Giving Your All

The training is over and the teaching in San Antonio, Texas begins. I have learned so much here at the CCM. The people that I have met are amazing. The Spirit that I have felt is unparalleled, and the memories will last for a long time. I have been thinking about my time here and I am so glad that I was called to speak Spanish because it has humbled me. I have realized that I have to speak simply and I can't learn or teach alone. I need the help of my Savior and the Spirit to learn and to grow. I can't wait to teach real people about the real truth. I am ready to give Him all that I have. It has taken me a while to get to this point, but I can say that I am ready to give my will and my heart to Him so that He can change me. I found a great quote about change and giving all of your desires over to Him.

"Give me all. I don't want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work: I want YOU. All of you. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man, but rather to kill it. No half-measures will do. I don't want to only prune a branch here and another there; rather I want the whole tree out. Hand it all over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange, I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart." -C.S. Lewis

I want you all to know that I love my Savior. I know that the Gospel I am teaching others will bring them the greatest happiness. It will bring them more happiness than they have ever imagined. I am so grateful to be able to be a representative of Jesus Christ and tell others that His original church has been restored again today with prophets, apostles, priesthood authority to baptize and that families that can live together forever and so much more. Don't be afraid to share this message of happiness with others. Everyone needs it! Who doesn't want or need more happiness in their lives? And if you don't know about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, seriously, let me know and I can help you or a friend know more about it!

I love you all so much! Thank you all so much for your support and everything that you have done to build and strengthen my testimony.

Talk to you next week,

-Hermana Zimmerman

Pictures-

1. Magnum Bars: Our district is obsessed with these ice cream bars, so we decided to try them for once. They are actually pretty good!

2. A cool Mexican stone head that sits next to the sidewalk

3. Let's just say that Mexican bathroom stalls are a bit too short for me... 

4. A muffin man someone etched into my desk

5. The Hermanas in my Zone

More About Nets and Peter

This week has passed by so fast! I literally can't believe that I leave the CCM in 7 days! Time really does fly when you’re having fun. Nothing really new to report, just learning Spanish, which is coming bit by bit each day, and learning a lot about myself. I packed everything up today and that was wild! Everything is becoming real! I hope that you all are doing well! 

This week we watched a devotional given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland entitled, "Feed My Sheep" given in the MTC on January 11, 2011. It is amazing! Wow! Elder Holland is a powerful apostle of the Lord. In the end, he talked about Peter leaving his nets and his boat to follow Jesus. But, this is a separate experience than the one I talked about in one of my previous emails. Jesus had died and risen again and the apostles, not knowing what to do, go back to their regular hobby and occupation of fishing. They are out late one night and they see a man on the shore that calls out to them asking about their fishing status. They tell him they have had no luck, but the man tells them to put their nets on the right side and they find that there are more fish that they can reel in. 

At this point, they realize that the man on the shore is their resurrected Savior Jesus. Peter jumps out of the boat and swims to shore, so happy that the Savior had returned. On the shore, Jesus has prepared breakfast for them and begins to talk to Peter.

"When they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17)

Jesus, in essence, asked Peter 3 times, "Peter, do you love me more than you love these fish, and these nets, and these battered boats, and these oars?" And by the third time the message sank in deep to Peter's heart. Peter and the other apostles had gone back to what they knew, the familiar. They had taken up their nets and their boats once again to fish, when Jesus lovingly reminds them that they are to feed His sheep by sharing the gospel. 

Jesus in turn, asks us, "Do you love me more than your friends, your phone, your time, your to do list, your, etc." (or fill in the blank with the things in your lives) Every day Jesus asks us this same question. And what will be our answer? Jesus Christ has engraven your name on His hands, wrists, and feet. He has shown by His actions that He loves us, what are you willing to show Him?

