STAND IN THE GAP!

Hello Everyone! 

Greetings from i'm-continually-amazed-at-how-much-people-like-to-decorate-for-Halloween-here-it-is-borderline-terrifying-Colorado! 

These Coloradans are hilarious.... 

What a week.... Sister B and I are adjusting to being companions, but all is well. I'm so grateful for all of the different companions I was able to have on my mission. I learned something new from every single one.... God is soo in charge of this work and just shapes us and molds us if we let him!  It's wonderful.

We have been led to AMAZING people.  We went to an address on the ward directory, but the family had moved. Who lived there now?? A woman who was watching BYU tv at that very moment, who had so many Mormon friends growing up.  She let us in for a drink of water and after talking with her for a good 15 minutes, she wants to meet with us. AMAZING!!!!!  Heavenly Father has been so good to me... sometimes I can't even express how happy and grateful I am. 

The next member finding principle I want to share with you is about the need to stand in the gap. 

Matthew 22:37-40 teaches us that the first commandment is to love God, and the second is to love our neighbor. God loves His children perfectly.  Just like a parent sending a kid to college or even on a mission, that parent prays that someone will be there to watch out for their child and love them while they can't.  It is the same with us. God wants us to reach out and love and support and help our brothers and sisters because that is a means of Him answering prayers said and unsaid.  There is such a need to reach out and stand in the gap for people... a gap is something that separates. Maybe a gap is sadness, loss of job, loss of loved one, misunderstanding, confusion, worry, questions.... we who have the gospel can love our friends and stand in the gap for them and help them when they need it most. We should seek to have friends of all faiths, not as a means to an end, but as an end in itself. We can be so enriched by gaining more understanding of others' beliefs, and then if they ever have a gap, we can stand in and be a good friend who helps them as they are away from home.

My invitation to you all is to seek one way to expand your circle of friends this week.  Be a little more friendly, invite an acquaintance to something in which you can become a friend.  As we love our neighbors, and love God, and love the Gospel the light we have will be a blessing to everyone around us.

I know that God does know every single one of His children, and He loves them. Even those that don't love Him back.  He is ever ready to show us that love if we'll just turn to Him. 

I love you all.... I can't believe that in 5 weeks time I'll be back... bugging ya... not from a distance. haha. I'm still praying for you!  

Onward Christian Soldiers!

From me to you, Sister Kinzie Lou