04. 21. 2014

Happy Easter everyone!

This Easter was special for me. I am sure you have seen the new "Because of Him" video by now and if not you need to look it up. Sister Fullmer and I saw it last Tuesday and have been using it in our teaching. It is a very powerful video, short and simple and spirit filled. My favorite. It gave me a chance to really focus in on what I know and what I have Because of Jesus Christ. As I focused on that all week, this last Easter Sunday meant even more to me.

Because of Him we are cleansed from sin. We can have guilt and burdens removed. We can live with our families together forever. Death has no sting. We will live again. Life has a purpose. The list goes on and on and on. Everything I have that I hold dear to my heart is because of Him. Because of Him the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. Because of Him I can be a missionary and share the good news with others. What joy I have because of Him.

This week a special experience happened with our investigator Michelle. We invited Michelle to be baptized this coming Saturday. Well during our weekly planning we were looking at that goal and invitation and we just didn't feel right about it. We didn't understand because we felt so strongly about that invitation before. We decided to just text Michelle as ask her if she has even given any thought to baptism. While we were waiting for her reply we prayed for some direction and clarity of course. Right when we finished the prayer we got a reply back from Michelle that said "April 26th is too soon. When is the next one?" WHAT??? You read that right. She asked when the next baptism was! We told her May 17th and asked her if she would pray and prepare herself to be baptized that day. She said Yes. Of course she said yes. Because of our Savior Jesus Christ, Michelle now knows that she is a daughter of God, that this life has a purpose, that she can have joy and comfort in any circumstance. Because of Him, Michelle has hope.

That is the line that stuck out to me from the video the most. Because of Him, despair becomes hope. Hope changes everything. It is the hope that makes all the faith, the diligence, the patience, the long-suffering, and the kindness worth it. It is the hope that brings joy in any circumstance. It is the hope knowing that this life is not the end, that it is the time to prepare to meet God. It is the hope that pushes us forward each and everyday. Hope is the message I get to share as a missionary. There is hope! and with that hope comes an everlasting joy! The world will never be able to satisfy and give you hope like the gospel of Jesus Christ can. How grateful I am to my Savior Jesus Christ and to my Heavenly Father for sending Him and giving the world hope.

I hope you know how much I love each and everyone of you. Mother's Day can't come soon enough.

xoxo

Sister Niedert