April 20, 2015
So for my last 2 emails home I would like to share in each a
lesson I
learned on my mission and I advise all future missionaries or current
missionaries to ponder on the subject of sacrifice.
As a missionary we sacrifice a lot to come out here into the field. We
give up all our things back home to serve the Lord. I must ask though
to RM's... Did you know before you left on a mission or in the
beginning of your mission how much you would need to sacrifice? What
sacrifices you had to give in order to fulfill the Lord’s work? How
hard it would be to do such a task? Maybe some did know but I believe
a lot of us didn't know that much of the sacrifice we had to give on
our missions until we were tested.
A few months ago my companion, Sister Slater was taking time during
lunch to study. I asked her about it and she had said to me how she
really wants to dig into certain topics that required more time than
we had in studies so she is taking her lunch to study deep topics she
wants to know more about. Her idea impacted me a lot. I really wanted
to do something similar. So I turned to “True to the Faith” and searched
different gospel topics.
As I scrolled down the list "sacrifice" stood out the most. I feel it
is because we are asked to give so much to serve the lord that I
wanted to learn more about how I could give more and what true
sacrifice means.
Friends, I have never felt the spirit so strong in studying a topic
like this. I began to look at scriptures that gave examples and advice
on this subject and my heart has been softened. I have been called to
repentance, I have been filled with the Holy Ghost, my mind has
expanded with knowledge of the importance to sacrifice and most of all
my testimony of sacrifice is strong and firm.
I would like to share some of what I have learned as I searched the
bible on this topic.
In Matthew he gives a wonderful passage that opened my eyes more.
Mathew
29 And every one that hath forsaken (meaning sacrifice) houses, or
brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall
inherit everlasting life.
So by sacrificing our home, family, friends, and so on for Jesus
Christ sake than we can have everlasting life. As I have been on my
mission away from my family, they have received blessings that I don't
know about it but yet profound and needed for what we were going
through. If I hadn't sacrificed to be away from them for a short
period we would have never be given those blessings.
Luke 14 then also adds
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he
hath, he cannot be my disciple.
So if I am not willing to give Heavenly Father my all then I cannot be
his disciple. This sounds harsh but look at it his way. There is a
difference between pride and humility.
When he says this I see someone who is prideful. Who likes his money,
likes his possessions, and likes himself. They aren't willing to give
any of it up or maybe he is willing to give some but he likes it too much
that he doesn't have a desire to give it all
But if we are one who desires. Who has a testimony and knows that by
giving Heavenly Father our all he will give us so much more in return.
Now as we begin this process will we mess up? YES!
In the beginning of my mission I knelt in prayer to Heavenly Father
saying that I will give him all. It was a very powerful and spiritual
experience we had together as I talked with him of how I will do this.
Now as 18 months go by do you think I was perfect at giving him my all? NO!
I fell, I was tempted, I got lost, I got prideful, I got hurt, and so
on. A lot of stumbling blocks hit me and were holding me back from
giving him my all 24/7 but THANK GOODNESS FOR JESUS CHRIST AND HIS
ATONEMENT. Because of him I was able to recommit to God daily and pray
for forgiveness and pray for strength to do better and reflect and
learn on my mistakes.
All he asks though is for us to do all we can to give him out all. He
is not asking for us to be perfect at it or that we can fall or mess
up and then we go to hell. That is not a loving father and I know I
testify that God is a loving father and will be patient and will help
our desires grow and help us give him our all.
It's hard to give our all and not know what God has In store, not
knowing what will happen if we give this up. So how do we do it? in
psalms it says
Psalms 4
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
Sometimes it's hard to trust but God never lies. A lot of us have
a hard time trusting because someone in the past lied and broke our
trust. But does God lie? If God ever lied we would not be here on
earth. The earth would not exist. But because God is honest and never
brakes his promises we have it all. All that will bring us happiness
and return home.
I am so grateful for his lesson I have learned. There is so much more
studies I have done on this topic that I wish to share later and so I
will cut it off here. But I just wish for all future missionaries to
learn and study on this topic. It's so important to give Heavenly
Father our all. It's such a glorious feeling and joy to have a
testimony of it.
And for RM's too, to remember to never stop sacrificing. Dad, you have
given up so much to give us everything and do give Heavenly Father
everything. Mom, you too. You gave us your all because of the love you
have for us. If we love God we will do all he asks and blessings will
pour into our lives. And we all need blessings. I love this idea so
much and I love my Heavenly Father deeply. With all my heart. I know
he loves you too and you too can see the joy that comes from
sacrificing your wants for other important things.
I love you family and friends. I know this church is true. I know God
is love and is real. I know Christ is our savior and will always be
here with us. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.
With great love
Sister Catherine Fletcher
Additionally scripture.
Mathew 10
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life
for my sake shall find it.
