Monday
: p-day loves to fly by. Quickest day of the week and even to go as far as the
most busy. We did our usual shopping with our brand new companions fro, the Mtc
!! Haha we are going to have to teach them how to shop thrifty ! We also did
the usual write emails and and play zone sports . We also had the
opportunity to teach L. ! He was baptized a week before we got to the
mission oak ward. This kid is awesome ! Other than that not much
else happened today .
Tuesday:
Was
kind of a miracle day! Why was it a miracle ? Well for starters we had cloud
cover for the first time in months!! So we were excited to be on bikes!
But then we remembered we gave our helmets to the zone leaders . So we couldn't
bike. So we used the car that would possibly shut off on us at any time!
But no worries because our day was BUSY. we met a for,re investigator that was
actually going to drop the missionaries. But then we caught her walking her dog
by some chance and she immediately felt the desire to ,set with us and build
her faith in the lord ! That was cool! The other cool thing was the
elders in the zone (4companionships, 3 of which are training new missionaries )
went out for dinner to talk and see how the new missionaries are doing and taking
a second to realize stress with each! It was a lot of fun to be honest. Went to
jacks urban eats. Totally worth it. We also met a former investigator named
C. She is so prepared ! She talked about how she is tired with sitting
on the fence with getting baptized and talked a ton about how comfortable she
feels at the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and how she knows that
it has to be of God. And on top of that we talked to her Spanish neighbor who
is also super receptive to the gospel and is looking forward to meeting with
the Spanish sisters.
Wednesday :
This
was literally a day of miracles. Our zone has set a zone goal to invite a
certain amount of people to be baptized by the end of the transfer. So all of
our contacts some how now end up going back to inviting some one to be baptized
by priesthood authority. And wow let me tell ya... That brings a TON of
miracles. When the lord sees that you are willing to invite anyone to be
baptized, he puts the people in your path who have the desire to be baptized.
We met SO many people prepared to receive the gospel today. And even put a few
on date. I'll let ya know if anything happens with that. We also had
another appointment with C. to sing her happy birthday , but she was busy
on the phone. But we did see the sisters teaching C's Spanish neighbors.
But not just one but part of the family. And they extended a baptismal date and
they accepted ! Goooooooo Spanish sisters! Also while we were
biking there was a guy with a flat tire. And I had a patch kit in my bag so we
pulled over to help him out. So we patched his tire and as we talked he was
saying how much he loves missionaries and how they always go over. Turns out
this guy knows one of the members that I knew back when I was in foothills but
he lives in a different ward. So that's weird. But that ward calls him a
"dry Mormon" because he is doing everything he needs to to qualify
for baptism but he just won't get baptized !! So we invited him to make
that decision and commit to it. Alright last cool thing of the day. End of the
day we decided to go see one more potential. It was in a ghetto apartment
complex where they were having a big party in the court yard. There have been a
couple times on my mission where I've been nervous going to some places , but
this time I was sort of terrified. And turns out we didn't even hav this
potentials apartment number so it was useless to be there. Until an older man
sitting in a lawn chair called us over. Turns out one of his best friends
is a member of the church, who visits him four times a week to take him to
different appointments
And
do different things. They met because missionaries brought him over as a
fellowship per a few years ago. But then he moved out of the area and into ours
and hasn't been in contact with missionaries until we saw him that night. It
truly was a miracle.
Thursday:
We
did service for a recent convert clipping some shrubs. Always a good time. It's
a chance to wear civilian clothes which always feels strange. Today was
ultimately lame because we had to take a car down to Elk Grove to the dealer
ship (30mins away) to drop the car off then wait for three hours to find out
that it will have to stay over night! So we had someone come pick us up. And
the rest of the night we had some appointments that we had to get to. We had
our ward mission leader come to this inactive mans apartment . We had an
unbelievable lesson! This guy said he felt so prompted by the spirit to talk
with us. Then shared his story how he is trying to get back on his feet. And we
invited to take Christs "yoke upon [him]" because his "yoke is
easy and burden is light." Sometimes you see when people feel the spirit.
through our discussion directed by the spirit and the experiences our ward mission
leader shared he was overwhelmed by the spirit. It was incredible!
