I attended Time out for Women In Orlando this past weekend. It was so fun to be with the women I love, and spend a weekend just being lifted up. Sometimes as Mothers we are just giving so much, that we need a chance to be filled up...and recharged. I came home feeling wonderful and Hopeful!The message running through the whole program was Infinite Hope! The stories were so touching and made my trials look pale in comparison. I am grateful for my life...exactly how it is...and I am grateful for my kid's and my husband and my trials. Hard to believe I could be grateful for my trials...but I realized this weekend we should welcome suffering....WELCOME IT! That sounds so strange...but I realized it is through suffering we are taught the deepest, greatest lessons of life...I have learned a lot that way. I believe through suffering I have become more closer to my Savior and more trusting of him. I have realized that my ultimate goal to be like him...is coming true...because after all, look at the suffering he did for me. What an amazing weekend....I am overwhelmed at the love My Father in heaven has for me. I can't believe I am even blessed to be in the gospel of Jesus Christ...but not only to be in it, but to know it is true with every fiber of my being.
Some may not know what a gift that is...but anyone who knows my story, would know what a miracle it is, that Heavenly Father held on to me, and helped me to hang on to the gospel, during some of the most challenging times of my life. My parents left the church many years ago...it brought a new challenge in my life that no one could imagine or understand, unless they experienced it. I had to fight with all my heart and soul to get a testimony.....a testimony I THOUGHT I already had until it was tested and tried. For some people it comes much easier to. For me it was a journey....and a trial.
Now I have the gift of knowing for myself without a flicker of doubt..doubt that used to haunt me. This past year, I have received the strongest witness and had the most spiritual experiences I cannot even share, for the spirit strongly cautions me not to. But the answer most surely came as I was promised in the scriptures. I believe it is because I had an earnest, honest, heart that really desired to know, and not give up until I had my answer.
I believe the answer came so loud and clear, because I had made a goal to attend the temple every week, and teach my Gospel Doctrine class with full purpose of heart. I have had such a wonderful experience getting to study the gospel in depth through my new calling. It has truly in every sense of the word changed my life. I know that my Redeemer lives..but not only lives...but loves me dearly.
I was told in a blessing that I was sent here at this time to earth to testify that Jesus is the Savior of the world....I actually promised the Father I would do that.I just didn't imagine my own family would be the one's who mocked me, and would try to tear me from the truth. That they would be my trial in this life. I am so blessed I have been able to pass that test. It was a crushing experience. I am grateful today that I can testify...and know what I am saying is the truth. I know he lives....I know he is my protection...my whole life.I know I promised him, I would be valiant in my testimony. Even it it felt extremely hard, even impossible at times. I didn't know I would stand alone.
I love him with all my heart and soul for what he did for me. I will live my life until my dying breathe, to show him how grateful I am, that he hung on to me, when I couldn't hang on anymore.I have included a little excerpt from one of the speakers. She was fantastic, her story...unbelievable. And her victory amazing. Like I mentioned before my trials seem pale in comparison. If you can ever hear her story, take advantage of it.
Raised in war-torn Sierra Leone, Mariama Kallon saw many things as a young girl that might fill a person with fear and hatred. Soon after witnessing the violent murders of parents and siblings and spending her youth fleeing from rebels, she was introduced to the gospel of Jesus Christ and found hope in God and peace in a knowledge of eternal families. She was given a humanitarian kit by the Church, which became a treasured symbol of hope that she used to bless the lives of many as they again fled for their lives. After returning to her town, she was called on a mission to the Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission, and wept in gratitude to the Lord as she visited the place where her precious humanitarian kit was made. Today Mariama stands as an example of the divine purposes of humanitarian work and tells her story to numerous audiences, urging them to participate in this work. She spoke about the humanitarian kit...one like the one's we have been making recently in Relief Society...and how it was her only possession on the run from rebel soldiers. How she shared her soap and toothbrush with 20 other women and how her sister shared her school kit with classmates by breaking one pencil in to smaller ones for everyone in the class. and giving one sheet of paper to each student to use over and over again. As I heard this story I wondered where the kits went that I have made over the years. For family home evening one year we made newborn kits , school kits and humanitarian kits..I think that helped my kids realize the needs in the world. But after hearing her story I even now feel more compelled to make more kits and send them to Salt Lake.That little toothbrush led her to the church and eventually brought her to America. I love how the gospel blesses lives.
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