I REALIZE THIS IS A LONG EMAIL MY SON HAS WRITTEN. HE SHARES A WONDERFUL MESSAGE AND A NICE REMINDER. I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ THE ENTIRE LETTER....
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Jeffrey Romney Wright
To: Jolene Wright
Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2011 3:54 AM
Subject: a week a week a week.
Family and friends, how are you? Are you smiling? If not, did you know it is a lot easier than to frown, statistics have proven it, so please do smile as you read this email.
Missionary work isn't just sharing and talking and telling people about the message, but it starts with the message you put out. People watch you daily, you never know who is watching you, but please let it show in your face!
You don’t have to tell how you live each day;
You don’t have to tell if you work or play;
A tried and true barometer stands in its place—
You don’t have to tell, it will show in your face. …
If you live close to God and His infinite grace—
You won’t have to tell, it will show in your face.
4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with asurety bhope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which chope cometh of dfaith, maketh an eanchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in fgood works, being led to gglorify God. ( Ether 12:4)
"Faith is a gift of god bestowed as a reward for personal rightesouness"
Develop your faith and see what you can do, in your life, your house, your childrens life, and all those who are watching you unknowingly.
" A testimony is to know and to feel, conversion is to do and to become."
Sister Joan is from the phillipines, is in her mid-thirties, has one son who is 12, and one daughter who is 7, and a husband that has adbandoned them and m.i.a. She came to Hong Kong with a dream, a goal set. She came here to support her children, to save enough money for each of them to be able to have the education she didn't have, so they would not have to continue to live the way they did. Not thinking of herself, she left the phillipines, leaveing it all behind, her family, friends, culture, freedom, and two children with tears in their eyes wonder, " if they will ever see mommy again." As they departed her motivation to conqueror these goals was stronger than ever. She talked to her children for the first few months in Hong Kong via skype once a month on her only day off, always with a prayer goodbye asking that, " God would keep them safe until the next time." As time went on Sister Joan lost sight of these goals, made friends and entered into the temptations of the world. On her holidays she was no long going to the local computer lounge to chat with her kids, but to boarding houses and bars, gambling and drinking all of her savings away. She found happiness in this because its all she had and knew she could have. She was so far away from home, she did not have her family and friends to guide her and remind her along her way. On September 25, 2011 she has a holiday, so she got in a taxi and was going to meet up with her "chika chikas " to go to the boarding house to play cards ( gamble ), by this time its been a few months, and shes getting good, starting to win, with a smile on her face and thrilled to go dominate she got out of her taxi at "World Wide" to transfer and get on the train to go more south to meet up with everyone. But before she made it to the train an obnoxious big white guy, name tag and all stopped her, asking her, probing, but yet inspirirational questions, she kindly declinded telling him she was not interested. After 20 minutes of talking and bearing testimony and invites to go to church ( because it was about to start in one hour ), this missionary finally concludes by saying a simple but yet to her, powerful phrase, " Sister God knows who you are and where you are going,Hhe is always watching you, and is very aware of you, YOU are his daughter." And she went on her way to find her friends and hit the bars. After 20 minutes, I came around the corner to find Sister Joan waiting for me, she said, " Elder I'm ready to have a tour of your church, you told me that God was watching me, you really scared me, lets go please." We got on the train system and headed back. Myself, my companion, and Sister Mary ( the most powerful phillipina member here in hong kong ). We walked in the church and went up to the first floor chapel where we sing and partake of the sacrament, explaining this room to her and all that we do and what the sacrament repersents,Ii had a feeling to sing " I am a child of God" to her. Which is kind of weird to do with just us singing. I ignored it and put it aside, but yet it came again even stronger than before. So I asked if we could sing her a song, as we sang this childrens primary song, tears ran down her face, she could feel the love of Christ and Heavenly Father in her life. She felt the spirit testify to her that she has made it home again, and that she was truely a daughter of God and he loved her. This helped remind her why she came to Hong Kong, remembering her children, friends, family, and goals that she had set. She eventually listened to all of the lessons and last sunday she came unto the waters of baptism and is now the newest member of the island second ward. She texted me this week, and said, " Elder wright, God put you into my life for a reason, you helped remind me of my life ambitions, and goals, you not only helped me come unto Christ, but you helped my family, today at work was honestly the first day I went to work with a smile on my face knowing I too can have an eternal family, you gave this to me, thank you." This brings great joy to me, to see that through the atonement she was forgiven of her sins because she was willing to stop her bad habits, and humble herself and repent. Daily repentance is key to daily happiness. If we aren't repenting every second of every day, than we will never be able to recieve that eternal happiness God wants us to feel in this life. We don't need to be on our knees to repent daily, but we can always just have that constant prayer in our hearts asking for forgiveness and having a desire to change. The church has over 52,000 full time missionaries serving around the world. Preach my gospel has helped us become better teachers, to find needs, resolve concerns, and find more effective ways to teach our brothers and sisters. We are the best of the best. Unfortunately most of us full time missionaries spend most of our time, trying to find people to teach rather than doing teaching itself. I view all the full time missionaries as an underutilized teaching resource. If you and all members did more of the finding for all the full time missionaries and freed them up to spend more time teaching the people we find, great things would begin to happen. We are missing a golden opportunity to grow the church when we wait for the missionaries to warn our neighbors and brothers and sister, instead of doing it ourself. It should be with great earnestness that we bring the light of the gospel to those who are searching for answers the plan of salvation has to offer. Many are concerned for their families. Some are looking for security in a world of changing values ( sister joan ). Our opportunity is to give them hope and courage and to invite all them to come with us and join those who embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lords Gospel is on the earth and will bless their lives here and in the eternities to come. The gospel is centered on the atonement of our Lord and Savior. The atonement provides the power to wash away all sins, to heal, and to grant eternal life. All the imponderable blessings of the atonement can be given only to those who live the principles and receive the ordinances of the gospel, - faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Our great missionary message to the world, to everyone, us included, is to be invited to be rescued and to enter the fold of the good shepered, even Jesus Christ. He isn't asking much of us, if we truely know that this message, this church, our prophet, the book of mormon is true, then nothing should be holding us back to share this with everyone. If you know these things are true then you would be doing all you could to share it with the world to hear. It's up to you. Member support is needed, we need you members, the work is so much more effective when you are involved. Please help us, thats not only from me, but from our Father in Heaven, you covenanted with Him, you would be a missionary, you would fight the war, you have a tag inside your heart, you have the light of Chirst, you have this gospel, share it, be who he needs you to be, " He is watching you." Lindsay have fun, jersey is so lucky to recieve such an amazing servant of the lord. YOU ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST AND NEVER DOUBT THAT> FIND THOSE THAT ARE WAITING FOR YOU< TALK TO EVERYONE. Love you all. Smile to change lives. Smile because you are a Child of God. Repentance and prayer are the key to a happy day, start each and everyday with these two things and continue to do them through out the day and you will be happier than you ever have beeen.!!! SMILE LA!
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