Hermana Mary DeWitt: Light, Music, and Temples!

We had some good lessons this week! Here's some of the highlights:

On Tuesday we taught Xochitl and her kids (Genevive and Ethan) about the Restoration and it was SUPER cool because we had invited them to start reading the Book of Mormon, and when we followed up with them about it, Xochitl started telling us about Lehi's Vision and Nephi's faith and leaving Jerusalem! It was SO cool because she loved the emphasis on light (the Tree of Life, Joseph Smith's 1st Vision, etc.) and we promised that as she and her family keep reading the Book of Mormon, they'll feel more of that light in their home throughout the week!

We met Kumiko on Wednesday! She's a member, but hasn't been able to go to the temple with her family yet! We found out that her boyfriend isn't interested in the Gospel at all and is what's holding her and their kids back from being sealed. We talked about the importance of temples and invited her to pray and ask God what she needs to do in order to get there with her family - she said she would! She's super sweet and we're excited for her to keep progressing along the covenant path.

On Thursday, we had exchanges with the STL's! I went with Sis. Carlson to Fabiola's lesson and was a little bit nervous because Sis. Carlson doesn't speak Spanish at all. Fabiola and I talked about the Sacrament and it went really well! She's still reading the Book of Mormon and on Monday, when Hermana Shumway and I went back, she said 'I love reading it so much, I can hardly put it down!' She's doing amazing with the Word of Wisdom and said that she feels so much more energized and healthy now! We're so happy for her!!!

Hermana Shumway and I did a musical number in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday! We did "Because I Have Been Given Much" (Hermana Shumway played the piano and I sang) and it's always my favorite thing to help people feel the Spirit through music!

Also, Kelsi and her sons Brian and Milan came to church! Kelsi was absolutely enthralled by the talks - at one point, Brian and Milan came up to her to ask her something, and she said 'no, later - I'm listening to something very important right now' - we're so happy for her!

In my personal studies this week, I've still been studying the Topical Guide references of Jesus Christ, but a lot of them ended up being about the temple! Here are some of my notes:

-1 Nephi 22:25 - "And He gathereth His children from the four quarters of the earth; and He numbereth His sheep, and they know Him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and He shall feed His sheep, and in Him they shall find pasture."

-1 Nephi 21:9 - "...They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places."

-high places = symbolic of temples - our pasture is the temple! That's where we feed our spirits and are closest to our Shepherd.

I invite all of you to go to the temple as often as possible, if it's available! Today, the rest of my zone (the Greeley Zone) gets the opportunity to go to the Fort Collins Temple, but the Fort Morgan missionaries (including Hermana Shumway and me) don't get to go, because we're farther away. I want to go to the temple SO bad, but I just can't right now, which is heartbreaking! Please never take the temple for granted - make time to go there! The Lord wants us to come and feed in our spiritual pastures!

Love you all and have an amazing week!

- Hermana DeWitt