Hello wonderful family,
Heavenly Father loves me-- and one of the many evidences of this is my new companion-- Sister Angela Oliverson from Shelley, Idaho. She has been out about eight months and she's fantastic. She dresses so cute and has such a non-shy dynamic personality that the ward has really just fallen in love with her in the few short days she's been here. Ahh-- Heavenly Father is so good to me, and I know she's exactly the one who needs to be here in the Clearfork ward! :)
It has been an exhaustingly wonderful week-- The following are a couple of the highlights:
Rob Baker was interviewed for baptism on Saturday and he couldn't be more excited to become a member of the church. His fall plans include coming to Provo and attending BYU in the fall in preparation for his mission. He's going to convert entire nations when he serves his mission! His baptism will be this Friday evening at 6:00 and we are so ecstatic for him! He's a phenomenal kid who has overcome a lot and who is sacrificing a lot in his quest for truth.
Kim and Eric Valdez came to church on Sunday and we had a lesson with them after church was over. Last Tuesday we had taught them the Restoration and the spirit was felt so strongly by everyone. We committed her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and to know that Joseph Smith is a prophet-- she agreed and so our apt with her yesterday was to follow up on that. She has been reading it and is gaining a testimony of it. We invited her to prepare herself for baptism on June 18th, and she said yes and is very excited about it. Oh my goodness-- this family is going to be a powerhouse in the Clearfork ward. Eric quit his job of 20 years last week because it required him to work Sundays and took him away from his family. Huge leap of faith for which he was immediately blessed. The next day, he got an interview with a competing company who was flying here from Chicago today to interview him. The Lord asks so little of us and gives back so much. I'm so excited for this family!
Good luck to Kevin week with his tests. I've seen Grey's Anatomy, so I know how taxing those tests can be ;) You're in my prayers, and I know that if you do the best you can and fast and pray for help, the Lord will take care of the rest... You're in my prayers this week!
Happy Graduation Trev... You've made me a very proud sister. Keep up the good work!
I know this is Christ's true church. The work of proclaiming the gospel is indeed sweet, and I am so grateful for the tools and resources we've been given so that we can know the things we need to in order to return to live with Heavenly Father and help our brothers and sisters get there as well. Families can be together forever!
I love you-- have an amazing week... live your life and enjoy it <3
Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Our Savior's love shines like the sun with perfect light
Hello wonderful, magnificent, beautiful, amazing, faithful family!
I hope the sunshine is radiating in your lives today, no matter what the weather is like outside. We have a loving Heavenly Father, our Savior, Jesus Christ, lives, and the gospel is on the earth once more-- with knowledge like this, how could anyone be glum?! It is a beautiful day here in The Ohio, which is great because 1) it's my half birthday 2) we went to the zoo today and 3) the day began with thunderstorms! Hah, when we pulled up to the zoo, the sun simultaneously came out. It was wonderful-- the Lord had 15 missionaries praying for sunshine and He answered our prayers... We are so spoiled.
I had a conversation with Rob Baker, one of our investigators and he asked me how I could be so optimistic and endlessly happy... my response? When you know the gospel is true and understand the Plan of Salvation, everything else seems so insignificant-- besides that, you understand that as long as you do your part, the Lord will take care of the rest. Everything will work out in the end so long as we try our hardest to keep the commandments and follow the promptings of the spirit. I think one of Satan's biggest tools is getting us wrapped up and caught up in the bad news of the world, the mistakes we've made, and the things we have no control over...Pessimism. But through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all that is unfair about life, can be made right, all the mistakes we've made can be overcome, and all the hurt can be healed-- Satan would have us loose sight of this, but if we fall prey to this tactic of his, we will destroy ourselves because Gods create, devils destroy. We must cling to the gospel, keep the commandments, and live up to our covenants with unwavering faithfulness, and then we can be optimistic knowing that all our shortcomings will be overcome by the Atonement of Christ. This is the 'good news' of the gospel.
It has been a wonderful week. I love being a missionary!
Rob is progressing nicely and is excited for his baptism on 4 June... Conversely, we're excited for him. He has been so prepared by the Lord and has received a lot of answers to prayers this week. Ironically, he was offered two different job positions this week at two different Baptist churches, writing for them. It is his dream to be a writer. He was talking about how he would have to turn them down because he no longer shares their beliefs and explain to them that after two years of Baptist Bible College, that he's becoming a 'Mormon'-- but even as he was trying to sound pessimistic about all of it, he pointed out that he will have the opportunity to share the gospel with these men on a level that no missionary knocking on their doors ever would simply because he's a respected colleague of theirs. His ability to sort through scriptures and truth and understand how he must live and apply it is amazing.
Kim, Eric, and David came to church yesterday and loved it-- They stayed for all three hours and David really enjoyed Primary. We taught them the Plan of Salvation earlier this week and it brought a lot of clarity to them-- Kim especially-- on the questions she's always had. It feels so good to bring light into people's lives. They're doing really well and it won't be too long before Kim and David are baptized and Kim and Eric can be sealed for time and all eternity in the House of the Lord. I love being a missionary.
With transfers this week, things are kind of up in the air, but I know the Lord is in charge and whatever needs to happen for me, for Sister Vaasili, for the area, and for the other areas in the mission will happen. I know that with perfect certainty.
The gospel has been restored and it is true. Life is beautiful.
Have a superb week!!
Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur
xoxox
I hope the sunshine is radiating in your lives today, no matter what the weather is like outside. We have a loving Heavenly Father, our Savior, Jesus Christ, lives, and the gospel is on the earth once more-- with knowledge like this, how could anyone be glum?! It is a beautiful day here in The Ohio, which is great because 1) it's my half birthday 2) we went to the zoo today and 3) the day began with thunderstorms! Hah, when we pulled up to the zoo, the sun simultaneously came out. It was wonderful-- the Lord had 15 missionaries praying for sunshine and He answered our prayers... We are so spoiled.
