8/28/2013

We got our first e-mail from Sister Platt!!!  

   Well, my first day at the MTC was grand!! I'm obsessed with it here!! I'm not on the main campus; we are actually living in family housing which is weird cause I haven't even seen the main campus, but I love living in the apartments! :) We have our classes in different apartments as well and they have provided a cafeteria here. 

    My companion, Sister Brunner is AMAZING!! I love her!! She totally looks like Sarah Newcomb from my LCC basketball team. All of the companion ships are truly inspired. Ah. It's so hard to tell you all what has been going on, but I am busy literally every minute of every day and I am loving it!!! 

    Sister Brunner and I are teaching an "investigator" (who's actually one of our teachers). Her name is Shirley and she is the sweetest lady ever! She has a son named Owen and is single. We committed her to baptism on our second visit!! WAHOOO!!! We were going to commit her on the first day, but she had no clue who God even was or how to pray to Him. It is crazy how confident I am starting to feel with teaching others about this gospel. I have learned that we really do need to rely on the spirit and ask the investigator questions to get to know them better so that we can help them. I have also come to understand how IMPORTANT and CRITICAL it is for us as missionaries to direct every lesson back to the atonement. 

   Our district is teaching a man(Really an actor) from Jamaica and we gave him the Book of Mormon!! He doesn't understand why we believe that Jesus Christ is so important so we gave him the book of mormon and told him that we can't force him to believe in anything, but that we would just be guides in helping him and that if he wanted to know that it is true, he would have to read it for himself. I challenged him to read Ether 12 as it talks about faith and how we can't receive an answer until we have faith!!! Dear friends who are reading this who are not mormon, I would challenge you to read the Book of Mormon and see for yourself what you learn and pay attention to how you feel when you read it!!! 

  The first 3 days were REALLY slow because I didn't know what was going on and where I was supposed to be. Everyone told me to just make it to sunday and everything will start to go by really fast. Boy, were they right!! This week has already gone by so so so fast!!! My mind is about to explode with the information that I am learning. I really do grow every day and I am just getting so excited to be in Alabama!!! On sunday, we watched a talk titled, "Characters of Christ" by Bednar and OH MY. EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW. JUST GO ON YOUTUBE. It will honestly change your life. One thing that I loved that he said is that we need to LEARN of Jesus Christ and not just know things about him. That's all I will say about that one.

  Tuesday night, (last night) we had devotional! My whole district decided to sing in the choir in which we sang the song, "Lead thou Me on". The spirit was so powerful in that room. Neil L. Andersen spoke!!!! He mentioned how there are 4,108 missionaries at the Provo MTC right now and how there are over a 1,000 at the other MTC's!! The biggest it has ever been! It feels so great to be a part of this work :) Andersen's talk was titled, "First Love, Then Sacrifice." He explained how we will touch the lives of others and not even realize it and that we "sacrifice for the things we love and love what we sacrifice for" He also explained that our greatest responsibility on this earth that we have is to love God! How true is that? If you think about it: if we have love for God, then we will have love for everything else in life :) 

I know that as we sacrifice, the Lord notices and will bless us :) 

   Sister Brunner and I are living in an apartment with 4 other girls!! 2 girls are going to Alabama as well as us and the other two are going to Albania!! I have learned so many words in Albanian like: 

"Po"=Yes

"Yo" = No

"Multra" =Sister

"Ciene" = How are you

heheh so sometimes, sister Brunner and I go around and just yell out random Albanian words to missionaries walking by.

   We just got back from doing a session in the provo temple which was amazing!!! I read D&C, chapter 6 and received an answer that Heavenly Father is aware of us and knows us so well and is proud of us!!!! Please take a chance to read it if you can :)))) 

Gracie leaves for Alabama on the 3rd.  We can't wait for her phone call from the airport.  She sounds so happy and excited.  We are so proud of her.  

Keep sending her letters!  She loves it.

Here are some pictures of Gracie before heading into the MTC:

"So do you wish you were going outside of the country?" -Everyone and their dog

.
NO.


No I am SO HAPPY about getting called to Alabama. In fact, it is perfect for me! Heavenly Father knows that this is where I'm supposed to go.

It's funny; I really do think Heavenly Father has a sense of humor...

When I was filling out my papers, I filled out the part about going foreign and learning a new language that I was "REALLY willing to go foreign and learn a language." People have said that you are pretty much guaranteed to go foreign and learn a new language if you write that on the paperwork.

Well, I think Heavenly Father thinks it's funny to send me to Alabama because yes, it will be all foreign to me and yes, the southern "twang" will definitely be different for me and something to get used to and try to understand.

Plus, having a stateside mission means that packages and letters will come to me quickly and safely and that walmart is just a quick stop down the street for any items that I may need.

The southern food is going to be either really really good or really really sketchy depending on where I go which I'm excited about as well :)

Oh. and let's not forget the AMAZING thunderstorms and random rain downpours during the summer time!!! AHHHHH!!!

I am just so excited :) 31 DAYS. A MONTH. THAT'S IT.

36 DAYS!!!!!!??????????!!!!!!!!

okay. This is crazy!!!!! I will be going to the MTC IN 36 DAYS!!!!!!!! AHHH Time really does fly by and I can't believe it!!! :) I am getting so excited, yet nervous at the same time, but I know that with God by my side, I can do hard things!!!

I am so close to being done with the Book of Mormon. I have been using my "100 day" reading checklist which has helped me a ton! It's all just so crazy and I can't wait for the amazing adventure ahead of me!

