There is a Difference!!

Letter from Aug 22

Hello!

This week I was reminded that there is a difference between having a testimony and living it. We are working with this less active family who have strong testimonies. They know everything is true, and they love learning more. They know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, they just aren't currently reading it. They know they need to come to church, they just aren't doing it. It makes me think about all the things I know to be true. My testimony has grown tremendously as I have had the opportunity to study and to share it many times a day. We need to be looking for ways continuously to strengthen our testimonies by our actions. Sometimes actions require faith, but then those faithful actions will strengthen our testimonies. So I want you to think... Do you have a testimony? And what are you doing to live it? In Ether 12:6 it says, "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerningthese things; I would show unto the world that faith isthings which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore,dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witnessuntil after the trial of your faith. " We don't receive testimony until after the trial of our faith. So have the courage to continue trying. Have the courage and the faith to continue acting, and the spirit with help you to strengthen those testimonies you already have.

I hope this makes sense. I was sick this week and my brain is sleepy.

Okay, so the temple last week was wonderful. I love love love the temple, and the way I feel when I am there. Everytime we go to the temple, I like to think that the person whose work I have done has already accepted and is helping us in the work. This time, one of the members in an english ward gave a bunch of missionaries family names. I was able to do a family name for one of the members here, so I hope that she will help us and guide us around Corona to find those who are waiting. Heavenly Father leads us in his work and does so in many ways. I would like to think that Hna Brown and I have a little army of angels guiding our paths and protecting us from behind. I am so grateful that we have the opportunity to go to the temple as frequently as we do.

On Saturday I went on exchanges with a wonderful human named Sister Banks. She is serving in Eastvale. It's a very new city with a lot of new communities, a lot of money, and a lot of asians. It was a different exchange because the only time I used my Spanish was to contact the landscapers working in the yards. However, I learned a lot from Sister Banks. She taught me that I need to ask more questions during lessons to understand what the investigators know and feel. In the ward where she serves, they have a group of Chinese members who attend, and everything is translated for them by one of the elders. They don't have enough members yet to form a branch or ward, but they are working on it. So for dinner we were invited over to eat with a Chinese family. The mom didn't speak any english, and the dad just a small amount. They invited another family over who knows more english to help communicate if it was needed. When we showed up, I took off my shoes, showed off my tanlines and worried they would smell my feet. I also realized that eating dinner at a members house with your shoes off is actually really nice. We ate real life dumplings, with a soup that you drink from the bowl instead of using a spoon. Except they gave us a spoon after they saw us struggling. I was also given a fork because I couldn't pick up a dumpling from the plate with chopsticks. The family was so loving. No matter the person, race, language, or location; the gospel is the same. In very broken English, the dad bore his testimony to us of the truthfulness of the gospel. Before meeting the missionaries, their family didn't know about God or Jesus Christ. Their life has changed completely and they know the source. They know that they are loved and they know that the Book of Mormon will answer any question they have. After sharing a video in Chinese, we bore testimony in English. As we bore testimony, I could feel the spirit helping them understand our words. They were comforted and not worried. I love the gospel. I know the spirit testifies of truth, and we should pay more attention to the times when we are being taught by the spirit.

Love you all!
Hermana Sager