"Hello eh! How has the week been? I would love to hear from you as emails are awesome to read as a missionary, particularly emails that are about how you are doing as I love to know how things are doing over there in sunny and beautiful Australia(I'm guessing right now it would be mad hot, but that's awesome too!) So this letter will be quiet a read, but I love to share whats been on my mind so here we go...
This week has been so great! I love my companion and the people, the branch and this area. The mission life is so fantastic and worth every moment and effort! It is changing hearts, and it is changing mine. The Gospel forms the imperfect person into a refined disciple of Christ, when the Spirit is felt burning within the heart and the doctrine understood.
I have always loved a quote in PMG which says: " When your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the Gospel will increase." Man! It is so sweet that this work is centered on Christ and that as members of His restored church, we all together form his example. To stand as a witness whether with a badge or without, we all can be His representative in these latter days. How sweet is that!
So a day this week I prayed personally that I would be refined by the masters hand. I can testify that prayers are answered. That day we had much opposition with people being very unresponsive, and even violently opposing the words we said. We knew the Spirit wasn't there as we were in the presence of these people for their hearts were hardened. I testified to all of these people that we as their missionaries are to speak by the Holy Ghost, and so we found ourselves being taken by the Spirit to those who would receive us. It came to me that we were being refined because through Christ we were able to increase in patience and when we spoke, we knew it had to be by the Holy Ghost because it truly gave us utterance. as we cry out to our Father, He will hear us. He knows us by name. We ARE His children, and we ARE his whole life and the purpose of His whole existence is for us to return home to Him. How great it is then to be able to, as insignificant as we may seem, that we can talk personally to Him and that he will hear us and ever answer our plea in His time and in His way.
On other notes, The food here is so sweet! Speaking of that we are fed here by the members very regularly so we are always cumbered with so much food! The weather is becoming warmer so we can walk outside with fewer layers and enjoy the sunshine. Our Zone is filled with wonderful missionaries and I have come to know them well. The members here are awesome and we have come to know them really well as their missionaries and as their family and friends.
My companion and I are very infamous in this Zone as being 'the missionaries that talk to everybody and anybody' and the Lord has been blessing us with so many people to teach here because of simply opening our mouths, and I testify that when you desire to share the Gospel, the Lord will magnify the effects of your efforts as you magnify your faith to 'Go and Do". Its been great to go and smile, wave, and compliment so many people each day, as well as having the opportunity to bring to families that are torn by death and discord that their families will be together forever because of the Plan of Happiness restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith! How awesome is this great latter day work! Oh man I'm getting pumped just typing this over a screen! Such a great privilege! I love serving these people as we have really come to love them all so much.
This week has been a continual blessing, every day and my companion and I are having so much fun together here. Elder Herbert comes from a large family so he really is great with families, and my background with talking to everyone with sales really helps us to come together in a powerful way that allows us to rely on each others strengths and ultimately for both of us to work together to rely on the Spirit. Oh man! The Spirit is so so important in this work! It literally tells us where to go, it never speaks loudly or harshly but it is always a quiet whisper that guides this work like none other. Without the Spirit we would honestly never succeed, as the ultimate measure of success is being led by the Spirit in all things and being worthy to stand as a representative of Christ for these people. If its one thing I've really come to know its that success in missionary work isn't about the numbers of baptisms or people you have to teach, but it is simply to always be a missionary and to always follow the Spirit. You cant help be successful as a missionary and also a member when you come to know the commandments of Jesus Christ and live them.
Anyway, I know its jumbled and really a massive collection of my thoughts at this stage, but these things have come to mean so much to me!
Please know that I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!
The mission is great! The people are great! The poutine is a heart attack and I love the work so so much!
P.S Still yet to see bears or moose, but we do so many squirrels on a regular basis, Which is AWESOME!
Ill be hearing from you soon,
"Anyone can climb over the highest mountain, one step at a time." - From a picture in our apartment
Elder Wehi"
This week has been so great! I love my companion and the people, the branch and this area. The mission life is so fantastic and worth every moment and effort! It is changing hearts, and it is changing mine. The Gospel forms the imperfect person into a refined disciple of Christ, when the Spirit is felt burning within the heart and the doctrine understood.
I have always loved a quote in PMG which says: " When your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the Gospel will increase." Man! It is so sweet that this work is centered on Christ and that as members of His restored church, we all together form his example. To stand as a witness whether with a badge or without, we all can be His representative in these latter days. How sweet is that!
So a day this week I prayed personally that I would be refined by the masters hand. I can testify that prayers are answered. That day we had much opposition with people being very unresponsive, and even violently opposing the words we said. We knew the Spirit wasn't there as we were in the presence of these people for their hearts were hardened. I testified to all of these people that we as their missionaries are to speak by the Holy Ghost, and so we found ourselves being taken by the Spirit to those who would receive us. It came to me that we were being refined because through Christ we were able to increase in patience and when we spoke, we knew it had to be by the Holy Ghost because it truly gave us utterance. as we cry out to our Father, He will hear us. He knows us by name. We ARE His children, and we ARE his whole life and the purpose of His whole existence is for us to return home to Him. How great it is then to be able to, as insignificant as we may seem, that we can talk personally to Him and that he will hear us and ever answer our plea in His time and in His way.
On other notes, The food here is so sweet! Speaking of that we are fed here by the members very regularly so we are always cumbered with so much food! The weather is becoming warmer so we can walk outside with fewer layers and enjoy the sunshine. Our Zone is filled with wonderful missionaries and I have come to know them well. The members here are awesome and we have come to know them really well as their missionaries and as their family and friends.
My companion and I are very infamous in this Zone as being 'the missionaries that talk to everybody and anybody' and the Lord has been blessing us with so many people to teach here because of simply opening our mouths, and I testify that when you desire to share the Gospel, the Lord will magnify the effects of your efforts as you magnify your faith to 'Go and Do". Its been great to go and smile, wave, and compliment so many people each day, as well as having the opportunity to bring to families that are torn by death and discord that their families will be together forever because of the Plan of Happiness restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith! How awesome is this great latter day work! Oh man I'm getting pumped just typing this over a screen! Such a great privilege! I love serving these people as we have really come to love them all so much.
This week has been a continual blessing, every day and my companion and I are having so much fun together here. Elder Herbert comes from a large family so he really is great with families, and my background with talking to everyone with sales really helps us to come together in a powerful way that allows us to rely on each others strengths and ultimately for both of us to work together to rely on the Spirit. Oh man! The Spirit is so so important in this work! It literally tells us where to go, it never speaks loudly or harshly but it is always a quiet whisper that guides this work like none other. Without the Spirit we would honestly never succeed, as the ultimate measure of success is being led by the Spirit in all things and being worthy to stand as a representative of Christ for these people. If its one thing I've really come to know its that success in missionary work isn't about the numbers of baptisms or people you have to teach, but it is simply to always be a missionary and to always follow the Spirit. You cant help be successful as a missionary and also a member when you come to know the commandments of Jesus Christ and live them.
Anyway, I know its jumbled and really a massive collection of my thoughts at this stage, but these things have come to mean so much to me!
Please know that I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!
The mission is great! The people are great! The poutine is a heart attack and I love the work so so much!
P.S Still yet to see bears or moose, but we do so many squirrels on a regular basis, Which is AWESOME!
Ill be hearing from you soon,
"Anyone can climb over the highest mountain, one step at a time." - From a picture in our apartment
Elder Wehi"
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