So, back to the week.....There was the flue going around which was horrible, but hey the work continues. In order to be able to get out there and still work I had to sleep during my language study times, but it was well needed and we went out and worked hard. We picked up a family to start teaching from a referral from a member who is related to them. We walked to their house and I remember since I was so sick my body was aching so bad it was feeling like someone was taking a hammer to my joints BUT, there is truly great power in PRAYER :-D. We arrived there and gave them a blessing of health and explained beforehand what the Priesthood is. It was a good experience. They felt the Spirit very strongly.
Another experience was while we were at the home of a less active and I was really out of it and had a
real bad headache, but I focused as hard as I could on them and helping them. Next
thing I know I opened my mouth and the Spirit was speaking through me and it
was a really wonderful experience.
My favorite experiences this week
though were during exchanges. The first exchange I was the one speaking Spanish and my companion was
English speaking, so I had no one to rely on to help me teach. I had to rely on the Lord so much more and the Lessons were
awesome. My Spanish is far from perfect, but with humor, love and a sincere
desire to teach them I received help from the Lord. They went very well
and I was stretched out of my comfort zone and grew more because of it.
As for the other exchange, I went English speaking and it was
truly remarkable. We met with the Sullivan family who I've met once before, but
just connected with them right away. Their dad has Leukemia right now and is
recovering. They aren't members, but a son of theirs is a recent convert who is
now going to BYU. We taught them about the story of Nephi and the Liahona when
his bow breaks and taught them about Faith. It was so nice
being able to speak in my own tongue and communicate what at times I feel is
more effective. It was a really good experience and the love that I have for
that family, even though they aren't in my area, is great.
Later we went and
met with a referral we received from that family who is a friend of theirs.
This lady was pretty awesome as well. She lives right next to the water. Her
name is Liz and she started explaining why she was interested. So after hurricane
Sandy hit she tried looking for help from all the different churches and
organizations that have all the commercials saying they help out. She couldn't
get any of them to help her. So being a single woman and a lot of work to do
she was overwhelmed and one day when she was talking to red cross trying to get
help from them a member who was passing by heard. The next day he showed up
with a bunch of missionaries and they helped her out big time. She said they
came when she was overwhelmed not knowing where to begin and very lost. They
came in, took charge and didn't want anything in return. This stood out to her, so there we were with a golden opportunity to teach her a little about our
church :-D. We got to know her more first. She was raised Jewish, but was never
religious because her parents weren't. She sort of believes in God or something
more because without it life would be pointless. She doesn't know a lot about
what we believe about Jesus, but she is really a very smart person. She said herself that it is very hard for her to understand religion
because of that, but she really, really wants to understand and come to know if there
is a God or not and what she needs to do with her life. This visit was more of
trying to get to know her more than anything, but we did teach parts of the plan
of salvation and taught her who she is and where she came from. Adam and Eve
got to her and she said she never understood that whole story which I don't
blame her because I didn't at first. We taught her how to pray and gave her
a Book of Mormon. The spirit and love that was present during this visit was
remarkable. I felt for her because of her desire to truly
understand.
I honestly don't believe in coincidences. I really felt that I was to be where I was that day for
exchanges. It is truly wonderful to be able to be part of this work.
Probably one of the best parts of this whole exchange was to see this Elder
progress and see how far he has come since my last exchange with him a month
ago. He has a great gift of connecting with the people and it is cool because
he said he finally understands and knows why he is out here. There is no
greater feeling than bringing others closer to Christ. I understand the joy
that was felt when Alma saw the sons of Mosiah again and to find out that they
were still his brethren in the Lord and made so much progress as he did.
There are too many wonderful experiences to write about, but
I am so very grateful for them all because in spite of all the highs and lows
of the mission the Lord is with me every second of every day. He is my
strength, my guiding light and my life. As for myself I cannot do anything, but
with Him I can do all things.
I know with all my heart that this is his Church
restored on the earth once again today. I know that all who sincerely seek him
shall find him and will come to know what I have come to know. That He
lives, that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and is the Only Begotten
Son of God.
It is to know that He loves us beyond our mortal comprehension and
wants us to once again return to live with him. It is to know that he has
established a plan in order for us to do this. It is called the Plan of
Salvation and the Plan of Happiness and that Jesus Christ is central to that
plan.
I know that those who read the Book of Mormon, ponder it, pray about it
will receive an answer of the truthfulness of it. All who are reading this ask
yourselves what it would mean to you to truly know that you are a child of God
who is perfect in all things of righteousness. Who knows all things and has
power in all things. Now ask yourselves what it would mean to you if after you
have come to know this that you can communicate to him through prayer seeking
help and guidance in all things and receiving that guidance and help from a
being who knows all things and has all power.
Brothers and Sisters (and I call
you brothers and sister because we are brothers and sisters in God) I know with
all my heart, mind, and soul that these things are true. I know that Heavenly
Father loves us perfectly and wants the best for us. I know that Jesus Christ
is the only Begotten Son of God and that he came to earth, established his
church and set the example for all to be able to return to live with God again.
I know that Jesus Christ gave his life willingly in order to save all things. Most
important of all I know that Our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ lives for I
have seen his hand in my life and continue to see it.
For those of you reading who are not members of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I invite you to put my words to the test
and come to know what I have come to know and feel the joy and peace that come
from knowing these things and living them.
For those of you who are members of the Church I ask if
you have come to know these things and have come to taste of the redeeming,
strengthening, and guiding love of our Savior? If not, I
plead with you to do what you need to do to rekindle your testimony. I also
invite you to pray for opportunities to share the gospel and see those
opportunities when they arrive. I promise you that those opportunities will
come and as you do share the gospel your relationship with the Savior will
increase.
Our duty is to invite others to come unto Christ. How can we expect
someone to come unto Christ if we never invite them? Will we be naive to think
that someone else will do it so I won't? Well, what if no one else does? Think
about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed your lives and sustained you
through difficult times, perhaps a loss of a loved one, divorce, or maybe just
not knowing what to do next. Can you imagine what it would be like to go
through that without the knowledge that our Savior knows exactly how you feel,
because he went through every sickness, pain, infirmity and everything that
will happen to us in this life that just isn't right. That because he knows
this he also knows what we need to do to get through these times.
I love you
all and with all my heart want you all to succeed. I hope that you ponder these
things in your heart and that you do them, that you may come to know and
understand for the first time or the millionth time whatever it may be that the Savior did for you.
These things I leave with you in the sacred
name of our Lord, and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ, amen.
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