Wednesday, December 16, 2015

What shall we give?

"If Christ was here on earth, what would he be found doing?

I often ask myself this question when I talk to people on the streets. When we teach others about Jesus Christ. When we travel by foot among the towering building and low street valleys of the metropolis that is Scarborough. What would he do? In every situation. What would he be doing?

I feel like I am coming, little by little, to understand more clearly and simply what his character would be like. And a scripture I testify to be one of the most important of all holy writ to me is this: Matt 25:35-40

35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying,Lord, when saw we  thee an hungered, and fed thee?or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in?or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

My dear brothers and sisters, it is Christmas time. We need only drop the last syllable and it becomes the spirit of Christ. I hope and pray that each of us find it within our hearts to reach out to the sick and the weary, to help them on their way. - Mosiah 4:19-21

There are those all around you who you may not even know are struggling. Those who are discouraged, and those without hope. Being blessed with an understanding that there is hope and that there is courage, let us be the ones to reach to those who have none, who have no hope, and to the weary and tired traveler. I ask of you never to turn aside the needs of others for your own. For I promise that God will look after you as you look after His other sheep, or in other words your family and friends.

I feel to promise you that if you pray for an opportunity to serve God, it will come your way. Christ called his apostles when they were working, and so as you continue throughout your day and work to bring about the prayer you gave, look for the opportunity to serve and it will present itself. Always Remember this important scripture in your service to others: Mosiah 2:17

Let me provide some examples of service, especially that we saw this past week.

Joey: We were walking to an appointment close to home when we saw a man distressed at a telephone box. He hung up and told us that he wanted to see his wife but he didn't know where she was. He looked cold and so we gave him a jacket to wear before we got him home. We walked into his home and he only had a bed that lay on the ground and no box spring and he had a couch that he sat on all throughout the day. He said because of arguments his wife had taken their 2 year old son and moved away. He was alone. He was sad and he kept saying: "I just want my wife to come home for Christmas." I couldn't help but feel inside me a greater yearning to help this man. We testified of Jesus Christ from the Scriptures and offered to come back. We left with him our jacket and before we left he prayed and he was smiling afterwards.

Sandra: Sandra was found when we knocked on her door. She is living in a 1 room shelter for those who are homeless. She said that she had given up hope for years because of how her life had turned out. She told us all of her troubles and worries and we listened. At the end she told us she wanted to come to church and feel greater peace in her life. We offered her our words of comfort and she felt better. by the end of the visit she said that she felt better. When she came to church the next day she gave a simple testimony on how she now knew that she could be happy and have hope to know that God was there for her.

The Homeless shelter: We were walking along a sketchy part of town down some back roads in the downtown area of Scarborough just on the border before downtown Toronto. We were walking just before a bridge when we looked to our left and saw a really worn down and abandoned church called the "church of God". We  looked through some sets of windows near the basement and saw beds upon beds lined up in the basement and we saw some people moving fuzzily between the windows. We went to the front door to go and see if we could go and look. We were approached by a man who demanded money from us or to leave. We talked with him but he wouldn't listen. We waited until someone came to the front door and let us in. We saw people lined up on the steps sleeping and then when we went underground we saw it all. People and families. Stricken with illness and despair. We waved out at the crowd and a couple of hands waved back. We could not do much more than to say "Merry Christmas", but it filled me with such a firm feeling that I had to be more grateful for what I do have because there are many who do not have temporal needs. Even in the midst of all the sadness, I for some reason could feel a sense of overwhelming love from God that he knew their needs and that everything would be okay. We left and continued on through the night.

Man we love serving here in Scarborough! Its such a nice place and I have come to love it with all my heart. There is no where I would rather be. I have never been happier in my whole life than right now serving a mission. I would recommend anyone to serve a mission wherever they are, because it has changed my life and brought me so much joy and happiness that I cant express.

We love being missionaries!

#A Savior is Born! Share it! :)

Elders Ray and Wehi"

No comments:

Post a Comment