Email No. 8

Holly cow I have a lot to email this week so I am praying for speedy fingers.

First off... TOMMY!!!!!! I did see your email and you are one funny kid. It made me die laughing and people in our little library stared at me. "It is raining like its nobody's business" hahahhaa my little bud, you kill me.

Mom you are so amazing. I wish I was there to listen to your lessons, but in a way I didn't need to. When I read about your experience I could feel the Spirit of what you taught without even hearing a single word:) The Spirit is like that. Isn't that amazing???

Dad!!!! I am so proud of you!!! Keep it up!!! I am also working on my health and have prayed for a lot of strength to only eat ONE treat a day. Even if it is just one Hershey's kiss. It is SO HARD. But I promise you will be blessed for it, Dad. The Lord blesses us more than we can understand when we take special care of our bodies. Even in ways we can't see. Or can see. Depends on which way you look in the mirror (get it???? okay, not funny). Please don't get discouraged!!!!! Continue on with unwearied diligence!!!

It is most definitely NOT spring here. It is snowing and will be for the rest of the day... sigh.

OK!!!! This week was a week of miracles. Jackie is doing so so amazing. She was not able to come to Stake Conference, it being in Bangor and all. So :(.... But it is okay because she decided that she actually wanted to be baptized this Sunday!!!!!!!!! We are so so excited for her. She is such an example to her husband and children. She is a true example of a determined young woman.

AND. Holy cow I just wish I could write every minute of this week down!!!!!!! SO we were on the phone with a sister in the branch and she said "Oh!! By the way, my granddaughter told me she wanted to get baptized. So she just needs the discussions. Will you teach her?" Sister Dellasilva and I almost blew out this poor woman's ears. OF COURSE!!!!!!!! So we taught our first lesson to our dear 10 year old friend, Haley. She has decided to be baptized on April 18th. What a miracle. Man. She is the sweetest most dear young girls EVER!!!!! So that was amazing.

Something that I think qualifies as a "grace" story has to do with cats. You know how I feel about cats. They are literally the worst. So imagine my dread when I was first told that we volunteer at a cat shelter. And another funny thing about New England is that EVERYBODY, may I repeat EVERYBODY has a cat. It is weird if people don't. Which drove me nuts at first. They would climb up on you, start purring, and then scratch your face. Ugh. They bugged me. But then I had a little heart to heart with this cat at the shelter. I picked her up and she just would not let me let go of her!!!! And then there was this other cat, Punky, who really grew on me. He and I are kindred spirits. We kinda both do what we want. He would climb on my shoulder and just purr up against my neck. He truly lives up to his name Punky. He kills me. That cat has got sass and a big old personality and I love it. I wouldn't go as far to say I like cats, but I sure liked those cats.

So there was this other super cool story that happened this week. Sister Dellasilva and I were discouraged because we felt like we hadn't done anything meaningful that day and it was super cold and windy and we were low on gas so we decided to go to one of the two gas stations in Milo. There was an older woman filling up gas and we struck up a conversation. So while we were talking she was having difficulty putting in the 20 dollar bill. The machine just wasn't taking it. So I offered to see if one of my bills would work. While I was grabbing my wallet, she realized that she had been locked out of her car with her special needs daughter in the car. With great difficulty, Sister Dellasilva and I watched this woman desperately try to explain to her very distraught, confused, crying daughter how to unlocj the car. This poor woman was yelling, pounding on the window trying to explain to her daughter how to open it. I don't want to put up the false idea that this woman was mean or hateful. She was doing so because she just didn't know what else to do. Eventually, she managed to open her door. So we gave our bill to her and it worked and immediately she gave me a huge hug. She said, "I just didn't know what to do with my daughter!! You know, the doctors told me I should get rid of her when I found out she was special needs. I told them that God knew what she was capable of and that God would never intend anyone to just be thrown away. SO I picked up my baby and walked right out of that office. And you know what? She has accomplished everything the doctors said she would never be able to do." We complimented her on her amazing attribute of love and she went on to say "Thank you so much girls!! It blows me away that you stayed out here in the cold, just to help me. I think God intended us to meet this day, don't you think?"

So the mission conference!!!!!!! We traveled down on Friday night with the Skowhegan sisters to Raymond, NH. We stayed at the most darling family's home. They have 8 kids ranging from 13 to a couple months old. They were amazing and it was so much fun to be with them and stay in their home. We went to the conference in Exeter, NH the following morning. It was so amazing. We heard from Elder Bennet, an area of the Seventy, Bishop Causse from the presiding bishopric and Elder Halstrom, from the Presidency of the Seventy. They are truly men on God. We then went straight up to  Maine again.

The following Sunday we had stake conference in Bangor. We had the extreme privilege of hearing yet again from Elder Halstrom and also President Stoker. Before the meeting began, we introduced President Stoker to Haley. It was the sweetest experience. I can truly testify that the Spirit was present. Due to time I cannot tell you everything that I learned, but I will put down some truths that I learned: 

• it doesn't matter where you serve. In our HEART we are all serving the same person: The Savior Jesus Christ. I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, right?
• look up Alma 5:62. There are two different words: command and invitation. What is the difference? The covenant we have made. We have already decided our answer when we made that covenant and the answer is an eternal YES!!!! 
• the benefits out weigh the cost. (apply this to every eternal truth)
• Alma 32:27
• 1 Philip. 4: 5-13
• Moroni 7:10-14
• let your mission become your identity. let it affect your eternity. 
• who you are is the most important thing in your life I AM A CHILD OF GOD. 
• You don't have to have a name tag on your chest for people to know who you are. They should see that light in your eyes. 
• you become charity
• Stability can be found when we get on our knees. 
• do everything you do because you love the Lord.
• feeling the Spirit allow us to overcome the things of this world.
• reverence= to have a life reflective of the love we have for our Savior and Heavenly Father.
• There is consistency in reverence
• family worship is critical and essential
• the great commandment is to love God, to be reverent. 
• you are living for those that follow you. 
• get to the point where you don't even THINK  to give up. This is done through the Savior. 

Well. That is what I felt inspired to share. I wish I could adequately express how I feel. It was so amazing and my life was truly changed this past weekend.

I love my Savior. I know that we all can repent. Satan would have you think that you cannot. This is one of the truths that have been restored: Through Christ we can be cleansed of sin. I love you all. Continue onward in with your faith in Christ.

Love, 

Sistah Sewell