Lil' Spud Gone East: October 10, 2016 - BEcome Grateful, TRULY GRATEFUL for His Gospel (:

HEY HEY HEY! HALF WAY?

Where has the time gone? -The answer is to some of the best 9 months of my life. Wouldn't you agree? I have changed so much! I feel I am becoming more like Christ…I have a long way to go, but I am getting there, baby steps!

So, I just thought I would let you know that the temperature has completely flopped. We are now wearing sweaters people. It is big news.

Okay okay, on other notes:

It has been four days and I still feel like I could write a novel, but don't worry, I will spare you the novel and just give you the highlights (:

Sister Rhodes came to a baptism for a man the sisters in Charleston were teaching even though she has a terrible cough (if you need something to pray for, pray that she will feel better once and for all). Her faith is progressing because her response to the question, "How did you like it?" expresses much better things these days. Haha, at the beginning of teaching her I would ask that, after church and every time she would say, "Well, it was different!" Uh...what does that mean haha?! BUT when we asked her about the baptism she told us that it was different, but that she LIKED IT. NICE. baby steps. Her faith has grown so much in Christ as she has read the Book of Mormon. It truly is A BIG LOVE LETTER FROM GOD. I testify of that as I watch her read it. She slowly inches her way to becoming a member of this church!

Prayer and Faith bring out the humor in God: So, we have these people that we are teaching who can't have us come in the house because their dad is sick. So, we can only teach them when they are outside. Well, good news is this is all ending because their house is finally ready (also miracle of prayer). Sister Allen and I planned our whole day around being at that house at 6:00. We said a prayer and promised God that we would follow our plan that whole day to a T so that we could be there. Then we asked that they could be outside. So get this, we are walking up to the house and I look on the porch, but see no one. Then at that same instant Sister Allen says, "look who is walking towards us!" HAHA NICE. GUYS THEY ARE NEVER OUTSIDE. Even better than being outside they were walking straight towards us. If we ask for God’s help and we are obedient, HE WILL HELP US.

I love reading the Book of Mormon as a mission! I feel that Heavenly Father truly knows me. He knows the things I need help with. He knows that I have struggled to read the Book of Mormon all the way through. It is probably the thing I am most ashamed about. That I have yet to do that. I have such a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but not as strong as God needs it to be! There is a power in reading every single word over and over again. PEOPLE, it is never too late to start and you have never read it enough! I have found that getting a brand new copy and reading it with no markings helps new things that God needs to tell you stick out. I really hope if you are reading this that you feel the strength I have received as I have read and that it will inspire you to read the Book of Mormon more often as well! Every time we hear about a miracle Sister Allen says, "It's because of the Book of Mormon reading!" Have I mentioned I love her? As I have been reading the scriptures, I find the word power a lot. Power really does come from living the principles and being obedient to the laws! My mission president said something once that hit me so hard! "If you want power, plug in". That has changed the way I view the gospel (:

We have this woman named Sister Strong in our ward. She is a beast. She is Sister Campbell's visiting teacher (a member that is given responsibility to visit another sister and give help/support as needed). We were at her house last night for a lesson and she gave Sister Campbell a promise that I just had to share. She told her, " If you read the Book of Mormon it will help you understand the Bible better!" It was so simple, but so true! If I had to read each individual book of scripture all on its own, it would be hard to understand! The scriptures are incredible. They teach us to KNOW our Savior Jesus Christ!

Last thing I promise. Sister Campbell is DOING SO WELL. The other night she told us that she has a picture of the temple hanging up in her room and that she looks at it every night. Every time I look at her I feel so much love for my Savior and his gospel. I took his teachings for granted before my mission. It truly is Faith in him, in his sacrifice, and in his gospel that makes me as happy as I am. If you wonder why I am so happy all of the time.. IT IS BECAUSE OF HIM! I wish I would have prayed to more fully appreciate his gospel more. I feel that as I invest my time and effort in teaching His gospel that I come closer to the true divinity of His gospel! PLEASE! Do what you can and make a plan to BEcome grateful, TRULY GRATEFUL for His gospel (:

I LOVE YOU!!!

I love my calling! I love it(:

Sister Justina Campbell

West Virginia Charleston Mission