Coming to the Feast!

Hola!

I had a great week! The best thing that happened was that Jocelyn was baptized! She is such a sweet girl, and she was so happy! Her family was "less active," but because of her example they are coming back. Her baptism was great, and everything went really well! Hermana Calderon got to come back too, so I loved getting to see her. 

Jocelyn and I at her baptism!

Jocelyn with all of the hermanas that taught her :) 

Jocelyn's family was on a list of families that hadn't been to church in awhile that we were trying to visit. But, we weren't ever able to get in to visit them after months of trying. Then, Jocelyn's mom went through a hard trial and needed help cleaning her house, so she called us! We were able to go over and clean her house and, as a result, became friends with her. She then let us in to visit them. We were able to teach Jocelyn the lessons so she could get baptized, and their family is now at church every week!

We are also teaching an investigator named Lyvan. He will be getting baptized this Saturday. He is 18, and just moved here from Mexico. He grew up in an inactive family. We have been teaching him for about a month, and the change in him is incredible! He went from not really paying attention while we were teaching him and living the way he wanted to to being a completely changed person. He now reads the Book of Mormon every day and realizes keeping the commandments makes him happier than he ever was in his old life. 

Zone Meeting. President and Sister Mortensen came. We are now in a bigger zone with both Spanish and English missionaries. 

We had zone meeting this week, and we talked about how the Lord feels when we don't go to church to partake of the sacrament. We read in Luke 22 that Christ gave his disciples bread and the cup to remember his sacrifice. We read in Acts 20:7 that they met weekly to partake of the sacrament. As missionaries we work with a lot Investigators and "less actives" and we try to help them realize the blessings that come from partaking of the sacrament weekly. In Luke 14: 15-24 Christ teaches a parable that shows us the way He feels when we don't partake of the sacrament.




He starts in verse 15 by telling us that those who "eat bread in the Kingdom of God" are "blessed," and then He starts the parable.

16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.




This is pretty straightforward. A man (who represents Christ) made a great feast (the Atonement of Christ that we remember through the sacrament) and invited invited many people to come. But...




18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.




No one came. They all had excuses. And they were valid excuses, but they were excuses. As missionaries it can be discouraging when we go out and share the message of the Restored Gospel and that the exact same church Christ established when He was here is back again with the power and authority to bless the sacrament so that it can take effect in our lives and cleanse us weekly, and then to have no one come to church to partake of the blessings. But, we can read on and see how the master (Christ) feels when we don't partake of the sacrament.




21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry


Christ is angry when we don't come.


21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.



Christ feels angry when those who are invited do not come to partake, but He sends out HIs servants to invite others so that the preparations are not done in vain.


24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper


Those who do not partake of His invitation will not partake of His supper. I know that Christ has such a deep love for all of us, and for this reason He invites all to come and partake of the emblems of His sacrifice so that all can be "saved" by being worthy to live with Him again. We need to accept His sacrifice into our lives weekly. I will never be able to go a week in my life for as long as I live without partaking of the sacrament.


For that reason, I will continue to go out and invite others to come because I desire for all to feast at His table and receive the blessings He has promised those who will come. So, I would invite you all attend church this Sunday to partake of the sacrament. It doesn't matter if it's been a long time since you've been to sacrament meeting, or if you've never been before. Christ invites you to come weekly. You can find the church building nearest to you and meeting times here https://www.mormon.org/worship

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,




Hermana Bettridge




Fotos:

Hermana Black and I got to go volunteer at the peanut butter factory. We helped make peanut butter for the Houston Food Bank and the Church's Bishop's Storehouse. 

Hermana Black and I