Woodstock Letter #5

Here is one cool experience (of many) that happened this week:

Two weeks back, at the end of a long day, we decided to knock one more door. We got in, and taught a young man (Marcos), his girlfriend (Felisha), his uncle, and his little sister. Marcos doesn't believe in God. Felisha isn't sure what she believes. Still, it was a good lesson. We talked about faith and the Restoration. We spent most of the time on the topic of faith. We left feeling good, but not feeling that anything spectacular had taken place.

Fast forward two weeks: At Church yesterday a girl came up to me, with an envelope in hand. She gave it to me, saying "this is from Felisha". (The envelope deliverer was one of the McGreggor twins -- who just so happened to be a neighbor 10 years ago back in California!). Felisha had written a letter to Hermana Stuart and me. In it she told us that we'd asked about faith. She expressed how she felt empty because everyone else seemed to have an answer, while she did not. She wants us to teach her more. She has several friends that are members of the Church. Ever since we met her, wheels have been turning in her heart and mind. 

What a tender mercy.  Wish I could tell you about others, but I am short on time today. Look for tender mercies this week in your life.  They are always there, if we're looking!

Love,
Leshelle

Woodstock Letter #4



Hermana Hoer in Illinois

This is from my journal:

Ines is a contact who said we could return to visit her. When we returned her mother was there, and began to rip her apart. The mother called Ines lazy, unhappy, and all sorts of things that would never make anyone feel good. Truth be told, Ines is depressed...but, she is also a wonderful mother and hard worker. Our visit with her was among the greatest lessons of my mission - it's how I want to feel always. I felt such care and sincere empathy towards her.

Talking to her, teaching her, and testifying to her was a beautiful experience. The message I shared with Ines came directly from my heart. Not one word was empty or meaningless. I DO know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can pull us from depression, from numbness, from emptiness. I testified that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can take away any feeling that are difficult for us. THAT is what I came on a mission for. I came to share how the applied Gospel and Atonement of Jesus Christ save us, even from ourselves and to tell people that change is possible.

What a great opportunity. Ines was a complete stranger to me. Yet, as we sat with her and spoke of the most intimate things, this stranger became my sister. When I sat with her, I didn't worry once about what to say. It was about her and the words came that she was suppose to hear. 

A talk by Brad Wilcox entitled "His Grace is Sufficient" has shed some light for me lately. The part of his talk I really identified with is about "practice". Like learning to play the piano, we aren't expected to immediately play really well or to become a professional pianist. You simply keep practicing and improving.  This applies to learning an instrument, as well as it applies to life.

Well, I'm practicing playing the piano and practicing to become a better person. I play the wrong notes on some days. On other days I don't practice with as much diligence or dedication. Sometimes it's a rather unimpressive practice, but every day I practice becoming better. Although my practice has not brought me to perfection, and not even to professional pianist or perfect missionary status, it is making me better. I can play, can't I?  Progress is occurring even though sometimes I neither see nor feel it.

Sometimes we fear that because we didn't play the piece on the piano exactly right in a recital (aka we didn't succeed the way we wanted as a person today) that we've ruined the opportunities of the future. It doesn't work that way. Christ paid for it all, so get back up and try again. Keep practicing. Keep trying.  Christ will make up the difference.

Yesterday was our Stake Conference for Buffalo Grove. It was AWESOME. It was one of the most powerful conferences I have attended. It was exceptional. It was full of powerful messages, shared in a powerful way.

I had a neat personal experience reading and studying Proverbs 3:5-10.  Read it and see how it can bless your life, too.

Love,
Leshelle

Woodstock Letter #3

Hermana Hoer and the Relief Society Presidency

Another story about our ward mission leader:

After our Ward Correlation Meeting we asked him what he wants for his birthday (we gave him a cake and a big card at our meeting). His response was to share some personal things with us - some very pure desires of his heart. At the same time, he shared some personal struggles and obstacles.
I felt strongly impressed to write him a note. It was short. It went something like this:

Read Alma 36. I know from personal experience that joy can replace any emptiness, guilt, or pain. Because of Christ, nothing is impossible. Let Him help you.

I have not felt so clearly in awhile that I should do something that specific.

When we arrived home that evening, I was bombarded with tender mercies. I'd received the Easter package from home (the highlight of which was a TAPE!), 5 letters (after two weeks of nothing due to my transfer), and a phone call at the very end of the day...

The phone call was from our ward mission leader. I figured he had a question of some kind. Nope. He called to say thank you. He said that note, that scripture had helped him immensely. He said he's felt spiritually empty for a long time, and he now knows what he needs to do. He had an experience unlike he's ever had before - all because of that scripture.

The scriptures have an indescribable power to change and bless our lives for the better. The scriptures are conduits for the Lord to influence us. I see it time and time again. The best part is that it wasn't me - I told him as much. I was an instrument in God's hands. I am grateful that He confirmed to me that I was acting under the direction of the Spirit to help this man, my brother.

Missionary work isn't just about baptizing - it's about helping ALL people become more converted to Jesus Christ, no matter where they are in their conversion process. All of us have room to increase our conversion and commitment to Christ. All of us. 

