Week 2- Last Week at the MTC!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

 

    Well this has been a blur of a week. On Wednesday morning I got sick and was so upset that I was going to have to miss stuff. I ended up going to the health clinic here and they gave me some pills to help and they did. But, what I loved the most was how when people found out I was sick they all told me that I was surrounded by Elders who could give me a priesthood blessing. It made me so glad that God's priesthood power has been restored and that I was surrounded by so many that honored that gift. I did end up getting a blessing from my district leader and his companion and it was great. I did not feel better right away but I was able to attend class that afternoon after I had slept the rest of the morning. After that day, I took things a bit easier, especially with the food, but I never got sick again which I was very grateful for. I hope that I wont get sick again because it is the worst to be stuck in when all you want to do is be out; plus you feel like you are holding your companions back all day! It truly was a blessing that I was only sick for half a day because later that night there was an outbreak and people were being "quarantined".

 

     One of the great moments of the week was when we were teaching a less active member and I had no idea how to tell him that his Heavenly Father loved him. He had an inoperable brain tumor, cancer, and then is separated from his wife. He doesn't understand how a loving God would do this to him. And in all honesty I don't know why either but that does not mean that Heavenly Father doesn't love him. We told him that he was a child of God and that his life was hard and wasn't going to be getting easier. (Looking back that was bold and possibly rude) But he did not have to go through this life facing his trials alone. We have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to this Earth for this purpose - to be able to succor us from all physical pain, and spiritual pain. I told him that I knew his savior was there and wanted to help if he would only turn to him. Then I told him that he could become a King, God saw so much potential in him, he just needed to see his full potential too. He paused and the spirit was so strong. I asked what he was thinking? And this is how I know that I am truly just a messenger - He said, "That is the exact wording of my patriarchal blessing" There was silence and I could tell that God was changing him. He was finally letting the Savior help him with his trials. Then he said that this was the first time in a long time that He has felt the Holy Ghost. I was in tears and asked, "Do you want it to go away?" and he said, "No". "Exactly... God wants you back and He wants to help you so much because he loves you and you are His son!" We then asked if he would start going back to church because we knew that he would be able to feel the Holy Ghost if he started going back and truly accessing the Savior's Atonement. The Spirit was so strong! I love the spirit! The part that is hard is that I may never see him again, and I am struggling in putting all my faith in Heavenly Father and His time table for each of us. But there are no better hands than His and I do know this to be true.

 

   This gospel is amazing! It truly is marvelous... I finally understood some of the blessings of baptism... We receive a member of the GODHEAD when we are baptized. How awesome is that?? He will be our constant companion when we live worthily. I don't know how else to say it but God is so good to us even when we don't always deserve all of the blessings we receive. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be serving Him and being an instrument in bringing others His gospel. I Love being here and pray that you all are doing well!

 

Love Always,

   Sister Cassidy Jean Lang

Week 1- First Week!

Dear Family and Friends,

    Well here I am in the MTC and it is my first week and it has been crazy! They keep us so busy all the time we literally have to wake up running and keep running until we go to sleep. They keep extending challenges that are optional but you feel like you should keep. One is we have to read 27 pages of the Book of Mormon a day and I am already behind. Oh dear there is never enough time to do everything I want to. Then we have to write a 3-5 minute talk every week that I am here in the MTC and we might be called on to share in sacrament. This past week was on faith and this coming week is on repentance. Plus, we have already started teaching and we have 3 investigators. Well they are fake but it is still really good practice! There are so many moments of high and lows.

     Our fist investigator is named Jordan and he is actually our teacher but he pretends to be an investigator. Our first visit with him my companions and I thought went terrible. We tried to teach him about prayer and help him know that he is a son of God. I felt like we just could not get through to him. We did ask him to pray and he said he would so I guess that was a success. Then with our second visit, it went really well, we went in wanting to teach about the atonement and it went really good, I could feel the spirit and was so glad that I had prepared and could use some of the scriptures we had found earlier. After we taught him he (as our teacher now) asked us to come back in and told us that we had been great with our first lesson and also with this past. It was such a relief but it was good for us to think that we didn't do great the first time because we could be humble and allow us to grow and try harder.

    Second investigator is our other teacher Brother Pead and his investigator name is Ryan. He is great! He understands the Bible and has said he would be baptized if it was the Lord's will. I was so happy that he said that so I actually asked him to fist pound me. He just looked at me like, "Really?". Yep I made him do it and we all laughed at how weird I am some times. But I know that the Lord has called me Sister Cassidy Jean Lang to be a missionary and He wants me to be myself if He didn't want who I was then He wouldn't have called me. I love this work and it feels so great having people accept the gospel and I just love how good the Spirit feels. Even at the frustrating moments I can still feel the Spirit and it is so nice.

