This past week has been amazing. There has been a lot of new
work coming our way and ideas on how to do it better and huge events
going on as well.
For instance, on Sat. we had the Temple ground breaking for
the Hartford, CT Temple and Pres. Monson came down for it. We had a new
investigator go with us to the broadcast for the event. Her name is Victoria and it is
a long story how we came in contact with her again, but it most certainly was
not a coincidence. All of the different circumstances that happened in order
for us to literally be in the right place at the right time, and then for her
to tell us that she was just thinking about us and praying that we would show
up. When she said this I felt the Spirit hit me and confirm the words she just
said. She has a lot of faith and knows the scriptures like the back of her
hand. She is a missionary for all sorts of different churches, and we can tell
that it will be a little difficult to teach her, but it will be well worth it.
Last night we had a missionary musical fireside where missionaries performed musical numbers, bore testimonies and read scriptures. I was asked to recite
scriptures to introduce the topics, so I shared D&C 19:16-19 on the Atonement and
James 1:5 on Revelation.
All the performances were beautiful, especially the
ones with our Mission President and his family. He sang one song with his 16 yr. old
daughter and one with his 13 yr. old son. Each was so beautiful and I felt the
love that they had for each other and the Spirit just overwhelmed me and that is
how it was during the whole event. His family is very musically inclined. Elder
Lefthand was able to record it, so hopefully I can get it from him.
We met with
Silvia on Thurs. and taught the restoration lesson with a young man whose
papers just went in for his mission. It was an awesome lesson. She is what we
as missionaries call a "Golden Investigator" and truly is one of the children of
God He has been preparing to receive the gospel, so it is sad she moved to New
Jersey on Sat., but we went ahead and set her up with the missionaries in her
area.
We have a new Elder in our district name Elder Nordin, who is with Elder
Nielson currently (the Elders that live with us). He is a great Elder and has
been out a little over a year now. We all bonded really easy and have the same
goals, so it is awesome to see the change in the apartment and really in just
everything. We are a lot more unified.
Everyone has been telling me how my
Spanish has improved so much and I am really grateful for that because I am a lot
more comfortable at speaking it because I can understand more now.
We had a
wedding the other day for a lady who has wanted to be baptized for 5 years and
couldn't because she wasn't married and didn't have her paper work. She has a
baptismal date on the 31st of this month. Now her husband will be able to receive
the priesthood as a result, after waiting the allotted time.
I have been doing a
study, since our District meeting, on focusing on Missionary work and the
blessings and promises that we will receive if we just do it. This is not only
for full-time missionaries, but for EVERYONE (members and non members alike) and for
those who have been baptized and are members of the church it is just to keep their baptismal covenant(promise) to God to stand as a witness of him
in all places and at all times. The blessings that we receive can help with
ANYTHING in our lives. Whether it be financially, family wise - like helping our
families become more unified and strengthened from everything going on out in
the world. We are promised to be forgiven of sins to become more clean, more in
tune with the Spirit and so many more things than I can even come close to list at
this time. So, in short, for all of you reading this and especially those who are
struggling with something in your lives, whatever it may be, just be a missionary!
Find opportunities to serve others, (opening a door, sayiing hi and asking someone how they are doing, etc.) invite others to come to church with you, to
activities or to dinner and invite the missionaries over. Share the gospel of
Jesus Christ with people and invite them to learn more about it. If you are
worried that it will ruin your friendship, it wont. Just let them know
how much you love them and why you would like to invite them, and that if they
don't want to accept, that is fine, and will not ruin the friendship. I wish I
had more time to share with you all the importance of doing these things and
the great promises awaiting. I share this with you because no matter what it is
you are going through at this time in your life, no matter where you are
spiritually, whether you are very strong in the gospel or just starting out,
these things will bless your lives in more ways than you think possible.
I
leave you with this invitation to put these things to the test and to prove God himself for he will deliver. "prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3:10
These
things have been a great blessing in my life and have helped not only my life
but my family's as a result. I know that these things are true and are out
there awaiting those who will just put them to the test.
I know that Jesus
Christ is the Savior of the World, and that He loves us more than we can ever
come close to comprehend. I know that He wants us to turn to him that he may
heal us and help us to become like him. I know that he took upon himself the
sins, sicknesses, infirmities, and injustices of this life upon himself so that
he could do this. I know that He lives and because He lives there is always
hope and He will help us. I say these things in his sacred name, even the name
of Jesus Christ, amen.
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