I had a conversation with Rob Baker, one of our investigators and he asked me how I could be so optimistic and endlessly happy... my response? When you know the gospel is true and understand the Plan of Salvation, everything else seems so insignificant-- besides that, you understand that as long as you do your part, the Lord will take care of the rest. Everything will work out in the end so long as we try our hardest to keep the commandments and follow the promptings of the spirit. I think one of Satan's biggest tools is getting us wrapped up and caught up in the bad news of the world, the mistakes we've made, and the things we have no control over...Pessimism. But through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all that is unfair about life, can be made right, all the mistakes we've made can be overcome, and all the hurt can be healed-- Satan would have us loose sight of this, but if we fall prey to this tactic of his, we will destroy ourselves because Gods create, devils destroy. We must cling to the gospel, keep the commandments, and live up to our covenants with unwavering faithfulness, and then we can be optimistic knowing that all our shortcomings will be overcome by the Atonement of Christ. This is the 'good news' of the gospel.
It has been a wonderful week. I love being a missionary!
Rob is progressing nicely and is excited for his baptism on 4 June... Conversely, we're excited for him. He has been so prepared by the Lord and has received a lot of answers to prayers this week. Ironically, he was offered two different job positions this week at two different Baptist churches, writing for them. It is his dream to be a writer. He was talking about how he would have to turn them down because he no longer shares their beliefs and explain to them that after two years of Baptist Bible College, that he's becoming a 'Mormon'-- but even as he was trying to sound pessimistic about all of it, he pointed out that he will have the opportunity to share the gospel with these men on a level that no missionary knocking on their doors ever would simply because he's a respected colleague of theirs. His ability to sort through scriptures and truth and understand how he must live and apply it is amazing.
Kim, Eric, and David came to church yesterday and loved it-- They stayed for all three hours and David really enjoyed Primary. We taught them the Plan of Salvation earlier this week and it brought a lot of clarity to them-- Kim especially-- on the questions she's always had. It feels so good to bring light into people's lives. They're doing really well and it won't be too long before Kim and David are baptized and Kim and Eric can be sealed for time and all eternity in the House of the Lord. I love being a missionary.
With transfers this week, things are kind of up in the air, but I know the Lord is in charge and whatever needs to happen for me, for Sister Vaasili, for the area, and for the other areas in the mission will happen. I know that with perfect certainty.
The gospel has been restored and it is true. Life is beautiful.
Have a superb week!!
Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur
xoxox
Monday, May 16, 2011
Put your shoulder to the wheel...
Dear most excellent family,
Hello from The Ohio-- it has been another rainy, happy, wonderful, miracle filled week here in Clearfork. I just love being a missionary, and I am so grateful for this time I have to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. He is so good to allow me to have these amazing faith-promoting experiences. I know that I am laying the groundwork for the rest of my life-- this is the turning point for me, and I am grateful for His love, mercy, faith, and trust in me!
Supposedly, the allergies this year in this area are the worst they've been in years (it seems like they say that every year, in every area though), and people are having a really hard time with them-- I am no exception. What started out as allergies in the beginning of last week turned into a full blown cold towards the end of the week. It's been a bit of a struggle, and the cold rainy weather isn't helping matters much-- Saturday evening, we were supposed to go to the adult session of stake conference with the Saunders, a recently baptized family in our area. Well, tornadoes were threatening, and Marla didn't feel comfortable leaving her kiddos with a babysitter under such conditions. When she called to cancel with us, we were a little bummed out. We figured maybe it was the Lord's way of making me rest my body, so we went home around 7:00. When we got home, I felt this overwhelming impression that we needed to go see the Amicks, a part member family in our ward who lives here in Galion. When we knocked on their door, no one was home. Puzzled, we walked back to the car, and just as I was about to sit down, I just knew that we needed to knock on doors on that street. Well, everyone we talked to was, shall we say, less than receptive-- everyone until we got to the last house on the street. There, we met Pam Lorris and her 4-year-old son Garrett. We had a wonderful conversation with her which lead into a lesson about how Christ's one true church has been restored to the earth after centuries of it being distorted. She talked about how she believes in God and Christ, but doesn't go to church because they all disagree with and contradict each other. It was an amazing lesson, mostly because I knew the words coming out of my mouth weren't my own. I knew that the Lord lead us directly to her because he knows and loves her and her family. We have another appointment with them tomorrow afternoon! How great it is to recognize and be able to see the specific ways that the Lord is using you as a tool in His hands!
Yesterday, another missionary miracle happened-- when we got to church, we were introduced to a 21-year-old man who had come to church for several weeks when he was 16, then his family, who thought it was the end of the world, put a stop to it. Rob baker came back to church yesterday, and we were able to teach him after church. We had a wonderful lesson-- he isn't going to be your 'average investigator'... he probably knows more about Mormon doctrine than many members of the church. He is a philosophy major, and so he likes to philosophize -- and he stated yesterday in our lesson, that if there is ANY truth, there has to be ONE truth that is right for ALL. He has studied all different faiths and has determined that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has something that no one else has, and he wants to find out what that something is. At the end of the lesson, we felt impressed to give him a copy of the Family Proclamation, and set up an appointment for Wednesday. About two hours after we parted ways, he called us, said that he read the Proclamation, and told us that he wants the things for his family that are outlined in the Family Proclamation, and he didn't want to wait until this Wednesday to meet with us. We'll be having another lesson with him today at 4:00. The Lord has definitely prepared him to receive the word with joy (Alma 16:16-17). This is His work!
I love you all. I know this gospel is true. The Book of Mormon teaches us how to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Families can be together forever-- Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Chelsea-a-Lynn LeSueur
Hello from The Ohio-- it has been another rainy, happy, wonderful, miracle filled week here in Clearfork. I just love being a missionary, and I am so grateful for this time I have to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. He is so good to allow me to have these amazing faith-promoting experiences. I know that I am laying the groundwork for the rest of my life-- this is the turning point for me, and I am grateful for His love, mercy, faith, and trust in me!
