June 8-Where do you want to be in life?

Here is her group letter from this week for now.  I will update some more info from her letter to me when I get a bit more time.  Enjoy! 

"How are you all!!!? Alive and breathing? I miss you all, but there's no place I'd rather be right now, no other work I'd rather be doing than the Lord's!!

There isn't a ton ton to say this week, but it really has been amazing!! We have had some awesome lessons, and we have been able to find some great people this week!!

I was reading a talk this morning that completely changed my outlook on things, as many things do in the mission. The mission is such a molding and changing experience, and is really indescribable. The ONLY way you could feel the joy that comes from serving a mission is to serve one!! I can't even explain it!! But, I can honestly tell you that what makes it so joyful is that I have this opportunity to be sharing the gospel FULL-TIME, something I absolutely LOVE and CHERISH in my life with people ALL DAY everyday!! :) Yes the mission does have its exhausting days, but it is SO worth it. 

Some wise words I wanted to share from the talk I read (from this last general conference, "If You Will Be Responsible," by Elder Jorge F Zeballos) are about doing God's will. This really enabled me to see the importance of goals and having a plan in life, and what makes it so much easier is that God already has a plan for us, all we have to do is make it our quest to find it!! Elder Zeballos says this: "Having the desire to do what is right is not enough if we do not make sure to understand what our Father expects from us and wants us to do. In the story of Alice and Wonderland, Alice does not know which way to go, so she asks the Cheshire Cat, 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' The cate replies, 'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.' Alice says, 'I don't much care where.'-- 'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' says the cat." ….Where do you want to be? 

I challenge you all to just think a minute and ponder about where you want to be in life, where do you want to end up in the end. I know the saying is to "live in the moment," and it's true, we need to take things day by day, step by step, but if we don't have a destination in mind, then where are we going? I have been able to take a step back and observe my life in a nutshell. I have been able to draw out the maps and see the things that did and didn't work out in helping me stay on the path I would like to be on, which is on the path that leads to eternal exaltation, the path that leads us back to our Heavenly Father. It has helped me keep in perspective, that no matter how narrow the way may be (3 Nephi 14:14) I KNOW the things in life that help keep me on it, and what detracts me from it. This makes it SO much easier to keep the things that keep me on track in mind as I focus on what I really, TRULY want my end result to be. 

I know my Heavenly Father loves me. I know He loves each and every one of you. Every time I get on to write every week, I ponder on what to say that could maybe help some or all of you to see what I see, through Christ's eyes, as His representative, on my mission. I am so grateful for all of you, and I can feel God's love for each and every one of you as I have learned how to bring my self closer to Him and have strengthened my relationship with Him more than ever before. 

I love you and hope all is well, I care about and pray for each of you every day!! Thanks for being a part of my life, you are all the best! :)

Until next week!

Hermana Riddle :)"

Here are some fun pics that came in this week:) Looks like an interesting combination of food.

        


The pics below are for a going away gift to her mission President, Pres Riggs. He will be leaving this next transfer on the 25th of June. Mariah told me in her letter that she absolutely LOVES Pres Riggs and is so sad that she just had her last interview with him.  He gave her a lot of good advice and said that he was giving it to her as "father to daughter" She will definitely miss him but is excited to meet her new President as well.