This week has been filled with more miracles and great
opportunities to serve! Monday we just had our preparation day.
Tuesday
I had MLC, so I went up and met with all of the zone leaders
and sister training leaders and with the mission president and we had another
meeting and talked about the training that will be presented for this month.
But we had a great discussion on light and darkness. And we read alot out
Doctrine and Covenants sections 50 and 93. They had some great scriptures
in them. But one of the main things we talked about was how we can add more
light into our missionary work in out areas. And I wish I could describe the
conversation we had better, but I can't. The spirit was so strong and just had
an incredible lesson.
But some of the ways that we talked about applying
this lesson in our work are, things like obedience to the rules. As we are obedient
we are able to receive blessing and are able to see more miracles in our life.
We also talked about how we can add more light by keeping things clean. Whether
it be the apartment or the car, or anything like that, that is how we can
receive more light into our lives. After this we went straight in to our
role play and me and Elder Stewart really seem to teach well together, and we
had a great role play. But it was good to be able to hear the things that were
taught there.
After that we traveled back and we started planning on how we
would present this training at our zone meeting. So after a couple hours of
throwing ideas back and forth we were able to come up with a good lesson plan
on how to present this training. And we came up with a fun activity that would
catch all of the missionaries by surprise. Also that night we went to the mall
and street contacted and taught like 3 different lessons! It was such a
blessing. We were able to talk to some different people because members would
stop us if they worked at stores and invite us to come and talk to there
friends.
Weds
We volunteered at at PCI and we were able to get alot of
stuff done that day. But after we volunteered that morning we went aback to our
apartment and we changed and got ready to go teach a lesson to Randy. So we
taught him the first half of the commandments, but we really emphasized the
word of wisdom. And it went over really well. He committed to stop smoking, and
we gave him a priesthood blessing. He really is continuing to have a desire to
change and come closer to Christ.
Thursday
We went over to the bishops house and helped him with some
things he needed, and boiled some deer skulls with him. But this is always been
good because we sit down and talk about the missionary work that is going on
here in the college park ward! But it was good, and we were able to have a
really good lesson with bishop after. We talked to him about our new mission
standards to baptize weekly and he is ready! He wants to find a way to really
get the members to act on the promptings they have. I know that as we continue
to come together as the members and the missionaries, then this work will move
forward so much! I know that this is true! So the spirit was there and now
bishop is even more excited to get the work moving forward! And tonight we saw
another big miracle!
We went and knocked on Brother Marshburns house, and he
let us in. This was the first time I have seen him in a while, and he was
excited to see me and we talked alot again. For those who don't remember James
Marshburn worked for my grandpa years ago and actually knows alot of my family!
And so we were able to share stories. He talked about how he always felt like
he was apart of the family. And I looked at him and told him that he will
always be apart of our family. And I think that really helped him. He opened up
even more and we just had a great discussion! But that was such a miracle as
well!
Friday
We had zone meeting, and I was conducting this time. And the
meeting went really well. We always seem to be very short on time, but it was still
a great meeting. The big part of the training was on inviting people and
helping them keep commitments. I know it can be hard, but I know that when we
are able to help investigators and members keep commitments there are able to
be blessed. They open up doors that will bless there lives forever. So after
this we did the role play and I was just going from group to group and giving
advice where I could. But at the end we gave all the missionaries a pen and
paper and told them that there was a picture we drew on the board in the gym
that they would go in and draw.
So we told them they had a couple min and then
they started to go into the gym. They sat down and then we turned the chalk
board around and the missionaries saw if for about 3 seconds and then all the
lights turned off. We told them they needed to draw it in the dark and add as
much detail as they could to it. And then after the couple minutes were up we
had them draw it in the light and see the difference. We then compared this
back to the training given in the meeting we had. But that was a great
lesson and it turned out to be a great day. We were able to get in with some
different families and teach lessons to them.
Saturday
Today was a day where we saw more miracles. We went and got
in with different families. We wanted to go check up on randy though and so we
went and knocked on his door and he wasn't home. But then I remembered an
apartment we wanted to go knock on and check from a previous referral in the
last year and we knocked on it and it was a whole family of less active members
that wanted to start coming back to church. That was such a huge blessing! We
talked with them for a bit and they said they wanted to come back. And so we
told them we have church at 11 and they said there are going to really try to
start coming.
And then we got there information and brought there records into
our ward. But right after we left, we ran in to another less active family who
is also wanting to come back to activity. So we taught them a lesson also! It
was a great day! We are seeing so many opportunities to help reactivate
members! This is just as big and important as helping someone get to the gates
of baptism. So I know that as we continue to do this that we will be blessed
and we will continue to see the hand of the lord in our lives! So please look
for opportunities to serve those around you!
Sunday
We had meetings all morning, but they went very well. And
then church is always a blessing. It is one of the best parts of the week to be
able to sit down and to partake of the sacrament and renew the promises with my
Heavenly Father. I always feel peace and just feel happy every Sunday after
coming out of church. And then the rest of the evening we went around and
taught the missionary lessons to different members. I love seeing when members
get excited to do missionary work. It is such a great blessing, and I know that
once they get more involved the work will move forward, and we will be able to
continue to see the work hasten here and in the places we live!
I know this is
true. I have seen this through out my mission. Members influence the work so
much so please pray for the missionaries in your area and for missionary
experiences. And if you do I promise you that you will be able to have incredible
experiences and the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared!
I hope y'all have a great week!
Elder Joshua V. Christensen
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