Supposedly, the allergies this year in this area are the worst they've been in years (it seems like they say that every year, in every area though), and people are having a really hard time with them-- I am no exception. What started out as allergies in the beginning of last week turned into a full blown cold towards the end of the week. It's been a bit of a struggle, and the cold rainy weather isn't helping matters much-- Saturday evening, we were supposed to go to the adult session of stake conference with the Saunders, a recently baptized family in our area. Well, tornadoes were threatening, and Marla didn't feel comfortable leaving her kiddos with a babysitter under such conditions. When she called to cancel with us, we were a little bummed out. We figured maybe it was the Lord's way of making me rest my body, so we went home around 7:00. When we got home, I felt this overwhelming impression that we needed to go see the Amicks, a part member family in our ward who lives here in Galion. When we knocked on their door, no one was home. Puzzled, we walked back to the car, and just as I was about to sit down, I just knew that we needed to knock on doors on that street. Well, everyone we talked to was, shall we say, less than receptive-- everyone until we got to the last house on the street. There, we met Pam Lorris and her 4-year-old son Garrett. We had a wonderful conversation with her which lead into a lesson about how Christ's one true church has been restored to the earth after centuries of it being distorted. She talked about how she believes in God and Christ, but doesn't go to church because they all disagree with and contradict each other. It was an amazing lesson, mostly because I knew the words coming out of my mouth weren't my own. I knew that the Lord lead us directly to her because he knows and loves her and her family. We have another appointment with them tomorrow afternoon! How great it is to recognize and be able to see the specific ways that the Lord is using you as a tool in His hands!
Yesterday, another missionary miracle happened-- when we got to church, we were introduced to a 21-year-old man who had come to church for several weeks when he was 16, then his family, who thought it was the end of the world, put a stop to it. Rob baker came back to church yesterday, and we were able to teach him after church. We had a wonderful lesson-- he isn't going to be your 'average investigator'... he probably knows more about Mormon doctrine than many members of the church. He is a philosophy major, and so he likes to philosophize -- and he stated yesterday in our lesson, that if there is ANY truth, there has to be ONE truth that is right for ALL. He has studied all different faiths and has determined that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has something that no one else has, and he wants to find out what that something is. At the end of the lesson, we felt impressed to give him a copy of the Family Proclamation, and set up an appointment for Wednesday. About two hours after we parted ways, he called us, said that he read the Proclamation, and told us that he wants the things for his family that are outlined in the Family Proclamation, and he didn't want to wait until this Wednesday to meet with us. We'll be having another lesson with him today at 4:00. The Lord has definitely prepared him to receive the word with joy (Alma 16:16-17). This is His work!
I love you all. I know this gospel is true. The Book of Mormon teaches us how to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Families can be together forever-- Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Chelsea-a-Lynn LeSueur
Monday, May 9, 2011
I want to share my life with them through all eternity!
Dear family,
It was so excellent to be able to have the privilege to talk with y'all yesterday! It reminded me just how wonderful you are, and my resolve to do everything necessary to be able to qualify for the blessing to spend eternity in your presence was strengthened! Thank you for always being so supportive and loving. Thank you for always setting such great examples of living the gospel and striving to become like our Savior. Actions speak louder than words, and I am grateful for your actions :)
Well, as I mentioned on the phone yesterday, Eric and Kim Valdez and her son David came to church yesterday, and while they could only stay for sacrament, they were beaming with happiness the whole time! Eric is a less active member who married Kim and moved here about three years ago. He grew up in an active family who lives out in California-- but due to some personal struggles, and his job travel, he hasn't come more than a couple of times since he's lived here in Galion. About two weeks ago, we received some papers from the Bishop of people to look up in our ward who have relatives SLC cannot find... Eric was one of them. Sister Vaasili and I tried a couple of times to see him that week, but he wasn't ever home. The next week we were talking to our former bishop, asking him for his thoughts about whom we should go see, and Bishop Goodwin brought up Eric's name. When we got back in the car, we both laughed because we KNEW the Lord was directing us back to his home. When we got back into our neighborhood, it was about 845 at night, and we were just going to head home... But we knew we needed to stop back by Eric's home-- so feeling a little awkward knocking on this man's door whom we haven't met before so late in the evening, we followed the spirit and had a lovely conversation with him on is front porch. He explained his situation, and we asked him if we could come back and meet with his wife and stepson another day, earlier in the evening. Last week, we went back for that meeting and talked about the family proclamation. They told us how they want to re-prioritize their lives and committed themselves to nightly family prayer. We felt the spirit, fell in love with this sweet little family, and left. About 30 minutes after we left, we received a phone call from Eric who was on his way to get a haircut, thanking us for bringing the spirit into his home. He said it had been so long since he had felt it... Then he began to tear up as he told us that when he left his house, Kim was on the computer looking up Mormon.org. He told us they had talked and would definitely be at church on Sunday even though he had to come home early from a business trip to do so, and then he told us that he feels that Kim is the most prepared she's ever been to receive the gospel. When they were at church on Sunday, beaming with happiness, so was I-- This family is on their way to becoming a forever family :)
Also, Jakob Mason passed the sacrament for the first time yesterday-- it was a really great day!
Please know how much I love you... The gospel is true-- Jesus is the Christ-- Families can be forever.
Have a phenomenal week and look for the joy in life!
Love,
Sister Chelsea-a-Lynn LeSueur
It was so excellent to be able to have the privilege to talk with y'all yesterday! It reminded me just how wonderful you are, and my resolve to do everything necessary to be able to qualify for the blessing to spend eternity in your presence was strengthened! Thank you for always being so supportive and loving. Thank you for always setting such great examples of living the gospel and striving to become like our Savior. Actions speak louder than words, and I am grateful for your actions :)
Well, as I mentioned on the phone yesterday, Eric and Kim Valdez and her son David came to church yesterday, and while they could only stay for sacrament, they were beaming with happiness the whole time! Eric is a less active member who married Kim and moved here about three years ago. He grew up in an active family who lives out in California-- but due to some personal struggles, and his job travel, he hasn't come more than a couple of times since he's lived here in Galion. About two weeks ago, we received some papers from the Bishop of people to look up in our ward who have relatives SLC cannot find... Eric was one of them. Sister Vaasili and I tried a couple of times to see him that week, but he wasn't ever home. The next week we were talking to our former bishop, asking him for his thoughts about whom we should go see, and Bishop Goodwin brought up Eric's name. When we got back in the car, we both laughed because we KNEW the Lord was directing us back to his home. When we got back into our neighborhood, it was about 845 at night, and we were just going to head home... But we knew we needed to stop back by Eric's home-- so feeling a little awkward knocking on this man's door whom we haven't met before so late in the evening, we followed the spirit and had a lovely conversation with him on is front porch. He explained his situation, and we asked him if we could come back and meet with his wife and stepson another day, earlier in the evening. Last week, we went back for that meeting and talked about the family proclamation. They told us how they want to re-prioritize their lives and committed themselves to nightly family prayer. We felt the spirit, fell in love with this sweet little family, and left. About 30 minutes after we left, we received a phone call from Eric who was on his way to get a haircut, thanking us for bringing the spirit into his home. He said it had been so long since he had felt it... Then he began to tear up as he told us that when he left his house, Kim was on the computer looking up Mormon.org. He told us they had talked and would definitely be at church on Sunday even though he had to come home early from a business trip to do so, and then he told us that he feels that Kim is the most prepared she's ever been to receive the gospel. When they were at church on Sunday, beaming with happiness, so was I-- This family is on their way to becoming a forever family :)
Also, Jakob Mason passed the sacrament for the first time yesterday-- it was a really great day!
