Bright Lights and the Big City!

I love Jakarta! Miracles happened this week, as they do every week!! Here's one..We have been praying and praying and praying again that our investigator, Carly, would get the complete okay from her mom to be baptized on the 10th of May. We watched the movie "The Testaments" with her on Wednesday and at the end, when the Savior comes down and serves the people on the Americas, we all had tears in our eyes. She said she felt the spirit stronger than she ever has before, and she knew that the Lord would provide a way for her. I explained to her that sometimes we feel like Helam in that movie, he is a little ways from the crowd, hearing about what the Savior is doing for OTHERS, healing others, helping others, blessing others. We often read in the scriptures about the Savior and hear about others experiences with how Jesus Christ has blessed them. However, the most powerful part of the movie is when the Savior leaves the crowd and comes to Helam, and heals his blind eyes so he can see. We can all have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not just know of Him, but know Him. He cares about you, He loves you, just as much as he cares about His apostles and prophets. 

Last night we got a call from Carly, she asked us to say a quick prayer for her because she was about to talk to her mom about getting baptized this Sunday...I will send you pictures next week!! This is the most fulfilling work, the greatest thing I've ever done. Nothing beats the joy I have felt and continue to feel everyday here in Indonesia! These are my people!! See you soon!

Much Love,

Sister Reilly

making a difference.

I love my mission. I feel like I'm the Lords investigator here. He's continually teaching me, humbling me, preparing me, helping me, guiding me, and ultimately shaping me into someone that can return to dwell with Him. I feel like I am making a difference here in Indonesia, but I know that really CHRIST is who makes all the difference. I have learned how to love. I have learned that love is what is most important. I have learned that Heavenly Father loves me no more than he loves the man asking for money on the bus, or the women selling fruit on the side of the road. His love is perfect.

I don't have much time, but I just want to share a little bit about my companion. What started as one of the hardest companionships for me has been one of the greatest blessings of my mission. Having my foot hurt has taught me that I cannot do anything on my own, we need the help of others! My companion has served me and helped me and throughout these few months we have learned to work together and SERVE together. We have overcome weaknesses together and grown as servants of the Lord. I want to testify that love is always the answer. It is what matters and it is what the Savior exemplifies so perfectly!

"pure christ-like love flowing from righteousness can change the world"

Jeffery R. Holland

I believe that! The work here is amazing, we have some amazing people we are teaching and hopefully I will be able to see a few of them enter in the waters of baptism before I leave! This is the greatest work!! 

Love,

Sister Reilly

classic move.

Well, I can't say it was the BEST week in my mission, but it was still a great week! I was super inspired by a couple of Dane White's emails that Dad sent me last week. They had a crazy goal to reach and teach 250 people in one week about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. They ended up getting to about 150 people, that is awesome. 150 people got a lesson and a prayer from two of the Lords servants,,think about how many seeds were planted! I was so fired up to try and I got my comp bought into it also! Right after emailing we started calling members, so we could go on splits everyday and reach double the amount of people. We hit the streets on fire and started talking to everyone who would listen, surprisingly, almost everyone was allowing us to pray with them and teach them,,we taught about families, Jesus Christ, and that all truth has been restored to the Earth through a living prophet. We heard peoples struggles, problems, sicknesses, worries, fears, goals, and plans. We helped people see how the Book of Mormon could help them with all of these. By Tuesday night we were exhausted, but I had never felt better. Then we hit a little speed bump on Wednesday morning...Long story short, my foot had a fight with some glass and the glass won..lots of blood and 9 stitches later I was vegging out on my bed at home while I could have been helping the Lord save souls!

Here's where the real miracle comes in though...because we had members ready to go on splits with us everyday, my companion still got to go out and save souls...yes! But that's not even the miracle. One of people who was willing to help us was a non-active member, Lena. Lena stayed home with me for three days and I came to love her. The first day she stayed with me, she got a call from her family on another island that her brother had gone into the hospital with a heart problem. The second day she got the call that her brother had passed away. She really broke down and was so sad. She began asking me questions about where we will go after this life, about the plan of salvation and about where her brother was and if she would ever see him again. She told me about her struggles, her falling away from the church and her desire to be a true follower of Christ. That was a miracle for me. The Lord always provides a way. Yes, I'm a little bummed that we didn't reach our goal, but hey, we tried and we definitely didn't fail. We ended reaching over 50 people..not bad. 50 more people who hopefully felt closer to their Heavenly Father than they did before they met two missionaries. How many people can you help? How many burdens can you lift? The number really doesn't matter, but the PEOPLE do. The worth of souls is GREAT in the sight of God. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude and love for my Father in Heaven. He knows me, he knows what I need, and His love is perfect. Jesus Christ's grace IS SUFFICIENT. Whatever struggle, feelings of regret, failure, heartache you have,, Jesus Christ's grace is sufficient for YOU. He loves you and knows you as if you were the ONLY thing he has ever created. 

With all my love,

and all my stitches,

Sister Reilly

I know I can..be what I want to be!

Alright, I am out of time to email...so I'm sorry I won't write any long email this week because I used up my time responding to emails, BUT I just want to say how much I love this work!!! And I love you! AMAZING things a happening here and will continue to happen, everyday!! Miracles, everyday!

How are you going to change this week to come closer to the living Christ?? What can you do to be better this week than you were last week? What can you do to be better today than you were yesterday? What can you do to help someone this week? How can I be a better mother, brother, leader, student, employee, grandmother, missionary, PERSON??

Now, lets do it!!I

Let's repent and be better. Growth, progression, learning, becoming are all forms of repentance. KEEP TRYING. Like it was said in conference, we only fail when we stop trying! 

