WEEK 42: When There's A Will, There's A Way[ne]

Hello friends and family!!

I have been looking forward to this email all week. It's been a great week! My emotional state has greatly improved since last week, and this week flew by. I actually began meeting with the mission counselor this week, and I am so grateful for her! I've been trying to slow down and take the time to rest and not push myself beyond my limits. This has included plucking out hymns on the church piano, working on a cross stitch embroidery piece I bought, getting back into my watercolors, and reading a book about missionary work that my dad sent me for Christmas while on our breaks. It's been great, and has helped me to decompress and relieve some of the stress from life as a missionary.

We stay busy every single day. There's always more to do in this area, and we are working hard to change our approach with the members, which makes it feel like we are starting all over. It's really exciting, and it's definitely keeping our brains sharp as we problem solve and try to stay organized. We saw some miracles in finding new people this week, and in working with our members. We've also gone bike mode a lot more, and that's been exhausting but good to be out and about!

William unfortunately woke up sick this week, so he wasn't able to make his baptism interview on Sunday. We're trying to figure out when to reschedule, and how to get everything ready for Saturday. It's a bit stressful, but such is the life of a missionary. Prayers for William!

The Gilbert boys are on date for baptism!! It's been a long time coming, and we are so excited. They are on date for April 29th! It's definitely a stretch goal, but the whole family wants to make it happen. I just adore them! 

We've continued to do more service projects this week, including wrangling our district to clear an actual jungle of dried weeds from the backyard of a woman in our area. We cleared the front yard, but need to go back to get the other side of the house. Jada was very touched by it, and it was sweet to see her so emotional over such a simple thing.

A couple months ago, Sister Robinson shared a thought with me that I absolutely loved. It's about service, and Christlike charity. We know that when we first repent and are baptized worthily that we can obtain a remission of our sins. When baptism and confirmation are done under the proper priesthood authority, we are cleansed and forgiven and first gain that remission of our sins. However, at baptism we make a covenant to always remember God, and to serve the people around us. We can't be baptized over and over again everytime we sin to fully repent, so how do we maintain our clean state after baptism and confirmation? The answer is written all over the scriptures, but I'm just now starting to recognize the pattern: to retain a remission of our sins, we must live our covenant and serve! It's such a simple thing, but I never realized it until I started to see the pattern appear in the scriptures. But now that I'm aware, it's literally all over! I think it's amazing how our faith (belief + action) leads us to repent (change), and that process leads us closer to our Savior and helps us become more like Him. Mosiah 2-5 in the Book of Mormon is one of my favorite scriptural sermons and I highly recommend it! I've felt this principle come alive as I've Bern serving my mission. There is a freedom that comes from living our covenants and magnifying our calling to serve God. We truly are freely forgiven when we develop charity and give ourselves to God's work.

Mosiah 5:7-8

"And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

"And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives."

Love,

Sister Malmstrom

231 W Horizon Ridge Pkwy #2226 Henderson, NV 89012

Pictures

- Service activity with the district on Tuesday!

- Tuesday got to 95⁰ and we were suffering.

- Sister Robinson bought mochi donuts! They were absolutely delicious.

- Spring has sprung in the Vegas desert, and it is absolutely stunning!

- We love cloud gazing.

- Literally the prettiest house!

- Sister Martin attempted to fix the damage from my bad haircut in January.