Monday, September 29, 2014

Belief is progression 9-29-2014

Many people don’t have a lack of belief, but simply a lack of understanding. That is the problem. We must help people understand. Don’t judge someone until you understand what they understand. And in the process of understanding both of you will grow.
Belief is progression. It is some of the most beautiful progress a person can have. To start with nothing and then to grow the emptiness into something you believe is a magnificent process.
Jesus Christ doesn’t just help us move past our sins but he actually understands what goes into our sins. How powerful is that? He knows the thoughts and feelings that go behind every action and He gets it. He knows the temptation and the pain and heartache that accompany our lives on a daily constant basis. His atonement covers the sin but also the path that led to that sin. Many times that is the emotion healing that we need from Him. I know that He can literally change our hearts and make us new. Our spirits can be made so strong and vibrant that we react differently to the same temptations and heartache.  That is the power of our all understanding savior.
I had a great week. One of the most educational and learning weeks of my life. I have never felt so close to the spirit or relied on God so much. Time was spent in earnest prayer on my knees and the feeling of God very close to me came time and time again. We have 4 people who are preparing and are very close to baptism. As I plead for them and try and understand how to help them, I gain such insight of the reality of this journey each of us is on. God really does love us and this gospel really does answer every single question. Having faith is a precious thing and never should be discredited. Faith is continuing to culture our belief and acting and growing and making room for more light to come. It is a very precious thing to have.
I got to sit down and have a temple recommend interview with my mission president. It was very special for me because I realized that the questions he asked and I had to answer were exactly the principles and truths that I am teaching people about every single day. Answering was more than just a yes for me because each question brought a face to mind and a lesson I had taught, and I was able to remember when together we had learned to truth of the principles. I know all these things are true. My mission has brought me far past the believing stage and I truly know with all my heart many things now. I have no doubts or concerns left in some aspects of the gospel. I feel humbled to be able to say that with certainty. Belief is a beautiful progression, faith is precious and needed and knowing- well that leaves a person speechless and humbled. Knowing is what we will all one day eventually achieve. I know that is true J



Love Sis Huber 


Monday, September 22, 2014

What a week‏ 9-22-2014

THIS WEEK CAN’T BE PUT INTO WORDS. First off, I have like ten minutes to do this. Second, I am so tired. Third, I have appointments all p day so I don’t even get a break to breathe or write. Just fill in all the blanks and look between the lines.
Our darling new investigator named Joana is a gem. She is as golden as they get and so cute!!! She brings her dog to all the lessons and it is tiny and dressed in pink outfits….haha oh dear. It even has pink nails. She prayed the first lesson and said, “Everyone at work is going to be like, what drug are you on?  And I’m going to be like; I’m on a drug called God! Thanks God!” It was priceless. She loves church and she loves the gospel. It is inspiring to see her desires and good good heart.  She calls me uber and loves…gotta just embrace it because you have to love someone like that.
Lucas has this really hard thing in his life with some people. He was at a lesson and really struggling with it. He just started crying and put his face into his hands. I felt so helpless. The spirit was so strong and I looked down and saw a picture of Christ on the table. I just started telling Lucas about how Christ feels the same way over us and our choices. I told him how he was exhibiting Christ like attributes and that God knew how to help those people even if he didn’t. It was a powerful reminder to me because so many times I feel like crying into my hands because I don’t have the power to change some things. But God does and Christ showed us how we can do our part. That is the miracle of becoming like Him.
I realized that the sacrament is the one moment in which we can stand on equal ground with our Savior. Right in that moment, as we ask for forgiveness and then recommit ourselves to our covenants, we are standing with Him and are clean again because of Him. We can actually be next to Him because we are using His power to become clean and new. Our goal throughout the week should simply be to stay as close to that equal ground as possible. That way when we get to do it again the next Sunday we barley have to have Him help us move at all. I love the hymn I stand all amazed.
I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me. I tremble to know that for me he was crucified, That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died
I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine, That he should extend his great love unto such as I, Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
 I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt! Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget? No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat, Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me Enough to die for me! Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me! .
We had this wonderful dinner with 3 new investigators that you all need to know about. I will have to rain check it for next time. Just imagine three college boys trying to cook dinner…imagine hot dogs and frozen cauliflower. I have never laughed so hard as I did after we left. It was a moment to remember. My darling companion also turned 22 this week! We partied hard and set a mission record on the number of member present investigator lessons we taught…..17!  We are so busy. They are probably going to split the area when I get transferred. That is pretty cool.  We actually have to go drive up to Vista tonight and meet with our mission president, hope I’m not in trouble J haha Me and president Kendrick are great friends.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!! SETH GOOD LUCK!!!! Love ya

Love Sister Huber

p.s. we will either have 0 or 3 baptisms this week so everyone should pray extra hard for this area! I would appreciate it a lot.






