Howdy Y'all

Well this week was a bit rough, but still really good. We tried to meet with alot of our investigators, but a lot of them are out of town, or they had to cancel with us. So that was a little rough on us, but the work will continue to move forward. Some really great things happened this week. 

Monday was just P-day, but later that night we went to the mall to walk around and try to talk with people. This is proving to be a good place that people will approach us. But we always open up with a prayer before we walk in, and we asked to have someone put in our path. Well that night we were able to teach a couple different lessons. We talked with a guy that worked at one of the shops, and he was just cleaning the windows of the store but he started talking with us, and we talked with him for a little while. And he told us about how he has young kids and how we wants to raise them in a good environment. And so we got to talk to him about the youth programs that the church has, and he seemed interested, but we will see what happens. 

That night we also got to have an experience with someone that didn't really like us. He stopped us and started to talk to us about Jesus. So we got to talk with him for a little while. He was a nice guy, he just didn't think that we should have organized religion. So he started bringing out scriptures right and left. We asked him questions to try and help him see what we were trying to tell him. With all of the scriptures he was reading I could have put out a scripture to try and help him see what it meant, but right when I was ready to do this, I felt that I shouldn't. I felt that if I would try to help him see what we were trying to see with him it would progress into Bible bashing, and this is the last thing that I wanted to do, so I had a feeling that we should just say thank you for talking with us and then to keep going. So that's what we did. Listening to the spirit really has helped me so much in my mission. 

 Tuesday we were going to meet with Lexi, but she had something come up right before. We wanted to meet at the church building so after she could have the chance to go to young womens. She is way nice and a great person, but she just couldn't make it that night. But that night we had a miamaid in our ward invite her friend to young womens. So we went and were with the young women that night. We got to meet her friend and we were able to tech a lesson to the  young women in the ward. 

Thursday we had a great meeting with the ward council where we were able to talk about a lot of the members of the ward who were Less Active, or other members who needed help with something. We were able to help the ward council out a lot  that night because we have stopped by every house in the ward that is LA, and those that the ward council wanted us to meet with. We unfortunately haven't made contact with everyone but we have knocked all the doors, and were able to answer a lot of questions that ward council had.  

We just visited  with members the rest of the week, and just have been going through the lessons with a lot of them still. It is great to see them looking for more missionary opportunities. But my favorite part of the week was on the training we received from our mission president. It talked about how we need to become more converted. First he asked us what is the difference between a testimony and conversion. And we went through and talked about it. And we talked about how testimony is gained through the holy ghost, and it is the foundation up which conversion is built. We went through the scripture Moroni 8:25-26. And it talks about the process of conversion. 

First before we start reading this we need to understand that conversion starts with the words of God. It starts by reading the scriptures and going to church and living the gospel principles. This then leads us to build faith in Christ and we want to then change. This change is simply repentance, and then later on when we are baptized and confirmed we enter onto the path of discipleship. So starting in vs 25 of Moroni 8, it says  that the fruits of repentance is baptism. When we do this we are able to receive a  remission of sins. 

Going on to vs. 26 it says that the remission of sins leads us to become meek and lowly in heart or humble. And when we are humble we are able to have the Holy Ghost as our comforter which fills us with hope and perfect love. So as we do this we are slowly becoming converted.And this whole process is centered around the atonement. When we use the atonement in our lives and when we always strive to be better, we can become converted. A great quote that was talked about says, “You cannot convert people beyond your own conversion” (General Conference, April 1996).  As you deepen your own conversion, you will have more power to help others become converted. I love this, so I would invite you to take these steps and try to become more converted to the Lord. I promise that as you do you will be able to help others around you feel the Love of our Heavenly Father. I know this is true, and I have felt this in my life. 

Well it is weird to think that another transfer about about to come to a close. This Sunday we will get transfer calls. I am not to worried, I am sure me and Elder Harris will stay in the College Park Ward. I love this ward so much and I am so excited to continue to see it grow. The members here are great and I have truly grown to love each of them. 

Have a fantastic week Y'all

Elder Joshua V. Christensen