Rock Bottom

Date: 09-18-2017
Companion: Sister Townsend
Area: Vancouver East Stake, Fairway Village Ward

I'm just diving right into this week, no greeting or nothing, someone hold me back. (This emails probably gonna be long, but it's not like any of y'all read it anyway so what do you care)

Four temple trips this week turned into two temple trips. And even though it's still a blessing that we got to go to the Temple two times this week, sister Townsend and I bit it hard when the other two appointments canceled. Its incredible how much Satan will work on people to make sure they don't gain a testimony.

Tuesday we went with and investigator named Meng. She was incredible. The missionaries there mentioned baptism with her and she said she knew everything we'd taught her was true and it all just felt right to her and that she wanted to be baptized, but she wants to wait for her husband. So if y'all could pray for Meng (Mo) and Josh, we'd really appreciate that.

So this week has been a pretty rough week. I take it back. This past 2 MONTHS have been crazy. The week before last, it looked like things were turning around. Until this week hit and then BAM. Someone might as well have ran us over, backed over us, did some donuts in the parking lot on us, and then just as we were getting up, they told their friends to come back and do the same thing. 4 times. (If you can't tell, I'm pretty dramatic. Maybe one day I can change that..)

During personal study this week, I somehow had the time to study 8 thousand different things. I guess Gods hand is in all things?(': I studied the talk "Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence" by Elder Jörg Klebinga from the October 2014 General Conference. If you don't know or don't remember what this talk is please go read it. Actually no. Even if you know what this talk is. Please go read it. I'll wait........ okay. Guys. This talk. Is. Incredible.

Elder Klebinga talks about the tactics Satan will employ in order to make your faith in God diminish. When we refuse to over look the miracles we've seen, when we refuse to question if God is there because we have that testimony, Satan tries something else. He tells us God is not pleased with us. He tells us that God is mad at us. And when we have these thoughts, no matter how much faith we have that Jesus Christ can do all things, the doubt will be there. Because of this our faith begins to diminish. We become unmotivated, and Satan wins. Elder Klebinga goes into many different ways we can overcome these lies Satan tells us. He talks about spiritual and physical well being, obedience, repenting, forgiving, and accepting trials and setbacks. SO GOOD. PLEASE READ.

I also read Matthew chapter 9. In this chapter Jesus Christ is performing many miracles, and the Pharisees are there criticizing every single thing He does. At one point, Jesus Christ sits down with a group of sinners. The Pharisees get mad and ask Him why He does this. In verse 12 He says "they that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick."

Last thing I studied that I will talk about is 2 Nephi 9. In this chapter Jacob is preaching to the nephites. He tells them of the atonement and what it means for all of us. He tells them to come to Christ. To not waste their efforts or energy on things that don't matter. Verse 51 says "Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy..." later in verse 52 he says "let your hearts rejoice."

SO WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN. Well it's different for everyone. Everyone is at a different point in their lives and needs to hear something different from God. For me, this talk told me that Satan is a tricky, slipper snake. And that I can't let him get to me the way he has been lately. That God is never angry with His children. Its not in His nature. Sure there are things we could be doing that would please Him. But He will never hate us. Matthew 9 told me that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ don't abandon their children/brothers and sisters. But that I have the tools already to know how to heal myself and lift myself up. That Christ is ministering to those who haven't received a witness already. And that's okay. 2 Nephi 9 told me that I need to not focus on things that don't matter. I can't afford to waste my energy on the things that don't matter right now. I'm not going to be able to get every thing done that I think should be done. So i need to focus on the most important things. And that when i work hard I need to rejoice in my efforts. I need to be continually pushing myself to do better, but that doesn't mean getting down on myself about the things I wasn't able to get done, but rejoicing over the good that I was able to do.

Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom before you realize who your rock is. Jesus Christ is my rock. My Savior. My Redeemer. My Healer. I know through Him, I can be healed and brought to my full potential. But that it'll take work on my part. I know that trials will come my way, but like I've said in the past, it's because of these trials that I will reach that potential. Don't ever let a trial go by without learning something from it. Don't go through the hardship and the pain for nothing. Grow from it. I know Heavenly Father doesn't put us through these things for fun, that's also not in His nature. God loves us and only wants to help us. Remember that He knows what's best for us, and not heeding to his work immediately, will only make it harder for us in the long run. God tells us the things he needs us to hear, when he needs us to hear them. So act on them immediately.

I love this Gospel. I know it has been restored through the prophet, Joseph Smith. I know that God is listening and hears us. I know that we will return to Him one day when we take the necessary steps and make promises with him. He loves me. He loves you. Don't forget it. Don't let Satan win.

☀️FIND JOY☀️

- Sister Emma Hansen

1&2. The zone leaders needed our car for a day so we told them to give us their bikes for the day. #NoRagrets

3&4. Temple  (':

5. ITS FINALLY RAINING AGAIN I LOVE IT

6. @Sydney Staker: there was another frog in our house(':