Week of laughs 9-15-2014

Hello!
I have so much to say today, and less time than usual to say it.  I hate that.
This is a week of laughs. I love that about Sister Vincent, we are always happy together. I will share some of them with you now.
There is an investigator who loves the sister missionaries. She has nicknamed all the sisters that have taught her and she adores them so much. The last three sisters were named: sister love, sister joy and sister gentle. This week I went on exchanges in this area and we got to go over to see her. When we were there I asked her if I got a nickname as well. She said that when it came to her she would tell me. We started doing some service and helping her out when all of the sudden she just starts laughing. She looks at me and said, “Sister Get er done”. Yes, that was the name I got. Not kind or hope or anything remotely like the other three, but get er done. I couldn’t decide if I should laugh or cry. The name spread around the mission so now I am constantly teased about it. Oh well what are you going to do? Someone has to actually buckle down and make things happen. I am working on showing more love or at least showing more love in an apparent way. Some people just don’t understand me.
My companion’s favorite thing to say these days is, “Sister Huber is trying to be cultured again”. It came as I would say something totally wrong or pretend to know what was going on when I didn’t have a clue. I would try and explain the situations but they would just sound dumb and not be funny to anyone else but us. Good thing we can laugh at ourselves.
We contacted into this man and he said, “I am a Unitarian Episcopalian with charismatic leanings thank you and have a great day”. And then he just kept walking. What does that even mean
A more serious note:
Prayer is a glimpse into a person’s connection with God. I love prayer. I could sit here and write about prayer after prayer that touched me this week. Lucas has such a deep understanding of the gospel and of personal accountability and choices. When he prays I feel something so strong. He sits there for 30 seconds before he begins to gather his thoughts. He then offers beautiful prayers and stays siting with his head down and clasped hands afterwards to think and feel.  This week he prayed for help to better use his agency. What a profound thought and statement that is. I have pondered on that attitude and understanding all week. I have begun to echo his prayer with my own plea to have His help in using the gift He has given me. Think about what that means to God when we ask for help in better using the gift of choice that He has given us. Try it out this week and it will change your outlook and pattern of thinking.
Another of our investigators said that he now loves praying because he understands how prayer works. He said he never prayed because the few times he had in the past had never resulted in fireworks or voices speaking to him. He thought that if he didn’t hear God speaking to him, then he was doing it wrong. When we understand prayer and how we can get our answers it changes everything. It becomes something we want to do and something we love doing.
I LOVE YOU ALL!
Sis Huber

