VISA ahhhhhh

Ya' at eeh!!!

sooo I got my VISA. I am leaving tomorrow for the Brazil MTC where I will spend two weeks in "intensive language training" then back into the field. So excited!

Other than that we had a pretty non-eventful week because it was spring break here and everyone was gone or busy. But we did find out that we had an apostate baptism a couple weeks ago. Remember Sylvia whose husband baptized her...yeah, Myron was only a teacher in the aaronic priesthood come to find out. As missionaries we tell people that they need to be baptized by the proper priesthood authority...and then we baptize with the wrong authority. All the missionaries in our district laughed at us. They told us that technically the bishop should have checked, but still we were a part of it so...whoops! Bet only a handful of missionaries have done that before. Now the problem is that someone has to break the news to Sylvia and Myron. I feel bad for leaving Sister Hammond and her new companion to deal with this mess, but its the Lord's work and it will all workout in the end. But yeah, I was part of an apostate baptism...nice.

We had a lesson with one of our investigators, Crystal, on Saturday night. She is so cute. She has been reading a little bit of the Book of Mormon and it is confusing to her, so we read effectively with her from 1 Nephi 2. It went really well, but one of the most powerful parts of the lesson was when Morgan, a 16 year old member who came to the lesson with us, bore testimony about how living the gospel is hard but worth it. It really made Crystal think about it and I could tell that she felt the Spirit. I am grateful for the power of the spirit that we feel when we bear testimony or hear testimonies being born. The Spirit also touched the heart of Crystal's dad who is also a non-member. He had never made a comment in any of our lessons before but always sat there quietly. This time he made a couple comments about faith. Sister Hammond was able to testify to him, and he seemed pretty receptive. With some people, it is a slow process but I know that the Spirit was there and was able to touch his heart, his wife's heart (his wife is less active and trying to get back with her family), and Crystal's heart (Crystal is 14 and excited about the gospel for the most part). I am grateful to be able to teach families because they can one day receive temple blessings together. I love the plan of salvation. One sister made a comment in Relief Society about how science can show how the world/universe works (a leads to b; b makes c; etc), but science cannot tell us WHY; the plan of salvation can. I am grateful for the answers that I have and the purpose that guides my life.

Yesterday, a high councilman spoke about commitment, basically conversion to the gospel. He talked about how Arabian horses are trained. Basically, the master rings a bell and the horses must come immediately. These horses are trained to race and obey. They need to be broken because they are naturally stubborn. When they are babies, they grow up running with their mothers to answer the call of the master. Then when the colt is 2 or 3 years old, the master has to see how obedient that really are. After 3 days and nights of no food or water, the colt is put to the test. Food/hay and water are brought right outside the corral. The horse is excited and ready to eat. The gate is opened and as the horse is about to run and eat and drink, the master rings the bell. The horse is expected to deny the pangs of hunger and answer the call of the master. If he does, he is chosen to race. When we are called, do we answer? do we deny our appetites(what we want) and obey? There is a cool video on lds.org about it- "Arabian horse". There is also a talk by Royden G. Derrick called "The Beatitudes and Our Perfection" where he compares the master to missionaries. He says:

"Under a mandate from the Lord we have 25,000 young men who are sifting the people of the world to find those that are submissive to Him and to thewhisperings of the Holy Spirit. We are finding an increasing number throughout the nations of the world who respond, but the vast majority prefer to satisfytheir own appetites and to do things their own way instead of the Lord’s way. When we love the Lord we will submit ourselves to his plan and serve him with allof our heart, might, mind, and strength. This is the first step. We must take it in order to qualify for exaltation. The miracle of change begins when we comeforth with a contrite spirit." 

 I have also been thinking about the scripture in 1 Nephi 17 where Laman and Lemuel complain about living in the wilderness and following the commandments of the Lord. They say in verse 21: "Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed ourpossessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy." Sometimes I feel like I think like that about my mission; like if I was home and had my cell phone/computer/luxuries/etc. I would be more happy (especially when members or investigators play with them or when I am surrounded by them). I was humbled by this scripture because my attitude is a lot like Laman and Lemuel sometimes. It was just surprised at that verse because I should know better that those things really don't make us happy. 

Also, someone here asked for my email and she was shocked that my first name was Sadie. She said, "Sadie... really?! That sounds like the name of an omish farm girl." Definitely never got that one before! That made me laugh for a couple days.

Well I am sad to leave Page and my investigators and the awesome members. It will be fun to come back one summer and go to Lake Powell and see everyone. I am excited to go to Brazil though! 

Tchau, Tchau (the Portuguese is coming back to my emails folks)

Com amor, Sister Bledsoe