Monday, August 31, 2015

Cierpliwość, Siostra Herrera, Cierpliwość

I have come to understand who Christ is and what He's done for us so much more than before, and I know that knowledge will just keep growing. I think my new favorite word in Polish (right up there with samochód (car) and dziobak (platypus) is zadośćuczynienie. That's how we say the Atonement po polsku.I just can't believe it. And yet I know it's true. I know that Christ paid the price for our sins and He understands us so perfectly and so completely and so wholly. When I ponder about what He has done, I just feel so humbled and kind of like a small grain of sand on the California coast. I know that without our Savior Jesus Christ, we are nothing. And yet to Him, we are everything. He knows us and understands us. We have one person in this whole entire world who looks at us and sees who we really are and who we are to become. He knows me and because of that infinite knowledge He has of who I am, He has an infinite love for me. That's one reason why it's so important for us to love others if we wish to share the Gospel. When we really spend the time to understand and know our fellow brothers and sisters on this earth, we can't help but love them. When we learn to really and truly love them, we can't help but want them to see the happiness that comes only through knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ and who He really is. He's not just a prophet, He is our redeemer. He hasn't just taught us the way to live, He hasn't even just shown us how to live, because of Him we do live. I am so grateful for Him and if I gain nothing else out of the entire months I immerse myself in this service, the testimony and understanding of Christ that I've been able to grow will be sufficient.

Siostra Bąk and I taught a lesson to Tim and Agata's family and really interacted with their son. Since Tim is a violinist, we thought it would be appropriate to share the General Conference talk, "The Music of the Gospel".

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-music-of-the-gospel?lang=eng

I love what it says here:

"We can invite our children to sing along with us in unison as we practice kindness toward a neighbor who is in need.

It won't come all at once. As every accomplished musician knows, it takes diligent practice to perform beautiful music. If early efforts at making music seem dissonant and discordant, remember that dissonance cannot be corrected by criticism. Dissonance in the home is like darkness in a room. It does little good to scold the darkness. We must displace the darkness by introducing light.

So if the basses in your family choir are too loud and overbearing, or if the string section in your family orchestra is a little too shrill or a little bit sharp, or if those impetuous piccolos are out of tune or out of control, be patient. If you're not hearing the music of the gospel in your home, please remember these two words: keep practicing. With God's help, the day will come when the music of the gospel will fill your home with unspeakable joy."

I think this applies to missionary work in that we need to have patience (cierpliwość) to work with our companions, our districts and the people we're teaching. It's the good times we remember when we're on our missions and how hard we worked to bring others that same joy. That joy is what I've felt whenever I've walked into an LDS home. It doesn't matter if the house is spotless, if there are children or pets running around, the Spirit is the same. It's love. This is one of the many things I'm learning on my mission. I love it! I love you all!

'till next week,

Siostra Herrera




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