So, I have some very sad news....I am being transferred. But I also
have some really exciting news!!!...but I can't tell you quite yet.
Let's just say that where I'm going is going to be amazing and I'm
beyond excited! I am really going to miss Bangor though...I've made
some pretty sweet connections here that I like to call "eternal
connections". I was really expecting Sister Eddington to get
transferred so when president called and told me I would be leaving I
was so shocked!! Yesterday was an emotionally draining day having to
say good bye to so many people I've grown to love in such a SHORT
time...but I know this is where the Lord needs me. I can't think of
any other way I would want to spend my last transfer...to think I
almost came home a little it early for school. I would have missed out
on this opportunity Heavenly Father has given me. I am so grateful!!
So I just wanted to share a couple things with you that I didn't have
time to last week...mostly from our meetings with Elder Nielson.
First, the thing that really stood out to me came from a talk from
Elder Bednar titled, "The Atonement and our journey in mortality."
Such a great talk! But in it he talks about the enabling power of the
atonement... And he mentions the story of the people of Alma who have
heavy burdens laid on their backs....in Mosiah 24: 15 it tells of how
the Lord lightened the burdens which were put upon their backs and
gave them strength to bear up their burdens with ease after they
poured out their hearts to Him...and as this happens it says they did
,"submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord."
Now let's look at Alma 3:19. In it it says, "For the natural man is an
enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever
and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and
putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement
of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble,
patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord
seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his
father." As we compare these two scriptures it seems that the people
of Alma our given these trials to access the enabling power and as
they access this enabling power of the atonement they are changed! And
that's what really hit home for me...the fact that we are given very
specific trials and challenges in our life which make us rely on the
atonement...and as we do we our changed to become better people....and
so it's through these trials that we not only come to know Jesus
Christ but we become more like him with everyone as we access His
atonement.
Elder Nielson also mentioned the things that have been going on in the
church with the statement and handbook changes that I'm sure you know
what I'm talking about...He compared it to the Prophets and apostles
standing on the wall with Samuel the Lamanite...they are having many
arrows shot at them but they will never fall!! Gods laws never
change...I want you to know that I stand with these men, they are men
of God and I'm taking my place on the wall with them, are you? The
Lord needs strong men and women who don't change their mind with the
waves of the world. As a representative of Jesus Christ I testify that
Thomas S Monson is His prophet on the earth today...he receives direct
instructions from Him.
So like I was saying last week, there's been some pretty cool things
going on here in our area! Elder Nielson challenged us to be more
proactive in teaching our members who are not as active and asking
them to invite people to be taught with them. So we started this this
past week and oh my gosh, we saw some sweet miracles! We taught a
couple who are just amazing...we started teaching the restoration and
we didn't even get past prophets and they committed to us that they
would Come to church every Sunday...well they were both there on
Sunday and he blessed the sacrament!! Oh how I love them.
We also taught Sister White this week who is working towards
baptism...we were reading in 3 Nephi 27 and we discussed how our
church is truly the Church of Jesus Christ. In verse 10 Christ is
talking about His church and says, "And if it so be that the church is
built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in
it." We asked Her if she believed their was just one church and she
said she wasn't sure...I had a neat opportunity to testify of this
scripture and the fact that this is Christ's church and it is His
gospel because Heavenly Father has and is showing forth His works in
this church. I've seen too many miracles on my mission to not believe!
The spirit testified to me again that this church is so true, it's ALL
true!
We also had an amazing musical fireside this week centered on Jesus
Christ that me and Sister Eddington put together. It was a bit of a
stressful week but it turned out so great! The spirit is always so
strong in firesides like that and the Bangor ward is super
talented...everyone helped to make it what it needed to be and we
received so many co piments...one member said that she hasn't felt the
spirit that strong for a long time. We feel like it's going to be like
an "Abinadi situation"...the Lord allowed us to be instruments to
start an amazing tradition in the Bangor ward, I'm so grateful!!! We
had 4 nonmembers there and 2 very sweet members who we hadn't seen in
a while. My heart is full!!
I had the sweet opportunity yesterday to talk in church before I leave
and it was a cool experience to reminisce on my mission and things
I've learned. There was too much it was hard for me to pick just one
thing! But the thing I talked about was HOW MUCH Heavenly Father loves
his children. A scripture that I shared was John 15:10, it says, "10
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have
kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love." As we keep the
commandments and do the Lords will we will abide in His love. I have
so felt that on my mission as I have strived to do what He has asked
me to do...He loves us and will never ever stop loving us. But we show
him how much we love Him through our actions..and it's through our
actions that we let ourselves "feel" of His love.
I love you all so very much!!! Thank you for all the love and support,
it means a lot to me! Have a fabulous week and share the gospel! :)
Love, Sister Innes
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