Grace is Amazing

Oh man, thank you everyone for your emails!  I love you all so much!

I am so happy this week!  I don't even know what is making the difference...  I think it might be because I am starting to understand and love the doctrine of the atonement more thoroughly in my life!

I read the talk from conference by Elder James J Hamula, and it changed my life!!!  Did you know that when you take the bread that is significance and gratitude for the gift we all have of Resurrection?  Part of Resurrection is being able to see God for a time to receive judgment.  Thus we will all be there until we are able to take claim on the second and next gift of Eternal Life, which is represented by the water which is symbolic of Christ's blood spilt for our transgressions.  I did not know why we did the two separate parts, nor did I know the significance of the order until this week.  I further learned that because it is the Holy Ghost that sanctifies and cleanses us, that is how we access Christ's grace!!!! We do not take the sacrament when we have reached perfection.  We take it in our weakness with our broken hearts willing to change, and then the Holy Ghost cleanses us and sanctifies us and makes us better.  That is accepting grace.  That is letting the enabling power of the atonement have affect in our lives.  And I think that grace comes through the whole week, not just in that day or in that moment, but it comes as we act and become better because of the promptings, influence, and constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

I understood parts/much of this in my head before, but I think I really understood it in my heart this week.  YES.

Then I learned a ton more amazing doctrine about the Millennium in gospel principles.  Let's just say this: God is good and has A PERFECT plan for us!

This gospel is the greatest, and if there is anything we are frustrated with, I would venture to say it is because we do not understand fully in our hearts or in our heads and we need to humble ourselves to understand.

Now for the happenings of the week:

-On Wednesday we swapped our house in Sunrise with the Sunrise Rock Elders for an apartment in Lewvan.  Honestly, I might even like the apartment better (even though our house was great).  It was a good trade.

-We went to help the YW president serve in the temple for youth baptisms.  We were going to hand out towels and things, but they had enough people serving so we were able to do baptisms!  Yes.  I appreciate this ordinance SO much more after being on a mission.

-We got to teach Blanca (our Columbian investigator) after not getting in with her four about a month!  It was a do-or-die prayer: Either we teach her now or we drop her, so if this is what she needs right now, please let it happen.  And it did.  And Blanca testified to us that her heart is filled when she reads the Book of Mormon.  So great!

-Ron and Shanon came to church!!!!!!!  They are incredible.  They walked for an HOUR in the cold to get there!!!!  That, my friends, is dedication.  I am SO excited for them and the covenants they are soon going to be making in their life.

Biggest miracle of the week might have been on Thursday, driving to Wascana Street on our way to see a less active and on our way we got a call from an elder who had previously served in Lewvan who gave us a referral for a less active mom and her daughters who lived on, you guessed it, Wascana Street, one block down.   So we went and saw them right then, and the mom felt the spirit pour into her soul and the girls accepted the invitation to be baptized.  They probably have a lot of work to do, and a long way to grow, but I know that we met them for a reason!

I am so grateful to be serving in an area with a temple!!!!!!!!  We are able to go and serve there so often, and it is a blessing to my life!  I am grateful for the difference I can see in the heart of the members because it is here.   There is so much peace and understanding and appreciation of the covenants in this city because the people do not take this gift for granted!

I am grateful for your constant love and support!  Thank you!

Love, bigger and better than ever, and ALWAYS,

Sister Heidi Hill