The Gospel Unlocks Our Potential

Life in Rome is going well.  Our missionaries continue to find people to baptize.  Last week as I walked by the dumpster (they're everywhere in Rome) I saw this chair that had been discarded.  It was in pretty bad shape....the seat was missing and it was broken up pretty badly.  But I could see the potential it had and so I asked Tom (AKA President Kelly) to help me carry it home.  We were about a mile away from home.  So, we each grabbed an arm and off we went.  It was quite heavy and so periodically we'd change sides to give our arms and shoulders a little rest.  We got the chair home and I could see that it was going to need some cleaning, a new seat, some sanding, some dark stain and a  pretty cushion.  No problem, the next day the chair was restored to a beautiful chair where we can sit on the porch and enjoy a little reading or visit with a missionary.  I'm including a picture. This is  a great analogy of the way we, as missionaries, find people to join the church.  When we find them, they may have a lot of problems. Their lives may be broken.  Maybe they smoke, or drink, or don't really feel like they have a purpose in life.  They may have some ruined relationships and not understand their relationship with God.  The Gospel can heal us all.  It can heal our souls.  We also have the Word of Wisdom to help us feel healthier so we can do so much with our lives without those addictions.  I am so thankful for the Savior and His healing powers.  We all need his strength and sustaining as we serve Him and help Him with His work.  I have found that serving a mission reveals many of my weaknesses.  I need the Lord to help me in every way.  He is waiting for us to "knock" at the door and ask for help.  Sometimes we forget that we have Him waiting to help us.  We also are disciples of Jesus Christ and many people would accept His message but "they know not where to find it."  Our mission is great!  We are the messengers!  May we all be blessed in sharing this message of "healing" that comes through faith, repentance, baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  I love the story of the man by the Pool of Bethesda.  We are all blessed by the Savior who can heal us all.  May the Lord bless you every day as you Serve Him.  Love, Sorella Kelly