God Is Good

President Howes told the story of Bruce R. McConkie visiting his mission in Peru when he was serving... at the time he was AP... so he was translating what Elder McConkie was saying... and he said something that made the whole mission laugh... and Elder McConkie looked at President Howes and said.. "What are they laughing about?!?"... President replied.. "They're laughing because I go home in 3 weeks..."

Elder McConkie then put President under his arm and started poking at his chest whilst saying loudly... "YOU CAN DO MORE IN 3 WEEKS... THAN YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR PAST 2 YEARS!".... 

President commited us to think about what that meant... and after more discussion with President... we came to the conclusion... you necessarily can't do the same amount of work or work load in 3 weeks compared to 2 years obviously... It merely means.. You are more effective than you've ever been!... When you go home.. all of your experience and knowledge is taken with you!... Pass it down!!! Build the missionaries around you! Teach them every thing you have learned!... 

There is this flower in Hawaii... it's one of the most beautiful flowers ever!... But it grows and grows.... for 15-20 years..... It blooms for one day.... casts it's seeds.... and then DIES!.... And that's the principle.... CAST YOUR SEEDS!... Let missionaries grow into even better missionaries than you were!... And so I'm excited as!.. We've been having Preach My Gospel studies with individual Elders and Sisters 3x a week. And for my last 4 weeks... I have scheduled trade offs with EVERY single elder in our zone... 10 of them ;) So it's going to be really exciting! 

But let us all learn that principle of casting our seeds... whenever we learn something amazing... SHARE IT... I've come to know so much... that the majority of the people I have helped on my mission... have not been investigators.... but members.. and fellow missionaries... those who have already entered into the covenant... The Lord needs us to strengthen our fellow Saints. 

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To start off... We had a baptism, WOOOOOO! His name is C, straight miracle. He was a referral from our previous baptism in March .. His first lesson we asked him.. "If God was in the room with us right now, what would you ask Him?".. He thought about it for a minute and then replied... "I would ask Him to make me 5cm taller" And then he just smiled hahaha. That was the start of our relationship.. Then through our teaching process he was keeping all of his commitments even through all of his finals and uni exams!#amazing!... Here's the true miracle though!... 

I confirmed him on yesterday on Sunday and when I said "Amen" he got up and started hugging every one in the circle.. then when I saw him.. his face was really red looking like he was going to cry.. and he's not a very emotional person... but he came up to us after and said.. "It's so weird!! I feel different!!.. Even when we say a prayer or sing a song... I feel way more different!!".. 

We asked him if it was a good different or bad?... He replied with a big smile.. "No it's a really good different!" 

I am so grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.. Literally... the third member of the Godhead is promised to be your constant companion as you remain worthy of it.... HOW INCREDIBLE IS THAT?!?... And C was so humble and full of desire that he immediately recognized it!

Even another one of our investigators.. Who is a referral from C (Just referral line!) We were having a lesson with him and he says "You know.. I've seen a huge change in C! Why is that? He seems to smile and be a lot more happy!?"

We took out the Book of Mormon and said.. This is one reason. And another, is that he's received the Gift of the Holy Ghost!... And now Bright will be baptized June 14th.. WOOOO!! Too many miracles!!! 

The reason for so many miracles?... Elder W and I have been trying so hard to actually live up to our covenants we make on Sunday... and that is to "always remember him".. Every morning we acknowledge Jesus Christ is at the Head of this work, we see miracles. The days where we think we can do it or we forget.... #HUMBLED! Haha. If only we all could remember our Saviour Jesus Christ more often.. Even though I wear His name on my chest.. I want to remember Him more, but it comes with prayerful and diligent study of WHO HE IS and maintaining spiritual experiences. I'm truly grateful for Him and His Infinite Atonement!

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I'm still on the count down of my final trade-offs with each Elder in the Zone... We kicked it off with Elder R.. and let me tell you... it was INSANE! Miracles upon miracles... it was as if the hand of God was smothering our face and saying.. "Can you handle it?! Can you handle the blessings?" hahaha. 

This Less Active asked US for a lesson for the first time in over a year!.. and she came in with questions she wanted answered by the Book of Mormon. And we answered EVERY single one. Then right after we had a lesson with a somewhat struggling Recent Convert... and long story short... He is now preparing to get sealed in the Temple as his goal!... then to top it off... We had another lesson with a less active member who approached US.. (two times in a day!!!).. And he wanted to come back to church and wanted to make the right steps to accomplish it!... Long story short... He is well on his way to coming back to God clean. 

