"Serving From The South": Thoughts on the Atonement...

Well, I have had a tough couple of weeks and just various trials, but I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And once again, I have come to see these trials as a blessing. A big change I have come to realize is that this mission really is just so, so short. I mean, I have always known the mission was fast, and the time has really flown by. But even more-so now than ever, I have just loved every second, not taking a second for granted. I used to mark the days off on my calendar, not in a "counting down till home kind of way" but just in a keeping track of what day it is. But now, I can't even bear to cross off one more day. My calendar is still crossed off only up until the beginning of July. It pings my heart every time I even think about crossing off a day. One more day gone, one more day away from my mission. Which truly saddens my heart, I have LOVED to be here. I have grown so so so much. I have never felt more converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, or understood its significant and eternal importance as I have now. I am just so eternally grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve, and I am so excited to love every single day until the end (which hopefully will never come....LOL)

But lately I have been studying the Atonement and specifically its "limitations." And the conclusion that I have come to, is really that the only limitations it has, is on us. We control our access to it. These are some of the main points I concluded:

#1 We have to accept the Atonement and choose to access it.
The Atonement is always there and it has already been paid for - Christ already took on all of our sins. He has already done the suffering for us, but WE have to choose to come to it. This is one principle where we differ from other churches. Others believe that yes, Christ died for us on the cross so that's it...its there, it covers us, and we are good-to-go making whatever choices we want because "he's already taken care of it." And yes, It is always there, the door is always there and open and unlocked, but we have to make the effort and turn the door knob and walk in... and with walking in that door, then we have some things WE need to take care of, which leads to point number 2:

#2 We must keep His terms to receive the full blessings of the Atonement.
Christ has required of us that to use the Atonement fully and have that access and receive those blessings we have to repent and keep the commandments. 'Articles of Faith' number 3 states "We believe that through The Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of The Gospel." We have to be obedient and follow ALL the commandments, which includes repenting continually for the rest of our lives and enduring to the end.

#3 We cannot fully access The Atonement without the ordinances of the Gospel.
Now this point I recently found, and I am still trying to wrap my brain around the concept. When Brother Donaldson came, he said "A person cannot feel the redeeming, enabling, and exalting powers of The Atonement without the ordinances of The Gospel." Through baptism we have the ultimate repentance manifesting our "rebirth" or new life following Christ. Then through the sacrament we renew every week, we remember the Atonement every week and give thanks and strive the next week to be even more obedient.

My mission president suggested that I read "Believing Christ" by Stephen E. Robinson. I received the book from home on Friday and finished it on Sunday. That book totally changed my perspective on everything. One point that I really came to understand was this point right here...that when we are baptized, we come into this covenant with Jesus Christ, where, to put it frankly, he basically promises that when we do our part, He WILL fill in the rest. As Robinson puts it, he compares it to a corporate merge. When two parties combine, even if the one is lesser, and has debt, when they merge - the greater party takes up the slack and fills in the debt and brings them higher and out of the hole. The same is with Christ. We are in debt, we are in the hole with our sins, but in the partnership with Christ, in our covenant to HIM, when we do allllll we can do, when we try our hardest and our best, He will fill in our weakness. As an individual, I may have no hope, but as a junior partner in a joint venture with Christ, I have every assurance of success. That is probably my favorite of the 3 limitations, that Christ will help me fill in my weakness and shortcomings, as I have promised and covenanted my faithfulness to Him.

But, to quickly review the rest of the week, we had an awesome lesson with Robert who is still on date for baptism August 2nd. I sang at the cottage meeting at the mission president's home with Sister Cromar and all her other "trainees" since this is her last week in the mission field. And we gave some sneaky service to a member, Sister S., who does EVERYTHING for us, feeds us, drives us, takes us to lunch...everything. She's great! So we were in her neighborhood and she was outside and we asked to use the bathroom and then cleaned her kitchen really quick. It was super fun and felt good to give back to her. She was very grateful when she found it later.

Overall it was a pretty great week. Feeling blessed.

Well, when our ride gets here, Sister S. is taking us to Panera! I'M SO EXCITED!!

Love,

Sister Wawro

PICTURES:

Sister Boaz, who used to be in our apt. back in March

(Mom sidenote...LOVE her braided hair here!)