D&C 18:10

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." My

ponderizing scripture for the week!

Hi Family that I love,

Congrats to Ryan for becoming a brown belt! That takes hard work! Way

to go bud :)

So I don't think I realized just how big the pool house was going to

be... The pictures make it look HUGE! If it's up and running when I

get home, can we swim with the lights off? Cause my tan lines might

blind people.... Hahaha just kidding ;)

What is everyone dressing up as for Halloween?? We can't dress up...

But at a ward trunk or treat we met another little sister missionary!

How cute right?? She got it right down to the cardigan and the no-show socks. 

Mom, I just want to say that you were so inspired to tell me to study grace. The timing couldn't have been better. On Tuesday, I pondered grace and read 2 Ne 2:9. On Wednesday, I helped a young missionary through her first stress breakdown of her mission. On Thursday, an active family informed us that they would no longer be attending church because of some doctrinal discrepancies they thought they found. On Friday, our newly-reactivated soon-to-be priesthood holder told us that he found anti and no longer believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That same night, I also found out that Nate and Jori have decided that they don't believe in the Book of Mormon anymore and are totally done with the Mormon church. 

I finally found myself asking, "Where is grace in all of these situations?" Grace has helped me still feel ok. I was able to empathize and know what to say to that struggling sister missionary because of grace. Grace is in the fact that the stories of these friends of mine aren't over. I know that through the grace of Christ they can find renewed faith as soon as they want it. I have felt my own faith strengthen in circumstances which, if not for the reality of Christ's grace, would have hurt my testimony. This week I've felt lonely but not alone, sad but not without comfort, and disappointed but not without hope. I remember during one heartbreaking lesson silently praying and thanking Heavenly Father for allowing me to have experiences that are slowly solidifying my conversion to Christ and His restored gospel. 

I know that He lives. I know that we experience happiness and peace because He lives. Every good thing we have is a gift from Him, and "there must needs be an opposition in all things" because a loving Heavenly Father wants us to know what joy feels like. We live in a fallen world but I really believe God's got this. As Sister Porter would say, "you can get glad in the same pants you got mad in!" It will all work out and God's team has been the winning team all along! 

I love you all soooo much. Have a happy Halloween and a great week! 

Sister Megan Browning