Week Twenty Six: The Enabling Power of the Atonement

The Pegg's for Christmas. Abi, Maleah, Zach, Matt and Ky

Happy New Year! This past week has had many ups and downs, as always. The highlight was the "Christmas break", of course. On Christmas Day Sister Pegg picked my companion and I up at the crack of dawn and drove us to Sheffield.

They had stockings for us!

We opened some packages from family and friends. I was thrilled to get my favorite cereal, Raisin nut bran from my grandma and of course many stickers :)

One of my fav gifts! Raisin Nut Bran!

Honey

We popped crackers, ate a Turkey dinner with brussel sprouts and pigs in a blanket (not like we have in America...this kind is sausage wrapped in bacon!) and watched a few Christmas films.

On the 26th, Boxing day, my companion and I spent a good portion of the day relaxing. It was so strange to have a morning without any buses to catch or appointments to fill.

Janet and Robert Stinson

Later on in the day we helped a member make apple strudel and watched The Sound of Music (my most favorite movie ever).

Waiting for the Bus by Bishop King's house

Despite the wonderful meals, movies and relaxation, the best part about this Christmas season was devoting so much attention to Christ. In past years, I have appreciated and thought about Christ's birth at the holiday season, but there were so many distractions that made It difficult to really spend time focusing on him. This Christmas, I was able to focus on the TRUE JOY of Christmas. I didn't have my family, homely decorations and traditions. Although it was difficult to be without these familiar things, I found so much joy IN Christ. Not only his birth, but his atonement and the hope his life and resurrection brings us.

Making chocolate houses with the Kings

A few random thoughts from the week:

1. My companion and I were meant to be. We both LOVE crafts. Every night after 9, we sit and do a craft together. We paint, needle felt, make tassel bunting, quill, etc. After Christmas we've ended up with so many crafts we don't have time to do them all!

2. I tried pea soup this week. Kinda strange, but not bad. We were also fed liver and jello for a meal. Hm

3. For those of you who are familiar with Nesquick strawberry milk, it's the best. In England, the strawberry milk is even better. They also have other flavored milk. My favorite so far is banana. It tastes like a mix of a laffy taffy and a melted creamie! My companion and I decided we will start a flavoured milk business when we get home. Maybe we will go on Shark tank...

After Sacrament meeting on Sunday, someone that had come to church with my companion and I pulled us aside and let us know he didn't want to come anymore because he didn't feel anything. After talking to him for a bit and doing all we could to encourage him to keep trying, we walked into Sunday School pretty disheartened. In the lesson, we talked about the Atonement. While it has the power to redeem us (from sin, guilt, pain, etc) it also has a power to ENABLE us. Take for example in Mosiah 24 when Alma and his people are in bondage. They cry unto the Lord in their hearts asking for help in their affliction. Although the Lord did not change their situation, he enabled them to endure.

"And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord."

I felt that this lesson was just for me. Here I was, discouraged and disheartened about what had just happened with our friend giving up on the gospel. But I realized that in these painful moment, Christ's atonement can enable us to endure them. Not only that, but endure them cheerfully! I am so grateful for my knowledge of the atonement and its enabling power.

To end on a high note, I want to share a PROPER MIRACLE from yesteday. My companion and I didn't feel good about our plans for the next few hours, so we knelt down and prayed for direction. As we prayed, the name Richard came into mind. I didn't know of any Richards, so I looked it up on area book. I found one that was taught in the past, and we went to visit him. It turns out that his mother had been recently telling her husband that she really wanted to go back to a church, she just didn't know which. She let us in and we talked for a good time about the godhead, the priesthood and our plan. She even invited us back!! God really does work in miraculous ways.

I am so very grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I approach this new year, I am thankful for the opportunity to spend the next year in the service of the Lord, in this country that I am learning to love :)

Cheers!

Sister Eliza Jones