Thursday, October 16, 2014

this one is called, "untitled"

I could try to write all the experiences of this week, but there is not enough time to do so. but my thoughts on the events are these: God loves us. he is aware of us. he places us in his children's paths. People are more willing to talk about god than we suppose. as we shine our light others will ask us about our faith and initiate the conversations that can lead to invitations to learn more about the gospel. as we pray for the lord to loosen our tongues he does so. the lord however will not fill a closed mouth. we have to be continually exercising faith. our conversion is as deep as our last choice. if we make a mistake, then have your next choice be repentance. our loving savior can help us. I find that I am not help him move his work forward. he helps me move myself forward. and as I grow in charity and love and forgiveness, the work somehow keeps rolling forward. 

I witnessed a former less active woman exercise her faith and bare her testimony for the first time. by talking to a young man vacuuming his car, a former investigator introduced herself to us, by wearing a badge that says JESUS CHRIST, a man told us how he is said he doesn’t have time to go to church and he doesn’t know which church to go to.

David is going through a hard time. If you could all pray for him that he can get an apartment here in SLO and have a clear head that would be appreciated. he says if it doesn’t work out he's going to get in his car and drive off and he has many times before. It is a worry. but ultimately it is his decision and I am not stressed about it. He knows this church is true if he relies fully on the Lord he will be fine, please pray that he can do so. 

My wish is to declare the message of the restoration quicker in conversation and more boldly. There was a quote saying sometimes we are so worried about offending someone that in the mean time we fail to save them. Yesterday and woman said she wasn’t interested as we walked up her stairs. she said she has a church. I asked her what church and we talked about it for a little bit. I bore testimony of Christ. she then kept talking and share a religious conversation she had had with her brother the day before about the role the holy spirit plays in helping us have a positive attitude. We found common ground I shared how I felt on the subject. and then instead of ending it there, I testified of the book of Mormon in a loving but not shameful or apologetic way. I felt as though my mouth was filled. she responded with the same words that she already has a faith, but her respect for us grew as we talked. she saw we weren’t trying to just shove something down her throat or take her faith away. it is nice to be able to change people’s perception of the church and missionaries and let them feel the spirit. after we said goodbye and started walking down the stairs she asked if we'd like any water. we said yes, she invited us up and we talked a little about life and left with a mutual appreciation and respect for each other. although that interaction didn’t end in a church invitation or a baptism that too is a part of missionary work and will be one of my memorable moments on my mission. 

We are so blessed to have modern prophets and apostles who administer in Christ’s church today. the heaven are not closed, there is not private interpretation of scripture when it comes to salvation (1peter2:20-21) our father has a way for us! that way is through his son

" I am a witness of the resurrection of the lord as surely as if I had been there in the evening with the two disciples in the house on emmaus road. I know that he lives as surely as did Joesph smith when he saw the father and the son in the light of a brilliant morning in a grove of trees in Palmyra... I so testify as witness of the risen savior and redeemer." -pres eyring

Love you all!

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