Please know how much I love you... The gospel is true-- Jesus is the Christ-- Families can be forever.
Have a phenomenal week and look for the joy in life!
Love,
Sister Chelsea-a-Lynn LeSueur
Monday, May 2, 2011
Teach me, Lord, to be a shepherd; Father, help me feed thy sheep
Hello, dear family, from The Ohio!
Happy May! I cannot believe we've begun the 5th month of the year. I cannot believe we've begun the 16th month out of 18. I cannot believe time flies so quickly-- one might even say it "flies on wings of lightening"! Hah, I love the hymns of Zion :)
It has been another great week here in Clearfork, and even though 90% of our appointments were canceled, or we had to cancel them due to Sister Vaasili and a terrible toothache which we're going to the dentist for today, we had some wonderful lessons, met some great people, and had a phenomenal day at zone conference on Thursday.
We had a wonderful new member lesson with Gene and his boys, at Brother Hawk's home, about the priesthood. This was especially appropriate because Gene and Jakob received the priesthood the previous Sunday, and yesterday Gene passed the sacrament-- Jakob will next week... Gene told us that he wanted to show his son 'how it was done'. I thought that was cute! We are working to transition their lessons from us teaching and members supporting to members teaching and us supporting. It worked really well Thursday-- Brother Hawk put a lot of effort into his lesson and the spirit was very strong. This Thursday, we will have another lesson with them and it will be a review of sorts in the from of Jeopardy. It should be fun, and hopefully it peeks these adolescent boys' attention and memories!
Yesterday, my testimony about prayers being answered and fasting was strengthened. It being fast Sunday, I fasted to receive personal revelation as to how we can best help a recent convert family remain strong in the gospel and become more solidly converted, and for this family to recognize where their priorities ought to be. When I was reading my scriptures before and during the sacrament yesterday, I came across Alma 23, which talks about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies' conversion, and received the distinct impression to share this scriptural account of this group of people burying their weapons of rebellion because of their true conversion. Then last night, we received a phone call from our ward mission leader who had stopped by their home and she had quit her job because it was interfering with church and family. What an amazing and very tangible example of prayers being answered and fasting being a means of strength and knowledge! I love the Lord-- He is so very good to us!
I know that the Book of Mormon is true, Jesus is the Christ, and families can be forever. The Lord wants us to feed His sheep, and if we truly love Him, that is exactly what we will do-- even (and especially) if it means, as it did for Peter in the New Testament, leaving our nets and our old life behind. We must rescue and feed His sheep.
I love you guys so very much-- Go preach His gospel!
Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
Happy May! I cannot believe we've begun the 5th month of the year. I cannot believe we've begun the 16th month out of 18. I cannot believe time flies so quickly-- one might even say it "flies on wings of lightening"! Hah, I love the hymns of Zion :)
It has been another great week here in Clearfork, and even though 90% of our appointments were canceled, or we had to cancel them due to Sister Vaasili and a terrible toothache which we're going to the dentist for today, we had some wonderful lessons, met some great people, and had a phenomenal day at zone conference on Thursday.
We had a wonderful new member lesson with Gene and his boys, at Brother Hawk's home, about the priesthood. This was especially appropriate because Gene and Jakob received the priesthood the previous Sunday, and yesterday Gene passed the sacrament-- Jakob will next week... Gene told us that he wanted to show his son 'how it was done'. I thought that was cute! We are working to transition their lessons from us teaching and members supporting to members teaching and us supporting. It worked really well Thursday-- Brother Hawk put a lot of effort into his lesson and the spirit was very strong. This Thursday, we will have another lesson with them and it will be a review of sorts in the from of Jeopardy. It should be fun, and hopefully it peeks these adolescent boys' attention and memories!
Yesterday, my testimony about prayers being answered and fasting was strengthened. It being fast Sunday, I fasted to receive personal revelation as to how we can best help a recent convert family remain strong in the gospel and become more solidly converted, and for this family to recognize where their priorities ought to be. When I was reading my scriptures before and during the sacrament yesterday, I came across Alma 23, which talks about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies' conversion, and received the distinct impression to share this scriptural account of this group of people burying their weapons of rebellion because of their true conversion. Then last night, we received a phone call from our ward mission leader who had stopped by their home and she had quit her job because it was interfering with church and family. What an amazing and very tangible example of prayers being answered and fasting being a means of strength and knowledge! I love the Lord-- He is so very good to us!
I know that the Book of Mormon is true, Jesus is the Christ, and families can be forever. The Lord wants us to feed His sheep, and if we truly love Him, that is exactly what we will do-- even (and especially) if it means, as it did for Peter in the New Testament, leaving our nets and our old life behind. We must rescue and feed His sheep.
I love you guys so very much-- Go preach His gospel!
Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
Monday, April 25, 2011
He is risen!
Dear wonderful family,
Happy Easter-- Christ the Lord lives and what an amazing thing that is! Because He overcame the bands of spiritual death on the cross, and the bands of physical death when He was resurrected, we can all live with our Father in Heaven again, and we WILL all be resurrected after death. The gospel of Jesus Christ really is good news and it is so true.
The Lord helped us find a sweet woman when we were knocking on doors named Sarah Fox. She is in her early 20s and has two little guys (ages 2 and 1). We had a return appointment with her this last week and taught her about the restoration. She has been quite prepared by the Lord and we know we were lead to their home. We will be having a lesson with her and her husband this week, and I am excited to continue teaching them! She was really excited when we told her about the Book of Mormon, and before we could even invite her to read and pray about it, she asked us if she could have a copy. She was unable to make it to church yesterday, because she was already scheduled to work, but, I'm hopeful about the future. I just know we were sent to this family for the two darling little boys. They will be excellent missionaries one day-- they're part of the Lord's priesthood army!
