Yesterday, was a busy day, from the moment we got up we were on the run, we went for our walk early, came straight home and got ready to go to language lessons, from there we ran from one assignment to another. At the end of the day, we ended up in UH, at the top of the mountain with Elder Peirson and Elder Davis, helping teach a lesson, in the dark, to a sweet 32 year old mother of 1 daughter, who has read the Book of Mormon, found out for herself that it is true and now needs help with additions so she can be baptized and join the Church.
This good women is addicted to just about everything you can get addicted to on this Island, Marijuana, Alcohol, Sakau, Beatlenut, and Cigarettes. She is trying so hard to quit all of them, so she can keep the Word of Wisdom, and needed an extra boost. As Elder Pierson taught her the lesson again and ask how she was doing, she said she had been able to cut way back on everything, and had not had any beatlenut for 2 days. With tears in her eyes, she said she knew she still could not be baptized because she needed to quit all of them. It was then that Elder Peirson told her that the Lord still loved her and he was proud of her for the progress she was making. (If Elder Peirson s parents could have seen him, they would have been very proud of their son) He had the spirit with him as he talked to her and it really helped her to know that she was doing well and that the Lord still loved her. We all shared some of our experiences with her from our lives that seemed to help her. It was amazing to me to see the Lord work on her and help her to feel His love for her. She will do better this week and we are going back to see her next week.
As I thought of her, here she is, 32 years old and so addicted to some very earthly things, I felt compassion for her, I am grateful that in my own life, that was not ever a problem for me, but my heart ached for her as I remembered my father when he was trying to stop smoking. I remember how hard it was for him and him telling me years later, that when he is in a room full of smokers, he still has those cravings. I am grateful that he was able to stop and set the example for all of us kids.
We each have our own addictions. Whether they are substances, porn, facebook, clothes, food, etc, things we need to overcome if we want the "Grand Prize" to live with God again. Each day I work on my own, and I feel my Father in Heaven helping me. He really does want all of His children to come back home someday and live with Him again. Each day I work harder, so that someday I hope I am worthy to "Return With Honor" having overcome the temptations of this world and having proven myself worthy of His presence.
I love the Lord, I am humbly grateful to be in His service. I hope I don't let Him down.
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