february 2, 2015

Hey mom! 

We had a really strange week. We were so slammed and busy but you wouldn't know it looking at our numbers. We had a girl from candy come on a mini mission with us this week which was way fun! She got to experience a couple of days in the life of a mormon missionary. It's more exciting the. It sounds! Thursday we had an amazing miracle! We were at the food pantry and one of my favorite guys asked when we could do dinner at his house with him and his wife. We picked a day and then he asked if when we came over we could mark some chapters in the Book of Mormon for him to read. We said "ha know Phil, we could always sit and read it with you." He loved that idea! So we are going to go eat dinner with them and read the Book of Mormon! It was such an awesome miracle! At the food pantry a lot of times our job is to help people out to their car with their groceries. I was helping this one lady and she saw my name tag and got so excited! She just kept saying "Jesus!" Ha I didn't know what to say back. She was old and might have been borderline crazy, but I was able to talk to her a bit and find out that she's a member of the church but hasn't been in years! Food pantry miracles, I tell ya!

So this week I got locked in my members garage. We live with her and I went downstairs in the garage to grab something for her and I got locked in! I was in there for ten minutes before anyone found me! I was yelling help and trying to pry open the door but it just wasn't happening haha. It was really funny. I thought I was going to be spending the night in there. We taught some crazy lessons this week that I just can't even explain. Some good, some not so good. It's so fun to be a missionary. We have experiences that I never would've had otherwise. I have learned a lot about agency this week. I get to watch people use their agency all the time. So use it for good, some don't. God gives us commandments to show us what things are good to choose and what things are not. After all, He knows everything beginning to end. He's a trustworthy source if we want to know what we should do to achieve happiness. I've realized that agency isn't the the power to choose whatever we want, it's the power to choose what God wants, and when we use it any other way, we're abusing the gift. We can literally choose to be happy. I abuse the gift every day, so I am extremely grateful that God took that into account before He ever sent us here by providing a Savior. When I use my agency for bad, I turn to Him and He helps me get back to where I need to be. I am so lucky that God also sent me a mom that helps me use my agency for good. I wish I would've listened to you more mom. You really know your stuff! I love Jesus Christ with my whole soul. His atonement really does cover every negative thing we could ever experience. I know that you know it but I hope that you feel it; and if you don't feel it in your life right now, use your agency to choose Christ. Choose the Gospel. Choose the scriptures. Choose Church. Choose the atonement. Choose happiness. It's true, I promise. I love you so much mama! You're the best woman God ever created. Have a great week! Pray hard, study the scriptures, and share the gospel. 

Sister Udall