Dear Family-
These last weeks of summer have flown by and it was the sign of change when children were walking to the buses this morning. School is back in session and as such, the schedules of everyone become a bit more normal and predictable. And the blast of heat is almost over and now we are starting to have beautiful warm weather that will probably last til November or December. We are teaching this trio of brothers right now that are just so incredibly prepared. We started teaching the youngest weeks ago and he was a bit flaky, but has a desire to be baptized. Then his older brothers came. One just barely called us and said he is looking for inner peace. They told us that they have lived in the world and haven't found what they want. It is exciting to see such desire to change and find what matters most. We set a baptismal date for two of them for the beginning of October and we hope to help the third one set a date tonight. Please keep them in your prayers.
We had a wonderful stake conference yesterday with messages on family history, missionary work, and the family. I especially loved our Stake President's message on overcoming adversity and becoming who we need to be. He told a story of a donkey that fell into a hole. The farmer decided to fill the hole with dirt, to both fix the hole and allow the donkey to get out. At first the shovelfuls of dirt scared the donkey as they landed on his back. But he shook it off and stepped up. As he did that, slowly and surely he was able to get out. Sometimes the very things that weigh on our shoulders, are the things that are helping us climb higher. He also shared the story of the princess and the frog. But he told more of the back story. The prince was kind of sleazy beforehand. He went to dirty places, used foul language, was lazy and dirty in his habits. One day he offended a witch and she turned him into a frog so he could he could live among the dirty and lowly frogs. And only a princess could turn him into a prince again. For several years, the prince enjoyed being a frog. Playing, swimming, eating, waiting for when his princess would come along. One day he realized however that princesses do not come to dirty places where most frogs live. So he had to clean up and go where one can find princesses. And the rest of the story is history...or rather, fiction. But you know what I mean.
I was re-reading the talk by President Uchtdorf called Love of God. I put the link to avoid putting in the whole talk in my email, but it is really good! Here are just a few quotes that I absolutely love!
"Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk. When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden.."
"For what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become."
"God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn't care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely"
"Love is the guiding light that illuminates the disciple’s path and fills our daily walk with life, meaning, and wonder. Love is the measure of our faith, the inspiration for our obedience, and the true altitude of our discipleship. Love is the way of the disciple"
If there is one thing I have learned on my mission, it is that love is the defining attribute of a disciple of Christ. I've learned how to love in so many ways that I didn't know were possible before.
Love,
Hermana Kristi Koerner
Alma 34:40-41 And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them; But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.
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