I Know My Purpose

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been awesome! I have felt the Lord's love for me every single day and have a renewed desire to serve him with ALL of my heart, might, mind, and strength. Last Tuesday morning started out rough as I tried to catch a fly ball while my district was playing kickball and ended up getting ball-burn on my chin... It was actually really funny and we all had a good laugh. That day in class we discussed some of the struggles that the people face in Cambodia on a daily basis. Our teacher taught us that when we ask our investigators "How they are feeling", that question translates differently in their minds than it does in ours. They think about the fact that they might not be able to have food on the table (well actually floor) for their family that night. They think about the fact that their children cant go to school because they can't afford it, or they are going to school and it is corrupt. They think about the fact that if they get sick, not only will they not be able to work, but the chances of full recovery are close to none because of their poor health care. They think about how their economy is the third worst in the world. You can't simply ask a Cambodian how they feel because they feel far more than we have ever felt in a single moment. We learned that our questions need to be more specific. We need to ask them questions like, "How do you feel knowing that Savior Jesus Christ has felt the exact same way you do? How do you feel knowing someone loved you enough that He died for you?". Needless to say, I learned a TON about how to ask thought provoking questions. 

On Wednesday, my district was able to act as hosts for the incoming missionaries. There were about 300 new missionaries so we were all very busy!!! One of my best friends, Sister Francis came in, and it has been a tender mercy to have a little piece of home here at the MTC with me. In class we discussed the difference between being a light-hearted missionary and a light-minded missionary. Honestly, I didn't really know the difference and I thought both were bad, but I learned that being a light-hearted missionary is understanding our purpose and taking this work seriously. We need to love the people we serve and not be inappropriate or joke about salvation. Salvation is serious business!

Anyway, we had some really awesome lessons throughout the week but the highlight was Sunday night. We have the opportunity to see a "film" at about8 PM every Sunday night. They usually give us four options, and this week our district decided to all go see a devotional given by Jeffrey R. Holland in the MTC on Thanksgiving day in 2012 (I think). It was life changing. The devotional started out with a few of his grandkids (the Mccans- they went to Orem High) giving testimonies and musical numbers. After that, his wife, Patricia Holland shared a powerful testimony on the Book of Mormon. She told us that we need to have a testimony of the Book of Mormon so deep within us that we can't even stand not telling every person we see about it. It was powerful and I committed myself to reading the Book of Mormon every day for the rest of my life in that moment. I challenge each of you to do the same!! I know that blessings will come the moment we open the book!

Elder Holland spoke about the things he is grateful for, and that we too should be grateful for. He spoke about being grateful that we are born in this last dispensation, when we know that we will succeed. He spoke about prophets in previous dispensations that KNEW their dispensation would end in apostasy yet they STILL gave everything to serving the Lord and his children. He talked about how he has often asked himself, "Why am I so lucky to be born in the covenant? Why am I in this chosen generation? Why do I have so much?" I have often asked myself these questions as well! While he was speaking I felt so much love from the Lord and I knew my purpose. I felt inspired to write down why I am serving a mission in that moment, so I would like to share that with you all as well.

"I am serving a mission because I have been given so much. I was born in the covenant and with that blessing comes great responsibility. My responsibility is to remind my  fellow brothers and sisters, children of God, of the truth that is at the very core of their beings. This mission is as real as my life will ever get. I won't serve for 18 months and then go back to "real life". This is my life. These next 18 months, if I am 100% dedicated, I will literally be saving souls 24/7. The Lord is constantly saving souls and we need to be 100% committed. Some of my dearest friends have been kept from the truth and it isn't fair but because I DO know, it is my job to share. Missionary work is so vital because EVERY person need to have this knowledge. Every person deserves a chance to have their soul saved- because that is what Christ would do if he himself were here. We owe this to those that don't know the truth, to the past prophets, and to the Savior, Jesus Christ. The prophets knew that their dispensations would end in apostasy yet they still gave everything- they literally sacrificed everything- to save souls. We know that our dispensation will not end in apostasy so we should be all the more engaged because the Savior could come at any moment and I want to be prepared and I want everyone I love to be prepared as well. We need to be those that step up and hasten the work. We say the work of salvation is hastening but are each of us individually contributing to that? I need to wake up every single day and ask myself that question- What can I do today, to hasten the Lord's work? He is coming and I will be ready."

Love,
Sister Haley Lindley

P.S. We set a baptismal date with one of our investigators this week! WOO! June 21st!