So much to tell, so little time. I've been transferred!! After nine months in the Houston Seis ward ( which I absolutely adore), I am now on the complete opposite side of the mission in Katy, TX serving in the Westgreen ward! It has been a whirlwind of a change, but I am loving every moment of it. My new companion is Hermana Obnette Woodward who is amazing, beautiful, and wonderful. She is from Haiti and lived there until she was about ten. Then she was adopted by an LDS family and came to Utah. She is a powerhouse and I'm learning so much from her. One great thing I've learned already from her in the past few days- after we pray she stays still and listens for nearly a minute every time! It's such a great example and allows both of us to listen to the Spirit. We know prayer is a two way communication, but unless I'm careful, I rush off to do the next thing ( sleep, leave, eat, etc). I'm so grateful for her.
Katy is a gorgeous suburb of Houston and is a very nice area. Westgreen is a large ward with lots of great members that I'm already getting to know. Very international as well, just as my first ward (Oakcrest) was. Many members also speak English, which is kind of funny since at this point in my mission I just want to talk Spanish all day! But we teach each other. Remember a year ago, when I went to the sealing of a couple with Hna Latu, a couple she had gotten close to from her old ward? Well, now I'm in the ward and we visit the whole Velez family( the young couple are their son and daughter-in-law) every week! Next week I'll have to tell you their amazing conversion story. So much is different, I don't know exactly where to start. Oh, I'm back in the West Stake, the all Spanish stake, which I've very excited about!!! It's where I started and I love the feeling of an entirely Spanish stake compared to Spanish wards within an English stake. Just my opinion. We are teaching some amazing people- Elvin is preparing to be baptized soon, Julia and her daughter Stephanie are so eager to learn and love reading the Book of Mormon, and Delia is very sincere and open to learning the gospel. As I get to know them better, I will keep you updated. Please keep them in your prayers.
I've continued my studies on the Savior this week with the aid of the book, The Continuous Atonement, by Brad Wilcox. President gave my companion permission to read the book and has passed it on to me. It's been so great since it has gone right along with many thoughts, ideas, and study sessions recently. I just wanted to share a few thoughts from the book that I absolutely loved!!
Referring to faith-"True Faith is more than knowing there is a God. It is knowing God- knowing his attributes and his relationship to us. It is knowing his plan and that we are living in accordance with that plan."
Talking about however long it takes for us to repent and become like Heavenly Father: " God doth not dwell in unholy temples, but isn't His spirit still felt in temples that are under construction or being remodeled? Building a temple takes years. The earth was formed in six creative periods. Enoch's Zion became a perfect society "in process of time". Moses and Alma were translated after years of sanctification. it appears even those who end up in the celestial kingdom will still be engaged in the perfecting process for we read that they shall overcome all things, and not that they already have. The life is the time to prepare to meet God, but we still have eternity to learn to be like Him."
"The entrance requirements for the celestial life are simply higher than merely satisfying the law of justice. For that reason paying for our sins will not bear the same fruit as repenting of our sins...Suffering alone does not guarantee change. Lasting change, here and hereafter, comes only through Christ". And then later on, "If we just needed to be saved, Satan's plan would've worked. But we also need to be redeemed- we need to be changed in the process to become more like Heavenly Father." It is beautiful to realize that not only are we saved- from death, from sin, from the natural man, but we are also redeemed- redeemed for something, changed into something better, perfected in Christ. I am so grateful that Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, that he has saved me so I can be redeemed or changed so I can become more like our Heavenly Father.
I love you all so much!
-Hermana Kristi Koerner
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