I have noticed how much satan has been trying to attack me before I go which I heard is totally normal for pre-missionaries because he simply just doesn't want you to go. SATAN IS DUMB. End of story.

The Mesa Temple is closed for cleaning until later this month which I am super bummed about, but can't wait to go again and again before I leave!!! I love the temple. It's just a perfect place to find peace and answers to prayer. I had the chance to go through with Lexie for her first time on July 13th. There were A LOT of people there and they had us meditate and ponder the temple as we waited for people to be done. I just prayed really hard and started off by saying, "Heavenly Father. Please help me know.. and before I said anything else, I had this HUGE thought run through my mind saying to me, "Gracie. My daughter. YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS IS TRUE." Chills ran through me as I thought to myself, "duh. Gracie. You do know it's true. Just trust in the Lord."

I am so grateful for this gospel and for prayer and for the scriptures. Heavenly Father is mindful of us all and wants us to return to him with honor. :)

 

 

 

 

Missionary Work and the Atonement (This is what keeps me going!!)

"I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary. . .

When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, ...the Truth, and the Life. . .

I bear witness that He came from God as a God to bind up the brokenhearted, to dry the tears from every eye, to proclaim liberty to the captive and open the prison doors to them that are bound. 19 I promise that because of your faithful response to the call to spread the gospel, He will bind up your broken hearts, dry your tears, and set you and your families free. That is my missionary promise to you and your missionary message to the world."
-Elder Holland

My first temple experience! (((Mesa Temple))) Friday, June 28, 2013

Friday afternoon, at 11:30, I went through the Mesa temple to make covenants with my Heavenly Father and receive my own endowments. I was honestly sick to my stomach nervous beforehand, but as soon as I stepped inside the temple, every worry went away. I first went through initiatory at 11:30 and then met with the rest of my family at 1. The ladies at the temple helped me so much and I'm grateful for that. It was definitely more different than I thought it would be, but it was a good type of different. I LOVED the Celestial room and the peace that was felt inside there. The scriptures make more sense to me now and it makes me want to read them more and more. I can't wait to go back again this week! Heavenly Father is the best! I'm so happy that my whole family was able to make it. It really was the best!! :)

Mesa Temple- Here I Come!!!

            I will be going through the temple for the first time this FRIDAY to be endowed! I am so excited! This past few weeks, I was more nervous than excited to go, but I have knelt and prayed and fasted and read my scriptures and I am now way more excited! It is the House of the Lord, why should I be afraid? It's just annoying how much Satan tries to tempt me now that I am going on a mission by putting thoughts into my mind. "HATERS BACK OFF SATAN" is what I tell him every morning hehe. I prayed and asked Heavenly Father to help me gain my faith and find some scripture that would help comfort me and make me feel at peace with going through the temple. Immediately after, I opened up my scriptures and specifically read a verse in Mosiah that struck a cord in me:
        Mosiah 23:27
          "But Alma went forth and stood among them, and exhorted them that they should not be frightened, but that they should remember the Lord their God and he would deliver them."

          I just need to remind myself that I am ready and need to take this step in my life. I should not be frightened because the Lord is ALWAYS on my side! :) I can't wait to have all of my siblings there and parents there as well! It will be such a wonderful experience and I can't wait for the opportunity to go back as much as I possibly can. The temple is a place of peace and rescue from the turmoil of this life we live in. God is so so so good!!

"Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father."

—Brigham Young

          Well, I figured I would tell you about my interview for my temple recommend with my Stake President.  I had never met him before previously (Just moved to Arizona from California), but he welcomed me into his office and sat me down. The first thing he said to me was, "You know the Lord actually called you to a foreign place within the United States, right?" I just laughed and said I have heard that before. He continued on and said, "haha yeah. I remember going there and I felt like I was in another world, but you will love it." The interview continued on with the basic questions. He then said to me, "Sister Platt. I am about to ask you a question that a majority of the people get wrong.. Do you know who YOU are?" I quickly responded saying, "I am a Daughter of God." He said: "That's definitely true, but you're MORE than that. You are one of the chosen spirits that was very righteous in the pre-mortal world. I think you would be surprised to see how righteous you were before you were born." okay. I had chills running down my spine. I just love this gospel!!! I am so grateful for the knowledge that we have and I can't wait to share it with those who the Lord directs me to!!!

Some reasons why I am SO excited to serve a mission in Alabama

***It is honestly a dream coming true for me!
***Heavenly Father has so much in store for me and is preparing the people of Alabama to meet me.
***I haven't been to the South in a really really long time so it will all be new to me.
***I'm excited for the rain and thunderstorms!!!!
***I love southern accents :) Hearing it makes me smile
***I can't wait to meet people that are so different from me and find similarities between us and relate to them.
***I want to come back saying "ya'll". I really hope I do.
***I can't wait to see the lives of people change as they take a steps toward baptism and have the Holy Ghost with them.
***I can't wait to be fully dedicated in such a great work of the Lord. It will be nice to not have "worldly" distractions hanging over me.
***I will feel the spirit more than I ever have in my entire life!
***I KNOW that it is the place for me!
These are just a few, but I am just so blessed and so excited for this new adventure coming up in my life! I know once I get there, I won't want to leave. I know that Heavenly Father will be there with me every step of the way when things get hard. I know they will get hard, but I am ready to punch those problems/trials out of the window and just trust in the Lord with everything. I will be in the Lord's hands and anything I do is going to be for the Lord and any accomplishments I have will be because of Heavenly Father and His help/guidance! :) WAHOO! August needs to get here NOW.