This week was full of adventures!
We got to see the wonderful people of little Searchlight Nevada! Our STLs
decided to go with us to Searchlight so we could try and get some more work
there and hopefully be able to send missionaries down there more often! It's amazing how many people are searching for the truth and it's so hard for us to
get down there and teach them. Searchlight is seriously one of my favorite
places and I hope to be able to see the people there more often. 
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| Chris and his family at church! That was the
first day he had ever worn a white shirt and tie in his life! And he looked so
good!! |
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My twin Eliza and me :)
(she calls me her
twin) |
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This is a picture of Chris
holding up a potato.. he said he was going to use that one the boys if
they get too close to his daughter Eliza.. Chris is one of my favorite
people and he always makes us laugh! We also got to have Thanksgiving
dinner with them! Chris' brother Joey and his girlfriend and her daughter
came as well and it was a lot of fun! I love that family so much!
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Sister Hunt and I had got hot
chocolate the
other day because it is FREEZING here!
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| Someone gave us leftover thanksgiving food for
dinner last night so we have a little mini thanksgiving in our apartment |
And the most exciting news of the
week...... CHRIS GOT BAPTIZED!! We are so proud of him! Before his baptism we
went to go check the water for him and it was nice and warm! But by the time he
actually got in it was cold! But just like Chris usually does he was smiling when he got out! Just like the rest of us! This family has changed so much
in the last year. They have made huge changes and have done whatever they
needed to do and have been asked to do to come closer to their Father in
Heaven.
When Eliza was interested in the church her grandma Trish sat in
on the
lessons just to supervise the things Eliza was getting involved in. It wasn't
long until Trish was asking questions and becoming interested herself. In
January Eliza decided to make the decision to be baptized. The missionaries
continued to come by and teach Eliza the new member lessons and to teach Trish.
Trish decided to make the decision to be baptized in April. Around that time
Chris was moving around a lot and eventually came back to live with Trish and
Eliza and became interested himself and was baptized on Saturday. It's amazing
the influence a twelve year old girl can have on an entire family! And she
continues to share with them the things she learns in church and at mutual.
Trish refers to her as a sponge and loves hearing her go on about the things
she has learned. I have grown to love this family so so much. They really are
amazing!
We are continuing to try and find
people to teach here in little Boulder City and to serve as much as we can!
And
good news! Transfers are this week and I get to stay! Sadly,
Sister Hunt is
leaving and going back to Henderson. But I am getting Sister Foulke! She's from
Oregon! I can't remember exactly where.. but OREGON! YAY! I haven't been around
her much but I know a lot of people who have and they all love her and say she
is hilarious! So I'm excited!
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Sister Hunt wanted to go say
goodbye to some of our favorite young women and have them sign her transfer
journal so we went outside and swung on their swing hammock things while we
waited :)
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I was given an awesome opportunity
to give a talk in Sacrament meeting yesterday and wanted to share a little bit
of it with you!
I used two talks that I love for my talk:
"To Whom Shall We Go?" By
M. Russell Ballard and "Yes, Lord, I Will Follow Thee" by
Elder Eduardo Gavarret.
I talked a lot about keeping our faith strong and
supporting those who are struggling. Most of my mission I have worked with a
lot of less active members of the church and it's been an amazing experience to
help these people remember how they felt when they were first converted to the
gospel. I have seen so many people change their lives not only by stepping into
the waters of baptism but by just stepping back into a church building and
partaking of the sacrament. It's such an amazing thing to be apart of! :)
A few quotes from the talks that I
love:
Elder Ballard
"For some, Christ’s
invitation to believe and remain continues to be hard--or difficult to accept.
Some disciples struggle to understand a specific Church policy or teaching.
Others find concerns in our history or in the imperfections of some members and
leaders, past and present. Still others find it difficult to live a religion
that requires so much. Finally, some have become “weary in well-doing.” For
these and other reasons, some Church members vacillate in their faith,
wondering if perhaps they should follow those who “went back, and walked no
more” with Jesus."
Where
will you go to:
- find others who share your
belief in personal, loving Heavenly Parents, who teach us how to return to
Their eternal presence?
- be taught about a Savior who is
your best friend, who not only suffered for your sins but who also
suffered “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind” so “that
his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may
know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their
infirmities,” including, I believe, the infirmity of loss of faith?
- learn more about Heavenly
Father’s plan for our eternal happiness and peace, a plan that is filled
with wondrous possibilities, teachings, and guidance for our mortal and
eternal lives? Remember, the plan of salvation gives mortal life meaning,
purpose, and direction.
- find a detailed and inspired
Church organizational structure through which you are taught and supported
by men and women who are deeply committed to serving the Lord by serving
you and your family?
- find living prophets and
apostles, who are called by God to give you another resource for counsel,
understanding, comfort, and inspiration for the challenges of our day?
- find people who live by a
prescribed set of values and standards that you share and want to pass
along to your children and grandchildren?
- experience the joy that comes
through the saving ordinances and covenants of the temple?
"My heartfelt plea is that we
will encourage, accept, understand, and love those who are struggling with
their faith. We must never neglect any of our brothers and sisters. We are all
at different places on the path, and we need to minister to one another
accordingly."
Elder Gavarret
It was the year 1975, and I was
serving in the Uruguay-Paraguay Mission as a young missionary. During my first
month in the mission, the zone leaders held an activity to demonstrate a gospel
principle. Each missionary in the zone was blindfolded, and we were told that
we were to follow a path leading to the cultural hall. We were to follow the
voice of one particular leader, a voice we heard before starting to walk.
However, we were warned that during the journey, we would hear several voices
that would try to confuse us and get us to stray from the path.
After some minutes of
hearing noises, talking, and--in the midst of it all--a voice that said,
“Follow me,” I felt confident I was following the right voice. When we arrived
at the cultural hall of the chapel, we were asked to take off our blindfolds.
When I did so, I realized that there were two groups and that I was in the
group that had followed the wrong voice. “It sounded so much like the right
one,” I said to myself.
That experience of 39 years
ago had a lasting effect on me. I told myself, “Never, ever again follow the
wrong voice.” Then I told myself, “Yes, Lord, I will follow Thee.”
John 10:14,27
“I am the good shepherd, and know
my sheep. …
“My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me.”
What steps can we take today to
“walk with Him”?
- Feed the desire to be a better
follower of Christ.
- Pray for this desire that your
faith in Him may grow.
- Obtain knowledge from the
scriptures, lighting the way and strengthening your desire to change.
- Make the decision today to act
and say, "Yes, Lord, I will follow Thee!" Simply knowing the
truth will not change your world unless you turn knowledge into action.
- Persevere in the decision you
have made by exercising these principles daily.
I hope someone is able to get something out of what I'm sharing.
I love
you all so much and hope you have a great week!!
Love,
Sister Eliza Hopper
We also got to help "clothe the naked"! We
helped a man wrap his fake Christmas tree in Saran Wrap because it was going to
start raining and he didn't want the lights to get ruined.. so that was an
adventure!
