To The Rescue

Dear all, 

We continue to see miracles in the Balcones Heights ward. I can hardly believe that I have spent six months here! It feels like just yesterday that I was in Austin, receiving the news that I would be transferring to San Antonio. I can imagine no greater place to serve the Lord!

Sister Paul and I got a special visitor today!
 Sister Montclair came for a visit and she and her parents took us out to lunch! 

We are doing well. Texas continues to amaze me. The people are nice and they love them some Spurs basketball (apparently they're doing really well this season?) I get to practice speaking Spanish everyday. Our investigators are all progressing and it's incredible to see the gospel work in their lives. I wish I had time to write every miracle! You'll just have to ask when I get home, I guess! 

I had a tender experience in Relief Society yesterday. Just before the lesson, we were allowed about 30 seconds to make an announcement. I was just planning on getting up and asking if anyone would like to fill the only empty spot on our dinner calendar this coming week, but as I looked over the sisters I have had the privilege of serving for the last six months, my eyes filled with tears. I was suddenly filled with so much gratitude for their loving hearts and willing hands. They have taught me so much about service. It was almost all I could do to tell them exactly what I felt.

I have discovered over time that there are two types of people in this world: those who are willing to drop everything and help those who are in need, and those who are more interested in their own interests and needs than those of their fellow beings. 

We learn from the scriptures that when we are serving others, we are serving God. I learned what this looks like as I watched my parents repeatedly put themselves aside to serve their neighbor. There were many days I would watch my father, tired from a long day of working in the sun to support his family, walk across the street to help our neighbor unload hay instead of resting in his comfortable armchair and taking a well deserved nap. I have learned what true service looks like as I have watched my mother faithfully care for her own mother in her final days, never once putting her own needs before my grandmother's. I am glad to have such wonderful parents who have worked to set a lasting example for their children. 

Exchange with Sister Jones. We rode bikes all day! Can you tell?? haha!

And who can forget the example of our beloved prophet? President Monson has spent his entire life in the service of those around him. One of my favorite examples of this was told by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland when he said: "I have been blessed by an association with this man for 47 years now, and the image of him I will cherish until I die is of him flying home from then–economically devastated East Germany in his house slippers because he had given away not only his second suit and his extra shirts but the very shoes from off his feet. “How beautiful upon the mountains [and shuffling through an airline terminal] are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.” More than any man I know, President Monson has “done all he could” for the widow and the fatherless, the poor and the oppressed" (Are We Not All Beggars?, October 2014).

President Monson has repeatedly called us to go to the rescue of those in need. He has said: "... the world is in need of your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save."

My little sister reminded me of this important principle in a letter she sent me this week. She quoted President Monson, saying: "Perhaps when we come face to face with our Maker, we will not be asked, 'How many positions did you hold?' but rather, 'How many people did you help?' In reality, you can't love the Lord until you serve Him by serving His people."

I have had many opportunities this week to reflect on the type of person I am and want to become. I hope to always follow my parents' example. I hope to always be willing and ready to serve those in need. I hope to always be ready to go to the rescue! I love my fellow beings and will do everything in my power to serve them. 

President Monson posed this question: "Amidst the storms of life, danger lurks; and men, like boats, find themselves stranded and facing destruction. Who will man the lifeboats, leaving behind the comforts of home and family, and go to the rescue?"

Brothers and Sisters, love God. Serve His children. 

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matt. 25:34-40).

Love,

Sister Waite

A Second Witness

Dear all,

"You can't rewrite the Bible!"

"God gave us everything we would need when He gave us the Bible."

"How can you believe there is more scripture? The cannon is closed." 

I can almost count on one hand the number of days I've spent in Texas without hearing someone say something like this. As a young missionary, it was frustrating. In the middle of my mission, almost a challenge. Now it is music to my ears. I love every opportunity I have to testify of the Book of Mormon and its converting power!

The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible which contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. The Book of Mormon "puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come" (Introduction to the Book of Mormon).

Lizard Selfie!

Prophets in the Bible prophesied of such a book:

"Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

"And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand" (Ezekiel 37:16-17).