Yesterday after church, we had an amazing lesson with Jeff Boyd. We haven't really been teaching him since before Christmas. If you will remember, he was progressing towards baptism, got scared, and backed way way off. Because of the circumstances, we had no other choice but to back way way off too. We had dinner with their family Friday evening (where I had liver and onions for the first time... If you've never had it, you're not missing much!), and we felt impressed to talk about the Book of Enos with him, which really focuses on prayer and the effort we must put into our prayers being answered. Well, after dinner, we ended up talking about how the Book of Mormon was translated and Joseph Smith and such, and we ran out of time to talk about Enos. We asked him to read it and set up an appointment to discuss it after Church on Sunday. He surprised us and showed up to church, and he had even read his assignment! When we talked after church, we had a lesson where the spirit was the strongest I had ever felt in a lesson with him. He told us how he really related to Enos, and how he felt like he was reading about who he could be. We talked about the relationship between desires, faith, and work. We talked about how converts are the key to their ancestor's salvation in the spirit world, and about how they are also the key to their progenitor's salvation, and then we asked him what he was willing to do to receive an answer to his prayers. He said, "well, I should probably come to church every week. Maybe I should dust off this book (motioning to the Book of Mormon in his hands), and I really need to pray." Oh man, I was so excited to hear him say these things, because he's finally starting to connect the dots-- but the real excitement came when we asked him if he would do them. In times past, whenever we would leave a commitment with him, he would always say, "I don't want to make any promises" or "I'll try" but this time, he said, "Yes. I will. " We then asked him if he would work towards being baptized, and he said, "Go big or go home, right? Yes." Now, "Go big or go home" is a phrase I always use... and he's catching the vision-- Truly, it was an Easter miracle, and I know the Lord has been softening his heart!
I have really been studying the Atonement this week. I am so grateful for my Savior, the Atonement, and the perfect love both He and our Father in Heaven has for us. I feel like I have grown so much in my understanding of this central aspect of the gospel, and I know that I will continue to learn more as I study it throughout my life. How fortunate we are to have the scriptures!
Life is great. Being a missionary is great. The gospel is phenomenally true.
Have a wonderful week, and share the good news of the gospel!
Love, Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
Happy Easter-- Christ the Lord lives and what an amazing thing that is! Because He overcame the bands of spiritual death on the cross, and the bands of physical death when He was resurrected, we can all live with our Father in Heaven again, and we WILL all be resurrected after death. The gospel of Jesus Christ really is good news and it is so true.
The Lord helped us find a sweet woman when we were knocking on doors named Sarah Fox. She is in her early 20s and has two little guys (ages 2 and 1). We had a return appointment with her this last week and taught her about the restoration. She has been quite prepared by the Lord and we know we were lead to their home. We will be having a lesson with her and her husband this week, and I am excited to continue teaching them! She was really excited when we told her about the Book of Mormon, and before we could even invite her to read and pray about it, she asked us if she could have a copy. She was unable to make it to church yesterday, because she was already scheduled to work, but, I'm hopeful about the future. I just know we were sent to this family for the two darling little boys. They will be excellent missionaries one day-- they're part of the Lord's priesthood army!
Yesterday after church, we had an amazing lesson with Jeff Boyd. We haven't really been teaching him since before Christmas. If you will remember, he was progressing towards baptism, got scared, and backed way way off. Because of the circumstances, we had no other choice but to back way way off too. We had dinner with their family Friday evening (where I had liver and onions for the first time... If you've never had it, you're not missing much!), and we felt impressed to talk about the Book of Enos with him, which really focuses on prayer and the effort we must put into our prayers being answered. Well, after dinner, we ended up talking about how the Book of Mormon was translated and Joseph Smith and such, and we ran out of time to talk about Enos. We asked him to read it and set up an appointment to discuss it after Church on Sunday. He surprised us and showed up to church, and he had even read his assignment! When we talked after church, we had a lesson where the spirit was the strongest I had ever felt in a lesson with him. He told us how he really related to Enos, and how he felt like he was reading about who he could be. We talked about the relationship between desires, faith, and work. We talked about how converts are the key to their ancestor's salvation in the spirit world, and about how they are also the key to their progenitor's salvation, and then we asked him what he was willing to do to receive an answer to his prayers. He said, "well, I should probably come to church every week. Maybe I should dust off this book (motioning to the Book of Mormon in his hands), and I really need to pray." Oh man, I was so excited to hear him say these things, because he's finally starting to connect the dots-- but the real excitement came when we asked him if he would do them. In times past, whenever we would leave a commitment with him, he would always say, "I don't want to make any promises" or "I'll try" but this time, he said, "Yes. I will. " We then asked him if he would work towards being baptized, and he said, "Go big or go home, right? Yes." Now, "Go big or go home" is a phrase I always use... and he's catching the vision-- Truly, it was an Easter miracle, and I know the Lord has been softening his heart!
I have really been studying the Atonement this week. I am so grateful for my Savior, the Atonement, and the perfect love both He and our Father in Heaven has for us. I feel like I have grown so much in my understanding of this central aspect of the gospel, and I know that I will continue to learn more as I study it throughout my life. How fortunate we are to have the scriptures!
Life is great. Being a missionary is great. The gospel is phenomenally true.
Have a wonderful week, and share the good news of the gospel!
Love, Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
Monday, April 18, 2011
Give our love and pledge our all...
Dear family,
Easter week is here already. Mother's day is in 20 days. Forsythia and magnolia trees are blooming. Rain is falling. Spring is officially here! With passover week, I am feeling very fortunate as I was passed over from the dreaded transfer call telling me that the time had come to leave my dear little Clearfork ward. I get to enjoy another blessed six weeks here, and I am thrilled because I just wasn't ready to leave yet! There's still so much work to do!
It has been a wonderful week as we have sought out less active members and looked up potential investigators and tracted around them all. We have a few promising return appointments for this next week, and I'm really excited to hear about all the ways the Lord has been preparing these people to receive the gospel! At this one less active member's home, we found out that the family had moved to Michigan-- but in talking to the sweet woman who answered the door, Rebecca, we found out that her best friend is a member of the church, she has read parts of the Book of Mormon, and she and her husband are active in the youth ministry of their church. They have 3 kids and one on the way, and she said we could stop back by in a few weeks. I really feel like the Lord lead us directly to her... Missionary work is wonderful!
