Monday, April 3, 2017

April 3,2017 Email :D

OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS WASN'T CONFERENCE JUST THE BEST THING EVER?!?!?!?!?!
Okay really though....it was so good! Watching General Conference as a missionary for the first time was such a blessing! There was still the revelation there for myself that I am so grateful for and will DEFINITELY be applying in my life, but there were also things I came to know about how to help my investigators progress to baptism. Little whisperings from the Holy Ghost that "so and so needs that" and "you should share that with so and so" It was SO COOL!!! I am so grateful for General Conference!!! We are so privileged to be able to hear the word of God through His prophets, seers and revelators today! Like wow!!

I absolutely loved every talk given, and saw so many themes, but the one that I loved the most was the need to love and follow our Savior. :) I absolutely loved Elder Holland's talk and his analogy of standing in a choir. It is so true that when you're in choir, you want to stand next to someone with the best pitch because it lifts you up if you're flat, brings you down if you're sharp, helps you to know the tone and tune...you are more unified as a choir when you listen to each other and when you stand next to someone with the music down, you're solid! The Savior has perfect pitch, and if we stand by Him, He will help us stay in tune! 

I also LOVED Elder Gary B Sabine's talk! There were so many golden nuggets in there! I loved his analogy of standing up on the inside! In order to be all in, we need to be standing up inside! "It is far better to follow the creator than the crowd" I also loved his quote from his dad that said if he gets tired of walking, he can always run. Sister Thurber and I run from door to door when we get tired, and it wakes us up and gives us energy!! It gives us more purpose and makes it exciting! We always need to be giving our all to the Lord! 

I also loved Elder Rasband's talk and how he acted on his first prompting and stuck his foot in the door! I have a goal to act on my first promptings from now on! There are many situations on my mission and during my life that I didn't act on my first prompting to do something and I have wondered what could have been. I want to be able to say, like President Monson, that when the Lord needs someone, he can count on me! President Monson is such an amazing example to me of being on the Lord's errand and following the promptings of the Spirit!

Another favorite talk: C. Scott Grow! He talked about how he wants to be on the team, not on the sidelines. As a baptized member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I have taken upon myself the name of Jesus Christ. I am wearing the jersey of the Lord's team. I want to play. As a missionary, the jersey is displayed quite clearly on my chest, but I want it to show in my actions. I need to practice to play well so that I can clearly represent my Savior and His gospel! I need to live it! I need to practice my dribbling by reading the scriptures and do some free throws by going to church! I need to run some ladders by saying my prayers and do some drills with my teammates as I write in my journal and act on promptings of the Holy Ghost! I need to live my life standing next to the Savior! I am on His team! The winning team!

Like Elder Yoon Hwan Choi advised, we need to look up to Christ for strength, balance and healing. Look up in the rain! Open your mouth! Drink it! No matter what we are going through, the Savior is with us! He knows us! He suffered for all and if we stand next to Him, we can sing "There is sunshine in my soul today!" 

I love the last paragraph of The Living Christ and wanted to share it. :) Wow :)  

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son. 

Wow :) We are so blessed to have the knowledge that we have about our purpose here on earth! We are so blessed to have the Savior as our guide and for all He did for us! We are so blessed to have General Conference to hear a prophet's voice! I am so grateful for the love and spirit that we are able to feel from the Gift of the Holy Ghost, for the guidance we receive in our lives when do our best to live our lives in line with Heavenly Father's will and divine destiny for each and every one of us!! I love you all and know that my Savior lives! He loves us! Our Heavenly Father lives! Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God and Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today! The Book of Mormon is true! Read it! Love it! And act on what you learn! I love this gospel! I love being a missionary! Ah!! So much love and joy! 

I am proud to be a disciple of the Lord and I pray to always be worthy to represent Him and be playing on His team! 
Love,
Sister Alissa Jean Van Valkenburg

ps: How did everyone's questions go that they brought to conference? I Know mine was answered!! 
pps: New challenge: write goals and a plan to accomplish them based off the revelation you received from conference! :) 

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