Iokwe from OK! Updates

Iokwe!

Thanks for all the well wishes this week! Sorry I haven't been able to respond to them all!

Things are going so well out here. We had a wonderful fast and testimony meeting this week on Sunday. So many people shared such personal and sincere witnesses about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and how the Spirit it brings and the truth it shares has touched their lives. I loved hearing about it and I feel the same - it really has blessed my life and I love the truth I learn from it. 

Photo of the week courtesy of a kind ward member Shawna McKinley  

One truth that I have loved was something we shared with a friend of one of our members, who met with us last week. Her name is Irene and she has been wondering what it is in her friend who is a member of our church that helps her experience such peace in her life. As we talked we learned that she feels that God has such an unfair way of dealing with our lives, that the good people often end up being punished and experiencing hardship and trial, especially due to the effects of those who choose to act poorly and selfishly. The reason behind this became clear to her as we explained about God's role in our lives and His relationship with us. We taught her that God is our Heavenly Father, that He loves us just as parents love their children on earth, and just like how parents let their children take their own first steps to learn how to walk, our Heavenly Parent allows us to take steps on our own in this life so we may learn to walk more like He walks. 

As we discussed agency, our ability to make decisions for ourselves, and God's plan to help us learn to use that for good, she began to see the peace that comes from making good decisions and how her life can be something good and of value and full of peace and joy as she follows Christ and trusts in a loving Father who wants what is best for His children.

I know that is true. God wants us to grow and learn to choose what's right - sometimes that involves us and our brothers and sisters here on the earth making poor decisions as we learn to exercise the ability to choose properly. This plan allows us to learn and live in a much better way than having our lives forced to follow a certain path - it just requires us to choose right and learn to live in accordance with God's commands, which keep us on the right and happy path. I loved teaching that to Irene and I have loved living as a part of this plan each day as time passes on. I wish I had more time to share more this week, but time was really short!

I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Josh Kilmer
Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Mission, English-Marshallese speaking
不動心
Fudoshin:  immovable spirit
www.mormon.org