p.s. I will try and be better next week with my email. I got carried away todayJ




Choose to Obey 9-8-2014

A week of miracles, I will share as many as possible so I won’t ever forget what happens in the day to day grind of being a missionary.  
Cameron was first taught by the Encinitas elders when I was in that ward. I knew of him and met him once. He dropped the missionaries and hadn’t had any more contact with the church. He graduated from high school and now goes to college and would be YSA eligible. We got a text saying that he would meet with missionaries again last week and so we switched him to the YSA ward and started teaching. He is super awesome and we really connected well. We went over all his questions and really got to use the scriptures to find answers.  He is praying about baptism and it should be soon. I am so happy to be part of his conversion. It is amazing how many missionaries and members affect each story and how we all play a different role in these people’s lives.  
Robert showed up super late to a lesson with Obed and Obed started teasing him for being so late. Robert said on Mormon standard time he was perfect. I interjected and told him to stop making excuses to which he replied, “it’s not an excuse, it’s my religion”. Oh brother, right? I was laughing so hard and I couldn’t stop. Then I realized that even though it was a clever joke he was making it is also a very serious statement that countless people make every single day through their choices. When someone turns down a drink despite peer pressure they are saying, I won’t make an excuse for my behavior but I will stay true to my religion and my God. We can have no excuses in this gospel. We need people who will stand up and say, I don’t care what you think or say- this is my religion and I will stay true.
Choi is one of the funniest and most sincere people I have ever met. I had dinner with him and he now wants to move to Idaho and work on Grandpas farm… would that even be a possibility? He wants to call you about it. He was baptized 3 years ago after coming to America from Korea. He bore his testimony yesterday in church and it was one of the most powerful things I have ever heard. He thanked the sisters for helping him right when he needed help and for always knowing what to teach and talk about. He said something so profound after telling about all his struggles with the accepting the gospel. He talked of how up until a few weeks ago he still didn’t fully agree or understand some things. I think we can all relate to him with something in the church. He would live almost all of the commandments but a select few he would disregard. That has now changed and he said, “When I stopped questioning and CHOSE to obey, I recognized all the ways the Lord was blessing me”.  He talked of surrender and of the clear vision that came after his obedience to all the commandments of God. This Sunday Choi was ordained to the office of Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood. What a journey he went on and what an example he is to each of us. Choose to obey and then accept the ability to see all of your many blessings from God.
Obed and Robert both passed the sacrament this week! Lucas came to church again and he loves it. He says he never enjoyed church but now he feels good every time he comes. Gotta love the spirit. We picked up two awesome new investigators and I can't wait for this next week! I am training the zone tomorrow in Zone Training Meeting so I need to go prepare for that. We also had Mission Leadership Council which was fantastic. I love all of you! With my whole entire heart!

LOVE Sis Huber



Freely give 9-2-2014

Hello!
This week seemed to have a very apparent theme to it for me. I guess it is a theme to be noticed and noted and taken and used.
One definition of charity is simply, to give freely. The idea that we can freely give is something each of us must come to understand for ourselves. I imagine myself sending out love and service and then mentally cutting all ties to those things. The release must come as soon as the gift has been given.  Charity leaves behind no residue of need and expects nothing in return.
“Blessed are they who can give without remembering and take without forgetting” Unknown
“Our opportunity’s to show charity are limitless but they are perishable.” President Monson
“If you judge people you have no time to love them” Mother Teresa
I truly believe that we have to accept God’s love before we could ever hope to share His love. We must become filled so that in turn we can fill. God’s love is apparent in every single part of our existence. It is in the quite still morning as I run by the ocean. It is in the cool breeze as I am walking the streets of Cardiff. It is in the smile of the bus driver and the gentle handshake of the mystery gentleman I meet. Every time I choose to embrace that those moments are from Him, I gain the slightest ability to be filled with more of His love. I feel His presence in every moment and I feel the contentment He has at my simply accepting and understanding those moments are from Him.  My journey is now to freely give all and then to feel complete contentment at simply knowing I did it for Him and need nothing in return. I can cut all ties or need of reimbursement because each act of giving strengthens my tie to my maker. Charity is to bind ourselves to something more and to know of the power of sharing what we have found. May we all be filled with this love.  
Some many of these people that I meet each and every day are closer to God then I am. The only thing they lack is the covenant that I have made and that I know. What a humbling thought that is. God uses small and simple means to bring great things to pass. He uses all of us young unexperienced missionaries to bring His children the covenant of baptism and the temple. Many times we bring them the knowledge of God as well, but many times they bring us the understanding and wisdom of someone who knows God much better than we do.
Our week was filled with sunshine and finding people to teach. We had an exchange and I biked over ten miles. Needless to say I felt sore for a few days. We laughed and cried and grew this week. Robert and Obed both attended the temple, for the first time, and loved it. Lucas came to church and felt the spirit. I ate fish for the second time on my mission and it was just as terrible as the first time. I am in a bubble right now because I feel my time falling away with each tick of the clock. Soon I will leave this place, better then I found it I hope. My mission will have started and matured all on the same grounds of Del Mar. How could I leave this place? I guess that will be my musings for another time. I am happy here. I am tired beyond tired but I am happy. That is all I could ever ask for.
Love,