     Our third investigator we have only met once and boy was she hard! She loves to talk! I don't think we talked for a total of 8 minutes. It was really hard and frustrating after because I felt like we got no where with her :( We are meeting with her again on Wednesday. So hopefully that lesson will go better.

     My companions are Sister Curtis from Utah and then Sister Nethercott from Wyoming (she went to Jerusalem the semester before me and also roomed with Carly for a semester up in Idaho.) They are both great and we work really well in a trio. It is so fun to be with them and I love trios now. It is an extra person to receive revelation and have a different perspective.

     One thing I learned this week: From studying the scriptures and then personal studying I have come to realize the difference between loving everyone and every ONE. My goal is to love every ONE. That is how I want to change hearts one by one, loving each individual and know them to be the son or daughter of God that they are. Well I think that is it... I hope everyone is doing well at home or at school. I would encourage everyone to just pray to know that we are truly Heavenly Father's literal children and He loves us so much!

Love Always,

   Sister Cassidy Lang

Farewell

Good morning Brothers and Sisters, somehow you guys weren’t paying attention the last time I gave a talk over summer break so the bishopbric (aka my dad) thought it best that I share it again... So back in Jerusalem. Just kidding I have prepared a new talk but I don’t know if it is for your benefit or mine. The reason for this time around is this is my farewell talk.-we don’t have farewell talks so this is my see you in 18 months talk If you have not already heard, I have been called to serve a mission in the Honolulu, Hawaii mission speaking English. I report to the MTC January 16, so just around the corner. A bit about my mission: my mission covers all the main islands and then extends to include Midway Island and Johnston Atoll. My map is mainly black with a few white dots (the white dots is where I will be teaching). And I am thrilled. 

I do not know why the Lord needs me in Hawaii but I can tell you this much - I know God has a plan for each of us; the unfortunate part is he doesnt give the plan to our parents when we are born. We have to discover it and grow into it. Psalms 121:1-2 reads, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord.” Quoting President Uchtdorf’s talk “Your Happily Ever After”, “ We all search for happiness, and we all try to find our own “happily ever after.” The truth is, God knows how to get there! And He has created a map for you; He knows the way. He is your beloved Heavenly Father, who seeks your good, your happiness. He desires with all the love of a perfect and pure Father that you reach your supernal destination. The map is available to all. It gives explicit directions of what to do and where to go to everyone who is striving to come unto Christ and “stand as [a witness] of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.” All you have to do is trust your Heavenly Father. Trust Him enough to follow His plan.” The Lord has given us the tools to discover His will; through scriptures, patriarchal blessings, prophet’s words, and personal revelation that we receive through prayer. It is this that I want to focus my talk on. We know the Lord’s general plan from reading Moses 1:39 “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Then when you look up the Plan of Redemption in the Topical Guide it says the Lord’s work includes the Creation, Fall, and Atonement, along with all God-given laws, ordinances, and doctrines, This plan makes it possible for all people to be exalted and live forever with God.” Eternal life is what the Lord wants for each of us but everyone’s path on how to get there is different.

 

Praying for guidance is needed in discovering the Lord’s will. Prayers are answered after we do the footwork - then the Lord will grant us our desire for truth and knowledge. This is a list that I made of what I know, which isn’t much, of how prayers are answered: 

Study it our minds D&C 9:8, “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right.”

I look back on the start of this past semester and remember talking to my mom and to my cousin Rachel, and telling them something this semester was just off. I had great friends, classes were good, I was loving my calling, but I just felt melancholy. I didn’t know what was amiss. Was Exercise and Wellness the right major, or was I supposed to go into Public Relations because I had been to Jerusalem or maybe go into teaching. I was attending the temple, and starting to do service and they both were helping yet I still felt so unsure about what I was doing with my life. I felt like I should be done with school, doing more, working part time... there was something more for me than textbooks and studying but I couldn’t figure out what.

We have to ask Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

For years I have heard that we should go into General Conference with a question or a purpose. The past few years I have started doing this and have not been disappointed, but they were usually general things like, asking the Lord to help me forgive, be less judgmental, or to simply have another confirmation that He knows I am here and knows my struggles. Each time I would leave conference with my heart a little bit softer and knowing the Lord was mindful of me. So when October General Conference rolled around I knew I had a question - What am I supposed to be doing with my life? Should I switch majors. I told my mom and she said that conference was not going to tell me what major I should be in - and to not be disappointed. It may not be answered directly.

