The Last Melon!

Hello friends and family!

Well, you might think that I'm talking about the Friday the 13th that just passed, but I'm not. I'm talking about transfer #13, aka the last transfer that started yesterday... aka the last melon!   Man oh man does it ever pass quickly! It's led me to reflect a lot on the last 18 months. I received an email from one of my MTC teachers not all that long ago that talked about finishing strong and prepare for home. In that email, she tells us to go over a mission inventory in prayer, and to ask God if we've become all He wants from us while on our missions. She also tells us to ask Him to help us become that if we haven't.

I was reading Alma 26 a lot on Sunday and man, it's definitely become a theme for this last part of my journey here in Alberta! I've been asking myself and God for correction and direction and to recognize my successes. There has been so many! As a missionary, my purpose is "to invite others to come into Christ by helping them received the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." How great is my calling! I am so excited to share my testimony and strengthen others in these last 6 weeks... wish me luck! 

This past week we've had lots of adventures! We've met some wonderful new people and we've helped lots of investigators we've been teaching for a while! Friday was a cool day, we had an awesome lesson with our investigators from Ghana. We brought a member who testified lots and at the end of the lesson she asked Christy what she felt like she had to do now and she said she knows now that she needs to really ask God what He wants for her! We're excited for her progression to continue! She's such an awesome person! Friday was also super warm! All of our snow is melting. Our cold snap seems to be over! I'm not relying on this being spring though!  We'll probably have third winter soon! 

On Saturday we had lots of correlation meetings.  We finished up our last weekly planning session as companions. Sister Priestley is leaving me tomorrow! :( 

Sunday was awesome. Church is always great. I've learned to really appreciate sacrament meetings. The spirit is so evident in them and the Atonement feels so close! It's such a beautiful ordinance, I'm so glad we have the opportunity to partake of it every week to renew our baptismal covenants. 

Yesterday we got a strange text from a YSA we had never met asking to meet in the morning. Man, she was so broken. She got baptized not too long ago and she was really worried that some mistakes she had recently made were keeping her from the reach of the Atonement. I thought of an Elder Holland quote. "However many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don't have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have travelled, I testify that you have NOT travelled beyond the reach of DIVINE LOVE. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement shines." Please remember that when times get tough. You are so loved, the Atonement is all encompassing. You have help. 

Here's a great Mormon Message to watch about what Christ's Atonement can do for us.

Where, Justice, Love and Mercy Meet

We saw a bunch of people yesterday. We had some great lessons and in one we talked about mentalhealth.lds.org it's such a good resource. Please check that out if you haven't yet! We said some goodbyes for Sister Priestley. It was a good day! Today is sure to be packed with fun as well! We're excited! :) 

A quick article I read this week and absolutely loved is called "Inertia" by Elder William H. Bennett  in the May 1974 ensign, read it. Love it. Use it. 

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1974/05/inertia?lang=eng
 

Well, I just have a quick spiritual thought I suppose: 

"Nearly 18 months ago, I read the Book of Mormon for the first time cover to cover in something called the "greenie read".  For the first time I understood the stories and the doctrines in this incredible book! I gained a testimony that I have referred to and shared countless times since. In that first read, I found a scripture that really set the tone for the rest of my mission. In the 26th chapter of the book of Alma, Ammon is giving a pep talk to his brothers who have been labouring as missionaries for quite some time. Ammon has so many incredible thoughts and insights, but the one that stuck to me most is at the very end of verse 36, "God...has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land". I love this. God is mindful of us. He cares about us and looks out for us and guides us continually. When we think about it, we are all wanderers in a strange land. We have left our homes and our families for a time to preach the restored gospel to these our brethren, the Edmontonians. We roam the streets of Northern Alberta, looking for those who are prepared. We eat new meats, see new snow, live in new cities. God knows our struggles and our trials and that has made all the difference on my mission, and I hope it can make all the difference on yours too! Never forget God's love for you!"

<3 Your fellow wanderer, 
 

Sister Jessica Baker