The Temple

Hello!

This was an awesome week because we got to go to the temple! I love the temple so much! I just love the area here and Hermana Calderon! I love being a missionary! 

We had to push Elizabeth's baptism back to this weekend so her parents could be there, but she will be getting baptized this weekend and is so excited! Our investigator, Maria went to church yesterday and loved it! She is on track to get baptized in March. 

We are on Earth to be tested. But, we have the ability to choose if we want to keep the commandments. This gift from God is called "agency." We read in the Book of Mormon what our two choices really are. 

In 2 Nephi 2 we read:

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

We have the ability to choose liberty and eternal life or captivity and death. We are able to choose liberty and eternal life by choosing the great Mediator, Jesus Christ! I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of Jesus Christ and of the Plan He has for my life.



Las fotos:

Us at the temple with our tags!

On the bench at the temple 

Hermana Jones and I went on an exchange

A street dog

Cute Houston and tag pics

Feliz Dia de San Valentin!

Hola, amigos!

This was the best Valentine's day because I got to be with my love, Hermana Calderon, and didn't get transferred! This is my fourth transfer in H3 and I never want to leave! Life is great, and this morning I realized I could have been buying my tortillas at one of the billion panaderías around here instead of the grocery store. But for the next five weeks I will be eating fresh tortillas! Also I taught myself how to play the piano on the keyboard in our apartment and played piano for the Elders' baptism on Saturday and for sacrament meeting yesterday.

Hermana Calderon and Hermana Bettridge

It has been a great week of teaching, and we are helping our investigators with baptismal dates continue to progress toward baptism. Our investigator, Elizabeth, will be getting baptized this Saturday and is so excited!

One of my favorite things to share with others is the Plan of Salvation. I am so blessed to have knowledge of the Plan Heavenly Father has for us. I know this Plan began before we even came to Earth. Jeremiah 1: 5 states:

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

Just like Heavenly Father knew Jeremiah before he came to Earth, Heavenly Father knew all of us. We lived with him as his spirit children. I can imagine life was good living with God, but there was a limit to how much we could grow. Just like when we can't live with our earthly parents forever. If we did that there would be a limit to how much we could learn, grow, and experience life. So, under the direction of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ did something we read about in Abraham 3: 24-25.

" And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;

And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;"

He created the Earth. He did it so we would be able to come to Earth and receive bodies. He did it because of the love He has for us. And we read that He did it to test us, to see if we would do the things God commands us. I know that We have a Father in Heaven who loves us all and has a plan for us. I know that we are here to be tested, but that as we keep the commandments we will find true happiness.

Que tengan una buena semana!


Con amor,


Hermana Bettridge

Fotos:

Last p day we went to this place where you hit golf balls off a ledge as far as you can. I wasn't that great, but it was pretty stress relieving!

Us admiring how great we did!

More of us because we're cute.

These dogs that were following me around while we were tracting at a trailer park.

Us with Samuel and our commandments board! Samuel will be getting baptized next month!

Our district this transfer

District meeting

Almost Half Way!

Hola!!!

All of my dreams came true because I found out I am staying another transfer here in H3 with Hermana Calderon! I know we are going to have so much fun the next six weeks and see so many miracles!

Us with Diana, we are going to start teaching her soon

We have seen so many miracles the past two weeks. We have been able to find some amazing new investigators and have set six baptismal dates! I am excited to see these baptisms go through this transfer! Half of our dates are with part member children, which are my absolute favorite type of people to teach! I love teaching kids because they want to understand and have good questions. They have such a special spirit about them and are able to easily distinguish truth.

Us with Elizabeth, she is getting baptized in two weeks and is so excited!

This week I have been thinking about why we have commandments. It all starts out before we even came to Earth. Before this life we lived with God as His spirit children. In Revelation 12 we read about something that happened in this pre-mortal life.


      7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

      8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

      9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

In this life there was war. Michael and his angels fought against Satan and his angels. Satan lost the war and was cast out into the earth, along with his angels. So, we know Satan and his angels are here on earth with us. The Bible does not tell us why there was a war. I am grateful for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because of the additional revelation we have received. We can read more about this war in Moses chapter 4.

      1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying--Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

      2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me--Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

      3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

      4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.
Before we came to this life there was a council in heaven. We were told we would come to earth so that we could gain a body and experience. We needed a Savior. Satan wanted to be the Savior. But, he wanted the honor. Christ volunteered to come and give the glory to His Father. Satan was going to ensure that we all returned to live with Heavenly Father, but he was going to do this by taking away our ability to choose. He does this by causing us to believe in things that destroy our ability to choose. That was the cause of the war, Satan wanted to destroy our ability to choose.

It seems like a good thing that we would all return to live with Heavenly Father, but if we didn't have the ability to choose and were forced to choose the right life would be different. Life wouldn't be good if we didn't have that freedom. This war didn't end in the premortal life. Satan was cast down to earth. The war only changed battlefields. In Revelation we read how we won the war the first time.

      11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
We won the war the first time because of Christ. We wanted to come to earth and knew we would sin, we had faith He would come to save us from our sins. We also loved not our lives unto the death. That means we loved Heavenly Father and wanted to put His will over our own.

One of the greatest evidences that Satan is still trying to take away our freedoms is through addictions. He wants us to be addicted to things so that we can't choose. But, we have a Father in Heaven that loves us. He knows what Satan is trying to do. Because of that, He has given us instructions so that we can be happy and return to live with Him. People are addicted to money and work, for this Heavenly Father has given us the Sabbath Day and the Law of Tithing. People are addicted to drugs and alcohol, so Heavenly Father has given us the Word of Wisdom. People are addicted to casual sex and pornography, so Heavenly Father has given us the Law of Chastity.

I love all of you! I hope you have a great week and keep the commandments!


Love,

Hermana Bettridge


Fotos:

We went to a park last week

Me with some of my favorite members! She served a Spanish speaking mission in Texas in the 50s

Her during her mission with Spencer W Kimball

The Seventh Day is for Second Chances

Hello, everyone!

This was such a great week! I don't have a lot of time to talk about
it, so I will send out a really good email next week. But, here are
some pictures!

Here is my zone and me with some ducks.








Love you!

Hermana Bettridge