President Andersen just sent an email to us this weekend, that our whole mission exceeded our goal of number of people baptized this month! Also, he notified us that the Cookeville area will be transferring from our mission to the Knoxville mission this month. Sister Hansen and Sister Brennan (my former STL) are currently serving in Cookeville. This is happy news, because with the move over, the Knoxville mission will now have 6 stakes and qualify for a temple in the future! We are actively working to make the Vision of the South come true.
I don't think I've mentioned the Vision of the South before. Every morning, we have companion study and we recite a handful of different things from memory. The Vision for the South is one of them. One of my favorite lines included in the Vision goes: "Make no small plans; they have no magic to stir men's souls." This is so true. Especially when it comes to God's work. Because through Him, all things are possible. A part of the Vision of the South, is that there will be temples, plural, in the South States. And helping the work progress toward making that Vision a reality is such a blessing.
We saw Latisha twice this week and we've re-set her baptism date to be July 2nd. She finally understands that the Book of Mormon is not another version of the Bible and that it is an account of different nations and their testimonies of Jesus Christ. She has been overwhelmed with work lately and she hasn't been able to come to church at all. But she understands the importance of coming to church and is making an effort to change her schedule. Latisha's testimony and commitment to God is so strong! We got black raspberry ice cream to celebrate :D
Yesterday, during tracting hour, we met a man named Michael. He suffers from social anxiety and felt that because he couldn't be a "light on a hill," to others, he wasn't being a enough good disciple and God wasn't answering his prayers. He also had questions about whether men were subject to time and chance or directed by God. Sister Burton and I tried to explain to him that both could be true and that God looks upon the desires of our hearts when he judges us but he didn't accept our answers. He believed that no matter what our efforts were, all of our lives are determined by chance and in frustration, walked back into his house, stating that he was tired and had long over time, come to terms with the fact that he would never receive salvation.
Sister Burton and I just stood there, in shock and overwhelming sadness. I'm praying that somewhere down the line, Michael will come to feel and know how much our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love him. I'm so thankful to have the knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm grateful to know that I am a daughter of a loving God, who only wants the best for me and who is ever present in my life. It is through the Atonement that I can find a certain peace and joy that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, and I am pleased to accept my calling to testify of our Savior's love so that some other soul can come closer to Christ and partake of the fruit which is most sweet and pure, and desirable above all other fruit.
I love all y'all!
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