“He Received His Sight, And Followed Jesus In The Way.”

I absolutely loved conference. Never in my life have I needed it more! The spirit was so present. I truly felt like every talk was for me. 

The talk that really spoke to me was "Rise! He Calleth Thee" by Elder Massimo De Feo. 

"It is interesting that this blind man, who didn’t have physical sight, recognized Jesus. He saw spiritually what he couldn’t see physically, while many others could see Jesus physically but were totally blind spiritually."

A question that continued to run through my mind throughout conference was,

Will i be able to recognise him? 

This talk really opened this idea for me and i was able to reflect on where my spiritual vision is at right now. 

What am i look to? What am i focusing on? Am i seeing him? 

"This humble and faithful man understood that he could rise to a better life at Jesus’s command. He knew that he was better than his circumstances, and the very first thing he did when he heard Jesus calling him was to throw away his beggar’s coat."

"He might have thought, “I don’t need this anymore, now that Jesus has come into my life. This is a new day. I’m done with this life of misery. With Jesus I can start a new life of happiness and joy in Him, with Him, and through Him. And I don’t care what the world thinks of me. Jesus is calling me, and He will help me live a new life.”"

In him

With him 

Through him

This is what i want. 

That in him, with him, and through him i will know him. 

I had the most bittersweet day. I got to go on exchanges with my beautiful most amazing trainer Sister Phelan. Sister Phelan is seriously one of my best friends. She seriously is someone i have prayed to have in my life my whole life. She means everything to me! 

Getting to spend a day with her didnt even seem real or fair because of how amazing it was. It was everything i needed. 

I truly gained a testimony of when we work in him, with him, and through him mighty miracles come to pass.  

As Sister Phelan and i got to together we both had the strongest feeling that we were going to be able to teach someone about the Book of Mormon. 

As i studied for the day i wanted to prepare for this interaction. I wanted to be the best representative of Jesus Christ for these people we were going to meet. 

Each morning i always begin my study with a chapter of the book of mormon. As i came to the end of the chapter the spirit prompted me to keep reading. Before i knew it my study was coming to a close and the final verse i read was, 

Mosiah 7:33

"But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage."

The spirit hit me so hard. I knew that I was going to have the opportunity to share this verse with someone that day. I was so excited. 

So as i continued to pray i asked to be able to truly have the gift of discernment. To really see those that we were invisioning.

Sister Phelan and i decided if we wanted to find someone who needed the book of mormon we just needed to stop everyone we could and just simply ask them if they had seen this book before. We went on our way and for awhile there wasnt anyone that it was clicking with. 

But this family of 4 was different. As we began to walk up this hill we instantly knew we needed to talk to them. We stopped them and asked, "where have you seen god in your life today?" 

The mom began to answer in a pretty upset way. She expressed that her and her family are having to separate because the cost of living here is so expensive. So her husband and kids are leaving to go back to india without her. She expressed how if there was a god why was life to challenging?

There story touched my heart. We instantly addressed their feelings and began to introduce the book of mormon. All of their eyes lit up. Some of them filling with tears. 

We expressed that this was the answer to their prayers. 

This is was going to bring them comfort. 

Before we ended the conversation i asked if i could share a verse with them. 

33 But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.

This verse was for them. This sweet family whose situation i would've never been able to understand, but the lord did. He knew our words would have never done justice, but his did. 

The sweet mom hugged me as i read this verse as tears rolled down her face. 

How could you not just adore the work as a missionary when you have experiences like this? Life changing. 

As i looked back i saw the family in a circle looking through the pages of the book of mormon. From this day forward their lives will be changed forever. Im grateful that i kept reading. 

It is when you see them and desire to help them you find them. 

This experience taught me such an important lesson. The reward of helping others see christ is what helps me recognise him. There are days i feel so far but its experiences like this that show me that he is with me and i see him. Even in the moments I feel blind. He find me. 

“[she] received [her] sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”

I know "Jesus is calling me, and He will help me" see in a new way!

I love him. 

See him this week. 

I love you all! 

I pray for each of you! 

With love, 

Sister B.