Feb. 22, 2013

La Familia Sanderson,                                                                                 2/22/2013

Thank you so much for the yummy treats and popcorn you sent haha my companion and the other Elders enjoyed them as well. I hope all went well with your trip to Mexico! So jealous but I must say, regardless of what you did haha my week (in my opinion) was so much more legit ;)

This week Omar Salazar entered into the waters of baptism! Que Padre! It was completely unexpected and an absolute miracle.  He has been struggling for so long with the Word of Wisdom and this past Wednesday he called me and said, "Elder Sanderson, I'm ready. I'm ready to change...can we make it happen this Saturday?" We came over immediately and started making plans for the baptismal service. haha he even let me cut his hair! I must admit it wasn't too bad and he didn't seem to mind. It was such a testimony that the Lord truly prepares his chosen people for his prepared servants. Thank you all for your prayers...I know that it was through many prayers and acts of faith that this miracle was brought about.

Mother, in your last letter you said that 9 out of 10 missionaries in the Boise mission say that the Plan of Salvation is their favorite lesson to teach. haha I'll be honest and say that I've probably only taught that lesson like 5 times my whole mission.  Its a wonderful lesson but I usually have ward members or someone else teach it.  My favorite lesson is the Gospel of Jesus Christ or lesson 3 in P.M.G. The reason behind this is that it directly correlates with my purpose as a missionary which is, to help the people of Southern Texas receive and participate in the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel. I love teaching people about repentance, and that hope is not lost. I love teaching the broken-hearted and downtrodden to trust in their Savior. As that faith and trust in the Savior grow I love inviting them to be baptized.  So many people know who Jesus Christ is...but have lost hope that his outstretched hands can rescue them.

I find it so significant that in many of the paintings of the Savior, especially those used in missionary work, show Him with his loving arms extended towards an individual. I think it illustrates the need of action on our part...we must learn to trust the Savior.

One of my favorite scriptural accounts that illustrates this important principle is found in Matthew chapter 14. As the disciples watched the Savior walk on the Sea of Galilee toward their boat, they thought they were seeing a ghost. Jesus assured them that it was He and that they need not be afraid. Peter declared, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water” (verse 28). Jesus said, “Come.” Matthew then records, “And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus” (see Matthew 14:24–29).

The rest of the story is what I find most significant. I can’t relate to walking on water, but I can relate to what Peter experienced next:

“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

“And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matthew 14:30–33).

All of us have had, are having, or will yet have a Peter-like “sinking” experience in some way and will at some time (probably many times) cry out, “Lord, save me.” Even Peter’s strong fisherman arms were not strong enough to save him. He needed the rescuing arms of Christ, and so do we. Can you imagine Peter...choking, his head bobbing beneath the surface of the water...saying as the Savior extends His arms: “No, thank you. I will swim to shore. I sank myself, so I must save myself”? Of course not. How ridiculous! Yet we sometimes do just that. We may know in our heads that our mortal arms and hands are deficient...in fact, utterly incapable of rescuing or redeeming us...but we sometimes resist, even recoil from, the outstretched arms of the Savior. Sometimes we spiritually drown ourselves because we won’t allow His arms to cradle us. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve eloquently stated:

“May I be bold enough to suggest that it is impossible for anyone who really knows God to doubt his willingness to receive us with open arms in a divine embrace if we will but ‘come unto Him.’ …I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands.”

May we exercise greater faith in the arms of the Lord...His arms of power, His arms of love, and His arms of mercy. May we allow Him to cradle and carry and comfort us in those arms. I bear testimony of the living reality of Jesus Christ and the truthfulness of His gospel. I have witnessed the enabling power of the Lord’s grace that empowers us to do and to be better. I have experienced that power. I have felt His arms around me. May we all be “clasped in the arms of Jesus.”

Con Carino,

Elder Craig Sanderson