Monday, August 18, 2014

REST.

Hello Everyone:)
 
I hope this finds ya'll in good spirits! Seems like Satan can cast the gloom on us super easily.
 
Lift up your hearts and rejoice!!
 
I need to be taking a taste of my own medicine as well:)
 
This week has been hard.... Not for any one particular reason... just hard. Sometimes a missionary has just got to BREATHE, ya know? People sometimes forget that we are human too... I never thought missionaries were human when I was younger. They were SUPERHEROS, but guess what..... we're human.
 
There isn't a ton to say that we did this week. I've just been getting all these thoughts from Heavenly Father that I need to slow down and take care of myself.
 
Having Sister Muasau leave was HARD. Not only for me, but for the whole branch. She was AMAZING at spreading her love to EVERYONE and getting everyone to open up to us. I think it's just a Polynesian thing.. that's what my zone leader thinks too... haha they just have the sweetest culture. And I've been trying to keep up with everything and it's wearing on me.
 
School is starting here soon and so we've been saying goodbye to all those who are heading off to Provo and Lincoln etc for college. We have a huge lack of investigators. They all started dropping us about a week ago. We're doing our best to find, and we have a lot of activities in the upcoming weeks to get out and involved with the "Welcome Back" activities at UNK. We'll actually be setting up a booth and such at their "Blue and Gold Night" when all the clubs come out. So we'll have a lot more college students to try. We're helping them all move in this week as well. Like all day on Friday- we're a part of the "Loper Move-In Crew". So we'll be up and going again with all that soon.
 
I've been receiving the messages from my Father in Heaven lately that "We need to take care of ourselves before we're able to help others"... which is funny, because that is what we have been trying lately to teach allllll of our members for the past month... they easily forget about themselves... and while teaching them, I didn't take a taste of my own medicine, so now I'm paying for it.
 
Sister Goldsberry has taught me a lot lately about the POWER that is behind the Book of Mormon, and she's teaching me how to slow down and take time to REST.
There is a HUGE power behind the Book of Mormon. Somehting that I even have a hard time explaining. It feeds not only our soul, but it gives us power physically. Satan is CONSTANTLY throwing stuff into our heads, and it's when we are TIRED and sick of fighting him back, that he is able to get in. The Book of Mormon is a way that we can continually fight back. We are memorizing scriptures left and right so that we can constantly keep them in our brains and FIGHT BACK. We taught one of our LA's who I love so much!!! He found out that he will be spending time in Jail for 3 months for something that he is totally innocent of. He was just taking care of his kids, but he has to serve his time. He doesn't yet have a firm testimony in the POWER that comes from the Book of Mormon, so before he goes behind bars in November, we're helping him to gain that testimony and he is memorizing scriptures with us, so that he doesn't change into someone he doesn't want to become while he is locked up. I love him.... he can do it...... I know he can. The word of God is powerful!!!!! (Alma 5:5)
 
We've been learning to play some more piano this week.... Our Piano player left to move to Provo yesterday, and no one else knows how to play.. except Lane- one of our LA's. So we're trying to get him back to come and play during sacrament and he said he'd think about it. But in the meantime... we're practicing a few songs every so often... Why in the heavens did I complain about my piano lessons so much when I was little that my parents said I could stop.... DON'T QUIT PIANO LESSONS. Haha
 
We played softball on Saturday and the first time I was up to bat and ran to first that day... I pulled my quad.... Yeah.... So there was another sign that Heavenly Father is all "Sister Checketts, slow down!!" It's been bothering me, but it is getting better, so no need to worry!
 
I've realized the importance of taking care of myself lately.... so I've taken extra time to think more about me- how I gained my testimony of the gospel and what the main desires behind my actions are. It's hard because I don't like to think of myself.... I've been fighting that my whole mission and now it's time to remember who I am. Subconsciously, Satan has been getting in my brain and giving me anxiety about things that are to come.
 
Heavenly Father NEVER ceases to show his love to us though even when we are in the tough times. He has surrounded me with people that know exactly what to do to help us. Sister Goldsberry has so much knowledge that she has shared that is helping tremendously. I have learned so much. And the 2nd councilor in our branch presidency talked to me for a long while yesterday about what I can do to push through. He's AMAZING!!!!!!
 
Don't be afraid to ask people for help. And most importantly, BE GRATEFUL IN YOUR CIRUMSTANCES!! Sometimes I have no clue really what's going on, but I do know that I will learn from it, and I do know that this is for my good-- for whatever reason.
 
Just NEVER GIVE UP!!!!
 
I've been reminded of a lot of cool things lately.
 
First off-- my FAVORITE scripture cluster Matthew 11:28-30 says "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST"
 
And by no coincidence, I have heard a LOT lately that "Just do your best, and Heavenly Father will do the REST"
 
Those two ideas have been mixing in my mind lately. And again, by no coincidence REST is also in the word RESToration.
 
There are no coincidences in the gospel. Heavenly Father knows all and He knows what He is doing. Take the time to take care of yourself. Take time to think and ponder about life. "BE STILL and know that [He] is God!" The Restoration of this gospel is the greatest thing that could ever happen to us. It is the ONLY constant thing that WILL help us through ANY and EVERY trial we face. TURN TO THE GOSPEL, and you will find REST in Him.
 
I love you all. Keep your heads high. LOOK UP, and I'll try to do the same <3
 
It is hard--- but it IS worth it. Don't give up.
 
Love, Sister Checketts

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