Week 77: At least you arent tinsel

O_o <----- my face because im not sure how its already monday again. this week flewwwww by. Here us a funny way to start my email. I looked up the definition of tinsel- a showy decoration that is basically valueless HAHAHAHA i literally laughed at this for 5 min. Its the little things that bring joy =) Poor tinsel is basically valueless :(( RIP tinsel. Now let's dive into the miracles. NATALEE: so this is actually so cool because sister west talked about her when we were together but they had lost contact. well we got back in contact with her and she talked about how she had been to a baptism like 5 years ago and she loves members of the church and loved talking with missionaries. so we started teaching her and im pumped because i know she has been prepared by the Lord. KENNY: kenny is a sweet sisters friend and we went over to her home and he opened up to us and told us how his daughter died about a month ago. He got a little emotional and so did I as I was able to testify of Jesus Christ and how he is aware of our sadnesses and exact feelings. A sweet tender missionary moment that I bottled up and put in my pocket for future days; because those are the moments i am going to miss most. also he came to church this Sunday! I gave a talk in church yesterday; here is a (large) snippet if you want the whole thing let me know ;))
One of my favorite scriptures about Jesus Christ is in 1 nephi 19 verse 9 it says "9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men" Jesus Christ loves us. All he went through; the persecution, rejection, and betrayal was because of his perfect love for us. He has been way beyond our darkest moments so that in those moments he can lift us up. In Alma 7:11-12 its says "11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." To succor means "to assist in a time of difficulty." He knows how to best assist us because he knows EXACTLY how we are feeling. President Oaks said "Sometimes he succors us or helps us by giving us the strength or patience to endure our infirmities." Sometimes they wont be lifted but we can be given strength to endure them. We are never alone in these times. As I mentioned earlier we are blessed w/ family & friends but most importantly with a Savior who knows us and understands us perfectly. As Elder Bednar taught: “The Savior has suffered not just for our iniquities but also for the inequality, the unfairness, the pain, the anguish, and the emotional distress that so frequently beset us. … You and I in a moment of weakness may cry out, ‘No one understands. No one knows.’ No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of our life” When we turn to Jesus Christ with our sadnesses, angers, loneliness, whatever it may be we come to understand he gets it because he has been there before.
Other updates you may be curious about:
• the ghetto here is actually really scary and sometimes i feel like im in downtown ogden but worse (good thing i took kung fu in college)
• still dont like dogs
• still dont want your cat standing next to my plate of food
• still absolutely love how weird missionary work is. makes me laugh so hard. We knocked on a lady's door who said we could come back today. Her grandson answered and went to get her. He comes back and says not right now and we say okay we will come by another time and he says "no she meant she doesnt want to talk to you E V E R" such a kind 10 year old. Literally just have to smile because unphased cause i have the best message ever to share
• still cant cook (my quesdillas are still 10/10)
• members still get disappointed im from utah
• still get the cool staredown wherever we go #basicallyfamous
• still love missouri with all my heart <3

GOING TO THE ZOO SO CATCH Y'ALL LATER HAPPY THANKSGIVING
peace n blessings , until next week sis folk

REALLY random pics: 1. Me when im in the ghetto #doorslocked 2. Ive learned so many life skills on my mission!!! #charginghack 3. Besties :)))) 4. One hour in the ghetto the next we see this 5. A member gave us electric toothbrushes--- now i can be like all my past comps 6. selfie🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃 7. We went to the zoo, i love animals in cages because they cant touch you