Magapit/Cagayan Week 84

Naimbag nga malem

Makasta nga Fuggak

Magandang Hapon  

Happy Easter to you all! This week has been a challenge for me.  When I started to feel sick on Wednesday, I got to ride in a ambulance to Aparri and I got to spend Wednesday night until Friday morning in the hospital.  The doctors said I had a urinary tract infection.   I had really bad headaches and my stomach hurt.

I would like to tell you the spiritual experience I had while in the hospital.  While I was reading in the Book of Mormon, I prayed first for strength, guidance, and help because I felt like I was alone.  After I was done praying I felt this peace and happiness touch me and I felt like I know I am not alone in this work and God is always there for me.  So I opened up my Book of Mormon to 2 Nephi 4:15-20. These five scriptures really changed the way I feel about the Lord and all the trials and challenges in my life. It reads

15 And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learningand the profit of my children. 16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard. 17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. 18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. 19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. 20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

I really like what it says here about reading the scriptures and pondering what it says and learning from it and applying what it says to me and my life. It made me think of the Lord and how much the scriptures talk about him and how he is our Savior and Redeemer of the world.  I liked what it said in verse 19 putting trust in the lord and in God in all things we do. When we trust in the Lord, when we have faith in him, that's when the weak things become strong unto us.

So when I was in the hospital in pain and felt like losing hope and like I want to give up I turned to the Lord for help.  I put my trust in him and I have seen a huge difference when we "Make Time For The Savior", when we choose to center Jesus Christ in our life and have him be our support, guide, leader like it says in verse 20.  He will lead us through our afflictions and challenges, he is the light of the world and he always has his hand reaching out for us. While I was in the hospital I really felt enlightened and I felt like never lose hope.  I thought of the footprints poem when we are going through hard times and challenges that's when the Lord carries us through the trials in our life.

This week I didn't get to work from Wednesday until now because I felt really weak, but I remember what the Lord says to us when we put our faith in him all our weaknesses in our life will be made strong unto him. So I know that if we are going through hard times in our life and feel like there is no hope, focus on the savior and his Atonement. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is our hope and it will bring us closer to God when we accept what the savior did for us.  I love my savior, he bled and died for me, he gave his life for me.  As for me, I want to do the same.  I want to give my whole heart, might, mind, and strength into his work and do what he asks of me and that is to do my purpose as a missionary to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through Faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving The gift of the holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end. That is my purpose and that is my obligation and duty to him.

Thank you mom for all of the advice you gave to me, it really strengthened me and helped me think how much love you have for me and how being on a mission is the best thing for me to do. That was my good week that I had and I am recovering from this sickness so please pray for me.  I love you all so much and miss you all so much too. I know this is what the Lord wants me to do and I know that is the true church, I know Jesus lives and he is the Christ. I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God and I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and when we read it and apply it to our life we are getting closer to our Father in Heaven. This quote is a good quote for all of us " When we pray we talk to god but when we read the scriptures god talks to us." I know that is true when we pray to him I can feel his love for me and when I open of the scriptures there is the answer for me. I wish you all a good week. Love you all!

Mahal ko kayo

Elder Francis