Brother Hansford Minner, whom I have written about before, was an elderly man here in the Clearfork ward. He was baptized a few years ago, and we had been working with him to get to the temple-- he has been sick since January and in and out of the hospital. The last month he has been in the hospital in failing health due to heart and gallbladder complications, and on Friday morning, he passed away-- quietly in his sleep. It made me really grateful for the Plan of Salvation... Knowing our Father in Heaven's plan for us takes some of the sting out of death. I know it is a blessing that he was released from his lonely circumstances and frail body. I know that he can now progress in a way that was nearly impossible for him to do here in the conditions under which he was living. We will miss visiting with and teaching him, but now he can teach the gospel to others who have also passed on. How merciful, amazing, and perfect the plan of our God is!
With Easter this Sunday, let our thoughts this week be centered on our Savior and the Atonement. No matter what Wal Mart would have you believe, Easter is not about plastic eggs, candy, and cute bunny decorations-- Easter is about the miracle that occurred three days after Jesus the Christ chose to experience death. It is about His resurrection. Because he was resurrected, we all will be able to have out physical bodies and spirits reunited, perfected, and glorified for eternity. Is a stream of several merciful acts of love, Christ overcame the effects of the fall of Adam-- he made it possible for us to overcome spiritual death (our separation from God), and physical death (our spirit's separation from our body) . Because of His love, we can return to live with God and our families can be together forever. Think about your relationship with Christ, and choose one thing you will work on to become more like Him this week. I know that if you do this, it will make this Easter Sunday more meaningful and special to you, and you will grow closer to Christ.
Jesus is the Christ, and he loves!
Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur
Easter week is here already. Mother's day is in 20 days. Forsythia and magnolia trees are blooming. Rain is falling. Spring is officially here! With passover week, I am feeling very fortunate as I was passed over from the dreaded transfer call telling me that the time had come to leave my dear little Clearfork ward. I get to enjoy another blessed six weeks here, and I am thrilled because I just wasn't ready to leave yet! There's still so much work to do!
It has been a wonderful week as we have sought out less active members and looked up potential investigators and tracted around them all. We have a few promising return appointments for this next week, and I'm really excited to hear about all the ways the Lord has been preparing these people to receive the gospel! At this one less active member's home, we found out that the family had moved to Michigan-- but in talking to the sweet woman who answered the door, Rebecca, we found out that her best friend is a member of the church, she has read parts of the Book of Mormon, and she and her husband are active in the youth ministry of their church. They have 3 kids and one on the way, and she said we could stop back by in a few weeks. I really feel like the Lord lead us directly to her... Missionary work is wonderful!
Brother Hansford Minner, whom I have written about before, was an elderly man here in the Clearfork ward. He was baptized a few years ago, and we had been working with him to get to the temple-- he has been sick since January and in and out of the hospital. The last month he has been in the hospital in failing health due to heart and gallbladder complications, and on Friday morning, he passed away-- quietly in his sleep. It made me really grateful for the Plan of Salvation... Knowing our Father in Heaven's plan for us takes some of the sting out of death. I know it is a blessing that he was released from his lonely circumstances and frail body. I know that he can now progress in a way that was nearly impossible for him to do here in the conditions under which he was living. We will miss visiting with and teaching him, but now he can teach the gospel to others who have also passed on. How merciful, amazing, and perfect the plan of our God is!
With Easter this Sunday, let our thoughts this week be centered on our Savior and the Atonement. No matter what Wal Mart would have you believe, Easter is not about plastic eggs, candy, and cute bunny decorations-- Easter is about the miracle that occurred three days after Jesus the Christ chose to experience death. It is about His resurrection. Because he was resurrected, we all will be able to have out physical bodies and spirits reunited, perfected, and glorified for eternity. Is a stream of several merciful acts of love, Christ overcame the effects of the fall of Adam-- he made it possible for us to overcome spiritual death (our separation from God), and physical death (our spirit's separation from our body) . Because of His love, we can return to live with God and our families can be together forever. Think about your relationship with Christ, and choose one thing you will work on to become more like Him this week. I know that if you do this, it will make this Easter Sunday more meaningful and special to you, and you will grow closer to Christ.
Jesus is the Christ, and he loves!
Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur
Monday, April 11, 2011
We are all enlisted 'till the conflict is o'er
Dear family,
Spring has spring, flowers are beginning to pop up all over the city, and we had an 80* day yesterday for the first time this season-- and except for seeing all the half-naked people who have been waiting all winter to walk around wearing just about nothing, it was delightful! I told Sister Vaasili to watch out for summer, because that's when just about everyone wears their underwear just about everywhere they go! I love The Ohio! :)
It was a great week, culminating at the baptism and confirmation of the Mason family this weekend. We had the amazing opportunity to go on companion exchanges this Wednesday to Thursday. Sister Vaasili went to Powell and Sister Pettigrew came from Powell to Clearfork. Ever since I arrived in the field, Sister Pettigrew and I have wanted to be companions... she unfortunately is making the transition from full-time missionary to full-time member missionary this week at transfers, so things were looking like they weren't going to happen for our desired companionship until we received the phone call last week from Sister Jensen with the good news! Shoot, 24 hours is better than nothing! We had an excellent time together, and did a lot of good work in the short time she was here. It was such a tender mercy of the Lord, because it was exactly the pick-me-up that I needed!
The baptism for the Masons went well... they were a few minutes late because they forgot their all-important towels and undies-- so they had to turn around and get them. The spirit was very strongly felt, there were several members in attendance to show their love and support for this family, and they each received the first of the saving ordinances necessary to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Gene was glowing, Zack, the 10 year old, said he felt 'refreshed', and even Jakob, the 13 year old, cracked a smile! I am so grateful to have been able to witness this family's transformation as they were taught by the Holy Ghost the gospel of Jesus Christ and began to implement its teachings into their lives! Truly a life-changing transformation has taken place-- member missionary work is the BEST!
