8/18: Hello!

Hi ya'll! 

On Tuesday we went to Rusty Tacos with Ch, he has taken the lessons and isn't interested in learning more, but he likes to keep in touch and do fun things with us! 

On Thursday, we went to Zone Conference! We learned about the importance of working with the members. Ideally we won't need to tract because we will be working so closely with the members of our ward. 

On Saturday morning we helped the E Family move. Sister E's daughter wants to be baptized but they have so much going on right now it will have to be after they move. Then later in the morning we taught a second lesson to a man who was mourning the loss of his son. He keeps rejecting everything we say, but lets us come back. He used to be Hindu but now he says he doesn't believe in anything. He has seemed to light up a little when we come over so maybe eventually he'll start to accept what we are saying. Saturday night we went to the B Family for dinner. They had a tiny electric guitar they let me tune and play! 

On Sunday I gave a talk in 6th ward! That night we had dinner at the J Family's, who have the fattest cat I've ever seen! It was a pretty cool cat though, I might want a cat like that someday... 

We had transfer calls on Saturday, I am staying in Plano and Sister S is getting transferred to Cross Roads! We have spent a lot of time this week with members and investigators that want to say good bye to Sister S! 

I love being a missionary, I am learning so much! Sorry I write short uninspiring e-mails :D

Have a great week! 

Sister Danica Greenall

P.S. Here is the talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting yesterday:

First of all, I want to thank all of you for being here. It is so rainy and stormy outside, and it would have been so easy for any of you to just curl up in a ball and fall asleep, but you all choose to be here. Not only to be spiritually edified yourselves, but to uplift those around you. Thank you so much!

I want us all to imagine there is someone sitting in this room who interacts with God and Jesus Christ on a daily basis. What if you knew that this morning they spoke with Heavenly Father and our Savior and  they specifically mentioned you by name. Wouldn't you be dying to talk to this person after sacrament meeting ended? If they were sitting next to you would you have them whisper in your ear the things that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ really want you to know? 

Today I am speaking on the Holy Ghost, who as the third member of the Godhead, right alongside Jesus Christ and God the Father, and wants to communicate to us what we need to hear and feel to return back to God's presence. In his talk "These Things I know" Boyd K. Packer said: "Each of us must stay in condition to respond to inspiration and the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The Lord has a way of pouring pure intelligence into our minds to prompt us, to guide us, to teach us, and to warn us. Each son or daughter of God can know things they need to know instantly. Learn to recieve and act on inspiration and revelation." I hope all of us wil strive to recieve and act on promptings from the Holy Ghost. 

In 2 Nephi 31:17, Nephi says, "For the gate which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost." This illustrates the importance in baptism. Those not baptized can have the uplifting feelings the Holy Ghost brings, but once some is baptized the Holy Ghost helps them experience a remission of their sins and begins to cleanse them. In the Bible Dictionary it states: "The gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to have, whenever one is worthy, the companionship of the Holy Ghost. For those who recieve this gift, the Holy Ghost acts as a cleansing agent to purify and sanctify them from sin." I love that the Bible Dictionary uses the words "purify" and "sanctify" Many of us strive to gain a understanding of how the Atonement is personal to us in our lives. This is only possible through the Holy Ghost. Our progression in this Gospel, God's plan for us to return back to him, is relient on us becoming one with the Savior by feeling the cleansing, the purifying, and sanctifiying powers of the Atonement through the Holy Ghost. Elder Packer said, in the same talk: "Teach yourself and teach your family about the gift of the Holy Ghost and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. You will do no greater eternal work within the walls of your home." It is vital that we learn and share with our families the important role of the Holy Ghost and the Atonement in our lives. 

Today when we took the Sacrament we promised we would take upon us Christ's name and always remember him as well as keep his commandments. If we keep these promises, God promises that we will have his spirit to be with us. In Preach my Gospel, the first two commandments listed in the commandments section are "Pray Often" and "Study the Scriptures". Do we realize that by not praying often or studying the scriptures we are not keeping God's commandment, not keeping our baptismal covenant, and aren't ensured the companionship of the Holy Ghost? This is a wake up call for me. I am lucky as a missionary to have time set aside every morning to really study the scriptures, but I hope when I return home I can continue these essential habits in my life so I can have the blessings of the Holy Ghost in my life. 

In Preach my Gospel on page 65, it states blessings of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost:

sanctifies us, cleanses us, testifies of Christ, helps us recognize truths, gives us spiritual strength, helps us do what is right, comforts us, gives us power to teach and learn, is a foretaste of eternal joy, and a promise of eternal life. All of these are wonderful blessings. It is amazing to think that by consistently feeling the Holy Ghost we are promised eternal life. It makes sense though, because if we are truly keeping our baptismal covenant which promises us we will have the spirit with us always, then we are on the path to eternal life. 

I am so grateful for the role the Holy Ghost has played in my life and for the closeness I have felt with the Savior because of it. I hope we all continue to feel God's love for us through the Holy Ghost. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

After church a man in our ward came up to me and told me with tears in his eyes that he had been fasting for answers and said that everything I said in my talk was exactly what he needed to hear. That made me feel so good, because I was wondering if anyone got anything from my talk :)