September 23, 2013

 

Hey Everyone,

I hope you all have had a great week!  This week was good my companion and I were able to talk to a lot of people about the gospel!  Unfortunately we had to drop a family's baptismal dates, they are just so busy with work and school that they have to cancel appointments and aren't in town for church.  We are excited to continue to teach them and hope that they can find the time to meet with us because they have such a desire to learn!  Another investigator who has recently moved to another house and had back surgery has not been able to meet with us, but we did find her new house this week and plan on having a lesson with her this week.  The rest of the people we are teaching are doing well, our biggest struggle is setting up solid appointments to be able to teach them.  But on the up side this week, we talked to a bunch of new people who are willing to hear the gospel. Many of them were referrals from the other missionaries in Sheboygan that speak other languages that they met.  We have a big list of names and times that these people are expecting us to show up, sometimes its hard because we make the effort to be to the appointment but half of the time there is no answer so it feels like the time is wasted.  But we do find a few who do want to learn more and it makes it all worth it.  One in particular is C, a guy in his 20's who is catholic but not practicing and we have had some good talks with him. At the moment he isn't changing but he loves God and what we do, but he is beginning to read the Book of Mormon. 

    Lately I've been reading in Mosiah, and King Benjamin is such an amazing leader. He tells us that all we need to do is come to Christ and follow his commandments to receive exaltation.  In chapter 3 he repeats four or five times how salvation comes only through Christ.  I just think how important it is to accept remember and rely upon Jesus Christ and His perfect Atonement!  He also talks about how God blesses us daily in chapter 2: 23-24 He says that all God asks of us is to keep his commandments, and how we are in debt to him.  The least we can do to show our thanks is to do what he asks.  But in verse 24 we learn that when we keep the commandments "he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever" How great of a God do we have, He is continually blessing us in our lives.  I hope we all can look through our lives and find the little ways that God has blessed us and I challenge you to better thank Him and recognize the blessings He has granted you.  Verse 20 talks about giving thanks and praise  with "which your whole soul has power to posses"  I think about my prayers and the things I thank God for and all the things that I take for granted. May we all recognize and give more thanks to God for the blessings He gives us daily.  I know that we will be blessed as we try to do our best to follow the commandments and make our best effort! 
  

I hope everyone has a great week, I'm getting really excited for conference in the upcoming weeks!

Love you all!!!

Look for how God has blessed you today!

Love, Elder Ward