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