Hi everyone! Happy Easter!
This Easter week was so wonderful! I am so so so grateful
for our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and for the great and atoning
sacrifice that He accomplished willingly for each and every one of us.
I attached a poem about missionary work and the atonement
to the end of this email. It has really impacted me! I hope each and every one
of you know 100% that Jesus Christ went through what He did so we may not be
alone through this mortal life. He knows you and knows what you are going
through! Lean on Christ and have your foundation on Him.
Something that I am going to work harder on this transfer
is doing as my mission call directs, "to serve with ALL my heart, might,
mind, and strength." So this week, I tried working on the first one,
serving with all my heart. As I was thinking about how to do this, I felt like
it is all about having love and compassion for the people who we serve. While
we were out contacting this week we decided to have a different mind set, to
not just talk to people because we are supposed to, but to talk to people
because we really truly do love and care for them and want them to receive the
blessings we have received! I love missionary work so much! So there are A LOT
of homeless people in DC asking for money and unfortunately, I often find myself
thinking that they only want money for drugs. As we were riding the metro, this
homeless lady went around asking everyone for money. After she made her rounds,
she went and sat down. Right as thoughts of her only wanting money for drugs
came to mind, I had this prompting to go talk with her. Her name is Marnie and
as I was talking with her and hearing her story, I learned an important lesson
to never judge someone. We NEVER know what people are going through! It
reminded me that Christ always loved everyone and never judged ever! He reached
out to everyone regardless of their situation. Christ set the perfect example
of loving and serving others with all His heart. The best way to serve with all
our heart, is to follow this perfect example Christ set and to never judge.
We gave a youth tour this week! That was such a neat
experience!! The youth are so incredible! I really liked what the stake
president said to us, "The youth are our greatest and biggest
investigators." This is so true! I miss being in the youth program! They
have such wonderful leaders that really truly care about them. There is this talk
I really like called His Grace is Sufficient and it says, "Your parents
are pulling for you, your leaders are pulling for you, and Christ is pulling
with you." This is so powerful! Christ is always there for us.
I just wanted to end by sharing what our mission mom shared
with us, "At this point of the season, we look around and are more amazed
every year that it is happening again. The seemingly dead world of nature is
reviving. “What once was dead is now alive.” It is a resurrection!
When we witness it in the world of nature all around us,
a world we can see and touch and smell, it makes it so much easier to believe
that there was a literal resurrection of our Savior – at this same time of
year, in fact. It makes the promise believable that there will be an actual
resurrection of our own bodies, which will come back to life and bloom with
fresh vigor just as the environment springs back to life after the dead of
winter. Alongside resurrection is the promise of repentance – the invitation to
“change” and evolve into a new transformed soul. Every time we recognize the
need to change and we acknowledge our dependency on God and we embrace the
transformation that He wants to impart on us, we are “springing” into a new
season of our mortal progression. We are like the determined daffodils and the
hearty pansies. We are as alive and vibrant as the fluorescent forsythia. So
let us rejoice in this season of change and be as cheerful as the cherry
blossoms while we spread the joyful message!" (Sister Cooke). I loved the parallel she made to nature
and our lives!
I hope you all have a great week!
Love, Sister Freeman
We had a sisters run today to the Jefferson memorial!
(Sisters' Annual Cherry Blossom Run/Walk)
It is so beautiful with all the cherry blossoms!
The poem I was talking about in my letter!
It talks about missionary work and the atonement.
