He Needs Your Heart

"When Obedience ceases to be an irritant and rather becomes 

our quest God endows us with power."
(my favorite quote of the week)

P-day we visited the US Capitol & The Library of Congress

Sister Rossi

family & friends,

I have this little card that shows all the Prophets of this dispensation along with how many members of the Church there were at the time they were serving. Joseph Smith had like six members. And then it jumped to like ten thousand. And so on and so forth. 

Now there are approx. 14 million members. But the common thread that I saw, was the last hundred years....every 20 years the membership records doubled. And so I was doing the math because I was extremely bored or something and if the trend of doubling members continues for the next thousand years... by the year of 3057 there will be 15 billion members of the church.

Or in other words the whole world will be converted.

Food for thought.

I had fun?

Monday was preparation day and we went to Washington DC. We went on a tour of The US Capitol building and The Library of Congress with Hunter.  (a guy from our ward.) He's a cool guy and knows his stuff. It is an interesting place and full of history which is neat.  I'll send some pictures.

That night at FHE a couple investigators came. O. got ordained a Priest and we got to go watch.  It was a cool experience.  We also brought one of our investigators with us.

Tuesday we started Facebook training in District meeting. We are able to teach people all over the world.  So if anybody has someone for me to teach add me on Facebook and lets talk. Basically what we do is:

YOU start the conversation with the person you want to teach
YOU add us into the conversation (my companion and I)
And we team teach. Its a cool concept, lets all try it.

Yeah. YOU.
:)

Facebook teaching.

Such a gem.

We went and got fro-yo with A. & O. and taught the Plan of Salvation in honor of his baptism. It was super great.

Wednesday we signed up for a weekly service project at a Christian thrift store out in a town close by.  So that will be fun. 

Thursday we had Return and Report with President and everyone in the training program. Lots of good advice and etc.

We had an awesome lesson with D. He is so great. He is on date for baptism for August sixteenth which is also his birthday. He knows his bible front and back.  Which I really admire. and he is hilarious. We were talking to him and he had some questions about the Word of Wisdom and Hunter (a member) had this great insight that stuck out to me. Hunter compared it to the bible. God has always asked us to do things. Like when he commanded people to look at a serpent to be healed. or put lambs blood over your door to be saved. 

He said, I'm sure the children of Israel thought "seriously look at a serpent?"
or "put lambs blood on my door? whaaattt?"
but they did it anyway.  To be OBEDIENT. Because God asked them too.

or other examples in the bible when God asked for sacrifice. He asked for the people to sacrifice a lamb. or to give of their money to pay tithing. That is a sacrifice. 

then he said, "Do you think God NEEDS our lambs? or our money?"

God doesn't need your money or your lamb.
He needs your heart.

And I really thought about that for a long time. And how much it can apply to anything. Like personal struggles I have... or things I see as a sacrifice. I think that's something I've kind of been bummed out with or that has gotten to me on my mission. Little things that really shouldn't matter but they do to me.

Like not being able to dress how I want :l

for a simple example.

Everyone has these little things that they struggle with.

And whatever it may be, this same thought can apply. God doesn't really 'need' these little things he asks us to do. It's not for him to have. What he needs is our hearts. and as we give up these little things that we so desperately cling to because we are so caught up in the world.... 
We are giving God something so much more important, our heart.

It was crazy to me that this hit me so strongly in a lesson... 

Where we were teaching someone who knew 

so little about our church, 

but it was a huge answer to MY prayer.

President mentioned the other day in Return and Report another quote that said something to the effect of...

"When Obedience ceases to be an irritant and rather becomes 

our quest God endows us with power."

I love that. 
How often is Obedience simply an irritant we PUT UP WITH?

Why does it have to be that way? I was ranting for a solid hour to my companion how hot I was and how these dumb sleeves make me sweat and I look like a frump and why do I have to dress like this and on and on and she was like

SISTER STUCKI
(shut up)
WHY DON'T YOU TAKE IT AS A CHALLENGE?

and I was just like
ah.
My little trainee is so wise.

WHY DON'T WE TAKE IT AS A CHALLENGE?

What is this life about?
It's about Preparing to meet God. 
To Learn and Grow and to Become better. 
So why are we so caught up in Obedience being such a drag? 
We learn from it. There is a reason for it. 
God knows us better than we know ourselves.

Why am I still ranting about this? Sorry.

Anyway.

I just love that thought.
God needs your heart.

that's all.

On Sunday there was a new member fireside out in Mt Vernon so we got to drive out there with our Sister training leaders and S. O. spoke at it. The Mt Vernon Chapel is absolutely gorgeous. First off it's WHITE which is my all time favorite color.  Especially interior colors.  It had these gorgeous chandeliers hanging all over AND it was on the edge of the Potomac. So it was super beautiful. We got to drive past DC. So fun. It went really well.

We didn't get home until super late last night.  So I am waayyy tired. 
Long drive. Especially with S. she is the cutest. We taught her how to beat box. It's fine.

So I messaged Kylie last week to redesign my blog. So hopefully that's going well and not confusing anybody (: Shes great. So shoutout to that homegirl. I miss her like crazy. TEN MONTHS LEFT.

Sister Roper goes home this week. I told her you would (mom) be at her homecoming. haha. ha. I mean your kind of a Crazy Missionary Mom.  So I could only assume? She said if you were she would give you a big hug from me (: so take it up!

It's crazy when people I know go home. I feel like Sister Roper has been out here for five years.  So I have a long way. but actually I'm almost halfway done. Which is completely insane. Like how did I even get to eight months and how come I'm training?????? SO CRAZY.

Also if Madison Wogksch is reading this......

Where is my weekly update on the Pine View Pizza Factory life?

uhhh...hello?

ha.
ha...

and then Ethan holy cow!!! that kid is a stud. you need to shave his head and put a GPS locater on him. thanks. no dating until I get home and approve of all females that try to touch lips with you.

ew.

touch lips.

gag me.

I didn't get any pictures of Dylan though so I'm a little disappointed?

Eli is cute as ever. he is getting tall and skinny. I wish I had that gene.
lolz. it's fine.

ALSO MOM.

take some selfies or something cause?

also if you could send me a hard copy picture of Ty that would be great thanks (:

and one last thing I need addresses for all the family.
I'm sending out letters soon(ish)
so Melanie, Stephanie, grandma, etc.

whoo.
so yeah.
that's all I really have to say?

I think I'm at that point on your mission where your brain is just fried and you have so many thoughts that you actually have no thoughts....
like is that normal?


...

I don't know. but I'm completely content with life. I'm at that mid point ya know? so. yeah. ask me how I feel in a couple months. ya.

ah.

uh.

I hope everyone is doing great! and having the time of their lives! 
I love you all a bunch and can't wait to see ya next year!

LOVE YOU
(especially mom because you da best)

Sister Madison Stucki (:
(via email July 21, 2014)