And Merry Christmas from the 6ix!🎄6️⃣🎁🏙
Our friend Tomoaki is getting baptized this Saturday! He is like a sponge. He soaks everything up and loves it AND applies it. He knows everyone at church. The first day we met him, Tomoaki was so shy and quiet, he didn't talk to anyone. But I can testify that the gospel changes our nature. It has changed Tomoaki's nature. He is filled with charity and shares that love with everyone he talks to... and he talks to EVERYONE! He is so excited to be baptized this Saturday and to recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost on Christmas Eve. He told us this week that he is so excited for Christmas because it is going to be His first Christmas as a Christian. Oh how I love him!
Our friend Maris is an angel. She has come to institute and she came to the Christmas party, and church in Sunday. Yesterday we had our first lesson with her. We taught her all about the sacrament and Jesus christ and she just opened up about her experiences and perspectives on religion and on God. The existence of a God is a hopeful thought to her. She just doesn't feel like she's had much of a relationship with God before in her life. But she wants to learn more about that.
She's going home for Christmas so this was the last time we were going to see her before transfers. And who knows what's happening then.... not I. Maris told me how grateful she is that she met me on the street and that we have been such a source of hope to her in the last couple weeks. My heart melted. I love her. She is my sister, and a very very dear friend. We didn't do much, we've met her just a handful of times. But we shared our brother Jesus with her, and in Him is found all the hope of all the world and more. She'll visit her aunt while at home and her aunt is a member of the church! Maris can't wait to talk to her aunt about these things and ask questions about her experiences. I am so excited for her!
The atonement of Jesus Christ is something I have grown a strong testimony on in the last year.... as I should, I'm in a bubble of Jesus.... in the Book of Mormon we can read about Alma the younger who uses the healing power of Jesus Christ in his life and has a mighty change of heart when he goes through something really hard and has strayed far from the covenant path, taking many people with him. He describes the relief he feels as sweet and exquisite JOY (Alma 36:21). At this time of year when I read that account in the Book of Mormon my mind wanders to the Grinch that Dr. Seuss introduces us to. How terrible and mean and vile he was. But at the end, the Grinch's heart grows 3 sizes! And he feels so overcome with the true JOY of Christmas. He experiences the healing and relieving power of grace through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
I've been thinking how cool it would be to have that kind of experience where my heart grows so much, where I feel my heart change so immensely. I haven't done terrible and vile things in my life, I'm not perfect, but I have never strayed far from the path or knowingly rebelled against the commandments of God. Jesus Christ's Atonement isn't just for the Grinches of people. That miraculous event is for everyone. And no matter who you are, you can experience your heart grow 3 sizes and more, even if you have never stolen every child's gifts or pulled multitudes of people away from the truth.
I have been reflecting on the times in my life where I have felt that mighty change of heart. The times that I have altered my carefully planned course, or turned away from something or somewhere I loved so I could better follow my brother Jesus.
I have been pondering those things, and the things I learned about Jesus christ in my heart like Mary did when the angel told her that she would give birth to the Son of God. I have been reflecting on the ways that I can continue to seek Jesus like the Wise men as they followed the star. And as i do so I am building a stronger testimony to share with others and noise abroad the good news of Christ our lord like the shepherds after the angels appeared to them. I invite you all to do the same. Make the Nativity story a real part of your Christmas by living the way the people of that story did. Do those things that they did to focus on their brother and saviour Jesus Christ.
I love you all many bunches! Go give em' heaven!
Love,
Sister Court
Here are the Fridge Phrases!!!
♡God doesn't love Jesus Christ more than me -hermana Burbank
♡God, yeah he definitely has a better plan than I do -sister Rowley
♡infinite miracle hack: be diligent! -Elder baldrey
♡how valuable every single one of the words in the Book of Mormon is -sister Park
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