I can't believe it's already been another week, so much has happened and for some reason I'm gonna tell you! So this transfer(6-week time period) just ended and Elder Bragg and I will be together for 1 more transfer until I leave London! I can't believe I only have a month and a half left here, this town has gained a special place in my heart over the last several months I've been here! In the way of other announcements, I can't remember if I already told y'all, my mission will be getting Facebook in August, I don't know why but I'm sure Heavenly Father has miracles awaiting us; I don't know all the details but you'll know 'em when I get 'em. And, most importantly, Gabby was baptized this last week!!! Oh I can't describe the joy a missionary feels when he/she sees their efforts to bring someone closer to the Savior accepted! She had a huge grin on her face the whole time and we filled our teeny relief society room with 30-some odd people, it was awesome! Then, yesterday, we confirmed Gabby a member of the church and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 8 or 19) and she asked me to do it. It was such an honor and it felt so wonderful sharing something so special with her; as I've reflected on my time in London it occurred to me how much good we've done. The world and the devil would have you first remember your weaknesses and your failures before anything else, but Heavenly Father would have you look at the good you've done for others and the successes and strengths you have (no matter how many or how few that may be)! It's especially easy as a missionary, for every good thing we do or success we have there is 10 times the failures and trials to pop up and say, "Hey remember me?!" But when that happens you punch Satan in the face by putting on a smile and remembering you are a beloved son or daughter of God!
Heavenly Father made such a beautiful plan for us all to come to this earth and the Savior of us all did what no one else could do so that we don't have to remember our trials, our mistakes, our pains, or any of it! He suffered for each of us personally so all we have in front of us is happy times and smiles; that doesn't mean trials won't come but it means He's already gone through it so you have someone to be with when you have to go through it. I have personally felt the Atonement of Jesus Christ change me and help me to become clean, to become someone I never would have expected I could be. And it is still changing me. That's the beautiful part of the Atonement, it never ends, it is an "infinite atonement" as a Book of Mormon prophet puts it. As the final triumphant piece of the Atonement, the Son of God was resurrected. I was reading about it in Luke this week and came across my favorite scripture about this event; Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb and finds it empty then turn to find 2 angels standing next to her. They say to her in verses 5 and 6 in chapter 24: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen...". How wonderful are these words!! Can you imagine what it must have been like for all of us looking down from our Heavenly home and shouting for joy upon seeing Jesus' triumph over death! This is the day every man, woman, and child received the hope and possibility of coming back home to our Heavenly Father again someday! Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Redeemer of our souls! He is my Savior, my best friend, and the best big brother there is. He loves you, every single on of you! It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done, He only cares about who you can become and what you can do.
Much love from the east side of the Mississippi,
Elder Crow