3. Believe that the Lord can and will answer our prayer. Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.,” 

I knew the Lord could answer me, and I was hoping that Conference would give me the answer and at least point me in the right direction. If my answer did not come in Conference then I would just have to be patient and study it out a little bit more, ask more questions and try more things; but, I never doubted that I would be answered. I am glad to say though that my prayer was answered in Conference.  I remember praying before the Saturday morning Session and asking the Lord to help me be receptive to the Spirit and to help me know when I had received my answer. Well as you can guess within 8 minutes I had my answer when the prophet announced, “As we have prayerfully pondered the age at which young men may begin their missionary service, we have also given consideration to the age at which a young woman might serve. Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21.” There it was, my answer, never in my life had my prayers been answered so directly. I was going on a mission at the age of 20. Tears were flooding my eyes and turning to my roommate I said, “I can go now, I don’t have to wait.” A few minutest later, my mom was calling me as I was trying to compose myself, “Are you watching conference?”  “Ya Mama and I want to go.” (me) “I know and I want you to go too.” (mom) It wasn’t a question to either of us and my composure was gone. I did listen to rest of conference but I can tell you that my ability to focus was out the window. 

4. Be willing to do as we are commanded 

Along with the 10 Commandments, the Word of Wisdom and other laws I choose to live by, I now had a new command - to serve a mission. Though I must say that I was not always this excited about my assignment. When I had put in my papers there were 2 things that I wanted - 1. to speak Spanish. and 2. foreign. I remember opening my call and reading, “You are herby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission... You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language.” What? I knew it was right, but I was not flying off the wall with excitement. It wasn’t spanish speaking, and it was state side. I remembered how as a girl going on family vacations to Hawaii and saying that Hawaii would be the worst place to serve because I loved the water and it would be torture to be so close but not able to touch the water. I had cursed myself to a blessing. Then, I also remembered a lesson that had been given a few weeks prior in Mission Prep. We had talked about how every mission call is the same. We are called to people not to places. The Lord asked Peter 3 times, “Lovest thou me.” And he said, “Yea, Lord thou knowest I love Thee” and Jesus commands him to “Feed my sheep.” I am commanded to feed His sheep. I am called to serve His sheep and He loves the ones that speak Spanish the same amount as those who live on the Hawaii Islands. I am called to bring His children the truth and to bring them home. It does not matter where they are from or what language they speak, they are children of God none the less

5. Stand in Holy places. D&C101:22 Behold, it is my will, that all they who call on my name, and worship me according to mine everlasting gospel, should gather together, and stand in holy places; D&C 45:32 “But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved;”

If we surround ourselves with noisy sins Heavenly Father cannot be overheard for He will try and tell us the correct path but He speaks softly and does not demand our attention. We must stand in holy places. We make places holy by the way we live our lives. We can make our own holy place by standing and living as the Savior would.

6. Walk by faith taking each step trusting in the Lord’s plan.

With my prayer answered, I started my mission papers. And in following days doubts entered my mind - was I ready? I am only 20 years old and do not know everything about the gospel. What if I couldn’t help someone because I was ill prepared? Was I ready to be the instrument that God needed me to be. But I pressed forward not knowing what to do. That day I had I made banana bread and was going to give some to my FHE brothers. They were in the middle of scripture study and invited me to join. We ended up reading 1 Nephi 17 about Nephi building the ship and verse 50 came as a reconfirmation to me. It reads, “And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them.” 

When we walk along the God’s path it will be right. He will let us know that we are on the correct path. It will bring peace into our lives even if when we are facing troubles. 

 

The Lord gives us a promise found in 1 Nephi 15:11 - “Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.” When we follow these steps the Lord will answer our prayers, He will reveal truth and light to us and we shall know the things that we should do. When we follow these steps of studying it out in our minds, asking, believing the Lord will answer, being willing to do as the Lord commands, standing in holy places, and walking by faith we will come to know the Lord’s path for us. 

