I feel I should explain the title of the email.....we had a powerful devotional about finishing your mission and the return to the "real world" (interesting topic seeing as I have 17 more months to go...) Although a "greeny" I learned some powerful truths....the way we are living now....dedicating our lives to service, bringing others to Christ, and daily studying His gospel....IS the closest we will ever get to "real life". Meaning when we go home the first thing is NOT how to figure out how to merge back into the world, how to not be or look like a full-time missionary anymore...BUT how we can continue to live as the people we have become. NEVER digress..... Positive change should be permanent change and I am proud to be a forever missionary and representative of Jesus Christ.
Today I would like to share with you the parable of the Garden of Eden (It applies to everyones lives) Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden and they were happy, they were comfortable, and life was good.... BUT progression was necessary, by choosing to partake of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil they were cast out of the garden into the world where they would work, learn, work, grow, and work to build families. Now they knew the difference between good and evil, and knowing pain allowed them to also feel joy. They were able to progress and find joy in life. Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy. 2 Nephi 2:25
In our lives we all go through Garden of Eden cycles. We get comfortable and life is good......BUT we are in this life to learn and grow not lay back and eat fruit all day.... Progression is necessary and we are placed in new situations where we grow, learn and then become comfortable again.
The CCM (MTC, Missionary Training Center) has become my Garden of Eden. I love it here! I am surrounded by wonderful Elders and Sisters who are here because they chose to be! They want to serve the Lord and help others find joy and peace in this life and in the next!......BUT progression is necessary! And in a week I will be sent out into the world to feel pain and joy and help others find that peace and joy!
I just LOVE reading all of other missionary emails sent to me...... the miracles that happen in each of them are amazing and I can see how their missions have become "garden of Edens" to them.....BUT then we must return home and enter a new stage of growth!!
Life can be hard, and we wonder why the heck is this happening to me!? I was doing just fine, I was happy and "eating fruit all day"... BUT God loves us enough to put us through challenges. He knows what we can handle and what will help us grow and progress to become more like Him. TRUST Him, He is all powerful and knows and sees the big picture....... and we have a hard time planing out what to make for dinner for a week.
Today I attended the Mexico temple for the last time....(unless I travel back here in the future....world of possibilities...) I love the temple! It is such an experience to drive along the crazy streets, in the dirt, and trash, and honking horns, and then to arrive to the House of the Lord and feel the complete opposite when you walk inside and it is completely quiet and peaceful.
OH! I forgot to share this! So an elder worked really hard this week to find me a violin and he did it! He got the director of the MTC to get me a violin to play in sacrament meeting! I was so excited.....then I opened the case and blew the years of dust of the violin...... I do not know how long it had not been played but it was in sorry shape. I spent 30 min trying to tune it and finally got it within an acceptable range to play! I just LOVED it, I wanted to cry I was so happy! Before we left I wanted to tune the G string up just a bit and ignoring the bad idea feeling went ahead....annnd the string broke! I wasn’t surprised, the violin was made in 1979 in Germany and I think it had the same strings from then.
The AMAZING part of this story is the wonderful tender mercies of the Lord. I broke the only string I wasn’t using in the song we were playing in church! I am sure I got a couple laughs playing my "ghetto" violin with three strings, looking very beat up, and no shoulder rest so I just had a jacket draped across my shoulder. But that was such a blessing to me. Life isn’t perfect and we don’t always get the "ideal" blessings, but we need to be grateful for them all the same!
God is real, He lives and loves you, if you don’t know this for yourself....ask Him and I promise He will answer your prayer.
Love you All!
Hermana L. Ogles
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