Petition from a mother: Hi y'all. As you can tell from this letter, Hannah could use some encouragement. Would you write her a little note of love? Especially you who have recently returned from your own missions (or are currently still on one!) and understand just what she's feeling.... I think it would mean the world to her to hear from her friends and siblings in Christ.
Thank you, Janet
4909 Canyon Trail North #2505
Euless, Texas 76040
Or even send her a short email: hannah.gunson@myldsmail.net
If you let me know you wrote her I'll send you cookies. :) Maybe not to Europe; they'd go stale before you get them. Maybe I could make you granola and send that....?
Okay, from Hannah:
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I just want to let y'all know that after I write this email, Sister Kuli and I are going to get food and then sleep for the entire rest of the pday. And I'm going to enjoy it.
THE BOY THAT LIVED IS GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY!!!!! And that kid is going to change worlds. Our District Leader was in primary last sunday and when he asked 'so who's going on a mission??" The Boy That Lived raised his hand excitedly and said "I AM!" The DL said "I felt the spirit flood me. He's going on a mission." His soul is one of the most pure I've ever met.
We met with Joker and Harley Quinn this week.... THEY SET THEIR SEALING DATE AND THE JOKER IS WORKING TO GET THE PRIESTHOOD NEXT MONTH!!! DAHHHHHH which reminds me, Mom, can I come back to Texas the week of December 15th? And just... stay that whole week and meet you in Florida....?
Our mission continues to gain momentum. Texas Fort Worth is not an army that is easily stopped. President came out with some new finding techniques using 21 Tips, Family History and a new way to present the pamphlet that works 95% of the time. We're definitely a force to be reckoned with. (side note: that's why my pirate ship's name is "The Reckoning.".... you know, whenever I get a pirate ship... okay, that was an inside joke for Sister Chantry whenever she sees this.)
In summation: there's a lot of disturbing and annoying of Satan's telestial kingdom and he's been getting a little irked. Which is probably why yesterday was so......... well.
Lately, I've been feeling like the devil sent some of his biggest beasties to go bully me. I feel like I haven't slept for days, I can't get some peace, it feels like devilish heckling. Yesterday we had two different people within 2 hours of each other tear down the Plan of Salvation, attack us personally, and defame everything I hold near and dear. One of them was Murphy. Who called us to preach a bitter sermon mingled with profanity about how God doesn't care, how we're all so wrong-- all of our teachings, our scriptures, you, me, it's all wrong. The only thing I could really hear, though, was the hurt. I didn't hear anger, I heard some kid who fell down and skinned his knee, and needed someone to hold him. But because of pride, he pushed away the loving arms that have always been open and took it out on us. At the end of his rant, he said "just wanted to let y'all know." and hung up... if that doesn't tell you how much of a kid he is...
Normally, this wouldn't have been so bad, but it just came at a bad time. It caught the tail end of a pretty rough 7 weeks.
BUT THERE'S AN UPSIDE. I was praying that night and the peace finally came. I understood the why's of it all. It's not because I'm disobedient, it's not because God doesn't love me. It' because I need to be refined. I didn't do anything wrong, God just loves me enough to burn the dross away. My faith is unshaken, despite the vehement attacks. If anything, I have grown closer to my Savior because I caught a little glimpse of what His life was truly like. How blessed am I to suffer in His name!!!!
Elder Holland gave a great discourse to missionaries in Frankfurt in 2002. He said "you think you're the only missionaries who've ever been depressed?? EVERY MISSIONARY HAS BEEN DEPRESSED! What kind of missionary would you be if you weren't depressed?? It comes with the territory, it's like MTC training!" He goes on to tell us that if we're the kind of missionaries we should be, the disciples of Christ we say we are, then how can we ask for another path or another cup to drink from? If we don't walk in Christ's footsteps, who are we following? And Christ walked a very long, very hard road.
Opposition is real, and so is God's love. Just keep your covenants, read your scriptures and PRAY YOUR LITTLE HEART OUT.
FIRE BURNS WOOD BUT TEMPERS STEEL AND I AM MADE OF STEEL.
Love, Sister Gunson
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