Act Upon This Land...as Instruments in the Hands of the Lord

Familie!

This week was full of lots of wonderful miracles. One of the biggest was a referral we received a little while ago. We tried looking her up once before but she wasn't home. This week we went back and she was there. We had no more information about her than her name and address, so we didn't really know what to expect. She just let us in and we saw that she had an English Book of Mormon already, and we asked about it. She said that she had received it from Elders in Germany while on vacation and that she wanted to learn more about it and about our religion. We had a really short lesson with her right there, and then set up another appointment for a few days later. We came back with a Chinese Book of Mormon, (she's here from China studying) which she was really excited about. She doesn't yet believe in God, but she would like to develop more faith and is really excited to learn. She said that she got a feeling of peace and that that is part of what she is hoping that religion can give her. She had already begun reading the Bible so she does have some basic understanding of religion. When we asked her if she would be baptized if she knew that it was true she accepted whole-heartedly! She's excited to read the Book of Mormon and she's really open right now. At the end she said her first prayer ever and it was beautiful--it was so innocent and clearly straight from her heart.

I read an article from the Liahona earlier this week entitled, "Act Upon This Land As for Years." (https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/08/young-adults/act-upon-this-land-as-for-years?lang=eng) It stated, "When we 'act upon this land as for years,' we begin to recognize opportunities we may not have seen before. We may also see that some of these opportunities may never come our way again." It is not always easy to have this attitude, but it is an important one, because it's how we learn how to truly endure to the end. We are not here on earth to ever just put in time doing something. There is always something to learn, and always someone to be lifted. We really are just instruments in the hands of God. Sometimes He uses us for big, great, visible things--other times we're seed-planters or even seed-waterers. But God gives the increase (see 1 Corinthians 3:6-9: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-cor/3.6-9?lang=eng).  God brings the harvest. It is our privilege to participate in His work in whatever way or capacity He wants us to. there are lwas in God's harvest. And we may not see the results until we look back at the valleys from the peaks of experience, or even until after this life. But the harvest is there. This is the Lord's work. And we have the privilege to be instruments in His hands to work miracles.

I loved General Conference! I hope you all did as well. It is always one of my favorite times of the whole year. I am so grateful that I get the privilege of being here at this time and serving the Lord in this way. I know that what I am doing is the Lord's work. And I know that I am called to be here at this time by a man who is nothing less than a prophet of God. I know that the Church is true and that the gospel brings us back to our Father in Heaven.

I love you all so much! Keep up the good work and keep being happy. That's the best part. The gospel just makes you happy. :)

 

Love,

Zuster Stevens