Dear family and friends,
So I realized last night that my mission is already 1/18 over. Time flies, and I'm sure it will increase in speed as it goes on! I've already learned so much, and although it's crazy to think of the time gone, I'm so glad that I have another 17 months to look forward to!
Last Wednesday we did in fact have a little celebration, since our time in the MTC was half over. That's what the included pictures are- we wanted to have a pinata, but resources are limited in availability when you're in the MTC, so we ended up filling a (clean) trash bag with candy we have been sent from home, decorating it when sharpies and stickers, and then Sister Manning (a sister in my district) went at it with a hairbrush. :) The "party" only lasted a few minutes, but it was fun to have a second to relax, enjoy each other's company, and think about the things we've already learned and the experiences we've shared together. Missions are awesome!
I don't have a whole lot to report as far as events this week- MTC life is pretty much learn, teach, learn, teach, freak out about learning, freak out about teaching, have amazing spiritual experience, learn, teach, etc. :D However, I did want to share my notes from the devotional we had last night because I think they can apply to everyone, not just missionaries.
The devotional was by Larry R Lawrence, of the seventy. He talked about 4 tactics of Satan and how we can resist them. Here are my notes:
Tactic #1: Direct temptation. To fight this we must simply send Satan away and replace him with things of God. It is amazing that we have the power to do that; to say, "Satan, get thee hence," and he must go. As we replace his influence with scriptures, hymns, or other spiritual things, he will have no hold over us.
Tactic #2: Lies and deception. We must remember that Satan has counterfeits for all good things, and they are not always direct opposites. Where God has given us white, Satan gives us black, gray or off-white instead. While this is sometimes hard to recognize, we can always rely on God through the Holy Ghost to find the truth.
Tactic #3: Contention. Often this begins with fault-finding. We must remember that all contention is of the devil, as the scriptures say, and that we must avoid it whenever possible. One interesting thing with this that I hadn't thought of before is that Satan cannot know our thoughts; God is the only one with that privilege. Satan can't know what you're thinking unless you tell him. This is why we're told to not murmur, gossip, or otherwise speak evil of one another. Bite your tongue if necessary, but always let kind words be the ones that come out of your mouth.
Tactic #4: Discouragement. This is a huge one, I think especially for those who are trying their best to live the gospel. We must remember that discouragement is not from God, and that we do not and should not surrender to it. Cheer up even if it's just to spite the devil! ;) The speaker mentioned a talk by Ezra Taft Benson called "Do Not Despair," which gives some awesome practical advice for fighting discouragement. He also shared the quote, "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees." Prayer is such an amazing privilege; every person on earth can have direct communication with an all-powerful being, who loves each individual more than we can comprehend. Don't take this privilege for granted!
I'm afraid I'm now out of time, but know that I love you all. I appreciate your prayers in my behalf and know that I'm sending them your way as well!
Love, Zuster Jensen
So I realized last night that my mission is already 1/18 over. Time flies, and I'm sure it will increase in speed as it goes on! I've already learned so much, and although it's crazy to think of the time gone, I'm so glad that I have another 17 months to look forward to!
Last Wednesday we did in fact have a little celebration, since our time in the MTC was half over. That's what the included pictures are- we wanted to have a pinata, but resources are limited in availability when you're in the MTC, so we ended up filling a (clean) trash bag with candy we have been sent from home, decorating it when sharpies and stickers, and then Sister Manning (a sister in my district) went at it with a hairbrush. :) The "party" only lasted a few minutes, but it was fun to have a second to relax, enjoy each other's company, and think about the things we've already learned and the experiences we've shared together. Missions are awesome!
I don't have a whole lot to report as far as events this week- MTC life is pretty much learn, teach, learn, teach, freak out about learning, freak out about teaching, have amazing spiritual experience, learn, teach, etc. :D However, I did want to share my notes from the devotional we had last night because I think they can apply to everyone, not just missionaries.
The devotional was by Larry R Lawrence, of the seventy. He talked about 4 tactics of Satan and how we can resist them. Here are my notes:
Tactic #1: Direct temptation. To fight this we must simply send Satan away and replace him with things of God. It is amazing that we have the power to do that; to say, "Satan, get thee hence," and he must go. As we replace his influence with scriptures, hymns, or other spiritual things, he will have no hold over us.
Tactic #2: Lies and deception. We must remember that Satan has counterfeits for all good things, and they are not always direct opposites. Where God has given us white, Satan gives us black, gray or off-white instead. While this is sometimes hard to recognize, we can always rely on God through the Holy Ghost to find the truth.
Tactic #3: Contention. Often this begins with fault-finding. We must remember that all contention is of the devil, as the scriptures say, and that we must avoid it whenever possible. One interesting thing with this that I hadn't thought of before is that Satan cannot know our thoughts; God is the only one with that privilege. Satan can't know what you're thinking unless you tell him. This is why we're told to not murmur, gossip, or otherwise speak evil of one another. Bite your tongue if necessary, but always let kind words be the ones that come out of your mouth.
Tactic #4: Discouragement. This is a huge one, I think especially for those who are trying their best to live the gospel. We must remember that discouragement is not from God, and that we do not and should not surrender to it. Cheer up even if it's just to spite the devil! ;) The speaker mentioned a talk by Ezra Taft Benson called "Do Not Despair," which gives some awesome practical advice for fighting discouragement. He also shared the quote, "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees." Prayer is such an amazing privilege; every person on earth can have direct communication with an all-powerful being, who loves each individual more than we can comprehend. Don't take this privilege for granted!
I'm afraid I'm now out of time, but know that I love you all. I appreciate your prayers in my behalf and know that I'm sending them your way as well!
Love, Zuster Jensen
The obligatory "point at your mission" picture :)
No comments:
Post a Comment