Well this week was better! Christmas was just awesome - I really loved getting to spend the holiday with other families and seeing their traditions. We got to open presents with my favorite little boys and then put their toys together, build trucks, and play with them all day! It was so fun. And I LOVED Skyping my family!!!
Sister Rodda is still great, we are just having a blast. She is such a hard worker. She always pushes herself and tries a little harder to be a little better everyday. I love that. Today after we sang "Have I Done Any Good?" we decided to take this line, "Do not let them pass by saying sometime I'll try, but go and do something today!" and apply it into our finding. We can't let a single person pass by without talking to them. Its easy to say, "Oh I'll get the next one, or, they probably aren't even interested". But no, we are to GO and DO something today!
I had a cool experience this weekend. Saturday night I was reading from the new Ensign magazine and it had this awesome article in it. This lady talked about the story of Christ performing the atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He says to His apostles (after taking on all the sins, pains, and sorrows of the world, coming back to find them asleep) "could ye not watch with me one hour?" That sentence just pierces me to the soul. You think about all He just did and that He did it completely and utterly alone. He comes out to find even his closest friends are not there to greet him, or support him, or help, but they have fallen asleep. Anyway, the lady in the article talks about how when we go to sacrament meeting, that can be our one hour to "watch with Him." Where we can partake of the sacrament and support Him and remember and acknowledge all the Savior did for us. I LOVED that so I decided to try it out.
This Sunday I truly came with a repentant heart, I tried to just focus on Christ all during the passing of the sacrament, I listened so intently during all the talks and they were the best! Seriously it was one of the best sacrament meetings I've ever been in. I felt the Spirit so strong as one of the young men that just got home from his mission spoke (his dad actually passed away a few months ago while he was gone on his mission, and he chose to finish his mission anyway..amazing kid). But his talk was powerful. I felt the Spirit as he testified of God's love and Christ's everlasting atonement. I am still struggling to understand the atonement in its fullness, but I am getting closer every day. I know that I felt a difference in this sacrament meeting, because I came and prepared differently.
This gospel is true, it just has to be. Even when I'm tempted to doubt, how can I forget all the experiences that have kept me grounded. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet and he did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. I know this has to be true because the first 6 weeks of my mission I cried every time I recited the first vision. The Book of Mormon HAS to be true because the first time I read it, I felt a burning sensation and fire as I read, and every time I put it down, I wanted to pick it right back up and keep reading. When I knelt in prayer to ask if it was true, the Spirit told me, undeniably, that it was. It's those simple truths I'm grateful to have, because that is my foundation to lean on when times get tough. I'm grateful for that. :)
Sister Rodda is still great, we are just having a blast. She is such a hard worker. She always pushes herself and tries a little harder to be a little better everyday. I love that. Today after we sang "Have I Done Any Good?" we decided to take this line, "Do not let them pass by saying sometime I'll try, but go and do something today!" and apply it into our finding. We can't let a single person pass by without talking to them. Its easy to say, "Oh I'll get the next one, or, they probably aren't even interested". But no, we are to GO and DO something today!
I had a cool experience this weekend. Saturday night I was reading from the new Ensign magazine and it had this awesome article in it. This lady talked about the story of Christ performing the atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He says to His apostles (after taking on all the sins, pains, and sorrows of the world, coming back to find them asleep) "could ye not watch with me one hour?" That sentence just pierces me to the soul. You think about all He just did and that He did it completely and utterly alone. He comes out to find even his closest friends are not there to greet him, or support him, or help, but they have fallen asleep. Anyway, the lady in the article talks about how when we go to sacrament meeting, that can be our one hour to "watch with Him." Where we can partake of the sacrament and support Him and remember and acknowledge all the Savior did for us. I LOVED that so I decided to try it out.
This Sunday I truly came with a repentant heart, I tried to just focus on Christ all during the passing of the sacrament, I listened so intently during all the talks and they were the best! Seriously it was one of the best sacrament meetings I've ever been in. I felt the Spirit so strong as one of the young men that just got home from his mission spoke (his dad actually passed away a few months ago while he was gone on his mission, and he chose to finish his mission anyway..amazing kid). But his talk was powerful. I felt the Spirit as he testified of God's love and Christ's everlasting atonement. I am still struggling to understand the atonement in its fullness, but I am getting closer every day. I know that I felt a difference in this sacrament meeting, because I came and prepared differently.
This gospel is true, it just has to be. Even when I'm tempted to doubt, how can I forget all the experiences that have kept me grounded. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet and he did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. I know this has to be true because the first 6 weeks of my mission I cried every time I recited the first vision. The Book of Mormon HAS to be true because the first time I read it, I felt a burning sensation and fire as I read, and every time I put it down, I wanted to pick it right back up and keep reading. When I knelt in prayer to ask if it was true, the Spirit told me, undeniably, that it was. It's those simple truths I'm grateful to have, because that is my foundation to lean on when times get tough. I'm grateful for that. :)
Much love to you this Christmas season!
Sister Carina Wawro
PICTURES:
(Love cute headband from Grandma Betty)
With my favorite kids on the mission here!
Family we spent Christmas with
Love this little guy!
I love Sister Rodda!
Fun & Crazy!
(Mom: Christmas Morning SKYPE screenshot! Love our girl!)
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