But anyways, for those of you who have no clue what a M.P Fireside is, it's when all the missionaries within the mission come together in one of the stake centers, along with the Mission President and his wife, members ranging from lifetime members to recent converts to investigators. And during the fireside, certain missionaries perform musical pieces and recent converts go up on stage to share their testimony with the congregation.
So ideally, for somebody like me who is ALWAYS looking for opportunities to have missionary moments and who is DYING to go on her mission; this was the most perfect thing I could have done at this time in my life and I will always remember the spirit that took place that night while listening to the other people sharing their testimonies, then how it felt as I shared mine.Unfortunately though, none of my close friends were able to go and listen due to last minute scheduling and unfortunate circumstances. So I promised that I'd post on my blog what I spoke about.
Yeah, I know. Weird that I had everything written out when I just previously stated that this whole things was a surprise. But in all reality, it had been the plan for me to speak for several months, then that suddenly changed, and then it suddenly changed again and I ended up speaking after all! Meaning that I've had several months to come up with what I wanted to say and type it out. I wanted it to be perfect and there was so much that I wanted to say, I really wanted to make sure that everything came out right.
So here it is!!
[Up until this point, I just spoke from the heart. I introduced myself, stated I was baptized March 26, 2011 and that I was confirmed a member March 27, 2011 by Allen Read and Elder Saager. I told them about my missionaries, Elder Saager and Elder Malietoa and how funny they were and how they practically hunted me down just to sit and talk with me. I talked about how I came to church the first time with Savannah Read and her family and how I've gotten really close to that whole family. Also about how weird I felt being at church in jeans and a t-shirt! So right before where I started reading off what I wrote, I talked about how I had been shopping with Savannah the day after I met Elder Malietoa with Elder Saager right after transfers and how they had been hunting me down. I felt worried that I had gotten myself in trouble and that lead immediately to my first meeting EVER with them. But MOST of you know this story and if you don't then everything is in previous posts on this blog if you're interested! FYI, this all flowed together pretty nicely if I do say so myself.]
*officially starts*
So here it is!!
[Up until this point, I just spoke from the heart. I introduced myself, stated I was baptized March 26, 2011 and that I was confirmed a member March 27, 2011 by Allen Read and Elder Saager. I told them about my missionaries, Elder Saager and Elder Malietoa and how funny they were and how they practically hunted me down just to sit and talk with me. I talked about how I came to church the first time with Savannah Read and her family and how I've gotten really close to that whole family. Also about how weird I felt being at church in jeans and a t-shirt! So right before where I started reading off what I wrote, I talked about how I had been shopping with Savannah the day after I met Elder Malietoa with Elder Saager right after transfers and how they had been hunting me down. I felt worried that I had gotten myself in trouble and that lead immediately to my first meeting EVER with them. But MOST of you know this story and if you don't then everything is in previous posts on this blog if you're interested! FYI, this all flowed together pretty nicely if I do say so myself.]
*officially starts*
But when I
came downstairs and saw how happy they looked, I crossed that off the list
immediately. Then we sat down in
Savannah’s living room and we began what was my first lesson with them. That
day was also the day that I received my Book of Mormon and that’s when my life
officially began. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was feeling the spirit. I
felt our Father in Heaven’s presence through those two young men. The moment
Elder Saager placed the book in my hands; I knew that it was true. But I
decided to take on the challenge that they presented to me anyways, by reading
and praying to ask our Heavenly Father if this was true. The next morning, I
woke up before my dad, and I sat at the dining room table then began to read.
As I was reading throughout the introduction I began to pray and ask, if I had
finally found the truth. If that the feelings to keep testing the waters of
this church were a good thing. Then halfway reading through the introduction,
it felt as if Heavenly Father was saying to me “Stop asking. You know this is
true. So just start reading”
I was filled
with joy. I was filled with the spirit and I couldn’t wait to meet with the
Elders again.
Within two
weeks of meeting with the Elders twice, sometimes even three times a week I had
decided that I wanted to get baptized when Elder Malietoa told me that there
was going to be a baptism in a week from then and asked me if I wanted to get
baptized too. Looking back it seems like a dream, it all went so well and so
quickly. But I know that the decision to be baptized was, is and always will be
the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire life. And even though my life’s
not even half over, nothing but good can come from this decision as long as I keep
the commandments and covenants that I made the day I was baptized.
