Sermon on the Mount Pt 3

Sawadeeka family & friends!

Hope you've had a fantastic week! Charlestown is doing great! :)

This week has been such a gift. It's amazing how Heavenly Father will always make something extraordinary out of our imperfections. This week was full of ups and downs, but I am so grateful for them. I can honestly say that I know my Heavenly Father a little better & can recognize the voice of my Saviour a little clearer from the experiences over the last seven days. 

I know that God lives. He will always forgive us, He will always love us, but He does expect a lot from us. He expects everything. Our weaknesses & our strengths, our faith & our fears, our joys & our sorrows. He will take this offering, meager as it is, and in return give us His everything. His everything which is unimaginable and undeserved. I cannot understand it. But I know that this plan is only possible because of His pure love. I stand all amazed.

I'm so grateful to have a patient, loving Father in Heaven. This week, Sister Panmongkol were having "one of those days". One of the days when it feels like the work will never change no matter how much you work. We had faced more than a few rejections and a little disappointment. When we felt we were finally done with our seemingly unprofitable finding, we started to drive to our dinner appointment. 

"Pull over. Knock that door." 

I let out a big sigh. Another prompting. I really didn't feel like it. I let my companion know the feeling I had. She nodded her head and we pulled over. We felt a feeling of peace as we said a prayer (which included repenting for being ungrateful for a prompting lol) and began walking to this house. As we approached the door, we heard loud music, we could see that there was a pretty wild party going on at this house. We did not feel we should knock it as we could see that there were people drinking. Another disappointment.

But then we realized, it was a duplex! We excitedly headed for the other door on this house. When we knocked, a lovely woman named Ange opened the door. We started having a discussion about God, and her family. "Please come back. I want to hear more about this." We set a return appointment and she insisted on hugging us before we left. 

As we walked away, our hearts burned with the spirit and overflowed with gratitude. "DID WE JUST FIND A NEW INVESTIGATOR?!" It was like the first drops of rain after a drought haha, Such an amazing feeling. And the best part, is knowing that someone gets to hear the hopeful message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and experience God's love and light in their life. 

I urge you all to just do what you can. Give the most that you have. Heavenly Father doesn't expect you to be perfect. He'll take whatever you can give and make it wonderful! On that day, it felt like all I could give to get out of the car and knock one more door. And He accepted that small sacrifice and blessed us and Ange that day. 

I am reminded of the story of the widow's mite. 

"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and behold how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a fathing.

And he called unto him his disciples, and siath unto them, Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury:

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. "

Mark 12: 41-44

I know we can look around and see others and become discouraged. Sometimes it looks like they have so much to give and all we have will never be enough. But I testify that I know that the Lord loves us as we are, and that no matter how much we have to give, if we give all, it will be pleasing to Him.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!!!!!

-This week, I was beyond blessed to go on trade of with Sister Tuigamala. She's from American Samoa and she is absolutely crack up. I had a day full of laughter, Samoan food, and deep doctrine discussions haha. She is amazing! I took her to all the Samoan families in Charlestown and she taught them in Samoan & I testified in English. There was such a special spirit about those lessons. Thankful for one of a kind sisters like this one! :) 

(from top left to right: Sister Taroca from Fiji, Sister Salvador from the Philippines, Sister Tuigamala from Samoa. Bottom left to right: me, Sis P, and Sister Shen from China)

-Sister 'Ete'aki celebrated her 9 month...I feel so old. My pepe is halfway. Can't believe were not the new ones anymore!

-Sister 'Ete'aki celebrated her 9 month...I feel so old. My pepe is halfway. Can't believe were not the new ones anymore!

-Mereweather! We were going to visit a less active and we parked our car next to this view and started FREAKING OUT! This is like a secret gem that we didn't really know about until our RS President asked us to visit someone here. #blessed

-I sat in dog poo while gardening in someone's yard this week. Not really a highlight but watching my companion laugh was. ("It's a good thing it's a little dog" -SP)

I hope you all have a great week! Please let me know if you need anything (besides ugg boots or a kangaroo skin)

Rak na,

SF