Be of Good Cheer

 



December 5, 2021 

 

Dear family & friends, 

I haven’t written a letter for two weeks because of a family emergency which required me to go home for a few days. It was great to see my family and I was able to see the hand of the Lord blessing several members of my family. 

I returned to my mission in time to attend a mission conference on December 4th.  I was able to shake hands with and hear from an apostle of the Lord, Elder Gerrit W Gong. 

Elder Gong promised us that if we take everything we have learned & experienced and everything we will yet learn and put them on the altar of God, the Lord will use these experiences to bless others.  He told us to be so full of love that we will want to share the gospel with everyone we meet.  He quoted D&C 68:6 “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.” 



After the meeting I dropped off my companion at our apartment and went out to contact people. I walked up and down all the aisles in Walmart saying hello to lots of people, but didn’t get an opportunity for a conversation.  So I went to Dairy Queen (because I like ice cream almost as much as I like being a missionary😉) and then Dollar Tree where I was able to share a brief message about our savior with someone at each place.  The man in Dollar Tree thanked me and said he was glad for the message I shared because before I spoke to him he was feeling kind of discouraged. 



On Sunday Elder Gong spoke again in a very uplifting Stake Conference. There were several civic and religious leaders of other faiths there too.  Elder Gong said many inspiring things.  I will share what he called his Christmas ornaments.  I found these scriptures particularly comforting in a world so full of anger and fear: 

Luke 1:13 “Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard….” 

Luke 1:30 “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.” 

Luke 2:10-11 “Fear not…for unto you is born…a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” 

Matthew 9:2 “…be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” 

Matthew 14:27 “Be of good cheer; it is I….” 

John 16:33 “…be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” 

 

May you all be of good cheer and spread the good news of our savior. 

I love you all, 

Sister Manwaring 

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