Pageant Time!

 

 

Ah! Family. I love you so much!! I have been thinking a lot about you guys lately.

This past week has been good! So many different things..... Pageant Started so we had a HUGE influx in people. I forgot to tell you in the last week letter that the badn was invited to be a part of Trail of Hope that the stage perform. We were "company captain" that led each group from Vignette to Vignette. What a MAGNIFICENT experience. I was able to share my testimony with them before we started about this place and the sacredness of it. I loved being a part of it and I am so grateful. But it is a weekly thing on Sunday nights, so that is where I will be tonight.

We play the National Anthem for the Pageant and I feel like a celebrity marching up on that big stage with the bagpipes and American Flag. Everyone is watching us and it still gives me goosebumps how exciting it is!!!

On Wed, Sister Peacock was able to go through the temple and the band elders and sisters who are endowed were invited to go. I think one of my favorite things I have come to recognize is light and darkness. The brightest of all is the best place we could be. She was so happy and I was SOOOOO happy for her. Then we went to sites and I served in the Lyon Drug and Variety Store. It was an interesting experience. It was kinda funny, the senior missionaries I was serving with were giving me advice about marriage..... I just thought to myself..... ummmmm..... OK! It is weird to think that I could be considering that when I get home, but not to let myself wander anymore....

Then Wed night we were allowed to watch Pageant. All I can say is JOY! I couldn't stop smiling! I think I cried once when King Follete died, but I had tingles the entire time and wanted to shout from the rooftops how much I love this gospel. my companion was in tears and I asked her why she was crying... more like sobbing.... she tried to explain but she couldn't because she was crying so much..... I am grateful for the way the Spirit manifested Himself to me, not through tears, but Joy.

I have been studying lately the topic of obedience. The blessings that come from obedience are numberless. I was reading Elder Perry's talk from conference and he said that when we are disobedient we are DEPRIVING ourselves from the blessing that Heavenly Father DESIRES to give us. Then I was thinking of how I can be more obedient. One of the first thoughts that came to mind was the Sacrament. How can I remember Him always? How can I keep the commandments more fully? I have caught my thoughts drifting from the savior and tried to make Him the center of my thoughts. But it isn't easy. I think sometimes it should be easy, but Satan is so quick to work on the mind first because from our mind he can influence our actions and the way we treat others.....

Anyway, that is what I have been learning. :)

I did get those pics and the cute earrings and ponies!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I wear the earrings everyday.... even right now!

Oh and I also found out that you sent a letter to my companion..... still don't know why but I know she was grateful for your insight! As was I. I love your wisdom and I was kinda jealous that I don't get letters like that......:)

The days are going by very quickly.... less than a month left..... 29 day.

Our motto:

Every Second Counts.

Love you!!!

Sister Jex
letter #9
P.S.

Oh hey I wanted to share with you something cool that happened. So last week I was thinking of ways that I could show more love, more charity. I was looking through my journal to see if I had written down that Charity quote from Marvin J. Ashton. I didn't and I really wanted to find it. Well one morning I picked up one of the ensigns in our house and BOOM there it was! Ah! Ok! I read it and this thought came to me to put together an activity devotional thing that we would do every night as band sisters. Every sister's name would be on a popsicle stick and that we would take one out and we would go around and say some things that we love about the person whose name is one the stick.

“Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other."

We started this last Sunday night and my sister leader came up to me and said thank you for coming up with this idea because it was inspired for some of the sisters in our group. I felt really good about it and I know that the Lord inspired me with that idea.

After Pageant on Wed night my name was drawn and I couldn't have asked for a better night. To me it was a testimony that the things these sisters were saying were true and that they really loved me. Sometimes I doubt it with certain sisters. But the Lord conveyed to me otherwise.

I just want to tell you how much I love you. You are the most amazing people in my life. I love you more than anything. Its funny how certain people would play with my hair and it would remind me of how you would play with my hair mom. Then Elder Brague would say some funny phrase that dad says EXACTLY. I love you guys.

I love serving the Lord. He is blessing me each and every day for my service and I know that He is doing the same for you guys.

Love you!

Sister Jex