The Book of Mormon is the writings of the descendants of Joseph. It is the stick of Ephraim.

"Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins [Book of Mormon], and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah [Bible], shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord" (2 Nephi 3:12).

"... These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved" (1 Nephi 13:40).

Paul taught: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).

We Ran Out of Sticky Notes!

The Book of Mormon "contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also; Which was given by inspiration, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and is declared unto the world by them--Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true, and that God does inspire men and call them to his holy work in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old; Thereby showing that he is the same God yesterday, today, and forever" (D&C 20:9-12).

 A Book of Mormon prophet told us exactly why he kept a record: "For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved. Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world" (1 Nephi 6:4-5).

Moroni, the last prophet in the Book of Mormon, told us that the Book of Mormon was written for US when he said: "Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing" (Mormon8:35).

Exchanges with Sister McMurray. She's incredible!

How often do we study this great gift we have been given? How many times do we overlook this wondrous tool? The Book of Mormon contains great truths that help us to understand the principles taught by Christ that are recorded in the Bible and strengthen our faith and trust in our Savior. 

We have been promised by a prophet of God that "the Book of Mormon [is] the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man [will] get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." 

"We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah" (Introduction to the Book of Mormon).

"Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. 

"And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever." (2 Nephi 29:8-9).

The Book of Mormon is a second witness of the reality of the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus Christ recorded in the Holy Bible. It provides clarity to doctrines the world is so confused about. It helps us see through the fog of apostasy and sort out what is real, what is true, and what is right. 

May we all recognize the importance of the Book of Mormon in our lives. 

Love,

Sister Waite

Sister Watford, a member who feeds us every Saturday. We love her!

I'll Be Who He Wants Me To Be

Dear all, 

I have heard too many missionaries say something like: "I do not want to change. I like who I am. Why should I be different?" I cannot imagine serving a mission and not changing. I cannot imagine watching conversion happen daily and not allowing my own heart to be converted. I cannot imagine being immersed in the gospel and not feeling to sing the song of redeeming love!

Mission Leadership Conference

Elder Marvin J. Ashton once said: 

"It is not so important whether a young man has been through the experience of a mission as it is whether the mission experience has been through him.”

One of my favorite Book of Mormon passages says:

 "For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" (Mosiah 5:13)

President Eyring has taught:

 "In the Master’s service, you will come to know and love Him... If you think back on that time, you will remember that there were changes in you. The temptation to do evil seemed to lessen. The desire to do good increased. Those who knew you best and loved you may have said, “You have become more kind, more patient. You don’t seem to be the same person.”

You weren’t the same person because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. And the promise is real that we can become new, changed, and better. And we can become stronger for the tests of life. We then go in the strength of the Lord, a strength developed in His service. He goes with us. And in time we become His tested and strengthened disciples."

San Antonio North Zone

The biggest goal that I have had on my mission has been to use the Atonement to become a true and steadfast disciple of Jesus Christ. 

Christ said to His Nephite disciples: "What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27).

As I have worked at developing Christlike qualities and become as He is, I have felt myself grow and stretch beyond anything I had ever thought possible. 

Elder Rafael E. Pino declared:

"The Lord knows what He wants to accomplish with each one of us. He knows the kind of reform He wants to achieve in our lives."

Everything that happens in life is for one purpose: to become. The Lord knows who we are, and He sees who we are to become. 

The sweetest moments of my life have been those when I have been able to humbly say to my loving Father, "Not my will, but Thine, be done." Sometimes it's really hard to see how anything but what we want most in the moment could possibly be good for us, but as we step back and remember that God sees the entire picture, it becomes a blessing to accept His will. 

Someone gave us pie!!

I had a thought the other day as I pondered the parable of the lost sheep. Christ speaks of a shepherd who has 100 sheep, but notices that one has wandered. He leaves the 99 to rescue the one. We traditionally think of this parable as an invitation to rescue those who may be wandering and lost. 

