Hey ya!! 8.31.2015

It was a good week! We were very busy, but we had some really good adventures. We got transfer calls this morning, and Sister Durrant is being transferred. It will be a good new adventure, so we'll see how it goes. :)

We have a returning less-active who hurt her back really bad, so we were able to venture down to downtown Dallas to visit her at the hospital before her surgery. The city scape is beautiful, and I just fall in love with it every time I see it.

Also, I celebrated my 14 month mark. Crazy how the time flies. It was really fun to be with Sister Durrant to celebrate that. :)

Some food highlights this week were In-N-Out Burger and Krispy Kreme doughnuts... yum.

We started our Book of Mormon 40 day read! Wow, the Book of Mormon is incredible. Seriously, already this time through, I can just see how merciful the Lord is to us. In the Isaiah chapters this morning, the Lord repeatedly expresses that even in His anger the Lord's hand is stretched still. Also, a verse that stuck out to me this morning was 2 Nephi 22:2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he has also become my salvation." I know that the Lord will aid me and support me through whatever this next transfer brings.

Oh, also during my studies this week, I reread a talk that Brother Anderson had given me in 10th grade called "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit" by Elder F. Enzio Busche. Here's a quote that I really liked from it this time around. "When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will not sin. We will be filled with wisdom, and we will be able to have the fruits to heal the wounds of the afflicted...The greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is good and necessary to do."

This week Sister Durrant and I have had the opportunity to help out some of the sisters that we are over. I am so tired, but I know that the Lord truly enhanced my abilities. I also was able to feel my charity and forgiveness increase. The Lord is so good to us to give us opportunities to become better.

One of the many miracles this week was as we were teaching RA (a returning less-active recent convert) about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her husband, OR, came home right in the middle, and he was able to watch the Mormon message "Reclaimed" with us. The video really touched him, and he opened up to us about his feelings of being trapped behind a wall of sin and feelings that he could never be fully forgiven for his sins especially that he could never forgive himself. We were able to teach him the gospel of Jesus Christ and testify that the Savior will heal us and forgive us. I know this is true. I know that Jesus Christ's Atonement is so wonderful and majestic yet so personal and individual.

KR is still doing well. She just needs to get married and things will move along nicely. She loves the Book of Mormon and is retaining it well.

On Friday we were on exchanges and the sister I was with is an excellent singer. We decided that for the dinner thought that night we'd do a musical number. I played the piano and she sang "I Need Thee Every Hour." Following, she bore a powerful testimony of her love for the Savior. I want to echo her testimony in saying that I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves us. How grateful I am to be able to be out here sharing his wonderful gospel.

I love all of you! Be good!

Love,
Sister Gretchen Gilbert