Dear Family and friends,
This week I honestly do not have much to report. I hope to be able to
share my testimony with you all, and to help you feel what I am
feeling as a missionary of Jesus Christ.
I am still getting more adjusted to my new companion, Elder Bachman,
who is completely different than Elder Scheidt on all things from
differing opinions as to how to how really do missionary work, as to
planning out what we are going to eat every day for every meal.
(Scheidt choro and I almost never ate in the apartment, but when we
did, it definitely wasn't planned before hand. Haha it is so
interesting, I went from one side of the spectrum, to the complete
other, and I just kind of sat in the middle on both of the issues that
they differ from so greatly. It is very funny to watch. As Kitami San
put it when talking about Bachman choro's image, "You look very smart,
like a scientist or a math person." (In his very broken English.) haha
it was so funny, so I asked him what I looked like to him when I first
met him, and he just said "Sports". Haha I laughed, and then he said,
"well, you look like you could do many things, but first was sports."
Haha it was hilarious. Below is a list of quotes that I made to send
to Elder Scheidt that kind of show some fun contrasts between my two
companions.
Not all of that may make sense, but hopefull you'll find that funny.
Oh I guess I should say what Ikemen means. Lol. It basically it means,
"Stud/"Hot", lol. It was so funny.
Anyway, moving on to things that actually matter in terms of the
Salvation of our souls. Everyone please pray for Tawaria San. Pray
that his heart will be softened, and that his faith will be restored.
Pray that he will accept tithing, and not be so hardened towards that
commandment. He has seen many miracles and has come to church multiple
times, and his work schedule changed so that he always has Sunday's
off now, which was truly a miracle from God. He wanted to get
baptized, and God has truly played a major role in his life, and right
when we were about to set a new baptismal date, one that didn't seem
to have any obstacles in front of it, we brought up tithing a little
bit, just in reviewing what we had left to teach him, and then he
wanted to know what it was, and then we explained it, and I feel we
did the best we could to help him understand the blessings behind
tithing, and the fact that it really only helps us, but he did not
receive it with a soft heart, and since then, has barely let us talk
to him, and has stopped doing all of the other things that he was
doing so good at. It is a very sad situation, but I have seen many
miracles with him in positions where he thought things were
impossible, so I have faith that we can see them again with this
situation.
This week I have studied and learned more about prayer. I think that I
am learning more and more what prayer is, and what it really means to
be in tune with the spirit. I have said it before and I will say it
again, because true things need to be repeated again and again. "Our
spiritual life is only as strong as our prayer life." When we ponder
this, it helps give us proper perspective as to how we stand with God,
in both of those things. So please, do what you need to do to increase
the strength of your prayer life. God is there, and he is waiting for
you to pour your soul out to him in sacred prayer. Pray each morning
and night with your families.
I wasn't sure if I would, but I feel that I should share a portion of
President Kimball's words. "The daily family life, if well
charted and regulated, supplemented by the twice-daily family
kneeling prayer and the home teaching and home evening, is
almost certain to bring up the children to become stalwart
sons and daughters of God and eligible for exaltation and
eternal life. Selfishness on the part of parents which would
deprive the children of this training would be a sin of
omission and answerable to the Great Judge when the time of
judgment comes." Although these words may seem somewhat harsh, they
are rightly so, because the lord does not take the matters of the home
lightly. The home is to be like unto a temple, and should be a place
of gospel learning, and of love. Thank you to you my wonderful
parents, for giving me the blessing of being raised in a home where I
learned the gospel, where we did our best, and rarely, if ever failed
to do those things that I know brought me the safety and spiritual
protection that can be accounted for the reason why I am on my mission
today: Family prayer, scripture study, home evening. I fear that
without those things, I do not know where I would be today, and so I
am eternally grateful that I have had those things in my life.
For those of us who could be better at doing those things, it is not
too late, but do not delay. There is nothing more important than the
spiritual strength of family, and as we seek to make our spiritual
strength strong, through those things that may be easy to forget or
push aside, we will achieve the goal of Eternal life, together. I know
that families can be together forever, and for that I am eternally
grateful. I love you all so much. Thank you for your love.
Love,
コノバー長老
Elder Conover
No comments:
Post a Comment