Then Sings My Soul: Hi Friends.

Written 11/23/14

Hi friends. Let's count the cross stitches in my apartment.

The indian one is my favorite. And we aren't done yet! See the other amazing pieces of artwork in the pictures attached below. So much talent here in the Philippines ;)

I don't know why I'm the last one to find this out after living for 14 months in the Philippines, but cockroaches have wings. And they fly. At your face. I've found out here on the mission I'm more of a "flight" person when it comes to the fight or flight reflex.

This week on Wednesday I get to do exchanges with one of my favorite missionaries Sister Char and I think it's safe to say she and I are both trying not to wet our skirts with excitement :) More deets on that next week.

This week Sister and I ate some sort of soup that did NOT sit well and left us flat in bed for a day. So this week was stressful to make sure we contacted and taught everyone we needed, but the Lord was very helpful, as he normally tends to be.

C. left for Manila this week for her work, so we're working on getting her records transferred there. It was so sad to see her leave, but we're working with her husband right now and I know he'll follow. It's just taking some patience.

M. was baptized last Saturday at a really really nice service. We tried to really hard make sure our speakers felt prepared, we had members attending, and that M. felt our love. Our recent convert and fellowshipper of M., Sister B., had asked us in a lesson with her last Tuesday how she can be more prepared just in case she's called on to give a talk in church. (Yeah, these are the questions she always asks us. Is she great or what?) We seized the opportunity and invited her to speak at the baptism, which she accepted. She gave a wonderful talk based in 2 Nephi 9:23-24 which she found all by herself :) Our relief society president was also there to give support and the members did a really nice job at making M. feel welcome and safe at church. We taught M. directly following the baptismal service at the church with our Branch President and Sister B., and taught her about setting her sights on the temple and going forward, keeping her baptismal covenants. She is so committed to the Lord's way, because she's seen that she is not happy living any other way. I'm so glad she has the church, because if it weren't for the gospel, she wouldn't have much of anything.

Lots of other stuffs happened this week but my fingers are tired of typing. Hahaha. I just want to share a couple things from my studies the past week. I've been in 3 Nephi.. One of my favorite places to read. I would read a thousand boring books just to read 3 Nephi once. I was pondering a lot about the sacrament, and some things I learned from a talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks about taking upon us the name of Christ.

He pointed out when we take the sacrament, we are only witnessing that we are willing to take upon us the name of Christ, implying that something else must happen before that is to occur. He referenced D&C 109 from the dedicatory prayer at Kirtland where the prophet says , "And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them; ...That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house;"
Christ gives His authority for His name to be used in the temple. Thus, there the Lord puts His name upon His people. Meaning that we witness our willingness to participate in the sacred ordinances of the temple when we take the sacrament. Also signifying we are willing to keep the commandments and make every sacrifice to get to the temple. I appreciate the words in D&C 19:18-19,
"Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink— Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. "

Christ lifted the bitter cup so that every Sunday I can life a sacrament cup and renew my, as Elder Oaks said, "declaration of candidacy for exaltation".

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I am grateful for all of you! Your support means more than you can ever know.

Have a blessed week,
Sister Luke

1, 2, 3, 4- The endless artwork in the house. The last one reminds me of you, Carly :)