Testimony Thursday? =)

Remember, often how God speaks to us, is through what
He inspires others to say for our benefit...

So now I am companions for teaching, with Elder LeeMaster, and there is a good thing that he has been doing that I'm going to adopt.  Once a week, he posts testimonies from people that have learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have asked a few recent converts if they would be comfortable writing that for other people to see.  I have seen how much I have been able to grow by having the testimonies of others, and see how the gospel and their Heavenly Father has blessed them in their lives.  So here is one for today.  This is from Gail, an awesome lady that I taught who lives in British Columbia (beautiful place!!), and she was baptized about a year ago, and wrote this up a few days ago for me to post, thanks Gail!!:


I guess the best way to start is at the beginning. I was, and still am, going through a stressful time in my life when I clicked on lds.org and saw the missionary chat site. I was curious about the church and I also knew I was in need of some spiritual guidance. After talking with Elder Albright and another missionary I started to attend services at a nearby ward in Victoria, British Columbia. When I walked into the ward, I met another woman in dire circumstances just like me. After this lady and I agreed to learn more about the church from the local missionaries from that particular ward, she and I agreed to be baptized. It took me a little longer to be baptized since illness, a stressful job, and also the effects of a stressful separation from my husband caused me to miss a few days of church. But I was not going to let Satan win. Yes I was being tested but I was not going to give into the temptation and give up on my goal of joining this wonderful and true church of God.

After I was baptized I continued battling my illness, a cold that took me over ten months get rid off. But I stayed steadfast to the word of God and to the church. In fact Satan was not finished with me yet. For one day I met up with this other lady, that was baptized the same time I was,  and she begin to tell me about some teachings she had been taught that she really wasn't ready to hear or receive because she was not a strong enough of a Saint to take in and comprehend this particular message. This particular message had made this new convert uncomfortable to the point that she decided she wanted nothing to do the lds church ever again. As for me, I was a little ticked off at first because I knew I was not ready to receive this particular teaching either; and that I should not have been given this piece of information through a second hand party who probably didn't get her facts straight to begin with. Which always happens when you get information second hand like that. But the most important thing I had realized after that was Satan was using this situation to turn me away from the church.

Later on that week I while I was having one of my post baptism lessons, I told the missionaries who were instructing me about what took place between this meeting between this former convert and myself.  I also told them this was Satan's doing in trying to keep me out of the church; and to have me quit church services. But I also told these young men that I was not going to be taken in by Satan as I had been in the past. Holding steadfast to these words and that promise, here  I am a year later still attending church services. In fact I also been given a calling as an assistant nursery teacher in the primary program in my ward.

As for my personal struggle,s they are still there. I am still working at my very stressful job and there seems to be no end in sight in regards to my separation. But as long as I have the word of God to comfort me and give me strength I know can get through anything.

So that is my testimony of faith. It's not a long one, and I don't know if it is a strong one but it is my personal testimony as to the way I am still with the lds church. A church that I know to be true to the word and the teaching of our Savior and our Heavenly Father.