H E L L O ☺️
(Be prepared for lots of pics. Sorry ✌️)
Mission life is LYFE...especially during the summer. It's been such a great week. Today we had a zone activity at a local park and had a lot of fun. This definitely has got to be one of my favorite zones.
Almost everyday I forget I'm actually serving a mission and it's been
10 months! I'm a full believer that it won't hit me until I'm home and not serving my brothers/sisters in Ohio. Boy, I love being a missionary!
We met a man this week who has had some hardship in his life. He openly said that he doesn't believe in God, Christ, or anything. He said that if Christ came up to him he would deny Him because of the things he has seen in His life. My heart shatter. He wasn't rejecting me. He was rejecting the atonement to work in his life. Our Heavenly Father gave His son to us so we could one day return to Him. As we walked away from the man I envisioned the Savior and our Father in Heaven standing together weeping over this man. I know that God lives and that Jesus Christ lives too. I'm thankful for this knowledge because it has helped me through the tough times.
Ty is incredible!!! We had his baptismal interview and he met with the bishop Sunday. He is SO ready. I am a firm believer that this a blessing from the Lord. All the hard work I've put in on my mission is totally worth it when it comes to seeing my brother enter the waters of baptism and make that special covenant with his Father in Heaven.
We hope to take him to the temple soon after his baptism. He is really excited to enter the temple. Yesterday during our lesson he said, "if you hadn't moved my baptismal date up I would have cannonballed into the font and found someone with the priesthood authority to baptize me." Hahaha. So remember when I told you that he put his two weeks in at work because it wasn't a good environment and he wanted to keep the Sabbath day holy....he said he didn't have a new job lined up but that God would provide? Well last week we were talking to some members about it and they said they had a job offer for him...so we immediately called him and with little to no excitement over the phone he said thank you for the information. Well two days later at our lesson he said "I was completely shocked when you called about a job offer....I was speechless. Even if I don't take it or they don't take me, that is a sign from God to me saying that he notices me making these changes in my life." Tyler is incredible! We are so excited for his baptism this Saturday morning!!!
We are working with C who has a baptismal date for August 20th.
He really wants to make sure this is his path but I have full faith that he will have his decision made by the 20th of August.
K is doing SO good! He is making steps of progression slowly but incredible steps for an 82 yr old! We read alma 36 with him last week and taught repentance. He didn't understand some of the verses but without asking us he dissected the verse so he would understand. It was incredible to watch the spirit teach him! He is planning on being baptized August 20th!
Last week I found out that S that Sister Birchett and I found in Powell told sister b. that we were really good at "selling our message" to her because she had this marketing book and I guess we used every trick that book tells to use. Hahahaha...little did she know the spirit guides us in contacts and our message is FREE for everyone.
We have met some new incredible people and I'm excited to teach them!
This past week I'm learned a lot and I'm grateful for the spirit that helps us to gain knowledge and understanding while we study. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." 3 Nephi 13:21.
In this life, we have to be careful what we chase. Many times we are focused on getting the latest iPhone or newest car when we really should be focused on how well we study our scriptures or say our prayers. The REAL chase in life should be after spiritual things not temporal things. But often times we are more focused on the material matters. Elder Michael John U. Teh once said "There is NO end to what the world has to offer." The world is constantly advertising the newest and coolest thing. Satan tries to grab our attention on the worldly things and, many times, he succeeds. We should be laying up our treasures in heaven. Things like gaining Christ like attributes, strengthening our family bond, giving service, and strengthening our testimony. Those spiritual things are what will help us to achieve the greatest gift our Father in Heaven has to offer, eternal life. As we patiently, faithfully, and consistently, FOLLOW this path, we will qualify for eternal life. The more we follow our Savior, the more whole we fill. But if we follow Lucifer's plan, the more emptiness we will feel. We have the agency to chose who we follow. Agency is a gift giving to us from our Father in Heaven. He bestowed it upon us before we came to this earth. It is the ability to chose and act for ourselves. Many times people wondered why bad things happen in the world and why God doesn't stop it. Every individual has been given the gift of agency. If God pushed us to do something or stop us from doing something, He would then be a dictator. We would simply become pieces of a chessboard and God would be playing chess with our lives. But that isn't the way life is. We are human beings; we are eternal beings. God has given us the gift of agency because He loves us. He can prompt us to do something or to stop something but ultimately, it is our choice to follow Him or ignore Him.
We have the choice to chase after temporal or spiritual things. When we focus on spiritual things, our outlook on life, people, situations, etc. is better. We become more repentant because we are focusing on coming closer to Jesus Christ. As we access the Atonement, we can prepare ourselves to live with God again. I know that the church is true. I know it, God knows I know it, and I can't deny it because that would offend my God. I loving serving in the Great OCM. This is the path back to our Heavenly Father. I say these things in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ, amen. Thanks for all the love and support! Until next Wednesday...transfers are next week....already...
XOXO,
Sister Detamore
Love her!
Zone Activity
10 months
Random wall
Got caught in the rain
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