Thundering & Lightning!

Dear Family:

Wow you really have had a crazy week! I am so glad Grandma is doing well! I’ve been praying for her! I’m glad you’ve been able to help Mom. Give Grandma and Grandpa a big hug for me!

Dad, I’m sorry to hear about the arbitration. I know that you had put a lot of time, effort, and heart into it. I have to share something cool about our meeting with Elder Christofferson. He had opened up the meeting for a Question and Answer session and after a few questions one Elder piped up and asked Elder Christoffersen how we can utilize the power of the Atonement more in our lives (pretty profound question) and his reply was POWERFUL! He talked about how the Atonement is crucial for our ability to repent, and its necessary for perfecting our weaknesses, but what most of us fail to remember is that He will eventually bring justice to all where injustice has been done.

He testified of the ability to forgive and let go, trusting that Christ will keep His promise. For us though, we are responsible to turn over those feelings completely to Him. He’ll take care of the rest. I am so grateful for the power of forgiveness and the ability to move on. The power of the Atonement is REAL we just have to let it work within us. I wish you could have been there and listened to him Dad. It was amazing!

Well we said our good-byes to President Robbins this week. I sure am grateful for faithful priesthood leaders. (I am just terribly grateful for the priesthood!) Instead of doing interviews this transfer he chose to hold a meeting with our individual zones and gave us one last training. We’ve seriously been spoiled as a mission because President Robbins is an incredible teacher and I love the way he uses the scriptures! I’ll never read the Bible the same again! He taught us about the Book of Revelation and it was INCREIDBLE!

When Joseph Smith said the Book of Revelation was easy to understand and illustrated plain and precious truths… he was right! I never really believed it because Revelation was so difficult to understand. The moral of the story for me was that we just need to follow the prophet. He knows what he’s doing and he’ll guide us to safety… spiritually and physically.

Speaking of the Book of Revelation, doesn’t it talk a lot about thundering and lightnings? Ha ha… I know the weather isn’t usually the most exciting thing to hear about in these emails but I just have to tell you… We’ve had the coolest storms! They are amazing! I love to sit on our balcony at night and watch them! Do you remember the story of Zion’s Camp when the mob was coming for the Saints to kill them? Joseph reminded the brethren to have faith and God would provide a way to get around their persecutors and then that HUGE storm came and stopped the mob. I love how Joseph said, “God is in this storm.” It sounds so corny, but I think that sometimes in these HUGE storms we’re having. It even says so in the Book of Revelation.

I love being a missionary! I love the strength we are given from the Lord! Sometimes life is just hard! But it is guarantee a whole heck of a lot easier with the gospel(Don’t tell my English-major companion about that last sentence. okay?

I love you lots and lots and lots!

Sister Painter