Happiness For Emma Lee: Which Team Are You On?

Waaaaaaaz uuuuuuuup?

Michigan fact:

I don't know who named the streets here, but they didn't do a very good job.

If there is a Bartlet Street there is also a Bartlet Court, Drive, Place, Circle, Triangle, Square, Oval, Hexagon, Squiggle and Line.

No joke.

So annoying.

How do we find the houses we're supposed to be at?

We just hope it's the right one and if it isn't, that's ok!

We're missionaries. We always knock on stranger's doors.

Plus people are more willing to talk to us if we're looking for someone else.

I've actually thought about asking at every door:

"Is there a Geberta that lives here? No? Oh well we're representatives of Jesus Christ? Have you heard of our church? Want to come to our church? Want to be baptized? Yeah? Ok cool. How about November 24? Awesome. I know that this gospel will bless you and your family."

Don't you think that will work?

I do.

Just kidding.

That's kind of sneaky and manipulative.

That's how Satan works. Not Jesus.

And I'm trying to be like Jesus. :)

Anyway, I'm just fine and dandy here in Michigan.

I love Farmington Hills!

What happened this week?

Not much.

We found two new investigators and became friends with an atheist.

One of our new investigators has been a progressing potential.

We finally got her.

We planned to visit her and teach her the restoration.

When we got out of our car and started walking to her door she started walking out.

Coincidence? I think not.

Then we just started talking.

We kept using terms like "the restored gospel."

Well of course she didn't know what that meant, so she asked.

We would love to tell you that answer.

We taught her the restoration.

It was a beautiful lesson.
It flowed so effortlessly, mainly because she kept asking all the right questions.

We asked her later if she wanted a Book of Mormon 'cause I just "happened" to have one in my bag.

She said not yet.
I think the fact that we have 3 additional books of scripture made her nervous.

Well really, she just wants to know what the Pearl of Great Price is first and then she'll take a copy.

Unfortunately, we only hand out the Book of Mormon.
We certainly could get her a copy of the Pearl of Great Price, but we don't have them on hand.

Anyway, it was a super cool lesson. :)

She's gonna' be converted.

Yah, I'm friends with an atheist.

We've been teaching his wife a little bit who is Christian.

We went to see her and met him.

His mom is a member of the church and he was raised in it but never baptized.

He asked us a lot of questions.
Random questions.

Like questions about our lives, what are our first names and what we thought about science and dinosaurs and stuff.

We answered. When we didn't have answers we said we don't know.

I think he realized we're real people and not just crazy Jesus girls, which is good.

He said he still loves us even though we believe in God.

We said we still love him even though he doesn't, and so does God.

We'll go back.

We'll get him.

One day he'll believe in God and he and his wife will be converted and sealed and happy.

One day he'll read this and laugh and say "THAT'S ME!" maybe even before he's converted.

It'll happen.

Yesterday we had a church tour.

The city did an event where they took some people around to tour different houses of worship.

Our church buildings aren't super pretty or anything and we don't have a big door that everyone walks in.

They're not out in the open like BAM! LOOK AT ME!
Someone during question time said that we don't seem inviting.

We have things going on, but non-members don't feel like they can just walk in and be included.

WHAT?
We have a sign that says "Visitors Welcome" and we mean it!

Sister Taylor and I are pumped now though.

We're going to try to plan different things and really try to get the word out just so we can get people in the church.

It doesn't matter if they come for a Halloween party or sacrament or a tour. We just want to get them there.

It's gonna' happen.

Mosiah 3 was cool.

It talks about the whole life of the Savior!

V. 5-6: His earthly ministry.

V. 7: The Atonement

V. 9: Crucifixion

V. 10: Resurrection

It also says that the only way to find eternal happiness is through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end (my purpose). There is no other way, and this is only possible in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In Mosiah 4 it really struck me that if you really believe, trust and follow God, you will do good and be good. You will follow the commandments to the best of your ability.

I like verse 9:

9 Believe in ^aGod; believe that he is, and that he ^bcreated all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all ^cwisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not ^dcomprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

Read that verse again, but replace believe with trust.

Mosiah 5 talked about the covenants we make at baptism.

Something super cool that I learned from one of my zone leaders that goes with this is:

Think of your favorite sports team.
I'll use the Dodgers since that's my dad's favorite and Tigers since I'm in Detroit. :)
How do you know that a Dodger is a Dodger.

How do you know a Tiger is Tiger?

He's got a jersey right?
There is no way you can mistake a Tiger for a Dodger.

When we are on God's team, when we're baptized, we take upon ourselves the name of Christ, or we put on His jersey.

Now, can just anyone put on a jersey and be a Dodger or Tiger?

No. It takes a lot of work to make it to the major leagues.

You have to train you have to work hard.

You can't just automatically be a pro pitcher?

There are steps you have to take to get there.

We have to work towards baptism.

Towards the World Series, or eternal life.

And the coolest part is that we don't have to do it alone.

Someone like Matt Kemp had a coach.

He trained hard and someone helped him train.

Because the Dodgers worked hard, played hard and listened to their coach they're in the World Series (my dad told me in his last letter. I'm not checking up on baseball while I'm out here).

God is our trainer. He's our coach.

He provides ways for us to make it to baptism and eventually eternal life.

He pushes us and supports us.

He shows us the proper way to hold the bat and to hit the ball so we get a home run.

Question?

If a Tigers player stops practicing, will he keep his skills?

Will he stay in the major leagues? Will he make it to the World Series?

No.

Just because he made it on the team doesn't mean that he can stop working.

If he stops practicing, stops listening to his coach then he will no longer be worthy to wear that jersey.

It's the same with us.

Once we're baptized it doesn't mean we've automatically made it to the celestial kingdom.