Well I'm officially out of training, and shipped off to the magical land of Vernonia! Its a lovely little town hidden away in the mountains. Perfect for people to hide away in, but also everyone seems to know each other so the hiding doesn't really work... It reminds me a lot of Gravity Falls (which is set in Oregon), for any of you fellow cartoon watchers out there.
There is one main street that we walk up and down multiple times a day. There's one blinky little stop light, five bars, and eleven churches (which makes up for the bars.)
The Branch here is so warm and loving it definitely made the transition easier. Oh we also have a car which makes things way easier! I'm the designated driver so that's a little scary but I'm re-learning fast.
My spiritual thought of the day comes from the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 10:10-11,19. These are the words of Zeniff, a commander of the Nephite army, to his men. They are about to go up against their greatest enemy the Lamanites, who are a wicked bloodthirsty people. Zeniff writes...
"...even I, in my old age, did go up to battle against the Lamanites. And it came to pass that we did go up in the strength of the Lord to battle. Now the Lamanites knew nothing concerning the Lord, nor the strength of the Lord, therefore they depended upon their own strength. Yet they were a strong people, as to the strength of men."
Our personal battles and struggles, no matter what they might be, can sometimes seem like an enemy army coming at us with all of their strength, the adversary will give everything they have to tear you down! Even in Zeniffs old age he is still fighting these battles. The enemy can be persistent and most likely we will be fighting him our whole lives! But don't forget, the adversary knows nothing of the Lord! He is on our side! Our strength alone is never enough to overcome our weaknesses and struggles, but we don't have to do this alone!
There is a line in one of my favorite Hymns that says "Courage, for the Lord is on our side!" I know that this is true. He is on your side whether or not you are on his side. (does that make sense?) God will never work against you. If you aren't taking the precautions to protect and defend yourself than it may seem like God is the one pounding you, but really that is the adversary and your own lack of seeking protection from the raging battle in the Lords camp.
There is no need to stand in the battlefield defenseless. Christ invites all to come unto him and seek shelter from the battles of life in his arms. Once we are save, trained, and armored we are ready to go back out, now with His strength. We can fight our battles, and help others find refuge only after we learn to rely on the strength of the Lord.
Zeniff rally's his army and later writes; "I did stimulate them to go to battle with their might, putting their trust in the Lord; Therefore, we did contend with them, face to face."
I know that if we turn to Christ and put our trust in him, with His strength we will be able to fight our battles and meet our challenges face to face.
I guess my email title really did have something to do with the letter. This is the (ver)Narnia battle cry.
Keep smiling! Peace will come with time! I love you all bunches!! Have a great week!
-Sister Anna Peterson
Some pics from this week.
Old companion, new companion...
We finally decorated the tree!!
cat crossing sign! Only in Oregon!
Also, Editor's Note: A nice family in Vernonia sent me a text with these pictures last Wednesday to let us know that Anna had arrived safely.
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