Hello Everyone,
How are all of you? So this has been an interesting week, with lots of interesting thoughts. Sorry I didn't email yesterday, we moved our P day this week to Tuesday so we could go to the TEMPLE! woohoo! :) the temple is just he best place ever. The peace there is unlike anything else. It is a place to truly escape all the evil in the world. I love the temple. The Chicago temple is really small, and everything is one floor, but it is beautiful. We went with the whole zone. Speak of the temple, and the opportunity to escape the evil in the world. I have been thinking a lot about the evil in the world and how it comes in contact with our lives so often. There are times especially here on the mission when you hear so much about the evil that people encounter in their lives and how they are effected by it. I have heard about things going on at home and I have been thinking of that too. I just was thinking last night about how sometimes it feels like Satan is winning a lot of battles, and there is so much evil, how can we ever come out unscathed. I have come to these conclusions.
The Atonement is real. Not only can people come back from the vilest of sins, but the atonement also has the power to heal us when darkness touches our lives, and help us overcome. The Atonement of Jesus Christ gives hope. Hope of a better place, or living with God again in the eternities in perfection. And inner peace that the world cannot provide. The calmness and peace you need when the world is crazy, when it seems like satan is winning. Through the Atonement we realize the he is not winning.
Sometimes it seems like the world is wicked, and that everyone is losing, and how could we possible overcome. But this is simply not so. Satan is losing more battles then he is winning, there are more good people then there are bad people. If we can't see this them we are dwelling in the darkness, our perspective is all wrong. Because Christ is winning, and people are changing their lives and coming closer and closer to him. I see it everyday. As Elder Utchdorf said, we have to
acknowledge that darkness exists, but choose not to dwell there.
The second thing this made me think of is actually something my mom said in her email yesterday, so I will quote that. She said, "We are all human and not perfect, how wonderful it is to show mercy and compassion to people when they are having a rough patch, or make a mistake, or just don't show us their best. It is a gift to remember that people are more important than _________." This is one of the most important principles of this gospel. They is having charity. Recognizing that everyone is fighting a hard battle, and sometimes they lose ground. But it is not our responsibility to judge people based on their sins. It is only our responsibility to overcome our own weaknesses. Sometimes people make mistakes, and at that moment is when we need to pull all the mercy and grace, and compassion we can muster and allow people to change. To recognize the good. To recognize the power of the Atonement. To pray with all the" energy of heart that you will be filled with this love".
Anyway that's my 2 cents.
So my miracle this week. Hopefully this will make sense. Last transfer Hna Jacobson and I knocked into this man named Victor who is so awesome. But it has been hard to meet with him because a women doesn't live with him. But he said he really wants his daughter to learn, so he gave us her number. We called her once and she said she would come and then she never did. So we didn't really worry about that for awhile. But the last week, Hna Barlow and I were tracking down all the less actives on our records and we went to one who lived in our apartment complex and she doesn't live there anymore, but guess who does.....VERONICA, Victor's daughter. We had no idea she lived there. But she was super interested and wants us to come back. It was just crazy that we 'randomly' found her. It was awesome! Also other random facts. February 15th was a year since I got my call. Wow a lot has happened.
Also I don't know if I told you this, but Hna Barlow and I have the same birthday!!!! Like crazy right? I was actually kind of worried before transfers that I would get a companion that didn't understand how much I loved my birthday. Guess what she does. Haha same one March 18th. But she turns 20, and me 21!!!!!
Anyway, sorry not much time to write. But I will write more next week.
I love you! Fight the good fight.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
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