Strength Training (5/19)

Well, we dodged the transfer bullet somehow... again. Transfer meeting today, but we're not there! That means we're going on transfer number 4 together = 6 months with my trainer. That's not very common, but I guess I'm just a slow learner. Ha... we're looking forward to more time (ie. more memories) together.

I had my first experience translating for an audience on Sunday. Once a month we have a fireside from our mission presidency and most of the mission. Missionaries bring their investigators and recent converts, and two recent converts give their testimony/conversion story before the main speaker. Our convert, Alma, was asked to share her testimony, and I did the translating. I was pretty nervous, but it went fairly smoothly. There was one little bump when Alma really got into what she was saying and went on for a while without giving me a break to translate... I did my best to summarize what she had said, but I think the blank stare on my face kind of gave away the fact that it wasn't a direct translation.

We have been going to chiropractor once a week for Hermana Wilkins' back (she was in a car accident before her mission, and it has been bothering her recently). Our doctor is a church member so he works with us for free (blessing!), and the real perk for me is that I get a weekly adjustment out of it as well! Anyway, meeting with him and watching Hermana Wilkins' improvements leads me to my weekly analogy :)

In one of our first appointments, Dr. Baker taught her some exercises she should do to strengthen the muscles in her back and help heal the injury. Over the past month or so, we have learned that the weeks she is consistent in doing them are the weeks that she has less pain. Usually the first thing he asks her every week is if she has been doing her exercises every day, and then her pain level on a scale of 1-10. Turns out, its pretty much a direct correlation between her consistency in exercising and the amount of pain she is experiencing.

Jesus Christ, our doctor for life, is also there to cure us (for free!), but he has given us some exercises that we have to do during the week to strengthen our spiritual muscles and reduce the amount of pain we experience. I have seen in my life the correlation between the amount of pain (or stress, chaos, heartache, etc.) that I experience in a week and how consistent I have been in doing my spiritual exercises (attending church, reading the scriptures, praying, etc.). Just like Hermana Wilkins' exercises are simple, basic movements, so too are the spiritual ones that we have been taught. The basic principles of studying and praying sometimes seem repetitive and dull, but they really do strengthen us. I know that daily scripture study makes the days easier, and more peaceful, and the same goes for prayer. (Seven days without prayer makes one weak).

Take a look at your spiritual exercise habits and think about what you need to do to be more consistent. Christ is there to heal us and make us stronger, but we always need to to our part. Pick up your scriptures and give yourself a workout - I promise you will see and feel the difference! Stay strong!

Love,

Hermana Richelle Ouellette