Love,
Leshelle

Woodstock Letter #2

Leshelle with the Saldana family



We met a kid named Carlos. We invited him to read the first chapter (two or three pages) of the kid's illustrated Book of Mormon. When we returned, he had read THE ENTIRE BOOK!!!! Then, he sat down and basically told us the entire story of the Book of Mormon. He asked questions and understood things that I've just learned in the past few years! He told us that if people would read just the first part (about Joseph Smith) they would know that this book is important. He also told us that had any one of the Book of Mormon prophets not done their part, we wouldn't have all the records, nor would we have all of this book. What an insight! He is only 10 years old! He taught US the power of the Book of Mormon.

The other day, as we left a lesson, a man was sitting on the back of his truck, waiting for us. Joseph is his name. He told us that sometimes he doesn't feel worthy to go to Church. We started talking to him. He showed us a few of his 12 bullet wounds from his involvement in the drug cartel in Mexico. He left it and doesn't want to go back. He knows he needs to find new friends and to change his life. He has the sincere desire to change. He just isn't sure exactly where to begin. Hermana Stuart shared powerful, pure testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - and shared with Joseph that we can change. Anyone can change. When we began visiting with him there was no hope in his eyes nor his voice. We left him with hope in his heart.

That's what I want to get across this Easter season - I want you to know that I know Jesus Christ is the Savior. Because of Him, hope can be restored to a hopeless heart, a hopeless life, a hopeless moment, a hopeless world. Because of Him, there is no impossible. What is impossible to us is realized through the Atoning Sacrifice of our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Brother, Jesus Christ.

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. Reading the Scriptures, I feel the Spirit testify to me that the scriptures really are true and the Savior, of whom they testify, is truly the Son of God, the Redeemer and Savior of the world. I know it.

Jesus Christ was resurrected. He suffered and atoned for us all .He did all that for me - for you. I cannot completely explain my feelings regarding this. Yet, I can say that I am one of the miracles of the atonement of Jesus Christ. He gives me opportunities to start over daily.

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, hope returns when we think hope is gone for good. We are able to forgive ourselves and others, freeing ourselves from pain and sorrow. We give sins, and He gives peace. We give pain and He gives love. We give guilt and He gives forgiveness. We give sadness and He gives joy. We give what we cannot do, and He fills the emptiness in us.

I have had so many experiences - I cannot even tell them all - through which I know that Heavenly Father watches over me and loves me. Through these experiences, He shows me what only He can possibly know. He answers my prayers, shows me His love, shows me miracles, makes me feel His presence and love, all according to MY UNDERSTANDING.

Let Him work in your life. Let Him in and you will see His love according to YOUR understanding.  

One morning this week our ward mission leader called us and said that he hadn't been able to find anyone to go with us to our appointment a few hours later. He'd been looking for days. We finished our Personal Study. Literally, as we both ended our personal prayers, the phone rang (just five minutes or so after he'd called). The ward mission leader had just contacted someone to go with us. He called in the VERY MOMENT that we were both praying that he would be able to find someone. Tender mercies. Prayers are answered.

Happy Easter.

Love,
Leshelle

Woodstock Letter #1

New Member Ivonne & Hermana Hoer

March 2012

I just keep reminding myself that you don't finish progressing in a day. I feel I'm being stretched and pulled, molded. I want to become someone great. I want to become better. I want God to mold me and change me. However, sometimes I resist the molding because it often comes through experiences that are a bit out of our comfort zone. I think the key is to keep looking to Christ. As I read Alma chapter 4 this morning, I saw a big difference between two types of people:

All of the people had just come out of a war situation. All had suffered losses in their families, their homes, their animals, their possessions, in every way. The scriptures state that there was not one person who did not have cause to mourn. They let their losses remind them of something: the loss came as a consequence to their decisions. It was a natural consequence for the way they lived their lives. Rather than be depressed and move away from God, they chose to come closer to Him. So: the two groups.

    Group 1-They "glanced" to God in their time of loss and despair. They turned to Him when they needed help and were desperate. Yet, once they became settled again in their lives, once they became rich and stable, they turned their sight to riches, pride, and power. They stopped looking to God.
    Group 2-They "looked fervently" towards the Lord. Because of that attitude and action, they retained a remission of their sins, and they were filled with great joy. They didn't just glance. They fixed their sights on the Savior.

The difference wasn't in money or loss. It was in attitude and sight. Where were they looking? That's the difference between happiness, contentment, peace,and fulfillment, and pride, insecurity, and envy. Where are your sights fixed? That determines everything.

I read through something I wrote in the MTC when I felt prompted to open to the Bible, and in Matthew chapters 1 & 2, I had previously highlighted the words having anything to do with rising, risen, arose, raised. I've always been intrigued with those words. In each case, following divine instruction involved Joseph "rising". As he did each time, the results were incredible and far reaching.

It's more than rising from bed or rising from sleep. It's rising from your ways to God's ways. It's rising out of yourself in order to be obedient - in order to meet what He has in store - in order to become what He sees in you. I want to be raised. I want to raise up out of myself, because I want to move upward to God. It takes effort. That effort comes from faith. If we have faith in Him, we'll trust His words and instruction, and daily "arise" from our old selves into the person He sees in us. 

Have a great week.

Love,
Leshelle