Sunday, January 11, 2015

The Time is Far Spent

What a fantastic week!  First of all, my companion and I had cat food this week....so that was tasty!  You gotta love the old ladies that don't realize what they are actually feeding you! My companion and I also had a fun time trying to keep smiles on our faces as we watched cockroaches jump all over the room and guarding our bags at the same time so that one wouldn't jump in and bring one home with us as a pet! Anyways....I'm super grateful for our members here.  They are always taking really good care of us, making sure we never go hungry.  Speaking of...we had a 5 course meal on Saturday.  I ate my first dish of food which was "super sufficient" and was getting ready to share a scripture and she said, "What are you doing?"  "There is still more food to eat!"  Well let's just say I'm super grateful that we only eat lunch on our mission because we are super blessed that we are "more than satisfied for the rest of the day and sometimes until the next week with all of the food they are feeding us...Haha.  

Also, my new area is also filled with lots of dogs - "my favorite", well my companion and I were walking and all of a sudden, I hear a really mean growl behind us.  Well there is a difference in every dog's growl, but this growl was the growl of a really big dog that could do a lot of damage and in this moment, the dog started running up behind us.  Well I suddenly FROZE!  I quickly grabbed my companion's arm and thought, "Oh....No,"  as she did the same.  All of a sudden, the dog stopped and both my companion and I turned our heads slowly and it was a dinky, tiny, little dog! We laughed sooo hard and were super blessed that what we both imagined was the complete opposite - and also that nothing happened of course.

Anyways, besides all of the fun experiences we had this week, my companion and I had a lot of miracles.  First of all we wanted to try a different way of teaching, with more excitement and center it around the "New Year'.  Well, we found a scripture in Alma 7:14

We shared this exact scripture because we liked that it talked about "being born again" and how we can be "born again" through baptism.  Especially with a "New Year" and why not a New You!  We ended up having a lot of success and miracles.  God just kept throwing one right after another at our feet.   This week, I cleaned out our binder full of investigators in the past and we found a family.  A mom named, Norma and four kids.  We visited the house and she immediately let us in.  She shared with us some of her goals for the new year, including the gospel!  Which we were super excited about.  We also invited her to church and she ended up waiting for us at the chapel.  She was already in a seat and talking to other members!!  On Thursday, we didn't have any success all day and it was already 7:00pm, so I kept praying and praying that we would find "someone".  Well, we walked next to a house and I was about to knock and then I realized there were a bunch of people inside and I started to hesitate.  I'm not sure what pushed me to have the confidence, but I knocked anyways and I asked if we could sing a hymn or a scripture for the new year and two seconds later, we were in the house talking, laughing and more importantly, sharing the gospel with a family of 4.  A mother and her two daughters 22, and 18 and their grandma.   They are fantastic!!!  They accepted to listen to the lessons and learn more about the gospel.

This month, I have been studying Faith.  As I was reading in Luke, I found a quote by President Henry B. Eyring.  "When you are in a ".....Time-blind...The Lord knew you would have such days....so he gave you a story to encourage you.  It is a parable for overloaded priesthood holders.  We sometimes call it the story of the good samaritan....just remember that you are the samaritan and not the priest or the Levite who passed by the wounded man...(Luke 10:33-35)  First, the Lord will give you, if you ask, the feelings of compassion He feels for those in need.  Second, He will provide others, like the innkeeper, to join with you in your service.  Third, the Lord, like the good samaritan, will more than recompense all who join in giving help to those in need...much like the service and mercy given by the samaritan you will also minister to them with healing balm for their wounds in the time of need....you cannot help people repair spiritual damage unless your orn FAITH is vibrant .  That means far more than reading the scripture regularly and praying over them...As we prepare to give succor for the Lord...there is a scripture to guide us: 

Moroni 7:45-48
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

As I had this experience of hesitation, I realized that I could have lost a wonderful chance to share the gospel.  It was definitely an act of faith to be the good samaritan and "not" pass the people in need.  It is so important to open our eyes and ears to the things God places in our path and to accept them.  To not hesitate, to take action and confidence and don't give up when you only have an hour or less because that is when you get your BEST work out.  A miracle can happen at any minute especially your last few minutes of diligence and obedience.  It will take a test of trial first before we receive the blessings.

I just want to testify of how happy I am.  I love God's work, I love what he does for me in my life and the life of missionary work.  My heart is full of love, excitement and anticipation as I am a servant in His hands.  This gospel is a light and strength in my eyes and I want to strive to be more like Him this year as I strive to to live and understand His attributes.  Let us all this year for the "new year" become "new" like the scripture in Alma 7:14.

Alma 7:14

 14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

Homework:  Do you have a calling in the church?  How can we better fulfill our calling from the Lord?

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