Victoria Day

Hello dearest friends and Family! today is a GREAT day! aaww man.. started out waking up at 5 am to some people in the swimming pool- we have a pool for the apt. right by our window- and these people were SO loud. i woke up and thought they were in the room. seriously. ha. but i was able to take a short nap and wake up at 5.45. we did an INTENSE work out at a members home- it was SSOO good. then we carried on with our usual morning schedule- THEN we had activity- played football, ultimate frisbee and then SOCCER. ugh i was sssoo sweaty- i was working really hard- i love it. and now here i am reading my dear emails! love it. well this week has been soo great! a few highlights:
1. we saw a girl with a HUGE eye- with stitches- her bf whos much older than her (shes 15), broke a bottle over her face.. scary.. (this happened a few weeks ago but i just thought about her)
2. our dear Alicia is growing a ton in the gospel and shes really making changes- she may not see them as much as we do- but shes soo good!- she gave us sisters a CUTE heart necklace carved from wood, a cute elephant (means good luck and fortune), a leather ring (ssoo cute), a cross made from hemp stuff, and chocolate! she is SSOO cute. i love her so much!
3. we had a Word of Wisdom lesson with Crissy- she stopped smoking! she said she needed a challenge (originally she was going to quit right before baptism), so crystal, our GREAT member- said shed quit pop! well crystal was assuming SHED quit pop just until th ebaptism.. then crissy laid it down and said- nnoo.. im quitting forever- so are you! ahha.. then i HAD to do it- so i chimed in and i quit pop FOREVER too!! haha.. i didnt realize how much i love pop (well i did- just not really admitting it), until that moment i said i would do it with them! i realized how hard it would be. i dont see anything wrong with drinking pop.. well i mean pop and the sugar are not good for you- but anyways.. BUT i realized how hard it must be for people to stop a bad habit! they KNOW that its bad for you- but since you dont see the 'bad' results right away, all you think about is the instant gratification.. you continue with the habit. you say.. ah a cigarette here, drink(pop included!) there- it wont do me any harm.. but really it does! its bad for you physically and spiritually.. WHAT GOOD IS COMING OUT OF IT? nutritional value.. hhmm no. yeah no good.. BUT when we think- meh- i like the taste, it calms me down etc.. then we realize that its not doing good- just wasting our money.. ugh. anyways.. im over this tangent.. but really. just quitting things that are not good for us really helps us! man the Lord is ssoo good when He gives us commandments!He KNOWS what He is talking about! i LOVE it! BUT i know its hard and it will be hard for all of us- but we gotta do it! you gotta take it one day at a time and think of the blessings you will see!
4. we were in a lesson with Crissy- it was me, katie, crystal and the other 2 sisters- this man knocks on the door (she lives in a lil studio apt.), and she goes to see who it is- its her neighbor that has apparently been coming over and trying to take her out- for a while.. well he was asking to use her phone, then for her to call an ambulance-- he had his zip up opened up with his body hangin out- and shorts on- it was a lil shaddy. she asked what was wrong and he said he cut himself but he didnt want her to see it because it was so bad.. so he started walking into the door and continued to ask to use the phone. meanwhile us other 5 girls are sitting on the bed a bit sketched out and confused because this big man is trying to come in. well. she saw his arm and he was bleeding all over! he slit his wrists! scary. so katie knows first aid and was talking to him while crissy was talking to the ambulance.. it was pretty intense.. he had blood all over- weird.. but anyways. he got taken away.. hes fine now- hopefully hes doign better..
5. on weds we went to institute and the teacher was telling us abotu 'thinking time' that he has at his home with his 5 kids. he said that they take 30 minutes a day and just THINK.. not read, sleep or draw.. just think.. he said they love it and its really good to just think and receive revelation. well his kids are all 6 and under- so the first time he did it- he asked the eldest what they were thinking about; the response: "how you can be a better dad".. haha so he asked, "how can i do that?" "more kisses and hugs" his daughter told him!! ssooo cute! i love that. we all need time to think and reflect and see what we think and how we feel about things.. i know we all get caught up in life- its good to just look back and take things easy and see what we really think and feel about.. life.

Recently we have been teaching members about the atonement. i LOVE this.. its so important for everyone to know! i think so few of people actually know what it is.. i didnt before my mission and im still trying to wrap my head around it. i kow that it works- that we will be cleansed from sin and forgiven when we apply it.. that it heals us of all our pains and sorrows.. but i dont fully understand everything- thats okay with me! just like a cell phone. i cant fully understand or begin to explain it- but it works and thats great- ill use it! BUT the atonement is made up of 3 parts:
1. when Christ bled in the garden of Gethsemane (bible-Matt. 26.36-45). WHen He did this He felt all of our pains, sicknesses, broken hearts, bones trials, temptations, death.. EVERYTHING.. so He would know how to help us and comfort us when we go through hard times.. (book of Mormon- Alma 7. 11-14). Ive had people say- "i know how you feel".. umm. actually, you dont.. BUT Christ DOES! thats the great thing!
2. when He died on the cross for us- this was necessary- He HAD to die so that He could feel death(being crucified- one of the worse ways to die) and so He could become resurrected- for US.(bible- matt 27. 23-50)
3. when He was resurrect:His body and spirit reunited and together again.. He did this so that we could have our bodies again! ( bible-matt. 27.51- matt 28).. what a blessing! imagine NOT having your body again.. yikes.
There is a scripture in the Book Of Mormon- its talking about charity and how charity is the greatest attribute to have. well Christ had a perfect charity- perfect love for others.. well the hardest- most expressed act of charity was the atonement.. in Moroni 7. 44-45, it helps me get a feel for how important the atonement is. lets replace 'charity' with the words 'the atonement..
44. If so, his faith and hope is vain, for non is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lovly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have the atonement, for if he have not the atonement he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have the atonement.
45. And the atonement suffereth long, and is kind and enveieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things and endureth all things.
46. wherefore, my beloved bretheren, if ye have not the atonement, ye are nothing, the for atonement never faileth. wherefore, cleave unto the atonement which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail-
47. but the atonement is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that. without the atonement we truly are NOTHING> we woudlnt have a purpose in life because we wont be able to return to our Heavenly Father! we need it! we can use the atonement by repenting, having faith, being baptized or taking the sacrament once you have been baptized.. and staying true and faithful to the things we know to be true- the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
I know these things to be true and i will continue to live to tell others about them and i will die for it! i know that our Heavenly Father loves all of us and wants us happy! we just need to get over pride and ourselves and ask for help! we can be forgiven! i better go. i love you all! thank you for all you do!
love sister Horning