Speaking of this parable, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said: 

"Is it possible that Jesus’s purpose, first and foremost, was to teach about the work of the Good Shepherd? ... Is it possible that the Savior’s message was that God is fully aware of those who are lost--and that He will find them, that He will reach out to them, and that He will rescue them?"

When you study the parable, you come to realize that we are ALL the one lost sheep. None of us are the "ninety and nine who need no repentance." Still, I am convinced that many of us do not wander on purpose; we do not think to ourselves that we will leave the fold and leave our Savior. 

The Good Shepherd has promised that He will bring us back into the fold. He will rescue us from paths that we thought were desirable and right, and lead us down the straight and narrow. 

It is in this context that I ask: how many of us kick and scream at being brought back? How many of us insist that we know what is best; that the other pasture looks greener so that is where we must be? How many of us do not allow ourselves to be rescued? 

The Lord knows all. He knows what we must do in order to become the disciple He sees us as. 

"There’s surely somewhere a lowly place

In earth’s harvest fields so wide

Where I may labor through life’s short day

For Jesus, the Crucified.

So trusting my all to thy tender care,

And knowing thou lovest me,

I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:

I’ll be what you want me to be"

(Hymns, 270).

May we all see our lives through our Father's eyes. May we allow our Shepherd to lead us back to the fold, no matter how good we think the alternative is. 

Love,

Sister Waite

I Stand With Them

Dear all,

We had another marvelous whirlwind of a week. There is so much to do and so much that I never realized that happened behind the scenes of a mission. I can hardly believe the love I have come to feel for every single missionary here in the TSAM. We are absolutely on fire, and our numbers can prove it. I pray that we will STAY ABLAZE, and I have no doubt that we will. We are truly teaching repentance and baptizing converts and it is incredible to watch. 

I feel like there are usually themes that I can pick out of the weeks, and this week's theme was that tender mercies are real! Events at home coupled with the responsibilities of my new assignment, topped by the stresses of every day missionary work threatened several times to overcome me. The operative word there being "me". It was incredible to see that as I did my best to turn outward, and as I enlisted the help of my Savior, all my worries and stresses seemed to melt away. I was no longer worried about myself and trying to handle everything. The Lord helped me carry my burdens by making them seem light upon my back. How great He truly is!

There are a lot of things I don't know. I do not know the square root of pi, nor how many stars are in the universe. I cannot tell you who the best major league pitcher is, or what a group of dolphins is called, but there is one thing that I do know with every fiber of my being:

Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer, lives!

"Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

My heart and soul rejoice in the absolute fact of our Father's love! I not only know it, I believe it! 

I also delight in the testimonies of our living prophets, seers, and revelators. These are men chosen by God to bear testimony of His Only Begotten and to teach us the important spiritual truths necessary in order to return to the kingdom of Heaven! There is nowhere else that one can go to learn from apostles of Jesus Christ; there is no other church that possesses the priesthood power and keys necessary to direct the work of the Lord on the earth. 

What a wondrous opportunity we had this weekend, to hear the pleasing word of God spoken to us by the First Presidency, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities and Officers of the Church of Jesus Christ. To think that I was one of the tiny fraction of the world's population who took advantage of this opportunity causes my soul great joy. 

Christ lives. He is the head of His church. He has chosen men (and women) to lead His children and help them understand His doctrine. We will never go wrong if we will stand with the Brethren in all that they do. This weekend served only to deepen my love of the Brethren and strengthen my resolve to follow them with exactness and without hesitation, for I know they have been called of God. 

To stand with the Apostles is to stand with Christ. What a blessing to be led by such inspired men! 

I am glad to say that I stand with the leaders of the church in a darkening world so that I might help spread the light of Christ. 

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never,

I'll never, no never, no never forsake!"

In this ever darkening world, we know to whom we can look for light and guidance: Christ and His chosen servants. 

In the words of our beloved prophet, Thomas Spencer Monson: "May we maintain the courage to defy the consensus. May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong. As we contemplate the decisions we make in our lives each day—whether to make this choice or that—if we choose Christ, we will have made the correct choice."

Love, 

Sister Waite