Missionary Lyfe

Aloha Friends and Family!

Hope you had a great week! Mine was great too :) We had transfers and I can't remember if I told you but I am staying where I am with sweet sister Ohno. We are working hard, trying to stay busy in an area with 99.9% members. This last week we taught a lesson to our Jehovah's witness friend Esther and it ended up being approximately 3 hours long. She just didn't want us to leave! Well the real story is this...

We had just finished teaching a Family Home Evening Lesson to a family in our ward when we were on our way to another home to try to contact a family that has been pretty MIA. On our way there, I just stopped in my tracks and had the impression that we needed to go see our friend Esther. We usually try not to visit her because she always tries to teach us hahaha. BUT I knew that we needed to go see her. So we went. When we walked up to her door, it was open, and her and her son were sitting on the couch crying together. She saw us and invited us to come in, and told us that her nephew had just passed away. She asked us where he was. We talked to her about God's plan for us and specifically where we go after we die. We shared with her Alma 40:11-12 which reads,

 11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, assoon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whetherthey be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

 12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous arereceived into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state ofpeace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

We spoke together for a long time. I know that Heavenly Father knew that Esther needed us to come that night to provide with her some answers and the comfort and peace that she was searching for. I can often feel a strength or power that is not my own guiding me to say or do certain things. I know that Heavenly Father loves us so much that he puts angels into our lives that provide us with a touch of heaven. I hope that we were able to do that for Esther that night.

God is merciful and loving. I know that this life is meant to help us grow, and thus we sometimes experience times of sorrow and pain. We all face individual challenges that can be too heavy to bare on our own. I also know that we can use these challenges to become sensitive to others and their needs. Some of the things that I have struggled with on the mission so far have helped me to be sensitive to specific people and their needs. I know that above all, the Lord knows our needs and challenges. He suffered for us so that we don't have to suffer. He can help us lift those burdens that are too heavy to lift on our own. All we have to do is ask :)

Look to others and their needs this week! And always, always keep smiling!

Love Sister Willardson