Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Tacos for Easter

Holla Familia,
Last P-day was awesome! We had a zone p-day and had a BBQ. It was super fun. The Elders had borrowed a coal grill from a member, and well... They didn't really know how to use it ha,ha. Some of our hamburgers were still a little pink in the middle and completely burned on the outside, but hey it's the thought that counts right? We then went outside and played volleyball. Super fun! Only some of the Elders were... well... Elders. They can be a little dorky sometimes. It was a great P-day though, it was so nice to get some exercise in. I popped the veins in both of my wrists this time. That seems to happen every time I play Volleyball. So yeah my wrists were pretty cool looking all big black and green. Now they are back to looking normal. 
This week has been pretty interesting. We pretty much have no investigators, and things have been pretty difficult. I decided that it would be worth knocking on 1000 doors to find one person who is interested in the Gospel. So we went tracting a little this week at the end to give it a go, and well Sister Maddox had a pretty good idea: we were going to say who we were and then say we wanted to share our favorite scripture about Christ with them. Well... We knocked on about 50 doors and probably 20 people answered the door and all of them said they were too busy, or not interested, or they already had a church. So telling people you would like to read a scripture about Christ didn't work out too well. It's interesting, they all claim to be Christian, but they don't have time to hear a message about Christ. so definitely need better tracting approaches to peoples doors. 
So I'm not sure if I told you guys yet but Mother Theresa is in our ward. Well a mormon version of her ha,ha. Sister Passic is one of the Sweetest ladies I have ever met. She has the same concerns and such as we all do , but she is literally willing to give all she has to other people. Brother Passic is just as equally awesome. They are the most Charitable, loving people I have met. We went to dinner with Sister Passic this week and as we were leaving it was getting a bit chilly and we didn't have any coats and Sister Passic asked us how much longer we were going to be outside and we told her for only another hour or so. She tried to give us her coat! It was only like 60ish degrees outside with a little wind, we weren't going to die from being cold. Anywho, she literally does that for us missionaries. She is a Mother for all of us away from home. I wish the Passics were at church more often, they are both in the Stake so they travel every single week. They would be such awesome help in the ward. 
So Easter!! Oh my goodness how much I have loved this Easter! I missed the family tradition of things, but I had the opportunity to really think and ponder about the Savior this week. On what He really did for us. All the churches around here are so different and they all celebrate it in a different way. For dinner we went to a members house the Hausmans they are pretty awesome - they made us taco's for dinner and it was interesting because taco's aren't the most regular Easter dinner, and it wasn't normal for them either so it was a completely unique dinner. Anywho they had two friends that they invited Emily and Melissa they were both pretty cool. Melissa made this awesome cake, and Emily was just funny. Emily told us about this thing called Lent out here (which Kelly W. had already told me about) it is where they give up something for 40 days in remembrance of the savior, but the thing is they can go back to the thing they gave up after the 40 days - the day after Easter. Soooo to me it's like: "yeah I'm going to give this up for the Savior! yeah! then the day after his Resurrection. Yeah COFFEE!!! I Missed you so much!!!" oh really? I'm so glad you are still thinking about the Savior right after the celebration of his Resurrection! Lent is pretty cool, but it shouldn't be something we just do for a short time, it should be something we do for a lifetime, and when we look at that thing we gave up we would always remember the Savior. He gave up everything for us, can't we give something up that isn't really worth doing to come closer to the Savior? Putting things on the Altar to come closer to the Savior. 
We have been sharing a message with pretty much everyone we have met: 
Alma 7:11-13 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
Then from the talk Where Can I Turn For Peace April 2013 Ensign:
Notice the connection among faith, hope, and peace. This inner peace can be powerful when we have absolute faith and hope in the power of the Savior and His Atonement. He told His disciples: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 
No matter how daunting the challenges in our lives or in the world around us, we know we can have peace through the power of the infinite Atonement because Christ overcame the world. Faith in Jesus Christ and in His Atonement engenders the hope of deliverance and the promise of a better world to come. Using this “eye of faith” (Ether 12:19) to see the fulfilling of the Savior’s promises deepens the peace within us because we know of the great blessings and relief that await us if we will only remain faithful. Even in troubled times we have a great promise of peace from the Lord: “He who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23).

We all seek that Eternal Peace and Happiness. It all comes through the Savior. We must learn of him, to understand how this Peace and Happiness is possible. Applying what he did into our lives. Doing what he would Do. Loving as he would Love. Giving as he would Give. 
I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be on a mission. It is one of the most difficult things I have done in my life, but it has also been the most rewarding and spiritually strengthening things I have ever done as well. Continue forward in patience, in faith, in hope. All things will work out in the end if we remain true and faithful. That is the promise we have. Not to only Endure to the end, but to endure it well. That is the hard part. But through the Savior all things are possible. 

I love you all!
Loves,
Sister Karen Call

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