Week of January 25th, 2016: Elder Rasband makes a mean Gumbo!

King cake from Donut King

Hey yall :)

   It was a pretty eventful week. Like every week....I don't even know where to start! This week is when I realized the importance of obedience. There were many days that were challenging when we didn't want to do much but we stuck to our plans and stayed devoted. I know that the Lord was pleased with us as we tried our very best to progress in His work. With obedience comes blessings! 

   On Wednesday we had a worldwide broadcast for all of the missionaries! That hasn't been for a long while so I felt very blessed to be a part of that. We received inspired council and it was an incredible experience. I learned that we need to rely a lot more on inspiration, because this really isn't our work at all. This is the Lord's work and without His guidance then I know we would all be lost! Another part that really stood out to me was the concept of us bringing it unto the hearts of people. We can't force our message down anyone's throat, it is their choice if what we are saying goes into their hearts. We bring unto, they choose if it goes into :)

   We met with Ashley and she decided to quit smoking! She is trying to take baby steps towards it but we are praying that she stays motivated and is able to continue in her progression! I know that the light of Christ is influencing her life for the better. Whether she recognizes it or not, the reason why she wants to stop is because she has been reading scriptures and figuring out "her book of Jesus" (that is what she calls it). Later that day we were able to meet with the Porters as well! We mainly just visited with Tanya and some of her kids. We retaught the restoration to make sure she had a clear understanding that this is the restored gospel. It was cool to discuss some things with her and the spirit was definitely there. She is so willing to pray and know the truth! I know that when the time is right they will come to know for themselves :) 

For dinner we ate with Christina Kellogg! Her daughter just moved here from Tennessee. She is 19 years old and her name is Kylie. They both came to church on Sunday! It was the first time for Christina in probably 20 years. She called us Sunday night to let us know that Kylie wanted to start taking the lessons!! It was so great to hear :) I am very grateful that Heavenly Father brought the opportunity for us to see Christina and be able to share the restored gospel with her daughter. 

   On Sunday we also saw Josh Jay at church! He is now on date for February 20th. We are so very excited that he was able to make it to church and that the Elders are taking great care of him. He really is progressing more with the elders and it is cool to see that trusting God leads to everything beautiful! Stephanie didn't make it to church and that was a little sad because she told us that she was planning on making it to Sacrament. She is still working two jobs (one works her on Sunday) and now is planning on moving to California! Her son just moved there for basketball so she wants to move to be there with him. Her husband wasn't the best influence and now he is moved out! So that was good to hear...hopefully she can make it back to church soon. 

   We also saw Krista this week and she gave us her usual dreamsicle haha. We also were able to have dinner with the Bozemans and that was really nice :) They plan on coming to New Beginnings (Young Women's Introduction for Greta), and we are very excited about that!

   Okay so my invitation for yall this week is to ponder where your obedience lies! What are you obedient to? God, work, school, friends? I really hope it is the first one ;)  As you ponder this, always remember, being obedient is NOT a restriction. It is something that makes us happier for an eternity :) 

I wish I could quote this whole talk but here is just a portion of it....the link to the rest of it is just below :)

"As you and I walk the paths of life and pursue our dreams, God’s commands and standards—like the barrier—can sometimes be difficult to understand. They may appear rigid and unyielding, blocking a path that looks fun and exciting and that is being followed by so many others. As the Apostle Paul described, “We see through a glass, darkly,”¹ with such a limited perspective that we often cannot comprehend the great dangers hidden just below the surface.

But He who “comprehend[s] all things”² knows exactly where those dangers lie. He gives us divine direction, through His commands and loving guidance, so that we may avoid the dangers—so that we may set a course in our lives that is protected from spiritual predators and the gaping jaws of sin.³ "

-Elder Von G. Keetch 

( https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/blessed-and-happy-are-those-who-keep-the-commandments-of-god?lang=eng ) 

<<< I hope yall have a great week. You're in my prayers and I am grateful for the endless love and support. Y'all are the best!! >>>

Love,

Sister Cornia

Brother Brignac looks just like Elder Rasband! ! He made 

a mean gumbo for the ward :)