Twentyfifteen

HAPPY 2015!!

I loved 2014 so much...first of all because I was a missionary for
that entire year!
Whenever I look back on my little life at 2014, it'll be mission memories.

Me and sister Bennett are waiting right now to get my haircut(: we're
in a really ghetto part of the city...but our investigator is cutting
my hair, so it's worth it.

So many miracles happened this week. I honestly am so in love with
being a missionary.

New Year's Eve is crazy here in the city, but we were in and safe in
our apartments sleeping at 1030(: we volunteer at this place called
"The Watermark" right by the temple. It's a retirement place and
everyone there loves us. We helped them run their party for the
residents. It was adorable. Try and imagine this: old people dressed
to their best, a guy play music on an accordion, 100 walkers, a
handful few who are able to dance, dancing carefully in the middle.
People shouting across the tables because they can't hear that well
and then me and sister Bennett with our tacky missionary skirt attire
in the middle of it all. Haha definitely a new year I will never
forget. They all soften my heart.

We miraculously ran into a member of the church! We were walking late
one cold night on a street we neeeeever go on and as we were walking
we heard this guy walking the other way say "hello sisters" and kept
walking. And we were WHOA! Hoooold on wait a minute sir. So we quickly
turned around and chased him down and we were like do we know you? And
he said he knows us, but we don't know him. He is from Albania & a
return missionary, BYU graduate living here in Philly. I know we were
meant to find him! Because he's totally inactive and doesn't even
believe in God anymore which broke our hearts hearing. He actually
stopped and spoke to us for almost a whole hour. There were many times
in the conversation where he felt the spirit as we talked to him about
"holding fast to the iron rod" (see 1 Nephi 8) in Lehi's tree of life
vision. We asked him when we "let go of the rod" (meaning like when
did he stop reading the scriptures)
He said YEARS ago, and we were like duh of course that's why you
strayed, your lost in the mist of darkness confused when you should
have been holding to the rod. We bore our testimony 100 times and
still he had no desire. But I know we did everything we could and he
will be telling this story 10 years from now at sacrament when he's
called to be a bishop.
I love how the gospel can truly change us as we apply it.

I had such a powerful experience at zone training. And I think I
realized why I absolutely love being a missionary.
Our purpose is to: Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them
receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His
Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost,
and enduring to the end.
Something that clicked about halfway through my mission was that our
purpose IS the doctrine/gospel of Jesus Christ "faith, repentance,
baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the
end" (see forth article of faith and 2 Nephi 31)
So my mission has really taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ and the
gospel of Jesus Christ is HOW we access the Atonement. That's what
clicked on Thursday for me. And that's why I love my mission because
it's literally helping me apply and use the atonement every single
day.
People always talk about the atonement and it's always been a hard
concept for me to wrap my brain around, never really been sure of how
to use it or apply it, but the gospel especially faith, repentance,
renewing our promises we made at baptism from the sacrament for
already members of the church and especially baptism and Holy Ghost
for nonmembers = atonement.

Remember Tatyana? I have been talking about her In a couple of my
emails..but I had the random thought to stop by her one day, it was
alittle out of the way but we did it anyways. Best choice ever.
(Always follow those promptings from the Spirit)
Her friend Terrance was there!! Let me try to describe to you the best
way I can who Terrance is.
Well first off he is gay. Like super super gay. He is black and loves
fashion (he tells me all the time how my outfit never matches my bag
hahah) he's a senior in high school, he's pretty skinny and tall. But
he's super in love with himself and he makes that very clear how good
he looks. Andddddd I want to be his best friend!
He has such a special place in my heart because of how much he LOVES
the gospel, we've seen him 3x this week, we taught him the restoration
and gave him a Book of Mormon, taught half of the plan of salvation
and he is getting baptized February 1!!!! He has been very open about
him being gay and we have been very open about how the churches and
heavenly fathers view on homosexuality. He knows the Book of Mormon is
true! And has thought a lot about it being gay, and knows that
Heavenly Father can change our desires and soften our heart. Every
time we go over there he is just so full of the spirit and soaks it
all up. Good things are happening!!

The church is true:)
Also..I went on exchange with my favorite sister ever--->SISTER COST.
She joined the church only 2 years ago. And ohh if you could hear her
story and see who she was before and after joining the church. She is
incredible. We had some really spiritual moments together just talking
about our missions and how much the gospel and the church means to us.
We get a weekly letter from our mission president every week and this
week was good, it kept saying the phrase "your highest self"
So that's my main goal, to become my highest self! By doing small and
simples things because I know that's how great things come. Alma 6:36

What are your goals for this year?
Email or write them to me!

christy.manson@myldsmail.net

1715 spring garden st. Apt F2
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Love Sister Manson😇