So I have been having crazy adventures with the internet. Because it is a holiday here, everything is closed. EEk! So, we had to make some phone calls, and find some computers, And here we are.
First of all, I have a quote from a really cool apostle of the Lord by the name of Dieter F. Uchtdorf, ''...with Christ, darkness cannot succeed. Darkness will not gain victory over the light of Christ...even after the darkest night, the Savior of the world will lead you to a gradual, sweet, and bright dawn that will assuredly rise within you{'. Every week that I am here, I learn more and more about how true that statement is. Sometimes, we all face hard days. It sometimes seems impossible to shake your head from dark clouds. There are moments when I feel as though I am driving through a torrential storm, and as high as the windshield wipers are going, I can't seem to shake enough water off the glass to see. Moments like there are when we are reminded to truly see a clearer path ahead, we must rely on our Savior, Jesus Christ. One very touching story about relying on our brother, and admitting we do need His help is in Mark 9 22 through 24. This is when Jesus comes across a situation of contention between a group of people and His disciples. When asking what was going on, He is approached by a father carrying an afflicted child. ''If thou canst do anything'' he pleaded, ''have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible unto those that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord I believe. Help thou mine unbelief.'' This story truly touches my soul...In the presence of Jesus Christ, this worrisome father admitted his unbelief.
When trials come, our faith is often tested. But what I have learned is that if we have a desire to believe, and pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Chirst, asking for help, He will answer us. Many moments have found me on my knees, asking for guidance, asking for help, asking for ways to improve my faith. The beautiful thing is, faith is not having a perfect knowledge of things [Alma 32). If that were true, who would truly be capable of obtaining faith? We can only truly be at peace and clear when we ask in faith. One pearl of knowledge that I have gained are these words from my companion: ‘’If you pray with faith, and you know that Heavenly Father knows you can do it, and Christ knows you can do it, then why not just do it?’’ One of the hardest parts about relying on the Lord is acting on our faith. Praying for guidance and then getting up and walking. It may be fearsome at times, but I know that it works.
Just about two weeks ago, my companion and I had an experience with acting on faith. We were walking in Las Tablas, having just been told that a scheduled appointment was cancelled, we were looking for something to do. Hna. Rodas later told me that as we were walking, she offered a silent prayer, ‘’Heavenly Father, please guide us.’’ Right after, she felt prompted to walk down a street we never had before. We ended up finding Lorena. When introducing ourselves, she finished the introduction for us. Turns out, she is a member of the church! She was baptized at 15, and when moving with her family here to Las Tablas, they lost contact with the church. It had been 25 years since she had gone to church. She joyfully showed us her dusty Book of Mormon and Himnario. The next day, she was 15 minutes early to the baptism, with newly dusted off Book of Mormon in hand. In a later lesson, she told us that she was grateful for us, because she had been praying for a change in her life…and we came knocking on her door.
I know that Heavenly Father is there, and that He is always listening. It is so important to rely on Him and our Savior. When I pray, I picture that He is there with me, along with our brother, His Son, patiently listened, having a desire to hear what I have to say. I liken it to talking to my dad, calling him on the phone when I need help, have something exciting to say, or simply want to express my gratitude.
Even if your flame of faith seems small, remember this: ‘’Even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe.’’ {Alma 32 27)
Con amor, Hna. Jessica Scott
PS…Listen to the hymn, ‘’Master, The Tempest Is Raging’’…my companion and I were singing this in the morning, and its what fueled the words to this letter.
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