Sister Huber  


Don't Doubt! 8-25-2014

Let me tell you a story.
Obed was taught by Spanish missionaries over a year ago. He met a few times and then deiced to not listen anymore. He threw his Book of Mormon on a shelf and moved on with his life. Months later, two missionaries knocked again on his door. This time they were sisters and this time they were representing the young single adult congregation. In conversation they learned that Obed had been taught before and that he knew about the church. They invited him to learn once more and he accepted. The sisters talked with the Spanish elders and it was deiced that YSA would be the best fit. Honestly, at the start, Obed was quite the flake. He wouldn’t show up to appointments and he didn’t answer his phone. The doorstep lessons late at night were his only connection to the church. This is where I come in. I got transferred into this area and the first night here we stopped by Obed’s house to see if he was home. He answered the door and we taught him a lesson. The change was slowly starting to happen. Over the next few weeks we had some lessons and invited him to be baptized. He always said yes- but then would never come to church or do the things necessary to become a member. One night we stopped by after having a strong feeling from the spirit that we should. He was home and distraught about something. We learned of a crime that had been committed and the consequences of that action. This night is when everything changed. God has a way of helping us see what is really important.  Obed changed that night. Soon we were meeting and teaching and seeing Obed’s face sparkle with light and understanding. Sister Vincent got transferred in and she felt an immediate connection with him. We taught him about the word of wisdom and the next day Obed quit drinking coffee, alcohol, doing drugs and smoking. He never relapsed or looked back. He struggled with tithing because of his living and working situation. Suddenly he realized that God gave him a way to pay tithing, he could use all the money from the drugs and drinks that he no longer bought. Obed had great faith in Christ. When he got cleared to be baptized, regardless of his past, we all cried with joy. Obed is my fist bump friend, my Spanish convert and a miracle to me. He wanted us to know Spanish so Sister Vincent and I started giving up our lunch hour so we could study and learn for him.  
I asked Obed why he wanted to get baptized. He told me that he wanted to be clean. He wanted to start over and he wanted the new Obed. When I told him that we were so proud and that I had seen the change and I knew that he truly was a new Obed, he responded by telling us, “you sisters should be proud of yourselves. If it wasn’t for you I would have never know about the gospel.  I would have never known how to change and choose to be new. Sister Huber, I was lost and you found me.”

After his baptism was completed Obed came into the room a new person. He stood in front of the room and bore his testimony. He had invited his entire family and his mom and siblings had all come. They knew nothing of the church and were just there for support. Obed stood in front of them and wept as he told of his story. He said how hard it was for him growing up because of the situations and circumstances he was in.  He said he couldn’t be accountable for some things that happened because he didn’t know better and was put in those places. He then said that now he was grown and could make his own choices. He said he no longer had to live like that because now he knew. He wept as he talked of how Christ was everything to him. I was sobbing along with his entire family and most of the room. He truly was a new Obed. At church on Sunday he was confirmed and given the Holy Ghost. In his blessing he was told that he would be the example as his family joined the church. In YSA we might not get to teach and baptize families but I know that Obed is the pioneer and that his whole family will join. Obed’s mom came up to us after and in her Spanish she cried and thanked us over and over for helping her son. I couldn’t understand most of what she said but I felt her humble gratitude so strongly. I was overcome at the chance to help. That is what I get to do out here. I get to help. I get to help people become new. Sister Vincent and I bore our testimonies in Spanish in the program for Obed and his family. What a wonderful powerful way to bear testimony when you only know a few words. I am humbled by Obed and by his devotion and pure faith.
This day was a turning point for me as well. Something has changed within me. I think I am finally beginning to see. When I took the sacrament this Sunday, which my dear friend Robert passed to me for the first time, I felt something so strongly inside of me. I felt overcome at the power and simplicity of this gospel. In that moment my vision was crystal clear and I understood. I understood who I was and who God was. I understood life and all of the trials. I understood what it meant to be happy. I understood all the whys I have ever asked. Just for that moment. In my day to day journey I am not given that clarity very often, perhaps never to that extent, but I am still given enough understanding to move forward. And understanding comes as I pour out my heart and soul and plead to understand. This mission is one step in coming to know.

 In Moroni 7:5 says: For I remember the word of God which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also. Robert shared this with me this week. It is his favorite. This is why he joined the church. He told me I was good. He said that when I bear my testimony my face turns red and my jaw turns white. He always looks for that because he said when I look that way he knows I mean every single word I say. He said that means I am giving everyone my heart and that I am proclaiming what I know to be true with emotion. He said I looked that way at the baptism and I am grateful to be reminded for someone else that me testimony holds power.
The gospel will change you if you let it. It will make you new. Don’t doubt it or you will have to answer to me and Obed.
Love you all,

Sis Huber