This last
year, I’ve been able to accomplish more than I’ve ever even expected to. I’ve
learned of the love that Heavenly Father and His son, my savior, Jesus Christ
have for me. I’ve learned of the atonement and how it was formed, not only for
every one of you, but for me too. Before this year, I never knew how it was
possible to love God. Everybody around me would talk about how much they loved
Him, and that just didn’t make sense to me. I wanted to be able to love Him, I
really did. But it never made sense until coming to this church and learning of
how strong His love is for us, for me.
Through this
decision, I’ve met my family. They may not be of blood; they may not be
perfect, or related to me in any way. But they share the same beliefs as I do, they
love Heavenly Father as I do, and they love me as I love them. I’ve had the opportunity
to meet many of the wonderful missionaries that are here right now and have
grown to call them my brothers, my sisters and best of all, my friends. And
that is a blessing all in its own, considering my love for missionary work just
as a regular member.
This journey
definitely has brought its ups and downs. I have had my down in the dump moments
and had the opportunity to uplift myself with the spirit by praying, reading
the scriptures, meeting with these wonderful missionaries and talking with our
Father in Heaven. Then I’ve had the uplifting experience of being a part of my
mom, my dad, and my younger brother receiving lessons from the missionaries as
well. Every day is filled with new experiences that are helping me grow and
develop into the person that I am supposed to be while here.
This April,
I had the opportunity to go to Salt Lake for conference with Savannah and her
family. It seriously was the most amazing experience ever and I came away with
a lot more knowledge, not only of myself, but of the church, the gospel and of
things that I never even thought of before. Elder Russell M. Nelson gave a talk
called Thanks Be to God on the Sunday morning session and he said “How much
better it would be if all could be more aware of God’s providence and love and
express that gratitude to Him. Ammon taught, “Let us give thanks to [God], for
he doth work righteousness forever.” Our degree of gratitude is a measure of
our love for Him.”
This quote
really helped me define my love for Heavenly Father, and everything He has done
for us. It truly added to the spirit that had taken place that day immensely
and that leads me to what I would like to close with.
The
missionaries met me in a very weird time of my life. My world was being turned
upside down, and I felt as if I had fallen below rock bottom.
It all
started with a prayer. One prayer, one last desperate attempt of trying to make
things right once and for all; and even though I didn’t think He was listening
to me, and I didn’t even know if He was real at that time. He listened to me
and humbled me enough to the point where I was ready to receive the Gospel and
meet Elder Saager and Elder Malietoa.
Everything
that they taught and shared with me has with me throughout the year. But one
thing, that I remember making the initial change in my heart was something that
Elder Saager shared with me regarding living the commandments and following
Jesus Christ.
He said this
was something that he liked to think of, and said something along the lines of:
“Mary-Kate, how would you feel if Jesus Christ walked into this room, this very
moment?
[and as he said this, I pictures Him walking into the room, and standing behind the couch that Saager and Malietoa were seated in]. “Would you be embarrassed with whom you were with? What you were wearing? What you were doing, talking about and even thinking? Would you feel ashamed to be in the presence of our Savior? Or express complete joy and embrace him?”
[and as he said this, I pictures Him walking into the room, and standing behind the couch that Saager and Malietoa were seated in]. “Would you be embarrassed with whom you were with? What you were wearing? What you were doing, talking about and even thinking? Would you feel ashamed to be in the presence of our Savior? Or express complete joy and embrace him?”
As he was
telling me this, and sharing that he would sometimes ask himself these
questions as somewhat of a self-evaluation, it was as if I was in the presence
of Christ. Elder Saager was so new on his mission at that point, yet so ready
to share these things with me and for me, and I was more than ready to receive.
I’m eternally grateful. For everything Heavenly Father has allowed to happen in
my life; whether they came from the missionaries, my friends in the church or
even my own actions.
My mission
in life is to testify of Christ, and testify of Him I shall do. I cannot deny
his grace. And I cannot deny the truth that lies in this Gospel. Or of the love
that He has for us.
I know that
this church is true, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The love that I felt from my Heavenly Father that night was one of the times I've felt it the best. The love I felt from the wonderful missionaries that were there that night and the brothers and sisters of mine that I hadn't even met before confirmed in my heart that I helped change somebodies life that night. I pray every day for the opportunity to help bring others unto Christ, and that has turned out to be a very big goal of mine. Until the day I leave for my mission, I think opportunities like this will continue to help train me and prepare me.
Elder Saager and I after the Fireside.
