Josie's Journey's: We are separated from God in order that we may voluntarily return to Him!

Hola friends and family!

WOW! I don’t even know where to begin... I can’t believe how fast time has gone…and I can’t even believe that I am in my last transfer! IT IS TRUE…MISSIONS ARE THE BEST!!! WOW!! this is an experience I would never take back or trade for anything. It has literally changed my life! Before my mission, I had thought that spending these months in the service of God would somewhat pay Him back for all that He has given me, and that I would be less indebted to Him, and now, I know I am more indebted to Him than ever before! I can’t even begin to thank God enough for all that he has given me, for the trust he has had in me, for the change that has come over me, and what he has made of me! I am forever thankful!

With thanksgiving, I have been thinking a lot about what I am grateful for, and the more I think about it, I can’t even think of something that I’m NOT grateful for!! I have sooo many blessings! -starting off with the chance I have to be in this world, this gospel, my family, and all the people in my life that have helped me get to this point in my life! I am soo grateful that God is in the details of my life! He knows me perfectly! And I know He knows each one of you!

The more I look back on my life, the more I see how every single trial, every tribulation I have faced has been exactly made for me! It has all been for the purpose of making me who God wants me to be! I can testify that Gods’ love for us is so pure, and so perfect, that he would never force us to do anything against our will... but we choose His will when we choose to follow Christ.

Before this life we made the decision to come here to learn and grow, and become who Our Heavenly Father created us to become! WE WERE MADE TO BE GODS! Every commandment that he has ever given us is for one purpose… So that we can gain experience …this life is our practice! President Caffaro has taught us and retaught us the importance of obedience. It is the first law of heaven. And if we can learn to be obedient in these 18 months to 2 years of our lives, it will completely change our future success!!

I know the church of Jesus Christ is true! I know God loves every one of us! I know this is Gods work, and that as we find our own personal conversion, we will be able to let our light shine to all the world!

I love you all!! Hermana Morris

This week we were working really hard on having a sisters meeting, and our theme was with the December initiative “Light up the World” we were running all over the place to get ready for it. like literally we were running in our skirts!! It turned out cute and we felt the spirit soooo strong"!! We had a really incredible environment, we did an activity where we handed out candles, and lit them up one by one, reading off a list of the things that we can do to light up the world, and then we went through a list of things that many people do so that their light goes out…I love seeing the light of Christ in people and how much it changes them!!! We have such a light about us as members of the Chruch, and it is our responsibility to be that light to the world!!

Sunday, we had been asked to give the lesson for relief society, and we did the activity where one person does pushups for everyone in the room... SO... sister cardenas and sister alvarez started off the class, (i was sitting down) and they told everyone that they needed a volunteer to go and do pushups for everyone…and the sisters started laughing a little and were like, who is going to volunteer to do that!??? Then, knowing beforehand that i was going to have to do a lot, and nervous about doing it, i volunteered as we had planned.... Then my companion explained (passing out the candies) that everyone that was going to take one, i would have to do 3 pushups for them! She started off, a few sisters took them, and i easily whipped out the pushups, but the fourth person said that they didn’t want one, and Hermana Cardenas looked at me and said, Hermana Morris, do three pushups... lets just say i was glad not more than 30 women showed up this week! As I started to do the pushups for the lady that had refused the candy, protests broke out, and the sisters said, that’s not fair, she didn’t take one. As my comp continued around the room, the sisters continued refusing the candies, and i kept doing the pushups, and they started to get a little harder, and soon, I was struggling really hard to be able to do the simplest pushup.... wow... it was hard... and the sisters, were pretty upset at my comp, and i was literally dying trying to do these pushups, and a few of them said, “that’s enough” “she’s done enough” “we get the point”.... “tell her to stop”.... but she continued! wow! it was soooo hard as she kept telling me, sister morris, 3 more.... do three more, and then we hear” she is demanding too much”… “someone help her", but no one could. Christ was completely alone, and even his Father left him for a time. Wow!! we found sooo many deeper meanings to this activity, and it was really incredible what our Savior did for us! whether we accepted him or not -He paid the price. whether we use the atonement in our lives or not. Christ already paid the price "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine son." wow! He gave His all, it was not easy. but thanks to Him, death has no sting, and we will live again!! Our Savior loves us sooo much, and I am thankful for all he has given us! I plead with you to put into practice the atonement in your lives!! i love Him! And I love you!! I know this church is TRUE!

Hermana Morris

Sorry two weeks because my 2 year old macbook pro decided to crash my hard drive a couple weeks back and it has taken me some time and anguish to get things up and going again as I hadn’t backed anything up…. Sigh…not such an apple fan anymore…