Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Bible Bashers and Stake Conference

Happy Early Turkey Day!

I hope everyone has big plans for Thanksgiving! I know I do! Which brings in transfers! Duh duh duh! Well I'll be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas in Summerfield Ward! :) Sister Pulley is getting transferred :( but it'll be good. She's grown so much in the last 3 months and now it's her time to shine!

This week we ran into a bunch of people who just wanted to argue with us, or think we don't know Jesus, or believe in the same Christ. Lots of interesting conversations and I am so thankful for the knowledge I have of who God and Christ are. As I've come in contact with so many people I studied more on the subject of it. One thing I did was a personal study in the back of Preach My Gospel chapter 5. Where it says, compare Matthew 5-7 and 3 Nephi 12-14. Find what truths have been restored through the Book of Mormon. One thing I found very interesting in this study is the deity of God and Christ and their unity in purpose, but distinct beings.

For example:

1. Chapters 5 and 12 verses 21-22. God is taken out in the Bible. It's only the judgements. However, we know that they are the judgements of God and He deals them justly.

2. Verse 48 of the same chapter. Now we know that in the Book of Mormon, Christ has been resurrected and is a perfect being now, where in the Bible only Our Father was perfect. However, when speaking of Our Father in the New Testament, the word "who" was changed to "which" making God unpersonable. However, we know He is a glorified person. Not just this being thing, that is everywhere. He literally has a body of flesh and bone. We are made in His image, so He needs an image.

3. The Lords Pray was also a part where the person of God was changed to a "which" (see verse 9 of chapters 6 and 13).

4. Verse 11 of chapters 7 and 14. And also verse 21 of the same chapter.

These are just the examples in 3 chapters of scriptures. There are many others. And how grateful I am for knowledge that God and Christ are one in purpose, but are two different being, or perfect people. Sister Pulley's dad explained it more for us that the Godhead is like a presidency. God is the President, Jesus Christ the first councilor and The Holy Ghost the second councilor. God is presiding over the Plan of Salvation, but Jesus Christ is conducting the plan. Very insightful.

Stake Conference was wonderful! And oh my I saw so many Burlington people! :) it was great! I also got to see Chris! It was great! And I saw the Frei family! And the Coleman's, and the Reese's. Gah! It was great!

The messages were great too. All about setting goals and planning how to achieve them. Making a Family Gospel Plan for 2015. I encourage all to make one! Get together with your family. Set goals for how you can  Proclaim the Gospel, Redeem the Dead, and Perfect the Saints! :)

I love you all!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! :)

- Sister Miriah Loosle -
      John 3:16-17
   He came to save!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Cold weather and Sister Loosle do not mix well!

Good Afternoon!

Last Monday as a District we went to the Greensboro Science Center! It has a Zoo, Aquarium, and Museum. It was fun! (See pictures).

The rest of this week, was normal. Well as normal as missionary work can get.

Sorry this email doesn't have a lot. I don't really know what to write right now.

I loved church yesterday! Bishop talked and he talked about being a Common Judge in Israel. Relief Society was all on prayer. It was very nice, because sometimes the answer is no. No matter how much faith as we have. Alma and his wife did not have more faith or were more righteous than Lehi and his wife. Yet Alma the younger's heart was changed and Lamen and Lemuel's were not. Sometimes we don't always like the outcome, but Heavenly Father knows us. He knows what we can handle. He knows what we need. Something Sibhan actually said this week really explains that concept. You know in 1 Corinthians 10:13 where it says we won't be tempted or tried more than we can bear. Well Sihban said that were tried and tested to the point where we HAVE to turn to God. We have to rely on The Lord. And it's true. We will make  it through everything with His help.
I love you all! :)


Monday, November 10, 2014

Miracles Happen...Just not in the way you always want them too

Good Morning Family and Friends!

This week was wonderful! Lots of little miracles. At dinners we've been doing an Endure to the End dinner thought where we have each member of the family draw out the path to eternal life and things they can do to Endure to the End.

