California! Here I Come!

I can't believe the time is come. I leave for California in 2 days well actally 1 day and a 12ish hours! CRAZY!!! I am super excited though! Word on the street the weather will be around 75 the day I land. YEAH! Last week was the MTC's 50th anniversry. Elder Nelson and Elder Holland came and spoke to us. Elder Nelson re-told a story I had heard in ...General Conference... I think... Anyway it was the story of a woman he worked with. He gave her a Book of Mormon only to have her return it a few days later saying "Thanks for the book". He realized that she probably hadn't read it if all she was saying was "thanks" so he asked her and she hadn't. He told her again to take the Book of Mormon and read it. She did and came back saying she wanted to know more.

I am not sure if this next part was in there or not but he told this in the devotional on Tuesday night.

Apparently 30 years later he was at a conference filling in for Elder Maxwell in Tennesse. Somehow he and this woman re-met. He had invited her up to the stage to bare her testimony not knowing before hand who she was or even remembering the experience from 30 years before. He asked her something about how many people had come into the gospel because of her choice to become a member. Her answer was around 80 people. Elder Nelson said in 2010 he recieved a card from this woman saying that now the number of people that have come into the gospel because of her joining was up to 309.

The reason this story was so important to me this time around was because one of those 309 people is a really good friend of mine. As I was sitting there I realized how much I have been blessed by this story as well. Not because I came to the gospel but because this particular friend has been an example to me over the years. I used to watch her touch peoples lives all the time! I know anyone that knows her loves her. She really is the sweetest person. I have been truly grateful for her example over the years I have known her.

The thing that made it so great was after the devotional I was thinking about her and realized something that I have been told all a long. I hear the words "live by example". I never fully understood those words but I understand now. I know it is easy to get down and discouraged thinking we are failing at life because we slipped again but we just have to remember to keep going. This particular friend of mine is always happy, always reaching out and helping people. I hope that when I return I remember this prinicple to live life. Do the best I can. Read my scriptures, say my prayers, do my visiting teaching, attend the temple. I know those are what they call the basic seminary answers but I now have a greater testimony of the simplicty of it. They are the foundation for reaching out to those. Even those who have been raised in the gospel and are surrounded by good people all their lives need an example. I hope this made sense. I guess if I was to sum up all my thoughts into one sentence it would be...Remember to do the simple things and live the gospel. We really don't know who is watching.

Love you all!