spiritual thoughts

Something I read today that I really liked was how when we keep our covenants we are given power. I know this is true, when we keep our covenants we do receive power. This comes in many forms and it is also a way for us to be able to overcome and stay away from temptations.

   Something else I have been thinking about a lot too is how everything in life our purpose, our lives are all about the plan of salvation. Everything is about this plan. if we didn't have this plan we wouldn't be anywhere. I am so greateful for this plan. I know it is true. I know we can return and live with our heavenly father again. I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ shows us the way back to our heavenly father.

   I loved this qoute I read: " There is neither man or woman in this church who is not on a mission. THat missuion will last as long as they live and it is to do good, to promote rightouesness, to teach the principlse of truth ad to prevail upon themnseleslves  adn everybody around them to loive those rpincples that they may obtain eternal life" -presdient Brigham Young

   One other thought for the week:

  Wetalked about the desires f our hearts yesterday in sunday school. I loved how the teacher told us that the desires we have in our hearts will ultimetly lead us the way we want to go. We were talking about the stroy of baal (sp?) and how the Lord told him not to go with the people who came to fetch him but he went anyway and the lord told him to only day what he tells him. But even though he was told waht to do he listened to his heart and did his own thing and because he didn't listen to the Lord he was killed. the teacher then pointed out that her in lies the difference when we go with the attitude of thy will be done not mine to our heavenly father then we will go the direction that will lead us to safety and peace. She also mentioned how when we fail to follow a promtping of the Lord we lose an opportuntiy to do good and bless the lives of others. Let us always be like Abraham who will rise early nad do the word of the lord when we reacieve promptings from the sprit. Love you all!

Have a good week!

Sister SUdweeks

  

I forgot to say in the picutre I am holding a fejoa it is a fruit they have here, and my new copmanion and I at a members house.

Dear Whanua,
Miracles this weeks:
WE met up with a potential investigator Laura Anderson who will be letting us come and teach her now., At first she only wanted to the sisters to give her service, but now she is wanting to learn more about the gospel and to find a church that is for her. We are excited to go back tonight and teach her. She has even been reading the Book of Mormon to her children as she calls it her bible. We know she has been so prepared by the Lord. We also have been doing service for Helen Bastianca. She is from Holland originally and she is so nice. She really loves the doctrine of our church but has been meeting with Jehovah's witnesses for a long time. We are working on increasing her desire to meet with us. She asked how she can better take care of her grandchildren and we told her to read the Book of Mormon. WE will be going back tomorrow to see if she did read the Book of Mormon and do more service for her. She is so nice and a really funny lady. Another miracle we had this week was when we went door knocking. We had just started back to the side walk from a door when this lady walked past. we were to far away to talk to her so we said hello as she past, a second later she popped her head back around the bush that was in the way and said hello. She said she thought we must be mormons because we are so cheerful. WE talked to her for a bit and she said she might be interested to do a bible study with us. She has lived with mormons in the past and loves our people. WE are excited for her. Great potential to one day become interseted in the Gospel. Her name is Rachel Hooper.

Something that really stuck out to me this week was this quote. The soul is died the color of the leisure hours.

Fwd: happy birthday

Rochelle WIlson's baptism :)

Dear WHanua,

 fast email: public holiday yesterday so we only get 30 minutes to email today, and I am almost out of time. Know I was thinking of you on Easter. I loved easter, it was a wonderful easter for us. We really enjoyed being able to talk about the Savior. They asked me to speak about how we can be forgiven through the Atontement of Christ. I am so greateful for our Savior. I know He lives and I know we can be forgiven of our sins. I know that through him we can overcome all things not just our sins but through him we can be good men and women made perfect through his enabling power of the atonement.

   WE are meeting in the ohoka school because our chapel is under construction. It is different but I know no matter where we meet the improtance of taking the sacrament and renewing our covenants is the most impritanat things we can do.

   I loved also reading about COvenants from this month ensign. In it said "a covenant is a binding spiritual contract a solomn promise to God that we will live and think and act a certain way0- that way iis the way of his son the Lord Jesus Christ" I love this it really reminds me that when we keep the covenants we are not just keepiung laws but we are emulating our Savior in all he does.

I love you all havre a great week!
Love,
Sister Sudweeks

In Rangiora

Dear Whanua and friends,

    Hello! :) I am safe and in Rangiora :) It is beautiful here and so green! Reminds me of Masterton but I loike it more. So pretty. My companion is Sister Fifita, she's Tonga and such a humble sister. I am excited to serve with her.

    So sometimes the library doesn't let us on for very long so I might not get 1 and 1/2 hours to email, so if I don't email you back and you sent me an email, know I will email you or write you back a letter, according to the time I get that day. :)

When I first got here we went and saw some of the investigators that the Sisters are teaching. We set a baptsimal date with one her name is Cynthia. She is so snice and has gone through a hard time. I am excited to see her progress :)

    We watched conference this week, and I loved it! It was so good. Something that I have thought a bit about that really touched me from conference is how we need to be courageous in standing for the covenants we have made, standing up for our beliefs and not being scared to do so. and also the improtance of the covenants we have made that we should be obediant always to the things the Lord has given us. I know this is so important.

  I was reading in Alma this week and was thinking about the Amalakites who when they turned away from the Lord took upon themselves marks to set themselves apart from the people of the Lord. This reminded me of how the Lord said when we turn away from him we will be marked. It made me think about how do I mark myself to make myself not of the Lord when I do something. I want  to avoid all these marks I put upon myself from disobedience and always turn to the Lord.

I love you tons! Have a great week!

Love
Sister Sudweeks

   

Called to serve in.....

  Dear Whanua,

    What a week! We had the General Women's broadcast this weekend which was wonderful. I loved how they focused on Covenants and being a covenant keeping people. It is something I have been thinking about lately. One of the members shared this wonderful thought about how when we keep our covenants the Lord will never penalize us. When we were baptized we covenanted to bear one another's burdens that they might be light and to always remember the Savior in all we do. He had an exam this last weekend and really needed to study but because he is the Ward Mission Leader he needed to also go to splits night. If he went he would only get to study for an hour before he had to sleep to be well rested for the exam. He chose to go to splits and because he did the Lord blessed him for keeping that covenant he made when he was baptized and he past the test. Truly the Lord will never punish us for keeping our covenants but will bless us with significant and sometimes subtle blessings.

     Something our Mission President sad was that we should always remember Christ and the Atonement in all that we do. I love this counsel. If we remember these two things we will always be lead in the way that we should go.

      I have been thinking about how important it is to follow the counsel we are given from the prophets, our leaders, and the spirit. Something I know I am good at is listening to conference and feeling different thoughts and impressions on things I want to improve and then wham, before I know it it's the next general conference. I had the thought that one way we truly show we follow our Savior and obey Him is to follow that counsel we receive. It is so important to do this. I know when we do this the Lord will bless us and we will be more prepared for the things he has in store for us.

   Our mission president asked us to improve upon one thing spiritually, mentally, and physically each week. I love that as we read the scriptures we can be guided on that one thing to help us know what we can improve upon and change to be more perfected in Christ.

   I am being transferred to the Rangiora-Kaiapoi area in ChristChurch. I will miss Dunedin but I know the Lord has new lessons I need to learn there. I am grateful for the lessons I have learned here, and will forever cherish them in my heart.

Love you all!

Love,
Sister Sudweeks