may Christ lift thee up

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a great week full of opposition:) Some of the realities of mission life are: 

Biking in 103 degrees and probably 30000% humidity. 

Hospital visits. (Don't worry. All is well now) 

Being attacked by mosquitoes, even inside your apartment.

Popped tires, resulting in walking 4 miles in 103 degrees and probably 30000% humidity.

And all of these issues are really quite trivial compared to the things going on in the world. Many people this week have expressed to me their concern with real problems such as starvation, disease, war, famine, etc. As I was pondering on all of this I read in Moroni 9:25, which says: 

My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and longsuffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.

I realized that, everything is going to be okay. When we realize that the Atonement covers all that is unjust in this life, we can rest assured that our Heavenly Father knows our needs, and He will take care of us. 

There is still good in the world. There is hope and peace and light found in the gospel. 

Thank you for your prayers and faith. Michael was able to follow Christ's example this weekend and be baptized! I liked what he shared after, and felt that it relates well. He said:

"I feel really good right now. I don't feel immediately different. But I'm thinking that it will happen over time." 

Lifting is a process. Christ can lift us, and He will, when we trust in Him. But it takes time, and sometimes we suffer while we are working through things. 

It is my testimony that He lives. He loves us. He paid the price for our happiness. I hope we can be lifted by Christ in our sorrows and reach out to Him as He endlessly reaches out to us. 

-Hermana Ries