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

With LOVE,

Sister Reilly

He lives!

Another amazing week in INDO! President Donald has started this thing in our mission called "Master Teacher" where we have to memorize all the lessons 1-5, memorize scriptures for each point and commitments to be given and then recite them word for word (like missionaries used to do) to our leaders to get passed off and then do that 5 times to become a master teacher. It is to help us just focus on the basics and before better teachers of the gospel. I was working on that this week and studying the same things I had been teaching my whole mission, but something struck me and has impacted my mission this week and that is LOVE. Every lesson, every thing we teach is centered on the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. One of the most well-known scriptures in Christianity is John 3:16.."For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God Loves us so He sent His Son, He loves us so He has given us families, and he loves us so He has restored His church on the Earth and called a living prophet to lead and guide us. We have been working with a husband and wife, Edy and Sulis, for about a month now and have tried to strengthen and comfort them as they have been going through a big trial in their life. Their 16 year old daughter, Marta, ran away from home and has not returned for 2 months. We have been praying with them that she would return home and testified to them that this gospel would bless and strengthen their family. Marta came home this week and we got to meet with her and talk a lot with her. She had gotten many tattoos and didn't look too good, but as we sat and talked with her I seriously just felt this overwhelming love for her. I thought about the love that her parents have for her and how much more love her Heavenly Father has for her. I could just see this light about her and see how much potential she has, and had an even greater desire to help her see what is going to bring her REAL happiness, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't know if that family will get baptized, I hope they do, but what I do know is that Heavenly Father loves us. He knows us and His plan is a plan of happiness. There will be trials, struggles, weaknesses, sorrow, but ultimately, if we follow His plan, follow His son Jesus Christ, we will find Happiness. I am so happy and so grateful for my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ and for this great plan of happiness!! I love you!!

Semangattttt,

Sister Reilly

Chelloooo, you've gotta a bass. (thanks paiger)

Such an amazing week!! Yesterday Elisabeth and her two boys were baptized, a miracle I will never forget! The Elders investigator, John was also baptized, it was a great day and one of the most spiritual baptismal services I've attended. One of the reasons for that was because of the love the members in the ward already have for these four children of God! The ward played such a big part in their coming to Christ, and that is what makes the difference. Elisabeth and her boys stayed at the church until about 5:00 just talking with members, they didn't want to go home. I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father allowed me to help this amazing family find truth, something they had been searching and praying for. I asked Elisabeth a while back if she was ready and willing to endure to the end, and stay strong no matter what trials lied ahead and she said something that touched my heart, she said something to the effect of "I have been searching and searching and have finally found my Fathers home on Earth, where else would I go?" Where else would we go? I testify that this is our Christ's Church, His Gospel in it's fullness. For those of us who have found our Fathers home, felt the peace and joy that comes through His Gospel, may we help others also find their way to Him. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for the opportunity to be a part of this work of salvation. I know with all my heart that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, called by Jesus Christ himself to lead and guide us TODAY. We have a living prophet and apostles who receive direct revelation from God for us. Jesus Christ is my Savior, this is His Church, the Book of Mormon is His work and THIS is His work.

I love you!!!

Jangan Kapok,

Sister Reilly

The first and great commandment...the second is like unto it.

Well, it was an interesting week, that's for sure! As you already know, I got dengue fever and was forced to go into the hospital, but I'm all good now! I think I was just supposed to get dengue so we could meet this awesome lady in the hospital! Her name is Ibu Atit. She was in the same room as me and she started asking us a ton of questions about our church. We taught her about the restoration and she asked for a copy of Book of Mormon, she told us she wanted us to come over to her house as soon as she gets better...everything happens for a reason! She was moved by companions conversion story because she is also Muslim. 

Our investigators are still doing awesome! We are so excited for Elizabeth and her two sons baptism next week! The ward already loves them and they fit right in. It has truly been a miracle to see how the gospel has blessed this family's life. Last night, we taught Laura's husband and challenged him to be baptized on the 5th of April along with Ibu Ribka and her three daughters. He received the invitation and is excited about the gospel of Jesus Christ! 

All of us missionaries in Jakarta put on an activity at our church this week for investigators and members and it was such a success! We had a ton of people come and it was way fun! 

These last couple of weeks I have been having a really hard time loving my companion. I think the adversary knows the amazing work we have going on right now and is trying to find anyway to stop us. I have been praying like crazy that I would be able to feel more love for my companion and that I would know how I could better help her. Yesterday in the English ward, the monthly bulletin came out and it was a write up on my companion and I. It was both of our stories of how we decided to serve missions and our advice for member missionary work. One of the brothers who was speaking got up and said that as he read the bulletin, it brought tears to his eyes. He proceeded to read it again over the pulpit. He said that it brought tears to his eyes because two people, completely different, one coming from California, going to college, coming from a family of all members and the other from a little village in Indonesia, only receiving an elementary education, the one and only Christian in her family, have come together because of one person, and one purpose, Jesus Christ. I couldn't help but tear up as he shared that and I was humbled. We are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, no matter where we come from, our backgrounds, our interests, our personalities, we are all part of a heavenly family. How great is this gospel? We are brought together and become one through Jesus Christ, our Savior. We must learn to live with differences, and love EVERYONE despite of them. It is a commandment from God. I love my Savior and His Gospel, as we live it fully, it shapes us and molds us, until someday, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we worthy to live with our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ, again.

"How sweet the joy this sentence is, I know that my Redeemer lives."

Love you!

Sister Reilly

Ibu Ribka's Fam!

My english class!

trying to make cookies with a cerial bowl and a toaster oven..

Dengue..

Our activity!