Hey everyone, sorry I missed last week, I just never got around to writing
First up, we had transfers today! Still in Olivenhain with Elder Reinhart which I preferred because we've both only been here for 1 transfer. I was somewhat hoping/expecting for us to get a car for this change, but we didn't. It's kind of surprising just because our area really is big, and a bunch of people including members, our ZLs, and senior missionaries don't think we should be on bikes. I guess I assumed the right people would've gotten us a car, but it's ok. Members are willing and offer to give us rides a lot which is a mercy for me. My endurance is better now, but I still get sweaty. My white shirts have some sweat stains in the back which is unfortunate but you can't see them because they're tucked.
2 Wednesdays ago we had Zone Conference with Elder Sabin from the Seventy. It was really awesome. A spiritual feast. He talked about a lot of stuff. One of my favorite stories he shared was from when he was a Stake President here in Poway and there was a fire that burned down a few homes. One lady in the Stake came in and was talking to him about her troubles and how they lost everything. He said he got out a piece of paper, and put a dot in the middle with his pen. He told her to not be blinded by the dot. Meaning, in the grand scheme of things, our struggles, and our life itself is a very small moment in the span of eternity. We need to keep a focus on the very important things. It was a good conference and I definitely felt the spirit.
Not much has been new. We've found even more people this week, but yet again, have not been able to begin teaching them. It's a little bothersome just because they are so promising. It's just a matter of pinning something down. For the work we've still just been working on meeting with as many members as we can. For finding we've been doing mostly Tracting which has had some success. The best people we've found would obviously be people that members have told us we should knock on their door. We've also been doing some social media work, mostly content creation. It takes time, but I enjoy putting videos and posts together. Currently working on a video about the Holy Ghost. Although, none of the stuff I finish will probably be put on the facebook page for some time.
With it being the end of the transfer, we also had a big zoom meeting this week for missionaries to give their departing testimonies. There were some good ones. A lot of them just spoke about adversity on the mission and how the Savior helped them through it. I've been thinking about adversity in general a lot. It's so easy and natural for me to be upset when hard things happen, or to have a bad attitude about it. But I know I have nothing to be ungrateful for when I think about things with a greater perspective. I have found that it is a lot more difficult to have a negative attitude about things when I'm understanding what Jesus Christ has done. I realized that anyone who has a bad attitude about life, does not fully understand the Savior's Atonement fully, and does not remember it enough. I think that's what President Nelson was referring to when he said that "The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives". It is totally true. Like, I get to be a missionary? I get to represent the Lord everyday and spend my time inviting others to come unto Him? This is such a unique opportunity. How can I be ungrateful for anything? It's just humbling the more I think about it. It still can be hard when we go about our day to day and I'm feeling tired or like we're not having success. But I am trying to be firm of mind in focusing on the blessings I am receiving. When I think about this it reminds me of 3 Nephi 19:35-36
"35 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying he came again to the disciples, and said unto them: So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief.
36 Verily I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard."
I just find that really interesting. When we are ungrateful, I think we hardly think of or recognize what blessings we receive. We are therefore blinded and cannot see the blessings or miracles we experience. Sure, things can be tough sometimes, but if the plan of salvation and the gospel are true, it is very evident that we are blessed much more than not. It just takes some effort in seeking them out. It's pretty cool, and is still a lesson that I am in the learning of.
(The red light is from my bike while we were out at night. It was only like 6pm. It just gets dark so early).
Anway, all is well. We have Thanksgiving this week which will be good because it's one of my favorite holidays. We have dinner with a member family which we are excited for.
I love you all and I love being a missionary. As someone once put it, it's "The hardest thing I've ever loved to do". Have a happy Thanksgiving!
- Elder Wride
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