July 2, 2018

Good morning family and friends I love!

This has been a really awesome week! It was a really long week, but we had so many miracles given to us that it made up for anything negative that happened :)
One of the most exciting things is that last night, Sister Johnson and I had the opportunity to use family history as an contacting approach!! We were trying to visit a part member family and they didn't seem thrilled to talk to us at first, but I asked if I could pet the wife's puppy and we struck up a conversation! (If possible, I will always ask about the dog and pet it and then talk to them :D) After talking for a few minutes, I asked her where their last name comes from and she explained, then she talked about her own last name and her Scottish and Irish heritage. I pulled out my own fan chart and showed her my grandma's last name, McDougal, and she got so excited and was talking all about Scottish and Irish culture and her family. We told her that we could help her make a fan chart of her own and she got so excited. She is actually very good friends with one of the members in our ward and we're going to set up a time where we can all meet together and help her with her fan chart! We are so excited to work with her in this new avenue, and lead into the gospel through this!
Another exciting and amazing miracle is that Tim Miller is back in our area!!! He went through a rough patch for the past few weeks, but he's back and rearing to go!! He wants to start the lessons back up immediately and he just looks to happy. Sister Johnson and I are so so happy!!
So if you haven't heard, Preach my Gospel had been edited and updated after 14 years!! All the missionaries are raving about it ;) Sister Johnson and I have been teaching the Plan of Salvation a lot this week, and the new points of doctrine that we are sharing is absolutely amazing!! In the section about the three kingdoms, we used to only talk about celestial, terrestrial, and telestial, but now we talk about the three degrees of glory within the celestial kingdom!!! WOW!! That leads to more focus on the family - "salvation is a PERSONAL matter, exaltation is a FAMILY matter!" I am just so blown away and excited!! This is the dispensation of the fullness of times, and we need to keep up with all the changing and moving parts! The work is hastening!!
In teaching and studying the Plan of Salvation this week, I've been pondering a lot on God's love for us and the importance of families. With the recent political turmoil, this has been a topic of conversation this week. But I know that God loves ALL of His children. Every single one of us. He loves us enough to give us prophets, scriptures, and families. The family is the most important social unit that existed in the life before this and the world today. We have the greatest opportunities to grow and learn in families. God wants us to be united together forever in families. But there are people who have never come to know of God's love, they haven't gotten the chance to accept Christ as our Savior and make the critical covenants to return to God, and they haven't had good families. I know with all my heart that God still cares. He gives all those people an opportunity to do those things, to participate and taste of those blessings in the spirit world and the millennium. All that is wrong on this earth will be made right. It is because of Jesus Christ that our Heavenly Father can offer us this mercy. Christ saves us from both physical and spiritual death. I know that as we follow Christ, as we accept Him as our Savior and live His gospel and His commandments (which includes making covenants and receiving ordinances such as baptism and other saving ordinances), and we endure to the end, we will be able to return to live with God again in our families. God loves us. He loves YOU!

Have a great week!

Sister Carlson