Crazy it has already been another week! And I have been in Portugal for I think 3 months now! Seriously crazy!! I am actually headed to Lisboa tonight and will stay there for a day or two for my Residência already! Crazy!
We had a wonderful lesson with Silvia this week. We have been trying to help her stop smoking and we had a lesson with her and the spirit was so strong. Sister Fuertes asked a really inspired question and said, Silvia Why do you want to stop smoking and she said because I want to be healthy and live longer. And then I said Well Silvia I think that is your problem. And she said What Sister Lacey. And I said I think you need to change your perspective and say you want to stop smoking because you want to be baptized and want to be sealed to your family in the temple. The words literally just flowed out of my mouth. We then invited her to pray about a specific date to stop smoking and if to ask the Lord if she really could stop before that date. We all knelt and the spirit was literally so strong. She finished the prayer and we all just sat there. We just cried and she said well I think that is a pretty clear answer. I don't think I have ever felt the spirit so strong on my mission. We do have a loving Heavenly Father and he does answer our prayers!!
This whole week my personal study has literally carried me through the rest of the day. Elder Cook told us to read all the accounts in the Bible of the Risen Lord. So that is the last chapter of Matthew, Mark, Luke, the last 2 of John and the first 8 verses of Acts. It is seriously incredible. I have really thought about the account in Luke 24 Christs appears to two of his followers and they do not recognize him. And that really hit me and I asked myself if Christ walked up to me would I recognize him? Do I of him and about him or do I really know him? I started to study more in The Book of Mormon on How to really know Christ and in Moroni 7:48, it says, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."
So in order to truly know Christ and recognize him we must become like him. It is so simple but so profound. In English we only have the word "Know" but in Portuguese there is the word Saber meaning to know a fact and then the word Conhecer which is to be familiar with. So I need to conhecer Christ on a personal level. And in order to do this I need to not think of my self but focus on others and be filled with the love that He has for others.
I am so grateful for this gospel. It is truly Christ's Church on the earth. I love you all so much!!
Sister Lacey
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