The Power of Service...and getting to "plant some seeds"

I got to watch conference this past weekend! In English! They play it at the church here in Japan, and they had a Japanese room and an English room. So grateful. Conference was amazing. Gotta learn to love people the way the Saviour would through the Spirit. So exciting.

One of my favourite talks was Elder Brian K. Taylor's called "Am I Really a Child of God?" From saturday morning. It reminded me so much of how I felt when I finally made the decision to go on a mission. Really great, a simple truth full of so much love, that shows us how much potential we really have when we open our hearts to the Spirit and hear what is being said.

This morning Sister Borges and I woke up at 5:30 to go to seminary which starts at 6 here. However it's only once a week so not too bad, and it's done by ward. (Hahah when I told Kaori I used to go to seminary in my pajamas she was astounded). It was really great. I actually really miss seminary, amd family scripture study. Elder Durrant's talk made me so grateful for you 2 mama and papa. So grateful to have such a great family.

Anyway, the lesson today was about ministering and about how through ministering we become more Christlike. We read some scriptures like matthew 25:35-40 and Mosiah 18:8-10 and I think Mark 8:35. They got me thinking about Mosiah 2:17: "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

Imagine if you could serve God! Imagine what an honour it would be to do something for Him that would make Him feel more loved. Something He needed help with that He couldn't do Himself. After this past conference and the way i felt the Holy Ghost during Elder Taylor's talk, that just really hit me this morning. Imagine the feeling that would be in your heart if you got to see your Heavenly Father, who loves you so much, and serve Him side by side and just be with Him.

This scripture is saying we are doing just that as we serve and love those around us. Wow! It just made so much sense to me this morning. 

Some of my favourite memories of just serving and loving my friends and family members have been just going to run errands with them, walking the dog, baking cookies or brownies, family scripture study, and especially sunday nights when the whole fam would be home and we would just eat and talk and play board games. I love you all so much! But in ways like that we can 100%% plant seed and strengthen others and that is exactly what Christ does, help us and strengthen us on our way back to our Heavenly Father. I mean the extent to which Christ does it is so much greater because He is our Saviour, but we have so much potential to do the same as we follow the Spirit. The Spirit testifies of truth in my life by bringing feelings of peace and love.

Here is a story of planting a seed from earlier this week! On friday we met 2 people who were Christian within a half hour of each other! Not very common. I don't remember what exactly we said to them but I remember feeling the Spirit in both conversations as we talked about Christ. I had just read pg 105 of Preach My Gospel earlier that day, so when the Bible came up with one of the ladies it was so easy to testify of Christ and teach about the Book of Mormon together. I don't think I said anything particularly well but we book marked 3 Nephi ch 11 with a restoration pamphlet and gave it to her and she accepted it so graciously, it was so sweet. Then she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a box of cute little heart shaped strawberry poky sticks and gave them too us. (They were delicious.) Unfortunately we werent able to get her contact info, and she lives in another mission, but before she had to go she made sure to thank us for talking with her. It was a really sweet experience. There were a million things I'm sure I could've done better as a teacher and as a missionary but I really did just try to love her at least, and I think that was a good seed to plant. :))

Keep livin' and lovin' my friends,

Sister Kearl