Happy Thanksgiving!!! I'm Grateful for YOU!!!

With Thanksgiving coming up, I want you to know that I am thankful for all of you and your support. I am so grateful to be a missionary and to share the gospel with the people here. This week has been a good week. I have learned a lot about myself, and have learned of ways that I can become closer to my Savior. I have really learned that I need to trust in Him. To trust in the love that he has for me, and trust that he has the power to heal, comfort, provide peace, give us strength. He is capable of ALL things. We need to just trust and have faith in Him who is mighty to save.
Thursday: My 3 month mark! Wow time has flown. I can't believe that I have been out for three months! Sister Montredon is so nice! She made me a cinnamon roll for my "birthday" breakfast! Today was a great day! We went to our friend Sophia's house! She is so incredibly nice. She calls us her daughters. She wanted us to come over and help her clean her house. I loved it! It was fun to help her, and to get to know her a little bit more! Later today we went by Maureen's house! She is the sweetest! She made a goal to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover and she is already almost finished with 2 Nephi! Ahhhhh!!! She is loving it too.
Friday: Today we went to Angela's house! One of our less actives in the ward. She wanted us to bake with her! So we made pumpkin pie!!! Mmmmm my favorite! It didn't look the prettiest but it was really tasty! She really opened up to us! We shared the story of Samuel the Lamanite with her. I love this story so much! Because Samuel was commanded to go and teach and prophesy of Christ to the wicked Nephites, but they rejected him and cast him out! As he was about to return to his city, the Lord told him to go back and to prophecy and teach the people again. The people would not let him in, but he knew that God commanded him to testify, so he CLIMBED up a wall!! Ahh this amazes me, I'm sure that this wall was really high, and very dangerous, but that didn't stop him! He wanted to do everything he could possibly do to fullfill what he was commanded to do. I love this story because it helps me remember that we all can have "walls" that we need to climb. Whether they be spiritual, physical, or emotional. The story continues where the people try to cast stones and arrows at him, but he is not harmed because the Lord is protecting him. The same goes for us! The Lord will always provide a way for us to accomplish the things that he has commanded us to do! He will always guide us and bring us comfort, just as He did for Samuel. All He asks us to do is to try to climb those walls.
Saturday:we had dinner with Sophia tonight! And we gave her a Book of Mormon. I have never seen anyone so happy to receive a copy of the Book of Mormon. When we shared with her that the Book of Mormon provides us with a plan of happiness, and that it tells us how we can go back home, she got emotional! Power truly does come from the Book of Mormon. It changes lives. Later tonight we had stake conference in Maidstone! Ugh it was so great!!! We got to listen to some great talks. Something I loved that was shared and that struck me, was that "we need to TAKE THE TIME to receive divine guidance, and that we can't let anything stand in the way of receiving it". I love this!! If we are looking for guidance... take the time to receive it. Work for it!
Sunday: we had stake conference. And one of my favorite things that was shared was " we have been taught that we need to endure to the end, but WILL we enjoy to the end? " this is so powerful. It was a great reminder to hear that life is meant to be enjoyable, and it's only through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we can FIND that eternal joy.
Monday: we were on exchanges in our area! It was so busy, but miracles happened. I was with Sister Bove! She is so funny and nice. We were knocking a street in Welling, and we decided that we wanted to try a different approach. We wanted to go around people's houses and ask them what made them happy! People were really receptive to this... well most 😂 we had one lady open her door, and we said " hi, we are just going around your street asking people what makes them happy!" And she said "when people leave me alone so that I can make dinner" and she shut the door. Sister Bove and I looked at each other and started to laugh... and Sister Bove goes " well... that happiness won't last you long". Haha it's so true though! True happiness comes through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and when we come to realize that it's only through Christ where we can find this happiness, we won't have to look for those "worldly things" to make us temporarily happy. I loved doing this knocking approach because it helped people open up! I loved it!
Tuesday: we finished our exchange and we ate at the real China again haha. I guess it is an "exchange tradition". But I always learn so much from exchanges, they really make you want to set goals, and to try to push yourself even more. Sister Bove is so great!
I love being a missionary! I love how each Wednesday as I write emails I get to look back at my week and see all the miracles that God has given us. God can always take a crooked stick and draw a straight line. That even though I am not a perfect person, and I'm not alway the easiest tool to work with, Heavenly Father can always work miracles. I know that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you can find solace and peace. That if any of you are looking for answers or comfort, He is WAITING to receive you. Ask and it shall be given to you. I love you all so much. Make it a great week. We got this! 👍
Love,
Sister Lund