Week 39: Small and Simple

This week was amazing:) 

We had lots of rendezvous because Thursday we went to Limoges for an amazing district meeting and then the weekend was conference weekend which was a blast!

Conference was incredible and I couldn't pick just one talk that I loved more than another. They were all amazing and just full of small and simple truths which make up the gospel and I loved how they focused on the first three missionary lessons because there is a reason we teach the first three first. 

The gospel in and of itself is not the commandments or rules or suggestions but the truths of who we are, why we are here, where we are from and where we will go, and what it is God has given us. Like Elder Utchdorf said, it is really easy to take these small and simple truths for granted and we must never, because we can lose our faith. 

Faith is always moving, either shrinking or growing and we must nourish it to let it grow.

I loved the focus as well on worshiping and remembering that the sacrament is one of the sacred and holy ordinances that we have the blessing to take each week. Its easy back home to forget that but here in this branch where we have literally three priesthood holders it is painfully obvious if we are not here, we cant have the sacrament. I am grateful for all the worthy priesthood holders, ages 12 and up that stay worthy to bless us. 

One of my goals from conference is to stay grateful for everything I have come to realize I have taken for granted on my mission. In and out of the gospel. The sacrament, the Book of Mormon, air conditioning and automatic thermostats, as well as bug screens and grocery bags..... each and every one of the small and simple things that help us get through our life:)

As you can tell I am making up for last weeks really short and rushed email so buckle down because this one is full of thoughts and pensees from this week;p

At district meeting we talked about power and how God wants to give power to us and how its on us to use it. Satan cant have this power and tries to convince us we are too weak and unworthy and inadequate to have power but that is a huge lie. He is just super unhappy and we cant forge that with faith comes power. There is power from faith, power from the holy ghost, from the priesthood, from blessings from God and so much more.

Satan tricks us into being too scared and fearful to access our power but if we put our faith and trust in God and TRY Him, He will prove us and give us power. It was an amazing meeting. Faith is the key. With faith you can do anything from moving mountains to small and simple things:) Like getting up and looking for the happy and the joy in these beautiful fall days we have the marvelous opportunity to live through this beautiful october:)

These week we saw tons of miracles, most of them were small and simple miracles but they meant so much to us and I am grateful for all the time God blesses me. One this week was it was 5 am and we got on our train to go to district meeting and as we were settling in to go to sleep before it started going I got literally kicked awake by the spirit and saw in the reflection of the window that we were on the wrong train. We were lucky to get off and caught the right train.

Another one was actually just last night we were walking away from the church and past the bus stop right in front to go to one closer into town about 20ish minutes away and I kept getting my head turned around and finally we walked back to the bus stop where a member visiting from Nebraska was waiting and we asked him which bus he was going to take and I realized we had made a really dumb mistake and that Sunday there are different buses and we would have missed the one bus but we turned around and then got an even huger blessing when a member drove by and gave all three of us rides home:)

They are small and simplethings because in the end the spirit is not loud and most of those would have worked out, we would have realized we were on the wrong train because it wasnt leaving for an hour, or we would have made it home on the bus that came in 30 minutes but God is there and watching and leaving small and simple tender mercies all along our path. And I have finally been able to open my eyes wide enough to seethem all:)

Our amis are progressing so well and the mission is killing it teaching lessons. It seriously is the best mission;) And I know every missionary says that but it really is, because it is the best and perfect mission for me:) I love France and serving here. It is exhausting but worth it. I sleep well every night haha but not just because of that, or even the language, but because in the end I have an understand ing of this gospel and a love for it that I would have never had, had I never come out::) And I am grateful for a loving father in heaven who puts up with my weaknesses and failures and gives me thousands of chances to be better and improve and grow and meet amazing people, companions and french people along the way:)

Love you all! Enjoy your fall time! Me and sister merrill in honor of october, decorated a little halloween wall and carved pumpkins today:) It has been really fun and amazing and I am loving it all:)

Sister Beatty