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, God’s work in your life is bigger than the story you’d like that life to tell. His life is bigger than your plans, goals, or fears. To save your life, you’ll have to lay down your stories and, minute by minute, day by day, give your life back to him.” -D. Todd Christofferson

-Hermana Zimmerman

The Trials We Face

The CCM has been really great and I can't believe that I am going to be leaving for Texas in 14 days. It's so crazy how fast time flies! It's been a crazy time here. There have been lots of things to learn from the Gospel to teaching, to the Spanish language, and my own flaws as a person. I'm not going to lie, it has been a roller coaster of learning and humility, but the Lord loves me enough to cut me down so that he can make me who he wants me to be. Spanish is coming along just great, and I am on the uphill climb to the top before I enter the mission field in Texas. There is still a lot to learn, but all is well. I am so happy here and can't wait to share all that I have with the amazing people in Texas. This week I was reading some articles and I found 2 quotes, a poem and 2 videos for you all. 

“Being human, we would expel from our lives physical pain and mental anguish and assure ourselves of continual ease and comfort, but if we were to close the doors upon sorrow and distress, we might be excluding our greatest friends and benefactors. Suffering can make saints of people as they learn patience, long-suffering, and self-mastery."

- I love this. I can honestly say that in the times where I have been at my lowest, those that have accompanied and helped me along the journey have become my closest friends. Without those hard times, those friendships would not have been as strong.

"All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven”

-Everything really is for our own good. Like my mom and dad told me once (and I paraphrase), "When you pray for help you have 2 choices, to pray for you circumstances to change, or for God to change you so you can change your circumstances." In one instance the things around you change, and in the other, you are changed as a person to be able to face your trials with strength and in the end, you come out a better and stronger person than before. Don't we all want to be better? Stronger? More capable? Well, then you need more trials. I have just begun to realize that trials are good! I need them if I want to become the person that I am striving to be.

I walked a mile with Pleasure.

She chattered all the way,

But left me none the wiser

For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,

And ne’er a word said she;

But oh, the things I learned from her

When Sorrow walked with me!

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-014-the-will-of-god?lang=eng 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-11-010-the-refiners-fire?lang=eng 

With much love,

Hermana Zimmerman

1. Me and my companion. We go together like peanut butter and Nutella on toast.

2. My companion wearing my glasses

3. We had a trio when we went to the temple last week it was super fun! Our addition is Hermana Paul who is going to Alabama and is from Duluth, Minnesota.

4. This is Elder Taylor. He's hilarious and makes every moment so funny! He is from Utah, speaks like a surfer, and knows pretty much everyone. He has his pants pulled up and is holding some jalapeños my parents sent me for nachos

5. A fun Strawberry, marshmallow dessert from Mexico. 
Actually pretty great!

You Are the Lamb

During one of our lessons with our investigator named Joselin, we were teaching her about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and how that could help her in her life and my companion pulled out her Restoration pamphlet and showed Joselin the picture on the front. On the front of the pamphlet, there is a picture of the Savior holding a baby lamb we both went on to describe how we are the lamb in the Savior's arms.

When we look at this picture (#4 attached below) we see the Savior, lovingly embracing the Lamb. This is what the Savior does for us. We are His sheep and He knows us and will bring us comfort. 

In 1 Nephi 22:25 it reads:

"And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth, and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him, they shall find pasture."

Only in and through the Savior can we find true pasture. He is peace. He is love. And He is there, waiting for us to come to Him and receive comfort. We need to stop resisting Him and let Him gracefully pick us up and hold us in His arms for a while. You need Him, and He is waiting for you. We all need Christ in our lives. 

"The Savior has the power to lift burdens and replace them with hope. 'The thought is this: the Atonement leaves no tracks, no traces. What it fixes is fixed. ... It just heals, and what it heals stays healed."

This is the power of the Savior. What an amazing power! And guess what... we have access to His power! If we repent and talk to Him in prayer with a sincere heart, wanting to change and be forgiven, that forgiveness and lasting peace are yours!

I know this to be true! I have seen that peace in my life and I know that that same peace can be yours if you let Him hold you in His arms.

-Hermana Zimmerman

1. A Beautiful Tree Arch at the CCM

2. The awesome CCM bus that takes us places we need to go

3. The Savior and the Lost Lamb