April 11, 2016
Dearest Fam,
I am so sorry for not writing a typical email last week, BUT I
am writing today. :)
I love Sister Washburn. I am so grateful to have a companion who
I can trust. She always participates in lessons, she is always willing to bear
her testimony, and she is always ready to help and serve. I consider her one of
my greatest pals. I really am so proud of her. She is homesick sometimes but
she still pushes through. She doesn't complain and she does the Lord's will.
She is the greatest example of "Press forward with a steadfastness in
Christ..." I learn so much more from her than I could ever teach her. Oh
this morning she was eating an apple in personal study and she sliced her
finger open instead of the apple. I have some good medical instincts in these
types of situations. ;) She was nauseous so I just put a band aid on it. She is
a lot better now.
Last week was General Conference. I am so grateful for the
opportunity we have to receive counsel from the Lord's servants. I know that Thomas
S. Monson is a prophet of God. I met Thomas S. Monson years ago when he was a
member of the 12 apostles. I remember shaking his hand as a little girl and
having the spirit flow into my body- probably the first time I actually
recognized the spirit. But that is not how I know he is a prophet of God. I
know, because I have prayed about it and the Holy Ghost has confirmed to me
that he is the Lord's chosen prophet, seer, and revelator on the Earth today. I
support and sustain him. I choose to follow him.
I don't know if I could ever have a favorite talk or a favorite
speaker. I loved every minute of conference. This session I really came to
understand the reality of receiving personal revelation. I had been preparing
for conference for weeks trying to narrow down all my thousands of questions to
just two. As I took my two questions to Heavenly Father in prayer he was able
to help me find and recognize the answers I needed- not necessarily the answers
I wanted. As we submit to the will of the Lord the things he needs us to do
actually become what we personally want to do. I have experienced that over and
over and over again while serving in the mission field. He has a divine plan
for each of his children, I know it!
A little over 6 months ago in the October 2015 conference, Devin
G. Durrant invited us to "Ponderize." I set a goal to Ponderize for
the next 6 months (which meant to this last conference), and I did it! But I am
now taking it a step further. I bought myself a journal and for the next year
(my new goal) I will not only be Ponderizing weekly but I am going to keep a
study journal of the things I learn and the experiences I have from applying my
scripture. This past week I asked my family to send me a letter of how they
"have found new life in Jesus Christ." I got a letter from my dad,
Poppa Husky. He shared two scriptures with me, one of which was my Ponderizing
scripture last week- Omni 1:26. He said, "We get the death benefit. No
matter what. To use the Atonement for sin and adversity we need to apply faith,
hope, love, and forgiveness each and every day." I love my dad. He always
teaches me something new. He put a big emphasis on the word "partake"
and as I have thought about it, I realized, that the Atonement of Jesus Christ
is available to everyone at all times. It literally comes down to our personal
choice, our agency, to decide if we want to use the greatest tool to change, be
healed, and/or be forgiven. It is within our arms reach... and we don't even
need to reach... we just have to choose. As we come unto Christ (which we are
invited to do twice in this one verse) through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement,
repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to
the end we are promised that we will be saved. Salvation is only possible
because we have a loving Heavenly Father who created a perfect plan that
included sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to suffer, bleed, and die for
us. In which we can partake of to become clean. Only those who are made whole
through the Atonement of Christ can return to live in the presence of God. Too
often we make the Atonement so complicated because of it's simplicity. You can
tell when the Atonement is in effect in someone's life. They are happy and they
have a special light in their eye.
Few events coming up that we need
major prayers for...
1. Kaitlyn is getting baptized on
Saturday! Sister Washburn and I are both giving talks and some past
missionaries are coming up to perform the baptism. That will be an amazing
thing to see!
2. I got dragged into singing at
Stake Conference with my companion. Please pray. That's all.
3. I got my exit essays... Pray.
Sincerely,
Sister Rodda
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