knows I wouldn't be able to handle it (of course there's exceptions, but generally I think this principle is fixed).

The same goes for all the little things in our lives. We have to be in the position to receive the blessings God is willing to grant us.

I think that's why we talk so much about "God's timing is perfect" and "God's way is always the best way" because by God's way and God's timing, we are transformed into the people that are in the position to receive His great blessings.

I know what matters to me matters to God and He is willing to grant us our righteous desires, but I'm also aware that sometimes He'll lead us on a path that we wouldn't even THINK about going on, to attain that righteous goal, because His way is the best way and sometimes it leads us not only to what we desired, but something MUCH better.

It is in these unknown paths He leads us on, in these hard to understand circumstances, and sometimes in the over-bearing opposition that is NECESSARY in order for us to be FIT for the next blessing and the next step closer to exaltation with our loving Father.

I am far from perfect. I am still being polished in the furnace of afflictions and humility every day haha, but I know as long as I am doing all I can to keep the commandments, I can conquer ANYTHING with the Lord.

I love you humans with all the loves in the world. Hope your week rocks as much as Thors abs :,)

Peace and Blessings,

Sis D

PS have more PATIENCE. Phenomenal Mormon message by Uchtdorf about patience and little kids with marshmellows lol...

"Continue in Patience" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=654QGjYHlJY