All I can say is that God is good. He is our Father. We are His children. If we make ourselves available... He will give us trust to help His children and to hasten His work.

The Power of Inspired Questions

By far one of the weirdest moments on my mission. We teach English Class every week on Thursdays.. and we only had 1 student there.. And at the same time we were about to go in to teach.. 2 of our investigators come in wanting to be taught!... So we were in a bit of a predicament... But then we thought... Well... How bout you (Elder W teach English Class... and I'll just be in the back and teach our Investigators... So we tried it out... Hahaha. It was sooooo hard. I relied on the Spirit the whole time... but a miraculous end result to our lesson... We set 2 baptismal dates with them for May 17th!.... They're both really solid too! They are referrals from our most recent baptism of C. 

It's amazing and incredibly humbling to have someone trust you as a missionary.. This past week we have been trusted so much.. not only by the Lord but by members!.. And the cherry on top was an email I just received from a previous member in one of the Wards I served in.. she's currently serving a mission and sent this to me: 

"It was so wonderful being able to learn so many things from you. 

Reaching out to the missionaries I think

at times can be difficult but what I learnt most importantly is trust.
Trust comes from seeing missionaries working hard, bearing their
testimony, the spirit that they radiate, so many things. But you were
one of the missionaries that I truly trusted. I think that comes the
same with giving referrals. I've been striving to become a missionary
of whom people can trust. I want the Lord to be able to trust me with
His children, to know that anyone He sends my way will at least have
the opportunity to feel of His spirit that must mean I am always
prepared. Gaining the members trust is key in this work and I think
that is something you definitely have down haha :)"

So whenever we receive spiritual promptings or an assignment/calling or perhaps a person in our circle of friends that we can share the gospel with.. We need to first immediately acknowledge that God trusts us. And second give gratitude to Him for that great trust!.. That goes along with the question you asked of my fav. talk in General Conference... THEY WERE ALL SO AMAZING!!!!! One that especially stuck out to me just for my situation as a missionary... was President Uchtdorf... Are you sleeping through the Restoration?.. What experiences can you share to contributing to the Restoration?.. Or will you merely be an observer... For if we have a sense of urgency to carry out this great work.. Trust will come! 

We had an investigator named J.. He's been super super good... UNTIL we taught him the commandments.. He straight up lost his desire for anything!.. We always thought Drinking was his biggest concern.. because that's what he portrayed.. But we dropped him for about a month.. called him up later and scheduled another lesson... IT WAS BREAK THROUGH!.. We for real witnessed him receive personal revelation right in front of us.. He said.. "you know what.. Maybe my faith was not being strengthened because I wasn't putting it in Jesus Christ... I think my major concern I don't know how life will be after baptism compared to now... my commandment concern is just minor"...

My companion and I just looked at each other like.. (OH MY GOODNESS CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS RIGHT NOW? OH PLEASE! HELP!!!)

It was amazing! It's truly a testament that as we teach clear, powerful doctrine.. they will be able to ponder.. Then the Spirit.. The Testator of Truth.. will come into their hearts.. We then committed him for baptism on May 17th!... To say the least... May 17th is going to be a really good day =D... We just have to help them all maintain positive experiences!

We went on priesthood trade offs with a ward member because we had MCM and a lesson at the same time. So I went with the member to teach this Recent Convert who is recently Less Active :( .. But she agreed to meet with us and I knew nothing about her. So we started off by introducing ourselves and we sang a song and said a prayer.. Then I was sitting there... and I asked her to share with us the reason she wanted to follow Christ... she opened up a bit but I could tell by her countenance and just discerned she was holding something back... and so I asked afterwards.. "What is difficult for you at this moment in your life?" ... And it was amazing to see her reaction... She looked down and said.. "Thank you..".... And she opened up every thing that was holding her back from full activity... And we then sat there and set goals for her and how she could overcome certain temptations and be fully active!.. 

It never ceases to amaze me how much we really do need to rely on the Spirit... we as a 'natural man' often fall into complacency of thinking we can do things on our own... It's easy to feel the Spirit and have the mindset... 'I want to ALWAYS rely on Him'...  But the real test is when that feeling is gone... what is your motive now?... Will you rely on your own strength?... or the Spirit of Him that created you?...