Put God first and you'll find yourself. Because you and I are made I
his image. And when we learn and put him first we will begin to see
him within us and that's who we truly are.
learned on my mission and I advise all future missionaries or current
missionaries to ponder on the subject of sacrifice.
As a missionary we sacrifice a lot to come out here into the field. We
give up all our things back home to serve the Lord. I must ask though
to RM's... Did you know before you left on a mission or in the
beginning of your mission how much you would need to sacrifice? What
sacrifices you had to give in order to fulfill the Lord’s work? How
hard it would be to do such a task? Maybe some did know but I believe
a lot of us didn't know that much of the sacrifice we had to give on
our missions until we were tested.
A few months ago my companion, Sister Slater was taking time during
lunch to study. I asked her about it and she had said to me how she
really wants to dig into certain topics that required more time than
we had in studies so she is taking her lunch to study deep topics she
wants to know more about. Her idea impacted me a lot. I really wanted
to do something similar. So I turned to “True to the Faith” and searched
different gospel topics.
As I scrolled down the list "sacrifice" stood out the most. I feel it
is because we are asked to give so much to serve the lord that I
wanted to learn more about how I could give more and what true
sacrifice means.
Friends, I have never felt the spirit so strong in studying a topic
like this. I began to look at scriptures that gave examples and advice
on this subject and my heart has been softened. I have been called to
repentance, I have been filled with the Holy Ghost, my mind has
expanded with knowledge of the importance to sacrifice and most of all
my testimony of sacrifice is strong and firm.
I would like to share some of what I have learned as I searched the
bible on this topic.
In Matthew he gives a wonderful passage that opened my eyes more.
Mathew
29 And every one that hath forsaken (meaning sacrifice) houses, or
brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall
inherit everlasting life.
So by sacrificing our home, family, friends, and so on for Jesus
Christ sake than we can have everlasting life. As I have been on my
mission away from my family, they have received blessings that I don't
know about it but yet profound and needed for what we were going
through. If I hadn't sacrificed to be away from them for a short
period we would have never be given those blessings.
Luke 14 then also adds
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he
hath, he cannot be my disciple.
So if I am not willing to give Heavenly Father my all then I cannot be
his disciple. This sounds harsh but look at it his way. There is a
difference between pride and humility.
When he says this I see someone who is prideful. Who likes his money,
likes his possessions, and likes himself. They aren't willing to give
any of it up or maybe he is willing to give some but he likes it too much
that he doesn't have a desire to give it all
But if we are one who desires. Who has a testimony and knows that by
giving Heavenly Father our all he will give us so much more in return.
Now as we begin this process will we mess up? YES!
In the beginning of my mission I knelt in prayer to Heavenly Father
saying that I will give him all. It was a very powerful and spiritual
experience we had together as I talked with him of how I will do this.
Now as 18 months go by do you think I was perfect at giving him my all? NO!
I fell, I was tempted, I got lost, I got prideful, I got hurt, and so
on. A lot of stumbling blocks hit me and were holding me back from
giving him my all 24/7 but THANK GOODNESS FOR JESUS CHRIST AND HIS
ATONEMENT. Because of him I was able to recommit to God daily and pray
for forgiveness and pray for strength to do better and reflect and
learn on my mistakes.
All he asks though is for us to do all we can to give him out all. He
is not asking for us to be perfect at it or that we can fall or mess
up and then we go to hell. That is not a loving father and I know I
testify that God is a loving father and will be patient and will help
our desires grow and help us give him our all.
It's hard to give our all and not know what God has In store, not
knowing what will happen if we give this up. So how do we do it? in
psalms it says
Psalms 4
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
Sometimes it's hard to trust but God never lies. A lot of us have
a hard time trusting because someone in the past lied and broke our
trust. But does God lie? If God ever lied we would not be here on
earth. The earth would not exist. But because God is honest and never
brakes his promises we have it all. All that will bring us happiness
and return home.
I am so grateful for his lesson I have learned. There is so much more
studies I have done on this topic that I wish to share later and so I
will cut it off here. But I just wish for all future missionaries to
learn and study on this topic. It's so important to give Heavenly
Father our all. It's such a glorious feeling and joy to have a
testimony of it.
And for RM's too, to remember to never stop sacrificing. Dad, you have
given up so much to give us everything and do give Heavenly Father
everything. Mom, you too. You gave us your all because of the love you
have for us. If we love God we will do all he asks and blessings will
pour into our lives. And we all need blessings. I love this idea so
much and I love my Heavenly Father deeply. With all my heart. I know
he loves you too and you too can see the joy that comes from
sacrificing your wants for other important things.
I love you family and friends. I know this church is true. I know God
is love and is real. I know Christ is our savior and will always be
here with us. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.
With great love
Sister Catherine Fletcher
Additionally scripture.
Mathew 10
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life
for my sake shall find it.
Put God first and you'll find yourself. Because you and I are made I
his image. And when we learn and put him first we will begin to see
him within us and that's who we truly are.
Pictures sent by members to me
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