Friday:
ZONE
TRAINING. Zone training is always amazing. We had to read a talk called "
the challenge to become " by elder dallin h. Oaks. EVERYONE READ IT. If
you truly want to know what your real purpose in life is you'll read it
accompanied with the Book of Mormon. I received a lot of insights and personal
revelation. Given straight from the spirit. I also read a talk called
"whom the lord loveth the lord chastens ." And in a nut shell don't
turn away the very rebukes and chastening from the lord that allow you to
become. As soon as you do, you keep yourself separate from God and your
eternal divine purpose. We also had to go pick up the car today. So there goes
another couple of ours because it was terrible traffic. We had L. a 17
year old boy just baptized come out with us to appointments. It was awesome to
see him bare testimony of his conversion and why it was so important for him to
be baptized by authority.
Saturday:
at first today didn't seem like it was going to go well at all. But yes God
does provide ! We started it early with a service project that involved us
moving so,e things out for a garage sale. Did some studies but then we had to
go to an appointment that some members came with us to. One of the best lessons
I've ever witnessed ! It is the best feeling when you see the light bulb go off
for someone regarding the restoration. Then we had an amazing dinner. Had a ton
of Asian food. And log story short we were going to take L. on a
temple tour but we were going to have to cancel but then our dinner appointment
pulled through and said that they could take him so we could go. And inspired
also because they had a none member girl who also joined us for the occasion!
Miracle! Once we got to the temple it looked like there was a small picnic for
a ward or something. And turns out it was all the Lao people having a Lao
picnic ! The tender mercies of God ! I helped be apart of this picnic but then
I got transferred and I was bummed I didn't get to attend ! But some how the
lord still made it happen. It was crazy to see all the Lao people again. I love
them all so much.
Sunday :pretty
good Sunday expect we had to stay inside all day because we had to
weekly plan. But it was elder P. birthday so we celebrated !!!
Great
week! I attached some of my study notes !
Doctrine
and covenants 1:19- I've been reading that scripture wrong all along. It
states the the weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the
mighty and strong ones." I always figured that we were strong ones and
some of us would fall. But nope personal revelation today, we are weak to the
things of this world but the weak shall confound the learned and strong things
of the world. Because God is more powerful than the power of the world. And
calls upon the unlearned (18 year old elder kristensen) to declare his gospel
by the power of his spirit. It pushes me to use the spirit and rely on him
.
Pray
often
Praying
is a commandment. As we ask in faith sincerity and real intent we will receive
answers to prayers. We can feel the Holy Ghost and know of his presence as we
are taught new things, minds are filled with inspiring and uplifting thoughts ,
hearts will have feelings of peace joy and comfort, and we will want to serve
others. Generally we can't describe the feelings of the spirit but we will know
them when we feel it. 2nephi32:8-9 pray always and before all our doings that
it may be for the welfare for our souls. Salam teaches a man not to pray.
Enos1:12
God grants to the desires of our hearts and because of our faith.
Alma
34:17-28 - God wants to hear from you no matter where you are. Literally
everywhere. He also wants to here anything, no matter what it is . And when you
are not praying let your heart be full always drawn out in prayer for the
welfare of my soul.
Doctrine
and covenants 6.
Unreal
chapter . V. 14 if you ever wonder why you are where you at while in the
service of the lord and feel doubt within know that the spirit has always
provided you with instruction to be where you are at. I love this
chapter. I feel like it just talks directly at me. Impressive to say
least.
Alma
37:33 - faith can overcome any temptation
2cor7:10-
godly sorrow will drive you to repent and worldly sorrow will drive you to
death.
God
is our loving Heavenly Father
God
loves us infinitely. We are his children and he wants to see our success. He
only hates sin because he hates to see us fail to reach our divine potential.
He mourns when we mourn, he smiles when we smile. For his "work and [his]
glory" is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of
man." (Moses1:39) we are our fathers' glory. We are what makes him
glorified. We are what bring him eternal joy.
