So, I know by now you're all sick of my
emails every week, missionary life is pretty much the same day in and
day out. But I can honestly say you slowly start to love it! And then,
when you start to get good at it, they send you home! It's a weird
system! But it's OK, I am still far from being good at this, so they're
gonna give me another year and a half! I'm PUMPED!
We
had a crazy awesome experience this week! We were sitting in sacrament
meeting yesterday with an investigator, and during one of the talks,
someone brought up the Word of Wisdom, and how we as members of the
church don't drink tea or coffee. The investigator leaned over to us,
and she asked "You don't drink or coffee?" I told her we don't drink it
because it's a commandment from God,.and told her the Word of Wisdom
also included no smoking or drinking alcohol, or doing drugs. She told
us "Oh, I don't smoke or drink, but I love to drink tea!" and leaned
back over. After a second, she leaned toward us again and said "Other
churches didn't tell me that was bad, am I in trouble?" I laughed and
told her she didn't know, so she was OK, and then she told us right
there that she would start living it. We hadn't even taught it yet! It
was so awesome! The Spirit was definitely testifying to her!
Also,
this week we had Zone Conference, and we talked about repentance,and
one of the missionaries compared repentance to a shot at the Doctor.
When we sin, it's like getting sick. When we're sick, we feel bad, and
we want our pain to go away. We try what we can to ix it, but it just
doesn't help sometimes. But if someone came up to you wanting to stick a
needle in your arm, telling you it would make your sickness go away,
you probably wouldn't believe them. You know that being stabbed by a
needle hurts, and you don't want that pain. But when the doctor explains
the shot, and tells you that what's inside will get rid of the pain,
and how it works, you are willing to take the small pain of a needle,
with the assurance you will feel better in the end. Repentance is
exactly the same. We all have sins and mistakes, and those mistakes and
those sins make us feel bad, and we don't like feeling bad. We want the
pain to go away. We try different things to make it go away, and
sometimes we can distract ourselves from it, but it's still there in the
end. But then if someone came up to you and told you there was a way to
get rid of that pain, that it might hurt for a minute, but in the end,
you would feel so much better, what would you do? If they explained that
because of a perfect Savior, because of the sacrifice of someone who
loves you more than you can imagine, you could be healed, and feel whole
again, what would you say? I can testify that repentance, like a shot,
works. That sometimes it's hard, and it hurts. We have to be willing to
confess things, to ourselves and to the Lord, that hurt our pride, hurt
our ego. But, if we are wiling to put away our pride, our ego, and
completely humble ourselves before the Lord, recognize how imperfect and
flawed we truly are, and ask Him sincerely for His help, doing
everything we can to make things right, He promises to take that pain,
and give us peace. We all have mistakes, every single one of us, and
sometimes we think that we just have to suffer for the things we did
wrong. Well, I can testify that that is not true. Jesus Christ, through
His Atoning sacrifice, already suffered for our sins, and our pains, our
mistakes, why would He want us to do it again? He loves us, more than
we can comprehend, and so He bore the weight of our sins for us. I am
eternally grateful for my Savior, for the perfect, unchanging love He
has for me, and the mercy he has shown someone so imperfect, so
rebellious and prideful. I am truly humbled by His sacrifice, and I
cannot accurately put into words how truly astounding it is. But I love
pondering on the words of the Hymn "I Stand All Amazed". That He, the
perfect Son, would descend from His throne divine, to rescue a soul, so
rebellious and proud as mine. I truly tremble to know that for ME, he
was crucified. That for ME, a sinner, He suffered, He bled and died. I
love my Savior, and I am so grateful for His sacrifice, and the
opportunity I have to repent, and feel peace once more.
I
love you all, and I can truly testify that our Father in Heaven loves
you, too. I hope you all have a good week, and remember the Savior, and
His love for you, always.
Love,
Elder Shope
施長老
