8/25/14

Hey family and friends!

This week has been super super crazy . . . I feel like I always start my emails like that, but I feel like every week in the mission is crazy and awesome, lol. 

On saturday, Angy, who´s 15, the only member of her family that wasn´t a member of the church, got baptized on saturday! It´s so awesome, because when I got here about 3 months ago, when we´d do Family Home Evenings in her house, she would go in her room and wouldn´t even want to talk to us or anything . . . I don´t know what changed, but God was definitely working on her. She went from being really closed off person, that wouldn´t even smile and greet people, to being lively and happy and the youth of the ward just flocking to her. She´s so super happy and her baptism was beautiful, because of her glowing testimony. She said that she can´t wait to go on a mission and that the gospel hasn´t just changed her life but it´s changed HER. 

I think that´s really what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about: Change. That´s the whole purpose of our time here on earth. We are a part of an eternal progression, and progression can´t come without change. Sometimes change is really hard. Change of cities, homes, friends, school, habbits, personality traits . . . it´s all needed for our benefit and growth. There is something that is often overlooked in the parable of the rich man, that I absolutely love. When the young rich man approaches Christ, he asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Christ tells him to keep the commandments. He then replies that he has kept the commandments since his youth, and then asks Christ, ¨What lack I yet?¨ 

How often are we willing to sincerely ask the Lord what we lack, and what we need to perfect and change in ourselves to become better than we are? I encourage all of you to go to the Lord in sincere prayer and ask Him, ¨Lord, what lack I yet.¨ Because, like He told us in Ether 12:27 of the Book of Mormon, if we come unto Him, He will show unto us our weaknesses, and if we are humble and have faith, He will help us that they may become strengths. It´s not easy to change, but I know if we have a humble and willing heart, the Lord will help us progress and become a better person than we were before. 

I know that this gospel is true and that God has an eternal plan for the salvation and exaltation of His children. I love you all so much and I hope you have a great week! 

Love,

Hna. Hulse