18 February 2013 - The Gift of Faith

Just got transfer calls. I'm staying in Alexander Heights and my new companion will be Sister Donaldson. She is from Victoria. Sister Fowler is leaving to Thornlie in Southern River zone and she will be going with Sister Myers. Elder Patuaka is going to Waneroo, Elder Tracy will stay in Ellenbrook with Elder Peiffer, Elder Walters is staying with Elder Segi our new DL (this means war!!!! ahahahaha!) in Girawheen and Elder Jenkins is leaving and Elder Robinson is coming to be our zone leader with Elder Dalton. Elder Sovral is going to Kalgoorlie. haha. We were all joking he would go there and now he is.

This last week has been different but good. We got a referral to go see who wanted to meet missionaries, got to his door and he said he only gave his address to the missionaries so he could have us come to him so he could tell us we were demons and going to the pit of hell with mormon who is a demon aswell, where we belong. then we contacted another man on his front lawn who called us anti-christs AHAHAHAHAHAHA. I've been called many things in my life but this was the first time for anti-christ and demon. People make me laugh.

I also had a life changing experience on Friday with someone who I  hadn't seen in 3 months and he said I seemed different. I told him of my experience with Elder Pearson's visit and how I have prayed for over a year on my mission for help from Heavenly Father to gain that desire and to not feel despair constantly or regret or that I'm not good enough. I have studied so much, cried and fasted and prayed more than I ever have in my life and still recieved nothing but a little over a year later I think Heavenly Father has given me the gift of faith. I then told my friend how now I just wished I hadn't wasted a year of my mission to find this out. He then told me the story of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Joseph Smith stood in a meeting and publicly humiliated and berated Brigham Young for something he hadn't even done. Brigham could have turned around and bit back but he took it all then said: "Joseph, what would you have me do?" Joseph burst into tears and came and hugged Brigham Young and simply said "you passed". My friend asked me if I thought I had passed?  Of course I thought I could have done better in the year but he said he thought it sounded like I had passed. Heavenly Father wanted to test me with all these feelings and challenges all on top of one another to see if I would still do his work even if I felt alone.

It has taken 22 years, 3 months and 1 day, but I finally have the gift of faith. I know it in my heart. "I cannot deny it", as Joseph Smith said. I have felt God's love and there's no looking back.

I know some would say "you had faith before" etc but really I didn't. It was only a desire. A particle of faith. Now it is real.

We also set 2 baptismal dates this week with our African investigators Sarah and her daughter Miriam. We are preparing them for the 16th of March.

I found out a few weeks ago I am serving with another relative! Sister (Adele) Bailey is related to Uncle Tony. I think he is her uncle too.

“[To have Faith in Christ] means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.”
- C.S. Lewis