BECAUSE He is beside us  

(Finland – Week 44)  

                11 Nov 2015

This week, we lit the biggest birthday candle (yes, I know missionaries are not supposed to have candles). We were on exchanges with a former companion of mine and it was her birthday! We were having super fancy frozen pizzas and because there were five of us, we threw a bunch in the oven at the same time. Too many pizzas. The baking paper on one touched the top of the oven and promptly caught on fire. I, having gained much wisdom as a missionary, yanked it out with my hands, and ran over to the sink way too close to my companion. She, having gained great reaction time being my companion, launched backwards onto the counter. I threw the flaming paper in the sink and turned on the faucet. I don't know what mad science was happening, but that was the wrong move. The flames shot up way bigger. My companion grabbed a box of something and started dumping white powder all over at the same time one of the other sisters grabbed the fire blanket. The powdering put it out, wow I'm grateful for my companion and her ability to be much calmer in emergency situations. No one was hurt, now we know where the fire blanket is, all of the pizzas were still edible, and my former companion got an impromptu birthday candle! All of the blessings!

This week I was thinking about the words to "If the Savior Stood Beside Me", a children's song I really love. It goes:

If the Savior stood beside me,

Would I do the things I do?

Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true?

Would I follow His example?

Would I live more righteously if I could see the Savior standing nigh,

watching over me?

I noticed that at the beginning of the verse, it says "if the Savior stood beside me", I read it like this, Is the Savior really there? If He was there what would I do? It's like when we first start to build our faith. When we first try something new, it's always a little shaky, and very easy to doubt it's future success. The song goes on to talk about what we do when we want to follow the Savior. We keep His commandments, we act as He would. Finally, at the end, after we have kept the commandments and lived as He would, it says, "if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me". This really rang to me as doubt free. It's no longer, is my Savior there? It's BECAUSE He IS there, what will I do? There isn't a question anymore as to His presence, it's a stated fact, He's there watching over me. I was reading today about faith, how much power it has to change us, build us up, comfort us, and truly heal us. I love this simple scripture about this power, "Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after." (Ether 12:16) Faith is an amazing source of light and strength. I'm so grateful for everything that develops my faith every day. Faith is always worth the energy, time, and heart.

This week we got transfer calls! I'll be staying in Espoo, one of my companions is headed home, and the other is staying here with me!

Also, a member gave us a crock pot so we celebrated by eating pig heart! It was pretty yummy.

Have a great week everybody!

Love Sister Mendenhall