Get In the Wheelbarrow!

July 25, 2018

Hello!

First I will explain my title and the weird district picture! So last week at district meeting, Elder Johanson gave a discussion on faith. (Side note: a lot of people say faith is an action word, BUT what I feel is more correct is to say that faith leads to action, and faith without works is dead)

He quoted a John Bytheway talk and told a story of a man who crossed a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Before ge crossed each time, he asked those watching if they believed he could do it. They cheered and cheered! He walked across to the Canadian side and back with just his long balancing pole. Then he asked if they believed he could do it without the pole. They cheered and cheered! He walked there and back. Then he asked if they believed he could do it backwards. They cheered! Then when he gets to the other side, the man gets a wheelbarrow and asks if they think he can make it across with a wheelbarrow. The crowd went wild! They're cheering and cheering..but then he asks "Who will get in the wheelbarrow?" ...the crowd was silent. Haha! Not sure if its a true story, but cool parable to show us that we cant just say we believe, but we need to exercise our faith! 😁👍

Well this week, you guessed it, we did lots more service! We helped at a goodwill type store called ReStore (habitat for humanity). Theres a funny woman named Karen who is one of the managers there. She reminds me of Ellen Degeneres. She took us out to Chilis this week and made us wear funny ties and necklaces haha.. Some other service: we painted the inside of a house, did loads of dishes, set up food storage activity, helped put away Christmas trees/decorations into someone's attic, raked sticks & hay and moved big pieces of wood to help a family build a porch and get their property ready to sell, and more! It was over 100 degrees the day we were working outside..and I probably drank 5 bottles of water in the 2 hours we were there (and dumped a few on myself too).

The mission nurses have counseled us to drink 1 gallon of water a day..and 2 gallons if you're biking. Its been so hot we can literally bake cookies in our car! And we did! Someone told us of a time they cooked a roast in their car haha crazy!

Its been 110+ this whole week and will get up to 120 at least once this week so thats crazy.. it was 115 today when we went to the temple.

Oh yeah, I moved my pday to today so we could go to the temple.. a recent-ish convert and her husband got endowed and sealed today and we were able to go! It was so nice to be in the temple again; I haven't been for a long time! The spirit was so strong it was almost tangible. The temples really are the closest place to heaven on this earth! If you've never been, I strongly encourage you to go! Even to just sit outside or in the waiting room. I promise you will feel your Father in Heaven's love for you. 😊

We had my first MLC yesterday! It was so good. Uplifting discussions, roundtables to solve problems in the mission, and we also hit a piñata! Haha we were celebrating that the Arizona Phoenix mission is the highest baptizing mission in the North America Southwest region for the month of June and for the whole year of 2018 as of now! Pretty exciting to see the Lord using us as His instruments to help His children come unto Him. We are witnessing miracles here in the APM!! But its not because of us..>> Alma 26:12 "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." We work the faith and He works the miracles! 😁

Look for the miracles in your everyday life and I promise you will see the Lord's hand! He loves you and is aware of you. I know that to be true.

Love you all! Pday next week is Tuesday because of transfers!

-- Sister Garrick

Cactus + sunset