We had FHE with Amy, Grayson, and Gavin. It went well. Gavin hasn't been sitting in our lessons, so he was a bit distracted, but overall it was good. We talked about family scripture study and family prayer.
This week we saw Sibhan a couple times. Sister Ross and her son (who just came home from his mission) came with us to one. We taught part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sibhan doesn't like praying out loud, so this has been a struggle for us. However at our appointment with her on Saturday with Sister Bellows, she prayed! :) it was simple, but wonderful!

We've met quit a few Hispanic people the past couple weeks, and as most everyone knows, I don't speak a lick of Spanish!  So it's been interesting. We teach very simple part or all of the Restoration and then spend them to the Spanish Elders! Thank goodness they're in our district! :)

We met Sister Jessup's mom this week. Let me tell you she is stubborn! But so wonderful! She doesn't want to change churches, but we served her, so maybe she's being prepared for the next life.

Church yesterday was all on Missionary Work! It was so good! My favorite was a quote from Sister Marriott that I posted on Facebook.

President Thomas S. Monson pointed out, “If you want to give a light to others, you have to glow yourself.” How can we keep that light of truth glowing within us? Sometimes I feel like a dim lightbulb. How do we grow brighter?" - sister Marriott

We grow brighter by living the gospel each day. A less active we ran into this week, said that she wakes up each days and declares that she will not part from The Lord. And although she doesn't believe the church is true anymore. I know that that small action for each of us will help us not to stray away.

- Sister Miriah Loosle -
      John 3:16-17
   He came to save!

Monday, November 3, 2014

What do you think about during the Sacrament?

Hola Familia Y Amigos!

This week was faaaannnntasitc! On Monday night we knocked on Teresa's door and she let us right in! Although she had to work late on our return appointment, she is the elect! And I am excited to work with her.

Tuesday we stopped by some members to ask them "Who do you know?" And one of the members had a water leak, so they were fixing the pipes outside their house. They had a hole in their front yard that looked like an L, about 2 by 3 by 1 foot wide and 4 feet deep. So we offered to help fill it up! In our skirts! Beat that Elders!  (See Blog Post: Beautiful Sisters serving in NC :)  )

We also saw Sister Stocker on Tuesday night. She is working through a lot of things right now. So were helping her slowly to come back to church. Starting off with setting aside 2-3 hours on Sunday, so Sunday related activities.

We actually did quiet a lot of service this week! Which I love! We helped Sister Koch clean up her house (last week we helped her make Apple Sauce). She reminds me of someone, but I can't put my finger on it. Ah well, it will come someday.

Elder Smith and I are singing "Come unto Christ" for Zone Meeting this week. It'll be good I hope!

The Trunk or Treat was this week. The first Ward activity besides Christmas for about 6 years! Crazy right? But it was pretty good. The light in the church parking lot weren't on, so it was super dark, but it was still fun! Guess what I dressed up as? Come on Guess! .... A Sister Missionary! I'm pretty sure Sister Pulley and I had the scariest costumes there! I mean no one opens the door for us and sometimes they scream "Ah Mormons!" Or slam the door!

Saturday was a great day as well! We met the Castillo's, although there's a bit of a language barrier, so we'll probably send them to the Spanish Elders, but we taught mom and three daughter. As far as we can tell, they accepted the Restoration, but we're not sure how much they understood it.

So to the subject. What do you think about during the sacrament? You don't have to answer out loud, or send me a reply, but think about it. What are you suppose to think about. We had a lesson in Relief Society yesterday about the sacrament and why we partake of it every week and not just on special occasions like other churches do. Mostly, we came up with, is because it's a covenant. And we need it! We need to make this covenant or promise, every week. Or we cannot be cleansed.

Last night Sister Fenton came out with us and we saw the Neese's. They are a sweet old southern couple. They don't come to church much because of health stuff, but they have the strongest testimonies, especially of family history and temple work. Speaking of, what have y'all don't lately with family history and temple work?

- Sister Miriah Loosle -
      John 3:16-17
   He came to save!