April 21, 2014 — “Best thing since . . . .”

Well Hello. Can I just tell you that miracles are happening all around?

We picked up a family of 6 this week. They are amazing. It’s like Amanda and Eddie (if you remember them from Liberty Lake) but they have 4 kids. AND THEY ARE ALL AMAZING. I just love being a missionary.

Gemma is amazing. She CAME TO CHURCH  yesterday. She has really been struggling lately, and turning to God. She is amazing. We’ve been talking about her getting a blessing, and after Sacrament she told us that her kids were sick and she wouldn’t be able to get one that night.  I said, “Gemma, do you still want to get a blessing?” and she said, “Yes, I want to be baptized. I want to be soon.”  SAY WHAT?!

Let’s talk about the cool things about this: Gemma wants to be baptized soon and she is just amazing.  — HER FAMILY WAS SICK and SHE STILL GOT THEM TO GO. She told us that everything inside of her was convincing her not to go, so she got her husband out of bed and said “We are going to church. I am going to give you every reason I shouldn’t and you have to make me go.”

She is changing. She is amazing. I love her.

We’ve seen so many miracles this week. I’m just grateful.

I’m also incredible grateful for the chance I had to talk in church yesterday. For Easter. Want to hear something funny? It was my first time speaking in sacrament meeting on my mission. 🙂 And it wasn’t even in my ward, it was in the singles ward.

When I was on exchanges with S. Huffaker a while back we sang Where Can I Turn for Peace at her Bishops home. He got some crazy ideas and made a sacrament meeting out of it. 🙂 With missionaries from both wards speaking, and S. Huffaker and I singing. WITH MY GUITAR. I’ve never played my guitar in sacrament meeting. It was terrifying. Ha. Anyway. I just wanted to share some of my talk with you, because I’ve gained a stronger testimony of redemption. 🙂

Here’s how it went:

So I have this best friend. Her name is Lindsey Lockhart and she is basically the greatest thing that has happened since….. [long pause]…. The Restoration of the Gospel. [That’s literally the only thing I could think of. I’m losing my creative genius. And gaining a love for the Restoration of the Gospel. Which we are living in. Don’t sleep through it. anyway, back to my talk].

[awkward laughter]

So, one day when I was in high school Lindsey asked me if I wanted to come to lagoon with her because her work, Chik-fil-A, was having a Lagoon Day.  I WANTED TO GO SO BAD. Sadly, I didn’t have the money to go. So I tried to think of ways to get the money, but I knew I need to save my money.

Well Lindsey, being the amazing friend that she is, came to me a couple days later and told me this, “Sister Meservy, I want you to be the friend that comes with me to Lagoon. So I decided that I would just pay for you, and then you can come.”  I refused. Until she seemed to be so determined that I would go, that she would have gone to lagoon, bought my ticket, and waited for me to show up, had I accepted the offer or not.  I decided to accept.

Lindsey and I had the funnest time at lagoon, and I gained a love for her that I can’t even explain. I am so grateful for the friend she is to me, to this day. We ended up being roommates in college, and leaving on our missions a week apart. 🙂 She has been a huge strength to me throughout my mission. I love her. I am so grateful for her example to me of that Christlike Charity from the beginning of our friendship.

Now I want to talk about my other best friend, My Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He too has paid the cost for me to enter a place I so desperately desire to go. I am the one that Christ wants to come to “Lagoon” with him. Or in better words, to receive eternal life. Each of you are that one, as well. He has paid the price for every one of us to be Redeemed and He is inviting us to accept that Redemption. “Behold, He sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arm of mercy is extended towards them; and He saith: Repent and I will receive you. Yea, he saith: Come unto me.”
I know that the Savior wants to forgive us.

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3446112587001

I also know that even though we are each imperfect, he loves us perfectly. I love Him. I know that He is my redeemer. The Price has been paid, and we can accept it by Repenting. Remembering Him. Living the Gospel. Desiring to Return to him. I am so grateful for the beautiful plan of Redemption. I am grateful my Redeemer has paid the price. I am grateful I can Pray to my Heavenly Father and ask for forgiveness. I am grateful I can be cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost.

As we accept the redemption our Savior has to offer, we are freed. We will feel closer to Him. Though it was humbling, I felt closer to Lindsey after accepting her selfless service. And I am more and more grateful every day. It is the same with our Savior. How silly would it have been for Lindsey to pay the price for my ticket, and I not use it? Don’t leave the Savior waiting with a ticket that has been bought for you. 🙂

I wanted to end by adding my testimony to the testimony of Lehi to his son, Jacob. “I know that thou art redeemed because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer.”  And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I LOVE YOU ALL!. Keep helping in the hastening!

Love,
Sister Meservy!