This week we hit a record with 39 people in church! Whoohoo!
It’s pretty exciting for me. This week I have been seeing a great change in the
members. The branch went to the temple this weekend and came back on a
spiritual high, like little teenagers do after EFY. During the sacrament
meeting there was time set apart so that those who went could bear their
testimony of their experience. The spirit was strong as the members testified
of temple work and of the truth of this gospel. Just hearing them, and seeing
them so happy I could see a glimpse of how God saw them, as his spirit
children. He truly loves us and knows every one of our needs.
This week I overcame much temptation. We walked into the
house of a less active and they were watching Hunger games 2. I want to see it
so bad! SO BAD! And it was right at my fingertips, I could have just watched it
then and there. But I did just what Joseph in Egypt did when Potiphar’s wife
was hitting all over him. Quote ¨and he got him out¨ (gen 39:12)
I got me out of there.
It is so important to be obedient. Even to the little
things. The Lord only sends his prepared children to his prepared servants. And
as servants of the Lord if we are not obeying his rules or commands, we will
not be prepared when he needs us.
I love the example of Nephi in chapter 17 of the book of
Mormon.
After 8 years of traveling through the wilderness, eating
raw meat and passing through lots of afflictions Nephi and his family finally
reached the land called bountiful. I would imagine that he would have wanted to
rest a little bit (maybe kick back and watch a really cool movie like hunger
games 2) but he didn’t. After a couple days the Lord told him to climb mountain
and pray. (vs7) now even though I’m sure his legs were pretty tired from
walking practically 8 years straight he didn’t even complain, he just got up,
and did it. On the other hand he
probably had really really muscular legs as well, but that is beside the point.
THEN, when he was on top of the mountain…
¨ The Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a
ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people
across these waters.¨ (vs. 8)
Build a ship? That’s
tough. But extremely buff and obedient Nephi is not fazed at all…
9 And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore
to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which
thou hast shown unto me?
10 And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I
should go to find ore, that I might make tools.
Obedience with the right attitude is the key to success.
I want to try to develop an attitude more like Nephi, and be
obedient (and muscular) like him.
I do not want to leave Yungay without knowing that I did all
I could in my time here. I don’t want to go without fulfilling my purpose. I
mean the Lord sent me specifically here for a reason so I have to be obedient
to complete it.
This week we watched the Restoration movie 2 times to our
investigators. I practically know that 20 min movie by heart.
¨José ayuda me!, me hundí…me caí…ect.¨
But I don’t care, I still love it. I am so convinced that
this church has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. That 14 year
old boy not only restored the plain and precious truths that had been lost
after the fall of the gospel of Christ, but he is also a symbol,
representing every person who is truly
seeking the answer to the question, What church is true, and the way to find
out.
Revelation is real. It happens. And it can happen to YOU,
with a prayer of faith (Santiago 1:5) (That would be James in English)
This week I bought a laser pointer, one of those green ones
which are practically illegal in the states to buy without a permit. We used it
for a family home evening with a family to teach them repentance. One person in
the family had the laser pointed in a random direction. Their goal was to get
the laser point onto a target that was in the complete opposite side of a large
field using mirrors. With a lot of concentration and team work the family
managed to use all 4 mirrors to change the direction of the laser beam to reach
the desired point. Our lives are very similar. We want to get to a certain
target (which would be eternal life, happiness, and eternal families. ECT)
however, sometimes because of our actions we are facing a different direction.
THAT IS WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT CHRIST. Through repentance (which are the
mirrors) and with the help of our family we can reach our end goal together.
Families are eternal.
Awwww!
I love you family.
1Nephi 17:3
3. And thus we see
that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the
children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and
strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which
he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did
sojourn in the wilderness[mission field].
We ate s'mores in district class!
No comments:
Post a Comment