Dressed in white

Harvey Dale Cross III was baptized at 7pm this past Saturday. It was beautiful. We had to go into the chapel for everything because there were so many people, and not everyone could fit in the room with the font.

 

Because harvey was baptized, he is now able to receive ALL that Heavenly Father has to offer him. Also because he was baptized, his two brothers and sister are now on the path to be baptized themselves. Their mother was in tears as she saw Harvey make this covenant with our Heavenly Father and as he recieved the Holy Ghost. She has told Sister Sorensen and I that she is so proud of Harvery and is in fact very open to all her kids being baptized when they are ready.

 

Can you say, power of example? Way to go, Harvey. You have just changed the lives of your family forever.

 

Something I've learned this week: how to be brave(r). We met with a member who goes to church but hasn't entered the temple yet. She was recently divorced, and has ten kids. She and church are the only positive thing in her kids' lives right now. She wants to go to the temple but....she doesn't think smoking is a sin. At all. This is a whole other ballgame...not that she can't quit, she assures she can, but she doesn't think it should keep you from entering the temple. "Eating healthy is in the Word of Wisdom...but yet fat people can go through the temple!" yeah, this is a tough one. But Sister Sorensen and I straight up told her that SHE was the only light in her family right now. She HAS to set the example and tone for her family. Stop thinking about what other people should or shouldn't do or their salvation or whatever, and think about yours and your family alone. She knows what she has to do to get to the temple, so she needs to do it. She trusts the prophet Joseph Smith, and this is what he says. 

 

She was taken a back, but overall super appreciative about what we said. She even gave us brownies. You know, I don't know if she will give up smoking or if she will listen to a word we said, but we told her all we could, in the way that we should. Everyone has their own agency, right? So now it's up to her, it's on her plate. You can't beat yourself up whether they listen to you or not, or whether your bravery paid off or not. Sometimes you just have to do all you can possibly do, and leave it up to them.

 

So, many of you have been wondering how the Spanish branch is coming. Well....it's finally taking some first steps! This Sunday, we are having a fireside at a member's home at 7pm. We were told by President Aguiar (2nd counselor of mission presidency) to invite all our Spanish investigators and he will be speaking at this fireside. He plans to have a weekly fireside to help these people get used to meeting and to help draw more people into coming. Eventually, we hope to get some to be baptized and become members, and then form a group. We still have to invite all our invesitgators...who are truthfully, all a little shaky about the gospel.

 

Gulp, pray for us! We're pressin' forward with "fe" !

 

Hermana Blanchard

 

Short message: Pray not for the circumstances to change, but that you will be able to change the circumstances. Think of the pioneers when they travelled across the plains with the most disgusting food ever...they were even eating the rawhides used to built the wagons or whatever they were THAT desperado. Did they pray for a McDonalds? Or a Wendy's? Did they even pray for a buffalo to trot across their path? NO! They prayed for their stomachs to adapt to the food they were consuming. Think about that. My favorite quote (and one I perhaps most abuse): Pray not for a lighter load, but for a stronger back!