Marjorie and her Son Aaron BOTH came to church yesterday. She's come to church a couple times since we began focusing on her, but her 32 year old son who struggles with alcoholism hasn't ever been. We got the Elder's Quorum to get in on the fellowshipping and they picked him up and brought him to the priesthood session of conference two weeks ago, then he came to sacrament meeting yesterday. It was wonderful to see him there. In talking to him last week, he told us that he feels like he missed the starting bell... we told him that because the Lord loves us, through repentance and the Atonement, there are many starting bells. It's so true. If he is committed to turning his life around, he can do it, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Atonement, and fellowshipping from the members is how it is going to happen! Also, as we talked with Marjorie last week, she expressed her desire to attend the temple. We're getting her started on genealogical work and will get her in a temple preparation class as she firms her resolve to meet this excellent and very worthy goal. Everyone deserves a chance to turn their life around!
Transfers are this week, so we'll see what happens... I wouldn't be surprised if I leave, I have been in Clearfork/Zion for 6 blessed months! Still, I would love to die here! I'll report on the results of transfers next week! Any mail this week should be sent to PO Box 939 Powell, Ohio 43065 to make sure I receive it!
This gospel is true. I love it with all my heart. Jesus is the Christ. He is our Savior, older brother, and friend. We must study the scriptures so we can know him and so he can become our BEST friend. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration. Thomas S. Monson is his successor, and leads the church as the Lord's prophet today. Families can be together forever!
I love you so so so much!
Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
xoxox
Spring has spring, flowers are beginning to pop up all over the city, and we had an 80* day yesterday for the first time this season-- and except for seeing all the half-naked people who have been waiting all winter to walk around wearing just about nothing, it was delightful! I told Sister Vaasili to watch out for summer, because that's when just about everyone wears their underwear just about everywhere they go! I love The Ohio! :)
It was a great week, culminating at the baptism and confirmation of the Mason family this weekend. We had the amazing opportunity to go on companion exchanges this Wednesday to Thursday. Sister Vaasili went to Powell and Sister Pettigrew came from Powell to Clearfork. Ever since I arrived in the field, Sister Pettigrew and I have wanted to be companions... she unfortunately is making the transition from full-time missionary to full-time member missionary this week at transfers, so things were looking like they weren't going to happen for our desired companionship until we received the phone call last week from Sister Jensen with the good news! Shoot, 24 hours is better than nothing! We had an excellent time together, and did a lot of good work in the short time she was here. It was such a tender mercy of the Lord, because it was exactly the pick-me-up that I needed!
The baptism for the Masons went well... they were a few minutes late because they forgot their all-important towels and undies-- so they had to turn around and get them. The spirit was very strongly felt, there were several members in attendance to show their love and support for this family, and they each received the first of the saving ordinances necessary to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Gene was glowing, Zack, the 10 year old, said he felt 'refreshed', and even Jakob, the 13 year old, cracked a smile! I am so grateful to have been able to witness this family's transformation as they were taught by the Holy Ghost the gospel of Jesus Christ and began to implement its teachings into their lives! Truly a life-changing transformation has taken place-- member missionary work is the BEST!
Marjorie and her Son Aaron BOTH came to church yesterday. She's come to church a couple times since we began focusing on her, but her 32 year old son who struggles with alcoholism hasn't ever been. We got the Elder's Quorum to get in on the fellowshipping and they picked him up and brought him to the priesthood session of conference two weeks ago, then he came to sacrament meeting yesterday. It was wonderful to see him there. In talking to him last week, he told us that he feels like he missed the starting bell... we told him that because the Lord loves us, through repentance and the Atonement, there are many starting bells. It's so true. If he is committed to turning his life around, he can do it, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Atonement, and fellowshipping from the members is how it is going to happen! Also, as we talked with Marjorie last week, she expressed her desire to attend the temple. We're getting her started on genealogical work and will get her in a temple preparation class as she firms her resolve to meet this excellent and very worthy goal. Everyone deserves a chance to turn their life around!
Transfers are this week, so we'll see what happens... I wouldn't be surprised if I leave, I have been in Clearfork/Zion for 6 blessed months! Still, I would love to die here! I'll report on the results of transfers next week! Any mail this week should be sent to PO Box 939 Powell, Ohio 43065 to make sure I receive it!
This gospel is true. I love it with all my heart. Jesus is the Christ. He is our Savior, older brother, and friend. We must study the scriptures so we can know him and so he can become our BEST friend. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration. Thomas S. Monson is his successor, and leads the church as the Lord's prophet today. Families can be together forever!
I love you so so so much!
Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
xoxox
Monday, April 4, 2011
Come listen to a prophet's voice
Dear wonderful family,
What an amazing weekend we've had, being able to listen to the living, modern day prophet, his apostles, and other members of the seventy and auxiliary leaders during General Conference. Truly the words we heard are the words of the Lord-- we must study them, and apply them to our lives and within our families. I know that the things said in the last two days are the things the Lord would have us know for these Latter-day times in which we live. I know that as the words came out of the prophet's mouth, it is the same as if they were coming from the lips of the Lord, for President Thomas S. Monson truly is his mouthpiece. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to return to live with Him, and that is why we have a prophet on the earth today-- to give us the instructions we need for our time as we study and live the principles taught in the scriptures and work our hardest to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. The fact that the gospel has been restored with a living prophet to guide it under the direction of the Lord is evidence of God's love and mercy.
I particularly enjoyed the council given by Lynn G. Robbins of the seventy on the act of being and not just doing. He commented on the fact that so many people have "to do" lists, but very few make "to be" lists. Well, last night in my journal, I took his comment to heart and made my own "to be" list, and I have to say, in the half a day since I made that list, I have been much more conscientious of the things I do. As I laid in my warm bed last night, exhausted from the spiritual high I've been on for the last two days, and realized that I had forgot to floss my teeth before I brushed. I was tempted just to ce'st la vie, but then I remembered that just an hour earlier, I had written on my "to be" list the word diligent. Well, I got myself out of bed, flossed my teeth, and returned with the satisfaction of knowing I was working on who I want to become one small choice at a time. I highly recommend that you come up with your own list of who you want to be!What an amazing weekend we've had, being able to listen to the living, modern day prophet, his apostles, and other members of the seventy and auxiliary leaders during General Conference. Truly the words we heard are the words of the Lord-- we must study them, and apply them to our lives and within our families. I know that the things said in the last two days are the things the Lord would have us know for these Latter-day times in which we live. I know that as the words came out of the prophet's mouth, it is the same as if they were coming from the lips of the Lord, for President Thomas S. Monson truly is his mouthpiece. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to return to live with Him, and that is why we have a prophet on the earth today-- to give us the instructions we need for our time as we study and live the principles taught in the scriptures and work our hardest to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. The fact that the gospel has been restored with a living prophet to guide it under the direction of the Lord is evidence of God's love and mercy.
