Murphy's Law

Hey everyone its been a good week had some good stuff happen we had another baptism which was great but it was by far the hardest baptism I have ever had which is why my email has the title "Murphy's Law" because straight up everything and I mean everything that could have possibly gone wrong with this baptism went wrong. 

Like one of the people we were going to baptized hit her head hard enough cutting it open and needing to go the emergency room and needing stitches which just "What...??" 

Next our chapel did not have any water in the whole building... so me having to text every single person in our ward 2 hours before the baptism that we need to change location to a really far chapel.

Here's the thing in the days that our ward didn't care about missionary work yeah sure no big deal I'll tell the two people coming, but I have been working on getting ward support for so long and now literally like the entire ward comes to our baptisms and bring food and stuff now which is normally the best but when you change the location to a far chapel and people have already made food for the occasion and ordered food to be delivered to our chapel its not very fun like 1 hour before the baptism while everyone is arriving I'm just getting straight like yelled at by the entire ward like "Why did the location change??" 

What am I supposed to do about this? and other people getting mad at me because the other person who was supposed to be baptized isn't now. Just like "Listen I didn't want to change the location either I would have loved to have just gotten the font ready and had no problems but instead there was no water so I had to solve the problem and with the accident you think I wanted that?? or even had any control like freak" and it's only me getting blamed because my companion doesn't speak Tagalog very well so they just yell at me and tell me the problems and expect me to not be 19  and instead use my magical missionary powers and fix everything which after a good hour of solving everyone's problems and because the location was so far our baptismal candidates were late and even though I had already texted them and they had said they were on their way I was still just being hammered by everyone about why they were late. Some said "Maybe we should just call it off it looks like baptism isn't that important to them." 

So I was just like aright I'm out Elder Roberts is about to become Adam and start losing it on you people so instead I went outside and just waited out there for my investigators really irritated and stressed

I had the song "He's got the whole world in his hands" (I doubt that's the title) but anyways in the end everything worked out the candidate got baptized and it was awesome and i just realized no matter what goes wrong ultimately God is in control and he will take care of everything.

Super awesome week despite challenges thanks for everything love you guys!

January 4, 2018

Dear Adam

What a joy it is to hear from you each week.  Ran into Katie, Haley, and Hannah. Hannah said she is filling out her papers at this time to go on a mission. Katie said she was not the slacker at writing you each week (I told her I was worried it was me?) She thought that was pretty funny that I wouldn’t be allowed at the airport. They are all up at BYU-I but home for the holidays.

Had several insights from my reading in the Book of Mormon this week. First I found it interesting that King Lamoni’s father was willing to give up ½ his kingdom for his life (Alma 20:21-23) but all his kingdom for salvation (Alma 22:15). I love the humility of Lamoni’s father when he says “If there is a God, and If thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me.”  And here is the real sacrifice. Giving up his kingdom would be hard but I think more doable then the next thing he says “ I will give away all my sins to know thee.”

I love the harvest that Ammon and Aaron and the sons of Mosiah are able to have reap after much tribulation. Alma 23:6 says “the power of God working miracles in them” Conversion is the true miracle. I was listening to  “Whatsoever he saith of thee, do it” from conference. I loved the image of the Savior changing water to wine at the feast and my former idea of the truest miracles are really changing us into something other than the natural man- Making us holy like Him. That is the real miracle. Alma 23:7 says “For they became a righteous people”

I have been thinking about the people you are teaching and the opportunity you have to help them also have this miracle. Bringing the spirit into the lessons and letting him create in them a mighty change. I love the idea of another name for the Holy Ghost is “The converter”. I know we always think of him as “The comforter”. But truly he is “The Converter” as well. We are changed forever by the still small voice whispering to our souls. And really in no other way.

In the New Year I have tried to create reasonable goals of change that will be doable. I have tried to look for small goals that will make a big impact in many areas. One scripture my mission president loved to quote was Alma 37:6 “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass”. I had someone say it another way “Large doors are moved by small hinges. “ Anyway, I am trying to find the most impactful goals—the small things that will make the most difference. One thing that is making a big difference is scripture study each day. Now that I am working full time it is much harder to find time to do it like I was before. I really enjoyed my hour of study and learned many things. Unfortunately as soon as I started working more I stopped studying entirely because I couldn’t do it “right” or like I was before. I determined to do it for 15 minutes before work and although I have done it now for 2 days. I am amazed at the power it has to help me and inspire me.

God is so good and takes whatever you give him and magnifies it!

I am currently serving as a Relief society teacher and my lesson for January is Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. Would love any insights or ideas you have about the Sabbath day and blessing you or others received by observing the Sabbath.

Love you forever and ever

Mom