"The trials that we face are not to you BUT FOR YOU!"

It's Monday! What a great day it is to be in the Lord's Vineyard and to be serving Him! I hope you are all having a great day as well! How was your week? I hope it was as amazing as mine! How did you go with your challenge from last week? Do you remember what it was? I hope you each took the opportunity to EXTEND or STRETCH your hand to be of help to someone else! If you haven't yet recognised an opportunity to do so, pray for one! It will come! I promise you that! 

I have another quote that I have felt impressed to share with you all today! It is by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf! For those of you who don't know who this is, he is the Second Counsellor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! He is amazing and these words which I am about to share are awesome and applicable to all!

"No matter what our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it."

Do you ever find yourself living the #struggle? Do you love your challenges and trials? Do you look for opportunities to learn something from the hard time you are facing? 

Well, I, for one struggle! BUT I LOVE my struggles! I learn so much from them and I know that they make me stronger!  My favourite scripture about trials is 1 Corinthians 10:13 with some words that I add:

"There hath no temptation [trial, challenge, circumstance] taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted [trialed, challenged, given a circumstance] above that ye are able; but will with the temptation [trial, challenge, circumstance] also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 

This scripture always gives me the comfort and the knowledge that we never receive or face a trial or challenge that we cannot bear- that we cannot overcome! How awesome is that to know? I want you to think about a time where you REALLY struggled, where you were tested farther than you thought you could bear. Have you pushed through it? Have you overcome it? I hope the answer is YES! 

This scripture has helped me before my mission but is especially applicable now! I know that every hard time that I have is for my benefit! Is for my growth! My saying is: "The trials that we face are not to you BUT FOR YOU!" If we remained in a life where we never face hard times, where we were not pushed to near breaking point, where we were comfortable in being the way that we are, would any growth be happening? My answer to you is NO! You would not! You would become weak, ineffective and for sure not a worthy instrument in the Lord's hands because there is no way that you would be progressing and becoming the person he sees the potential of you becoming. 

There are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve and we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to CHANGE for the better, to REBUILD our lives in a way that our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to BECOME something different from what we were. To BECOME better than what we were! More understanding than what we had. More empathetic than we were. With stronger testimonies than what we had. And an increased faith in the Saviour and our Heavenly Father that they know all and we may come out conquerors as we put our trust in them!

How grateful I am for the hard times that I face. How grateful I am for the times when I have been pushed to near-breaking point. How grateful I am for the circumstances that I have been able to see myself grow, gain strength and learn! 

My invitation this week is to face your trials, your hard times, your challenges with the mindset of learning something! With the attitude that you know that this specific trial was given to you because the Lord TRUSTS you and knows that you will come out CONQUEROR! I know that this is true because I have seen it in my life! I have seen how I have been shaped and moulded, grown and gained strength through my hard times! I promise you that as you look at your trials with a grateful heart, with a WILLINGNESS to learn something from them they will no longer be something that you have to just get through; it will be an experience you will ENJOY because you can see yourself BECOMING better! 

Love,

Sister Roos (: (: 

Sister Ma! She is serving in Mortdale and is AMAZING! She's from Roskill too

Elder Aiono! We were at MTC together! I saw him when I was in Sydney at the beginning of last week!

 Elder Kerr and Elder Hideshima - new elders in Bathurst

Sister Chan and Sister Aloua. Sister Chan is the new sister in our zone and sister Aloua is transferred up to Mortdale

Sister Niu's family sent me a "greenie box" how grateful am i for an amazing companion and a great aunty and family in hawaii!

 The new O-Zone

Sister Leausa - she's from Roskill! she is awesome! She's serving in Cowra which is one of the areas in our zone!

Elder Beriong, Kerr, Piukala and Bartlett

facials for days

Sister Aloua's last sunday - she got transferred ): ): sad

I got my package! yay thanks for the stationary! and can y'all all write me letters please and thank you? I dont' ask for much... just a letter that I can read... hahhaahhahahha give it to my mom and she will send it to me. Please and thank you!