"Peace be unto thy soul"

Good morning y'all,

This week was a week full of service and smiles!!  I can definitely tell y'all we slept good this week!!  With it being November now, I would have thought it would cool down, but no we are still rocking it here in the 80s! :)  We had a great week!

Halloween: We had a great Preparation Day, and we went to dinner at one of the members houses.  Then we had to be in our apartments at 7p.m. to have extra studies!!  I love extra studies!!!  I learned soo many things that evening while studying about the apostasy and restoration of the Gospel.  A couple of scriptures I studied and really learned from were in Ephesians 2: 19-20 "therefore ye are no more strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints of the house hold of God.  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone."  and Ephesians 4:11-14 "and he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some Evangelist, and some pastors and teachers. for the perfecting of the Saints and the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.  Til we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of Christ, unto a perfect man, unto the measure and stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth no more be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of the doctrine of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."  (i may have not wrote those scriptures exactly right sorry haha i didn't bring my bible to the library).  I couldn't help but just understand so clearly these scriptures and just how blessed we are to have the Restored Gospel in our lives, to have apostles and prophets in these days, to have a loving Savior who leads and guides and is the head of this church.  I know the Church and Gospel of Jesus Christ have been restored!

District Meeting: We had district meeting this week in Douglasville, ga (about 1 hour away).  We had interviews with President and Sister Foote.  That was great! :)  We went to 5 guys, and it was soooo good!!!!  I always love district meeting!  We were trained on how we need to be constantly finding.  I have such a testimony of that.  The Lord will place people in our paths, and it is our responsibility to learn to recognize the promptings of the spirit, and have the courage to act on those promptings and talk to everyone around us!  Just the other day when we were shopping on Preparation Day at Walmart, a guy noticed our Books in our hands and we ended up teaching him a mini Restoration lesson and gave him a Book of Mormon in the shampoo isle.  You just never know who is prepared!

Alabama: So y'all know how our area is like half in Georgia and part in Alabama.  Well Alabama is in a different time zone.  They are an hour behind us.  I knew that, but for some reason I forgot about it.  We have some investigators and members that live in Alabama, and I realized this week that we have been an showing up an hour early for all these appointments!!! ahhh soo awkward!!  But we laughed pretty hard when we realized it this week!  

Lisa: She is doing really great!!  She loved church yesterday!!!  She is holding out strong and pushing through the many trials the adversary is throwing at her.  It is a testimony to me though of just how true this work is!  President Spencer W. Kimball once said "always remember that if this were no the Lord's work, the adversary would not pay attention to us."  Amongst the many trials and hardships which come our way daily let us always remember the wise council the Lord gave Joseph Smith in the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants "My son [or daughter], peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then if thou endure it will, God shall exalt thee on high; Thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."  haha and of course the Lord says to him "thou art not yet as Job."  We will make it through these trials and afflictions, but we must endure them.  How great will be our reward if we endure them.

Well y'all life is absolutely wonderful!!  We have it all!  As I was listening to all the beautiful testimonies being born in Sacrament Meeting yesterday I couldn't help but feel my testimony being strengthened.  Many of the members in the Cedartown Branch are converts, and hearing their stories and their testimonies was something I just can't describe with my words.  Cedartown is a gem.  It is getting stronger and stronger.  These faithful saints here are serving their Lord will all their hearts.  They are strengthening their personal foundations and the foundation of Cedartown.  I think all around the world this is happening.  The Lord's work is taking place.  The Gospel is being declared.  Glad tiding are being heard all around us.  "Wherefore, if you shall build up my church, upon the foundation of my gospel and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you." Doctrine and Covenants 18:5  We all play a part in the Lord's work.  The way we can help is that we do whatever the Lord asks us to do, and be the BEST we can.  I know this work is true.  I know the Lord loves us.  I know we will be blessed if we just keep enduring and sharing the gospel with all those around us so that they can have happiness too!

I hope y'all have a blessed week!!!  Keep strong and keep happy!  The Lord is with us as long as we stay on His foundation.  I love you! :)

Love,

Hermana Stewart

P.S. Saw this lady a couple days ago on Main St in C-town holding up a sign "Jesus is coming soon, are you ready?"  Too cool haha!