Semana 49: Two Years As a Member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints+ One Year As a Missionary For The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints= One More Year of The BEST TWO YEARS!
Hola familia! Well Today is a special day! Can you believe two years ago today I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? It is hard at times to think it has only been two years ago. In a sense, I feel like I've been a member of the church for my entire life. Serving as a missionary has brought me to a whole new plateau of scriptural knowledge and more importantly strengthened my testimony that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. In a year from today I will be on an airplane home, having completed my mission! Can you believe that!?!?! :o I'm sure my shirts will be a bit more dingy, my shoes will be well worn, but the memories of these great people I've served will always be fresh in my heart. I'm starting to feel like an old dog in the mission, when I still should be the greenie.
It was a pretty good week here in St. George. The weather has been perfect. Usually it is in the high to mid 50's with not a cloud in sight. It has made tracting really enjoyable. Most missionaries don't enjoy knocking doors but I actually enjoy it. It is a rush to have no idea who will answer the door and have to come up with the words you need in order to invite someone to hear our message. It is not the most effective finding tool, but when members don't find them, someone has to do it.
After baptizing our teaching pool I thought it would be good to go visit some of the seeds we had planted six months ago when I first got into this area. It surprisingly worked out with several people. They seem a lot more receptive so we will have to see how it turns out. We have a lot of great potential in this area. Eleven people have a baptismal date but most of them have a lot they must do in order to be ready for their baptismal date. The impatient Elder Bennion wants for all of the investigators to just be as ready as most of our recent converts were. I think I got accustomed to miracle baptisms and thought everyone would just be accepting of the message and be ready para su bautismo. Right now a lot of our investigators have potential, but they all have concerns and doubt that Elder Valdez and I must help them resolve in order for them to be baptized. Again, I've learned that I still have so much to learn and need to become more humble.
It has been nice for things to be moving a little slower. I feel like we are focusing more on each individual person and can actually do something to help them if they need it. Return missionaries tell me stories all the time of the service projects they did to help investigators and I can't remember more than three things I've done "service wise" in the past six months here. It is a blessing to be so busy teaching that we don't have time for service projects but the mission is more that teaching people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. The mission is also about ACTING like Jesus Christ as well. Let your alight so shine before men, that they may see your good bworks, and cglorify your Father which is in heaven. (Mat 5:16) I think that I forgot how much fun gardening is. I've been used to harvesting 24/7 but now I get to plant and grow some seeds.
Well, I better wrap this up but I just want you to know I'm livin' the dream! :) Este vale la pena mucho! I think I forgot to mention we had the opportunity to see Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve and Elder Snow of the Seventy last night at a fireside at Dixie College. Without going into a lot of detail, nothing (besides the Temple) strengthens my testimony more that this is the true church and these men hold the apostolic keys of Jesus Christ. Elder Bednar is a living Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and one of only 14 other men that hold ALL the priesthood keys to seal on earth and in Heaven. We drove by the Dixie soccer field on Saturday and a bunch of people were playing and I thought to myself, that looks like a ton of fun but will it matter in a year? Will it even matter in a week? No, it won't. Sports, entertainment, ect… Are all fun but will not have the long term gratitude of sharing the gospel. As King Benjamin said, when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God.
Vaya con Dios.Hola familia! Well Today is a special day! Can you believe two years ago today I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? It is hard at times to think it has only been two years ago. In a sense, I feel like I've been a member of the church for my entire life. Serving as a missionary has brought me to a whole new plateau of scriptural knowledge and more importantly strengthened my testimony that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. In a year from today I will be on an airplane home, having completed my mission! Can you believe that!?!?! :o I'm sure my shirts will be a bit more dingy, my shoes will be well worn, but the memories of these great people I've served will always be fresh in my heart. I'm starting to feel like an old dog in the mission, when I still should be the greenie.
It was a pretty good week here in St. George. The weather has been perfect. Usually it is in the high to mid 50's with not a cloud in sight. It has made tracting really enjoyable. Most missionaries don't enjoy knocking doors but I actually enjoy it. It is a rush to have no idea who will answer the door and have to come up with the words you need in order to invite someone to hear our message. It is not the most effective finding tool, but when members don't find them, someone has to do it.
After baptizing our teaching pool I thought it would be good to go visit some of the seeds we had planted six months ago when I first got into this area. It surprisingly worked out with several people. They seem a lot more receptive so we will have to see how it turns out. We have a lot of great potential in this area. Eleven people have a baptismal date but most of them have a lot they must do in order to be ready for their baptismal date. The impatient Elder Bennion wants for all of the investigators to just be as ready as most of our recent converts were. I think I got accustomed to miracle baptisms and thought everyone would just be accepting of the message and be ready para su bautismo. Right now a lot of our investigators have potential, but they all have concerns and doubt that Elder Valdez and I must help them resolve in order for them to be baptized. Again, I've learned that I still have so much to learn and need to become more humble.
It has been nice for things to be moving a little slower. I feel like we are focusing more on each individual person and can actually do something to help them if they need it. Return missionaries tell me stories all the time of the service projects they did to help investigators and I can't remember more than three things I've done "service wise" in the past six months here. It is a blessing to be so busy teaching that we don't have time for service projects but the mission is more that teaching people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. The mission is also about ACTING like Jesus Christ as well. Let your alight so shine before men, that they may see your good bworks, and cglorify your Father which is in heaven. (Mat 5:16) I think that I forgot how much fun gardening is. I've been used to harvesting 24/7 but now I get to plant and grow some seeds.
Well, I better wrap this up but I just want you to know I'm livin' the dream! :) Este vale la pena mucho! I think I forgot to mention we had the opportunity to see Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve and Elder Snow of the Seventy last night at a fireside at Dixie College. Without going into a lot of detail, nothing (besides the Temple) strengthens my testimony more that this is the true church and these men hold the apostolic keys of Jesus Christ. Elder Bednar is a living Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and one of only 14 other men that hold ALL the priesthood keys to seal on earth and in Heaven. We drove by the Dixie soccer field on Saturday and a bunch of people were playing and I thought to myself, that looks like a ton of fun but will it matter in a year? Will it even matter in a week? No, it won't. Sports, entertainment, ect… Are all fun but will not have the long term gratitude of sharing the gospel. As King Benjamin said, when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God.
God is love,
Elder Bennion
P.S. Thanks for all the letters everyone! I will try to have a writing party today. Thanks Bishop Grove and family for the rice crispy treats and letters too! YUMM!
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