 

My journey of deciding to serve a mission was just that a journey. It was not overnight, I wasn’t one of those girls that knew I was going to serve since I was a girl. It has always in the back of my mind and I knew it would be a great experience but I always said we will see when I get to be 21. Who knows I will probably be married by then or in my career. Everything was up in the air. The first time that I knew I wanted to serve came to me when I was in Jerusalem actually. Being surrounded by so many good people and I not allowed to share with them the truth. They could see the light in our eyes and asked about it. They wanted this light too, but it truly hurt when I couldn’t share it with them. I was not allowed to tell them about the most important thing in the world to me. It was then I realized just how much the gospel meant to me. I wanted to share it with everyone. Another thing that has influenced my decision to serve a mission is I look back on my life and as my dad says, “I have lived a charmed life.” I do not argue that fact, I have grown up with financial blessings, surrounded by people who love me, who teach me and guide me in the path of righteousness. I have had amazing experiences from attending BYU to going to Jerusalem and meeting so many of God’s children. I don’t have mental or physical challenges. I live a charmed life and what kind of daughter would I be if I didn’t give back? Who am I, who has been given so much over my life to not be able to give a simple and short year and a half of my life to serving others? I would feel so ungrateful if I did not give what little I have to offer to my Savior and Heavenly Father when They have given me everything. I decided to serve a mission because the Lord told me it was apart of the plan for me and I am wiling to do what the Lord’s will is for me because He sees the greater picture. I have such a limited perspective and He knows and wants me to follow the path that will lead me to the greatest happiness, eternal life. In closing, I want to share one last scripture in Alma 17:13 when the sons of Mosiah are departing from one another and going to share the gospel to the Lamanites, “And it came to pass when they had arrived in the borders of the land, that they separated themselves and departed one from another, trusting in the Lord that they should meet again at the close of their harvest; for they supposed that great was the work which they had undertaken.” As I leave for my mission and follow the path set for me I hope we all find and follow the path that has been designed for us. 

My Time in Jerusalem and The Blind Man- ME

Boker Tov and Marhaba Brother and Sisters.

I would like to start off my talk by sharing my favorite miracle that Christ performed. It is at the beginning of John 9:

1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 

3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

As many of you know, I studied abroad where I lived in Jerusalem for 4 months and it is an experience that has changed my life. I saw and met so many people that lived in the city where all of Christ’s miracles occurred but yet they did not have the full truth. One of the hardest things for me was not being allowed to talk about our faith. All I could say when asked questions was that I was Mormon and if they asked what that was I would say, “I am a Christian.” That was it; all further questions I had to refuse to answer. The church had signed an agreement saying there would be no proselyting in Israel in order to obtain the building permit required to build the Jerusalem Center. After the lease had been signed, one of the Israelis remarked, “We know that you are not going to proselytebut what are you going to do about the light in their eyes?” He was referring to our students who were studying in Israel. We may not be allowed to do active missionary work but that does not mean Mormons have not left a mark in the Holy Land.

My first full day in Jerusalem, I am walking in a small group of 10 students with one of the professors. There is so much to take in but we keep a fast pace as our professors try to tell us the main landmarks so we will be able to at least find our way back to the center when we are allowed to explore this city. All the store keepers come out greeting us students and the professors that they apparently know quite well saying, “Mormons, mormons, welcome! Here is my card, come visit my shop. I give good prices to the Mormons.” I keep thinking how do they know I am Mormon? I came to find out that this was a normal greeting for us. Throughout my stay in Israel we were consistently recognized as the Mormons, people knew who we were.

Later on I had the chance to sit down with the money exchanger and ask him, “How do you recognize the Mormons? Is it the backpacks, our dorky/frumpy clothes, or the fact that we are always in groups of 3 or more?” Aladdin’s response caught me off guard, “When I see you walk down the streets, I see the faces of angels.” It was then that I finally believed that this “light in our eyes” that I have been told about my whole life became real. There is a visible difference that others can see.

Many of you know Tal Segal, born Jewish and raised in Galilee who became Mormon when he moved to California at the age of 12. He happened to be visiting family while I was there. We ended up meeting at church in Galilee and after he filled me in on what was happening at home he told me that he missed being around Mormons. Then it was so easy, I told him to come to Jerusalem and visit us. One of the times he came he brought a friend, Eyal. Eyal is of Jewish nationality, atheist, and plays the piano very well, but that is a scarce talent in Israel because he took a 3 hour bus ride once a week to attend lessons in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Center houses the nicest piano in all of Israel and holds weekly concerts open free to the public. So Eyal wanted so badly to see that piano; Tal and him came into the center and ate with all the Mormons kids, went to the concert, talked after, and then I wished them on their way... nothing too special in my eyes.

On a later visit with Tal he told me that Eyal had such a wonderful time. Eyal noted that all the students he met were so nice, accepting, and had something different about them. Eyal told Tal that he planned on coming to the states to see and asked him if Tal would take him to see Salt Lake, to see the beautiful temple and to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He loved listening to their music.

