Called to Serve in DC North: Happy Easter!

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