Sister Webb in Hong Kong: Ask For Help To Carry Your Cross

So this week was pretty good. We had a zone Thanksgiving party. It was super fun. It was nice to just be with all these missionaries that I know really well. I feel like my zone has become like family. We have all been here so long together! It’s switching up though this week. We got transfer calls yesterday. My companion is moving to the area next door to me, so we’ll still be in the same apartment. I will be staying in the Butterfly area, but I was also asked to be a trainer to a new missionary! I’m excited to get this new missionary and so is our ward! I will still be an STL as well and I hope I’m going to be able to do what’s required of me . . . prayers are appreciated!

We visited a member this week and she had a picture story on her wall with this poem:

(and here is the link to the pictures: https://phcwandsworth.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/take-up-your-cross-and-follow-jesus-matthew-1624-26/)

Whatever your cross,

whatever your pain,

there will always be sunshine,

after the rain....

Perhaps you may stumble,

perhaps even fall,

But God's always ready,

To answer your call...

He knows every heartache,

sees every tear,

A word from His lips,

can calm every fear...

Your sorrows may linger,

throughout the night,

But suddenly vanish,

dawn's early light.

The Savior is waiting,

somewhere above,

To give you His grace,

and send you His love..

Whatever your cross,

whatever your pain,

"God always sends rainbows ....

after the rain ...”

I hadn’t seen it before. As I looked at this boy picking up his cross by all of his friends, I was intrigued. They all start walking and the boy puts his down and says, "God this cross is a little too heavy, can you cut it down a little for me?" so God allows him to cut the end off. This continues until the boy's cross is cut back quite a bit, but then he reaches a divide and needs to get across. His friends lay their crosses down across the divide, but his is now too short, so he can’t make it over.

The poem above touched me and I thought how we all bare different crosses. Marvin J. Ashton talks about all sorts of different crosses people bare. He says that some may include “lack of trust, or lack of self confidence, pride, or the tendency to make caustic comments—to ridicule, putting others or oneself down, to cause contention, or to engage in slander or gossip, or even adulation." Whatever cross you carry, just know that God is aware of you and will help you to "take up your cross” and follow Jesus Christ. Each person is given their individual cross and we can each learn from these. I’ve decided instead of asking Heavenly Father to take it away or cut it down, instead to help me carry mine.

This week I had a little break down, which has happened quite frequently on my mission. I wasn’t sure what to do . . .I’m still having a hard time speaking the language and understanding what is going on, even at church. When we got to church none of our investigators or less actives showed up, and that was hard. I just felt I was lacking something, so when we got home from church I started personal study and prayer, but it was kind of pathetic. I just knelt there and cried.

I decided to end my prayer, I sat up at my desk and pulled out the general conference Liahona. I decided to open up to the Priesthood session because I haven’t read that yet. I opened up to "Bearers of Heavenly Light" by Elder Uchtdorf and he described how I was feeling perfectly: " ...Sometimes spiritual breakdowns come so gradually that we can scarcely tell what is happening. Like layers of sedimentary rock, spiritual pain and grief can build over time, weighing upon our spirits until it is almost too heavy to bear. For example, this can happen when our responsibilities at [missionary] work, home, and church become so overwhelming that we lose sight of the joy of the gospel. We might even feel as though we have no more to give..." Then he reminds us, "Every time you turn your hearts to God in humble prayer, you experience His light. Every time you seek His word and will in the scriptures, the light grows in brightness. Every time you notice someone in need and sacrifice your own comfort to reach out in love, the light expands and swells. Every time you reject temptation and choose purity, every time you seek or extend forgiveness, every time you courageously testify of truth, the light chases away darkness and attracts others who are also seeking light and truth."

This just confirmed to me once again, that I am doing all these things! I have the light of Christ. I need to remember that and not let the "sedimentary rock" build up over time. There is light in us! All of us! And the more we shine, the more people around us will shine. So bare the cross that you have been given, do it with courage and a smile, and know that if you bare it well, you will have everlasting joy.

Love you all! Hope you had a good Thanksgiving!

Sister Webb

We got to go to HONG KONG DISNEYLAND for our P-DAY!!!

We had a Thanksgiving Feast with our Zone and I was in charge of games! Thanks to Susie Smith for introducing all the young women in our stake to ORANGE LIGHTNING! It was a huge success!