Gene, Jakob, and Zak Mason are ready and excited for their baptism this weekend on Saturday, 9 April at 6:30. They have made such excellent changes in their lives and it is really showing in their family! They are saying family prayers and reading and discussing the things they've read in the Book of Mormon. We had a wonderful lesson last week on the commandments we've been asked to do by our Father in Heaven and the boys were so excited and they came to realize that keeping the commandments is a tool to keep us happy! We talked about who Christ is and what His Atonement covers. They are beginning to feel a small amount of the love that their Father in Heaven feels for them, and they are becoming happier as a result. I am so SO excited for this family!!
Well, I want you to know that I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He lives and he loves us. I loved what was said on Saturday during conference-- "Adam chose to experience spiritual death so that the rest of us could have physical life, and Christ chose to experience physical death so that all of us could experience spiritual life." What a wonderful thought full of truth. I am grateful for our loving Father in Heaven. He also lives and has a body of flesh and bone. We were created in His image and when we keep his commandments, we can be happy and through sacred restored covenants, we have the potential to be able to live with our families forever in His presence. Truly, THIS is the "good news" of the gospel, and it's true.
I love you all so much. Have a good week and live what you've learned! Go spread the gospel and help others to be happy!
Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
Monday, March 28, 2011
Today seek for goodness, virtue, and truth
Dear mi familia,
What a beautiful day today is. I can't believer we're to the end of March already, and that another season has passed. Time just flies much, much too quickly! With General Conference this weekend, and the knowledge that Jesus Christ lives and is our Savior, what is there to worry about-- nothing else matters!
I told you about Gene and his two boys, Zack and Jacob, last week-- the new family we're teaching who was brought to church by a sister in the ward three weeks ago. We have had some really wonderful lessons with them this last week, and they readily accepted the commitment to prepare for baptism on the 9th of April, in two weeks! Gene has quit smoking and committed yesterday to quit drinking coffee. He already is noticing the blessings in his life and in his family since focusing more directly on living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yesterday, as we spoke to Jacob, the 13-year-old, about his reading in the Book of Mormon, he commented on how amazing Nephi is to be so obedient and faithful despite his wayward brothers. I was so proud of him for catching onto that key detail. They are both bright boys who want to do better, and I know there is a void being filled as they come to church every week, and read and pray daily. Their family is happier, and Jacob looked a little less like an angsty teenager yesterday than in the previous weeks we've seen him!
In the Book of Mormon Class that we teach at the church every week, we were teaching Jacob 5-- the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees. In the allegory, the tame olive tree represents the House of Israel and the wild olive tree represents the gentiles; there is the master of the vineyard and he has a servant-- the Master represents our Father in Heaven and the servant represents anyone laboring in the Kingdom of God-- for this email, the servant will be representative of Christ-- It really struck me, as we were teaching, the numerous chances the Lord gives the trees (us) to produce good fruit. When the master is ready to burn his vineyard because of the no good trees (justice), the servant pleads with the master to allow him to work a little longer and a little harder to make the trees bring forth good fruit (mercy). We are given so many opportunities to bring forth good fruit-- whether through trials or blessings, we have the opportunity to change-- nevertheless, at the end, if those trees still were no good, they had to be burned for the good of the vineyard, and so it is with us. If time after time we refuse to change, the hand of the servant can only stay the master's inevitable plan so long. I am grateful for the mercy and justice of the Lord's kingdom, for we are blessed by both. One cannot exist without the other-- and I am eternally indebted to my savior who made it possible for mercy to be exercised in my behalf.
The gospel is so true-- we have the opportunity to watch conference this weekend and pray to know without a doubt that Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today-- don't miss this opportunity for spiritual growth and testimony strengthening!
I love you tons and tons,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
What a beautiful day today is. I can't believer we're to the end of March already, and that another season has passed. Time just flies much, much too quickly! With General Conference this weekend, and the knowledge that Jesus Christ lives and is our Savior, what is there to worry about-- nothing else matters!
I told you about Gene and his two boys, Zack and Jacob, last week-- the new family we're teaching who was brought to church by a sister in the ward three weeks ago. We have had some really wonderful lessons with them this last week, and they readily accepted the commitment to prepare for baptism on the 9th of April, in two weeks! Gene has quit smoking and committed yesterday to quit drinking coffee. He already is noticing the blessings in his life and in his family since focusing more directly on living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yesterday, as we spoke to Jacob, the 13-year-old, about his reading in the Book of Mormon, he commented on how amazing Nephi is to be so obedient and faithful despite his wayward brothers. I was so proud of him for catching onto that key detail. They are both bright boys who want to do better, and I know there is a void being filled as they come to church every week, and read and pray daily. Their family is happier, and Jacob looked a little less like an angsty teenager yesterday than in the previous weeks we've seen him!
In the Book of Mormon Class that we teach at the church every week, we were teaching Jacob 5-- the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees. In the allegory, the tame olive tree represents the House of Israel and the wild olive tree represents the gentiles; there is the master of the vineyard and he has a servant-- the Master represents our Father in Heaven and the servant represents anyone laboring in the Kingdom of God-- for this email, the servant will be representative of Christ-- It really struck me, as we were teaching, the numerous chances the Lord gives the trees (us) to produce good fruit. When the master is ready to burn his vineyard because of the no good trees (justice), the servant pleads with the master to allow him to work a little longer and a little harder to make the trees bring forth good fruit (mercy). We are given so many opportunities to bring forth good fruit-- whether through trials or blessings, we have the opportunity to change-- nevertheless, at the end, if those trees still were no good, they had to be burned for the good of the vineyard, and so it is with us. If time after time we refuse to change, the hand of the servant can only stay the master's inevitable plan so long. I am grateful for the mercy and justice of the Lord's kingdom, for we are blessed by both. One cannot exist without the other-- and I am eternally indebted to my savior who made it possible for mercy to be exercised in my behalf.
The gospel is so true-- we have the opportunity to watch conference this weekend and pray to know without a doubt that Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today-- don't miss this opportunity for spiritual growth and testimony strengthening!
I love you tons and tons,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
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