I am now STL and in a trio! With Sister Percival! She is
one of my very best friends here, and I never thought we'd be lucky
enough to be companions. But it happened!
So being a Sister
Training Leader has been great so far. I love being able to serve in new
ways and receive new assignments and get to know the other missionaries
better.
Anyway, so this week my testimony of the Atonement of
Jesus Christ became knowledge. I just know with everything I am that
Jesus Christ lives and that he is my Savior. His presence is nearer than
we can imagine, and his love is perfect. I know Heavenly Father is
aware of all His children. In one of the church videos I watched a few
days ago, one woman said "It is amazing that He can put living waters in
broken vessels...." I know that Heavenly Father is willing to use
imperfect people, to help other imperfect people. As we humble ourselves
and seek His will, we become healed and complete.We may not be perfect,
but we will be with Christ, so we will be complete. That has been a
consistent pattern in my mission. Seeing weak things made strong.
Sister
Percival shared this with me, and it taught me a lot. In thinking of
Christ's visits to the Nephites in the Americas, she thought of his
invitation: "Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered,
or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any mann er? Bring them hither and
I wi ll heal them, for I have compa ssion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy." (3 Nephi 17:7)
We
both agreed that there were probably those who were carrying family
members with physical afflictions, who were beckoned to stay by the
Savior, because they were afflicted too. As missionaries, we have come
to know and teach those with mental diseases and infirmities. And we
know Jesus Christ would have healed them too. We know he will heal and
help our investigators, and that someday they will also be able to
physically come to him and find perfect healing. How grateful I am that
he has compassion on us. He is merciful. I hope we can always seek his
help to offer that same love and service to our fellowmen. We are all
walking a hard path. The mountains can be steep, and I testify that what
is even better than arriving and admiring the view, is going and
helping someone else walk up their mountain. The Savior lives. I know
this.
Sister Dopp