Mon, Feb 4, 2013 at 8:52 AM

On Mon, Feb 4, 2013 at 8:52 AM, Stephanie Lofgreen <stephanie.lofgreen@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Things I want:

 

music to come thou fount.

conversion stories- your conversion story-how you came to know that Christ is your Savior and that His plan for you is real that the Book of Mormon is true-things like that.

miracles of the week (mom is always really good at this).

Don't feel obligated (besides with the music) but if anything comes to mind I would love to hear about it.

This week has been really really amazing for us here in Loule.

1. Its been really warm.

2. We had a district meeting and mom, thank you for your story of Hannah (not my sister, but the mother of Samuel in the Bible). Your testimony of the priesthood and the power of priesthood leadership in that story continues to shape and change my life and my ability to live the gospel. We have so many people who either a)don't think we need a prophet's guidance\priesthood leadership or 2) think that they can pick and choose from what the prophets teach. I am so grateful that I grew up in a home that "follows the brethren" as well as constantly relies on personal revelation to live day to day. We need both ...but as I was saying... we had a district meeting. And I had recognized that I was not using the blessing of the priesthood leadership that I had to its full advantage. I wasn't anxious to receive direction or to know how to improve--instead I just dreaded having to do a practice in which every one could see how bad I am at ... pretty much everything. How self-centered is that. (we all have our moments.) My companion has no fear of anyone or of looking like a fool or of doing something wrong as long as she's doing all she can and learning all she can. I didn't know how to be like that, so I just prayed for Heavenly Father to help me to be humble enough to learn and to be happy and I don't really remember what else. but that attitude changed how our whole week went.

I hope you don't mind me copying and pasting this from my letter to president.

We have seen a lot of miracles this week (7 investigators in church and 5 present for the sacrament! on top of the Lord giving me the ability to love my leaders and companion and myself).
I want to share this one because it only came about because of the faith of a girl in our branch. We met a man in the street on Friday that was really really sad. We tried to bear testimony that the Lord loved him and had a plan for him and all he could say was that he just couldn't believe in it. And so finally we just said a prayer with him, cried with him, left him with a pamphlet, invited him to church and told him we would call him to remind him, even though he didn't say he would be there. Meanwhile a girl in our ward had been praying for this same man, that she could find a way to invite him to church. She had been really sad that she didn't have the courage to invite him and then he walked in in the middle of the testimonies. Because of this, she gave a really powerful testimony that really touched some of the other investigators we had in church and strengthened my faith that the Lord is in charge of this work and is guiding us when we don't realize it.

Once again I am pretty much out of time. But I love you all. and Hannah, you should send me pictures from sweethearts. And I still have never received a letter of any sort from Jeremy.... just sayin. ;)

I am so proud of you Mom. You are amazing and a living, daily proof of the power of continuing in faith. Thank you.

And Dad, thank you for your testimony in your letters every week, even if its just in the things you recount from the week. I am grateful that I have never had to doubt that you love the Lord and that you love us.

Hannah, keep changing the world, one smile at a time, one testimony at a time. :) Sister Fluckiger said something the other day along the lines of: you serve your mission one day at a time. And you are living your life one day at a time. Its not what it is at the end, but your life is really the decision you are making right now. That's why it is so amazing that in every single moment, at any time, we can turn back to the Savior and start again.

I love you all. The gospel's true. And may we never ever turn back.

Steph