Spiritual Strength 8/06/12

Dear Family and Friends-
It has been another wonderful, albeit hot, week here in Houston. We are progressing well with several of our investigators and a daughter of one of the less actives is starting to investigate the church. The youth are excited to get involved and go teaching with us this next week. Elizabeth came to church again this week and is getting more and more comfortable. As the start of school approaches the families are returning from vacations and I think I've met almost everyone now. It makes such a difference to be able to know who's who, call them by their name, remember their family. The key to the missionary work, and especially in this little branch, is our relationship with the members.This last week we had our first exchanges! I went over to a neighboring area with Hna. Pacific and Hna Crowley. Hna Dement stayed here and another sister, Hna Casaday came to Oakcrest with her. For 24 hours we were on exchanges and it was really fun to see how other missionaries do missionary work. Still obedient, still doing everything, just a bit differently. It gave me some ideas on how Hna Dement and I can find more balance. I've only been here in Texas for a month but already I love the other sister missionaries in the Spanish program- they are just wonderful. So still in 1 Nephi. I was studying over Laman and Lemuel- in chapter 2 verse 12 it tells about the scriptural pattern of disobedient sons. So I looked at those example of Cain, sons of Mosiah, Alma the Younger etc. And I wondered- what is the difference between how Laman and Lemuel ended up and the sons of Mosiah and Alma? In Alma 17:2-3 it tells us why. After their spiritual experiences, the sons of Mosiah/Alma searched the scriptures, prayed and fasted to understand Heavenly Father. They both had angels and other spiritual experiences ( the sons of prophets), but it's what they chose to do afterward that determined their conversion to the gospel. And I love in chapter 4 verse 2 as Nephi tells his brothers to be strong that he compares it to Moses and parting the Red Sea. Yes, strength like Moses, Daniel, David, and Samson is the more visible kind of strength. But there is immense strength in the meekness and humility, the merciful (1 Ne 1:20), the virtue like Joseph in Egypt, and the teaching of the 2000 stripling warriors by their mothers (Alma 57). Spiritual strength is manifest in our habits, not in one or two events.

Love you all lots and every day is full of miracles- especially when we are looking for and acknowledging them.

-Hermana Kristi Koerner