Ponta Pora Week 38

December 22, 2014

This was taken From Sister Reber's bolg - Mission Mom

Our Christmas Zone Conferences
December 16, 18, 2015 

This is the only time of the year that we come together having 2 Zone Conferences.  We meet with the 4 Zones in the North of our Mission,

then we come together having the Conference with the 4 Zones in the South.

We celebrated in the Morning with President challenging all our Missionaries to be Consecrated Missionaries

We Consecrated a vial of Oil - Each Missionary went home with a personal vial of our Consecrated Oil

We then celebrated the 3 Gift's of Christmas.  It has become our tradition these past 3 years.

The 1st Gift is a gift the Missionaries give to the Savior - Each Missionary was challenged to give a Baptism, a true Convert.

The 2nd Gift was a gift that the Missionaries give to the Mission President - Each Missionary was asked to memorize a favorite Scripture - they all recited to President and Sister Reber 

The 3rd Gift was a gift to the Missionaries from President and Sister Reber -  This year we played the story of the Nativity

As a gift to all the Missionaries we gave them each a MissionTemple Recommend Holder, and Pop up Clothes Hamper 

After lunch we asked each Zone to share a Talent with us.  They shared music, skits and even a little Magic.  We have a talented group of Missionaries!

We closed the Conference talking about the Living Water

Aimee Anderson's Testimony- MOM

I want you to know that I have a testimony that Jesus Christ is our Savior.  I know he has taken upon him all my sins and died for me.  I know he rose from the tomb on the third day and that he lives.  I know that because he lives we all will be resurected and have the opportunity to live forever with our families.  A few weeks ago my son was with some friends and one of his friends was in a terrible accident.  They were all alone on a country road and his friend had serious head injuries and they didn't know if help could make it in time.  He prayed and had a peace come over him that his friend would be ok. He received a blessing from someone who came along that he would have the blessing of healing.  Help did come and he is now in the hospital in critical condition.  None of the emergency team thought he would survive the ride to the hospital, because he was in such bad shape.  Miracle are happening for this boy.  His family has bore a powerful witness that he knew he was going to come to earth and undergo this trial, but with the help of his family everything would be ok.  His mom told me if the Savior needs him more than they do right now, which she couldn't imagine, but if he does then she would accept his will.  I know our savior loves each and everyone of us no matter where we live in this big old world.  I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Season sharing the message of our Saviors birth.  I went on a mission and their isn't one day that I don't draw strength from it.  

Take care and God Be With You! 

Mom

Austin's Testimony- 13 years old

I remember a story my mom told me here it is.

This has a thought provoking message no matter how you believe. Does evil exist? The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists?

A student bravely replied yes, he did!"

"God created everything?" The professor asked.

"Yes sir", the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil".

The student became quiet before such an answer.

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?" "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?" "What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.

The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?" The professor responded, "Of course it does".

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of
darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. "These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young mans name --- Albert Einstein

I like this story because it shows great courage and faith to be able to stand up for our religon and our beliefs. I have a testimony that evil does not exist on this earth it is just an excuse that we humans made up when we shut god out or when he is not near. I also know that heavenly father has a plan for each and everyone of us and we can have the privilage to live with him once more. Don't shut god out don't let evil become your excuse for wrong chooses or bad things that happen to you just have that faith and courage like this student had to his professor.

The Church is true.

-Austin B. Anderson