People ask me if I was ever scared for my safety while I was there. I never was, though the tension between the Jewish and the Palestinians was pliable. It reminds me of the division between the Nephites and the Lamanites; both had good righteous people and both had wicked people. I came to love both people, though most of my time was spent with the Palestinians because they were the people right outside our gate. These families were kind and generous welcoming us into their homes, making us dinners, handing their kids a few shekels to go buy soda to treat their guests, and never allowing us to leave without giving us something. These were my friends my family that I came to love.

My stay in Israel is almost over, only a few days remaining and Tal comes back to visit, we walk through the old city and he is greeted with, “Mormon, Mormon.” I had to leave him a bit early because a few of us students were throwing a Goodbye party for the JC students and for the Palestinians to come say farewell. I invited Tal to come but he felt uncomfortable with the idea of him being Jewish and being surrounded by Palestinians even though I told him that they would think of him as a Mormon especially if he was seen with us. He still declined saying that he had a friend there in Jerusalem that he would go see and then he would meet me back at the center for dinner. The party started and everything was going great, more people than I expected came, even some kids that I had not even met yet showed up to play games and eat some candy. A little later we played an american football game, the rules had to be taught because many of them had never seen a football unless it was on tv. I look up to see Tal walking down the hill, somehow one of the JC students had convinced him to come along. Tal didn’t play but watched from the sidelines and after the game we all talked like we had been friend for years.

Later at dinner I asked Tal what had changed his mind, he said that it took some twisting of his arm but he finally gave it. I teased him a bit and said, “Tal you came back with no harm done.” He chuckled a bit and replied, “Ya no harm done. They didn’t even realize I was Jewish until I told them my name and even then they still talked to me.” He talked about how when I had left him he walked down the streets and was called, “Mormon”. I explained that it was because he was Mormon, I told him what Aladdin had told me about how we have faces of angles, we have a light in our eyes that people see and welcome. He told me that he could tell that the people really loved me. I nodded and said ya they do and I really love them. Being a Mormon we are supposed to love everyone. Christ loved the weak, the strong, the Samaritans, the Jews, and the Romans. One of His final phrases, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He is not a respecter of people. He does not love nationalities, He loves people, all of them. As a disciple of Christ I too must love people, all of them. Tal somewhat followed, but pointed out that there are terrorists that are Palestinians. Ya well there are also gang members who could kill me just as easily who are white. There are good and bad people all around, I would rather die knowing I did my best to love everyone than live fearing people. I want to share an email that Tal wrote me the next day: Shalom Cassidy, I wanted to say thank you so much for such an amazing day in Jerusalem. I seriously see life in a whole better amazing way that I never have before. Being raised in Israel always being told to be aware of my surroundings and to be cautious and not trust anyone on the streets- well all of that just evaporated from my life in an instant just because you helped me see things I never have. I say that if you were on a Mission right now - you totally just converted me because I felt the spirit so strongly that on the bus I had tears running down my face. I dont know how to explain it - I really cant but I feel like a new person now knowing new things. I told my mom about my day and I told her what you told me about the “Light in your eyes” and she said she believes about that light deeply and she knows a Mormon when she sees one only because of the Light in their eyes.

I want to end where I started, with the blind man:

–He stopped for me. 

On the corner of the street I lie with no sight-– 

At His feet I plea.

“Who did sin?” ask the three 

When they see my eyes clouded by forever night. 

–He stopped for me.

Astounded that I was chosen when you didn’t leave; 

My hands search for Him in my delight. 

At His feet I plea.

Spittle made from clay, and I believe; 

His thumbs anoint mine eyes, my wretchedness despite. 

–He stopped for me.

“Go wash in the pool of Siloam,” directs He. 

As I washed, came colors to my vision bright: 

At His feet I plea

Through His love He has made me free 

Never will I forget the man in White who showed me light. 

–He stopped for me. 

At His feet I will plea.

We are all blind. Whether they are Palestinians who are firmly set in their Muslim beliefs and all they see is a glimmer of light in the angel faces they see walking down the street, or an atheist who feels the light warming their souls through MOTab meeting and meeting some happy Mormon kids, or a convert who learns to set aside some past beliefs and take another step closer to becoming like Christ, or a girl who has been a member all of her life and is just now understanding the difference she can make by letting the light shine through her. Jesus stops for us all no matter our circumstances, He helps us all and brings us closer to Him with one step at a time.

I lived in Jerusalem and learned so much about Jesus and the miracles He performed and all the places He could have walked but most importantly I learned how to walk like Jesus walked. I learned to see people the way Jesus sees them and to Come and follow Him and to feed His sheep, all of His sheep.

I want to close with my testimony the first part being in Hebrew: Elohiem Tov Tameed...