Mission Adventures: Natalie July 1, 2013

Dear fam,

it was so good to hear from all of you! Dad I LOVE the car. it actually looks like all of the cars here in Europe. Look at you all classy and stuff. Excited for you all! Em I'm glad you got to go to camp. it sounds like it was quite an adventure! I'm excited to get your letter. I've been saving stuff to send to you. can't wait! Mom it sounds like you're doing great too. Jess and Ammon you crazies running 10 miles! you blow my mind. I'll be cheering for you at your race next Saturday. Just and Shan, so happy for you in Logan. Just I'm so glad you got a job! I've been praying for you a ton. Thanks everyone for all of your love and support. Sure do love you all.

This week has been great! My companion was sick for most of it so we spent a little time in our apartment. It was great though and I spent a lot of time studying and pondering and thinking. I learned a lot.

This week we also got a new investigator! Her name is Albertina. Her husband is a member and her son was just baptized in our branch and now she's decided she wants to take the lessons. We committed her to be baptized after teaching her and she accepted. My heart is full! Our total focus with them is the temple. We are trying to teach them about the chance they have to be together for eternity. I'm so excited for them!

Our other investigators are having a hard time committing to our engagements. That has been hard to watch. Our baptism dates are being pushed back and they're not progressing as much as we'd like them to. But it is testimony to me that this is God's work. and it will happen on His own timetable. I have faith that it will happen! If not while I'm here, someday.

On Sunday we were able to watch the broadcast and it was incredible! you were right! I will never forget it sitting in a small room in Tours, France with Soeur Miller, Elder Gibson and Elder Walton. I felt so much power coming from them. I love being with other missionaries and feeling of their strength.

This week I've learned so much about that power and strength. The strength that comes from valient members of the church who understand their covenants. This week I focused my studies on covenants and what they mean. It was funny because I realized that the month of July for sunday school is covenants and ordinances! It was cool! I loved that the broadcast was all about member missionary work! This has everything to do with covenants!

"Always remember and honor the covenants you make with the Lord. Then you will not need to be commanded in all things. You will be inspired by the Holy ghost, and Christ-like conduct will be a part of your nature. Your greatest hope should be to enjoy the sanctification that comes from this divine guidance; your greatest fear should be to forfeit these blessings"

True to the faith pg 44

By understanding our convenants and remembering them every day, we will come to know God. They are so simple yet so powerful. They are vital! Simply put, when we covenant with the Lord, we promise to give Him everything we have. We promise to give Him our time, talents, and resources to build up His kingdom. By doing this we become enlightened and empowered. As I've studied about covenants, I've realized that I was taught long before I actually went to the temple how to keep covenants.

From watching others: set up chairs for activities, to going at 3 in the morning to give a neighbor a blessing, to spending a week in the freezing cold with 10 thirteen year old boys on a campout, going to girls camps, teaching school, holding screaming babies in nursery, taking a meal to a sick family, helping a neighbor move, sacrificing to help send missionaries out to the field. Time and time again I've witnessed others doing things like this. Giving of themselves constantly for the building up of His kingdom. And I'm not sure if I ever connected that they weren't just serving, they were keeping their covenants.

When we actively do what the Savior would do if He were here, seeking to glorify His name, then He will make us into something more. Something much greater than we could make of ourselves. As we do this we will be glorified in Him. We will be glorified through our sore muscles from putting up and taking down chairs and helping that neighbor move, or from our almost frost bitten hands from scoutcamp or singed eyebrows from a deacon campfire gone bad, bug bites from sitting outside all night from testimony meetings at girls camps, headaches from listening to your school class talk while they're supposed to be listening to you, we'll be glorified in the spit up on our arms from that crying baby in nursery, or from your messy kitchen and burns on your arms from carrying a meal to your sick visiting teaching family, or from sacrificing and going without so you could support missionaries close to your heart and help them serve. We will be glorified in all of this.

All of these examples are evidence of a true keeper of the covenants. These are marks of a covenant keeper. I can't help but be reminded of the marks of another covenant keeper--the ultimate covenant keeper. Through the Savior's marks on His hands we can be reminded of the covenant He kept with His Father for us. And it can empower us to strive and desire to be better. To desire to have our marks on us. To strive with all of our hearts to be His humble servants.

This is what a mission is really about--keeping our covenants and I LOVE IT. There is nothing than can bring more joy than helping and serving others. And teaching people about what you love most. I love it with all of my heart.

Well I hope you all have an incredible week and Fourth of July!! I will be thinking of you all on that day. Stay tuned for pictures from my celebrations with Miller. We have quite a day planned out. We are proud to be Americans (And we may or may not be singing "God Bless the USA" from our balcony when we wake up...and the Star Spangled banner) stay tuned...

love you all so much. let me know how all your member missionary work is going! voir les miracles!

LOVE YOU avec tout mon coeur!

Soeur Cameron

100% no regrets. I've promised to give more.

We had a rendez vous with a family in the next city over. So we took the train and walked for about an hour to their home. It was the most beautiful walk ever! There were fields of wild flowers and farmlands and beautiful old buildings.