Good Morning! You know how some days you just wake up with joy in your soul? Well, in the mission it's the majority of the time! Sometimes I have to tone it down so not to irritate a companion early in the morning, but today we are both super happy. XD! It has been a busy and fun week. On Friday and Saturday we had exchanges and I felt to another area called Gulf Bank. It's a bit more downtown and has so many people prepared to hear the gospel. It was an adventure the whole time. I went with another sister, Hna Serrano, who is from California. She loves make-up and hair so when we were getting ready she played with my make-up. And we took some glam pictures : ) When she sends them to me, I will definitely forward them. Then other adventures like getting hit on by a couple drunks ( but we whipped out Mosiah 13:3 and 1 Nephi 17:48) and some old ladies crossing the street when it was a green light. We laughed a lot.
Back in Hafer, we are working hard to help Veronica, the Becerra family, and Lily progress and recognize their answers about the gospel and about baptism. As we visited with a recent convert this week she advised us to be patient with our investigators and allow them to choose without feeling pressured. It's definitely a balance to teach with power, clarity, and boldness while not pressuring them, but I know we can do it. And we had an incredible week with helping some of our recent converts progress. Nora, who was baptized back in December, started paying her tithing weekly and I know with all my heart that she will be blessed for her faith. Then our convert, Juan, who was baptized just a couple weeks before I came to the area, received the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday!! We have been teaching and studying with him to help him prepare, but he was still so nervous. Hna Rife and I went into priesthood for the ordination (now I can check off going to a priesthood meeting off my bucket list...not kidding). He is going to be able to bless the sacrament next week and we are so excited for him. And now we can plan to go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead with him : )
Speaking of the temple, we had our temple day this week and it was so peaceful. I remember saying once that the temple always gives you what you need, be it strength, direction, or peace. Again it reminded me of the talk from conference on the temple standard-- " Thee high standard of temple building employed by this church are a type and even a symbol of how we should be living our lives."
In continuing my studies of the preaching of Abinadi in Mosiah, I absolutely love chapters 14 and 15 about the Savior. Verses 7-8 really stood out to me this time as I studied. The last part of 7 and first part of 8 says," the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. And thus God breaketh the bands of death...". We often talk about both of those concepts separately, but I had never put them together like that. Because the will of the Son was aligned with the Father, the bands of death were able to be broken. And I thought ' as I align my will with Heavenly Father, I wonder what he can do with me?' Above my desk in this apartment is a picture frame with this quote, " I know the Lord lives. He loves us. I know that apart from Him, no one can succeed, but as a partner with Him, no one can fail. I know that God can make a lot more out of our lives than we can." President Benson.
I am happy and healthy, loving every minute of studying and serving here in Houston. This is a wonderful and exciting time to be a missionary.
Sending all my love,
Hermana Kristi Koerner
P.S. Matthew 18:11 The Son of Man is come to save that which is lost.
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