Hola familia allá arriba en el norte! Como estan? Espero que han tenido una semana excelente! Les quiero mucho, y quiero que sepan que siempre estén en mis pensamientos y en mí Corazon. :)
Interpretation: Hello Family up there in the North! How are you all? I hope that you guys are having an excellent week. I love you all. I hope that you all know that you are in my thoughts and my heart.
It has been a great week here in the little towns of Corpus and Roca. The work continues. It may not continue at the rate that I would like, but God is in control and as I do my part, He will hasten His work in his timing. So a few weeks ago we started to teach a woman named Carmen. Well there was absolutely NOTHING special in the first 2 lessons. She showed NO interest and made it CRYSTAL CLEAR that she believed her church was the correct church and she would never leave it! Well needless to say we insisted a bit and wanted to at least teach her the Restoration. Last week during our studies, we studied about the importance of the Book of Mormon in the conversion of each one of us and investigators. We taught the Restoration and gave her the BOM with an invite to read and pray about it. She wasn't ex tactic at the invite, but she did accept. :) When we returned for the next visit, she had read all of the Introduction, witness pages, and the testimony of Joseph Smith. She explained all of it to us and had a couple questions. It was such a special moment to testify of this precious testament that we have today. When she finally understood what we were asking of her, a light came into her eyes and she was THRILLED that we would give her this opportunity to find out for herself the truth. :)
So this week I have been studying about what it means to "Endure to the End". It is such a common phrase in church language that many times I feel it is misunderstood. Being the last step in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is more than important for our progression and salvation. Enduring to the end is more than just casually reading the scriptures, praying, and sitting on the church bench. It literally means that we will continue to progress. We will constantly strive to become better in EVERY WAY possible. I love the parable that we find in Alma 32. We are all growing into a beautiful tree filled with the fruit, but if we stop feeding it, it will not produce fruit. It will die (Alma 32:40-41). Or we will grow too fast without spreading roots and we will fall with the smallest of storm that passes through, whether that be taking offense, or a trial. (Jacob 5:48). We must CONTINUALLY nourish the tree, SINK our roots down deeper and deeper so that no matter what passes, it CANNOT kill us! Think of a baby. As a baby is born, there is only one thing that you can give it. Only this thing will give it all of the nutrients that it needs to have health and grow correctly. Babies need MILK. But what happens after 1-2 years? This ONE thing that was ALWAYS sufficient, now IS NOT sufficient. If a baby continues on this diet, it will be malnourished and never grow to capacity. Eventually you must start to give this baby food. Mash up a piece of potato, carrot, and banana. It needs MORE so that it can grow. We are the same spiritually. As we start in the gospel, a diet of 20 minute scripture study, church attendance, and prayer IS sufficient. WE WILL GROW....BUT ONLY TO A POINT....then like the baby we will start to be malnourished! We must do more. We must drink from the scriptures deeply. We must POUR OUR WHOLE HEART out in prayer. We must BEG for the spirit and we must PRESS FORWARD and FEAST on the words of Christ. (2 Nephi 31:30) There is nothing casual about it and if it is....we are probably dying or already dead on the vine. I love my Savior, and this gospel which He has given us. It is through Him that we can press on. He is my strength and my all. I invite you to choose Him, send your roots down deep and prepare for the moment when you will stand before of Him. (Alma 34:32)
3 Nephi 27:19...Seek Him, and be FAITHFUL until the end.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Hermana Fox
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