Katie's Mission Blog: July 23, 2024-July 29, 2024-Week 64-Loma Nueve

Well it's getting official, the countdown is truly on. I received my MyPlan yesterday, basically it is a return plan for how we are going to stay converted after the mission that the church has made to help returned missionaries. This means I now have 99 days left as a missionary...It feels pretty surreal, especially since my best friend, Olivia, just got home from her mission on Thursday.

But there is still lots of work to be done! We have some really good friends that are progressing, and we should have 7 people baptized on Saturday -- a whole family, and the kids of a less active family who are coming back to activity. So basically, heaven is rejoicing because whole families are advancing on the covenant path! It should be an exciting week.

We also have started teaching one family, where all the adults are members of the church, but way inactive. Yet, all the kids have never been baptized and they pay a lot of attention, and answer our questions, and even came to church yesterday at 8am (there were parades starting at 10am, so we had to start church early). Truly, it is a such a miracle! We invited all six of them to be baptized, and the grandma who is a member was sitting there was hilarious. She was like "this is NOT a game! if you want to be baptized, that means making promises with God." and then she proceeded to point at every single one of them asking "do you want to be baptized?" x6. And then she said to one of her granddaughters "y este signficia que no puedes andar con Lis. Ella es maliante (and this means that you can't hang out with Lis. She is malicious)" hahaha. So we should be having a lot of good people entering into covenants with God in these next two weekends! Pray for family Reik, Herrera, and Diaz!

We also have a friend named Modesto who came to church last Sunday but couldn't this week. He randomly contacted ME when I was with Hermana Lunt in an exchange, and has been reading in the book of mormon. He hasn't had a job or food for a while, and as missionaries, we can't donate or give money. But, we were thinking about it and we have all this food in our house as "an emergency kit" but we were told to eat it or chuck it. We weren't planning on eating it, so we sent it with a member to leave at his house. We thought it was fine in the end, because it's really not our money, is tithing money or fast offerings, so shoot me if I am wrong. In the end, it was really special to hear his grateful, tear filled voice on the phone call, saying that we were angels who had helped them and that he will never forget this act of charity the Church of Jesus Christ did for them. Even if he doesn't get baptized, this will always be engraved on his mind, and I am content with that.

Here is a spiritual thought I wrote down in my journal:

"I've continued my studies about grace. I have been thinking a lot about it. It truly is a gift from God. Because no matter what or "after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23), we could never ever raise ourselves from the dead, forgive us of our sins, become exalted and bring us once again to God's presence. We do not "earn" heaven. We are here to LEARN it. That's why He gives us the commandments and the scriptures and prayer and fasting -- to give us a taste of this celestial joy while we are in this telestial terrain. Entering into His rest and His kingdom doesn't demand that we merely check every box on the list of requirements like we so often think. It is His grace that allows us to return (2 Nephi 2:6-8). His grace is neither the plan B. The whole point of His plan is that we access, use, and appreciate the Atonement of Jesus Christ, it is not the back up plan when we fall short. They rejoice when we depend on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is like if we were to give our child a gift. If they neglect it, we feel confused and as if our money was wasted, amidst the act of generosity. But, when we see them using the toy, laughing, with a smile on their face, we likewise feel this joy that they transmit. I imagine that is how Heavenly Father and Christ feel when we humble ourselves and use and depend on Their grace. No matter our personal skills or talents that we may have, it pales in comparison to the excellency of the magnitude of perfection our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have. Therefore, we should STRIVE to depend on them. Pray humbling and constantly for His grace. And then live gratefully in a spirit of cheer by keeping Their loving, and refining commandments". I know this to be true because I have felt in my life. I felt Their grace to do things I otherwise would not be able to do on my own. I know this is true for every child of God who comes to Christ, and pleas for His help and depends on Him.

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/camille-fronk/world-shall-have-tribulation-be-of-good-cheer-overcome-world/

I love you all! See His hand and His grace and share His love with all you see!

Cpec early morning in Tocumen