I'm doing well. This next week
is already transfers. That blew my mind to think that. It literally feels like
it has only been 3 weeks...but 6 weeks will have already passed by. The Zone is
struggling and going through a hard time... a combination of things from what I
see.. but last night on the ZL conference call, I was asked to give a PMG
moment, and I was looking in PMG and looked at Hope. It's an amazing Christ like
attribute. I thought of the following verses in D&C 121
if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
The Son of Man hath descended
below them all. Art thou greater than he?
Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for
their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall
not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what
man can do, for God shall be with you
forever and ever.
We must have hope to overcome and to
persevere. Lately we have had a fair share of disappointments in the branch.
Personally I don't like dwelling on the negative and I always say to myself,
"Everything will be okay, it will get better."
I had a neat experience with
"holding on" and "fearing not". Friday I was on exchanges
in our area. We were at the same trailer park where the dog attacked me.
But I had knocked half this park about 5 months before. Anyways I tried to set
that out of my mind and tried to remember that the Lord always prepares people
to come to the Gospel. We knocked some doors and spoke with people, they were
not very receptive to us. As we were walking down the road, I looked
around and started to feel like leaving. Feelings of wanting to go somewhere
or just walk around and meander somewhere else swarm around me. I paused
an reflected on the night before. I was praying and I was nervous about the
exchange what to do, who to visit, etc. I will never forget the impression
I received and wrote down. "It'll be hard but trust in the Lord and
everything will work out." Upon reflecting that I said to the elder with
me. "Ya know, just now I was tempted beyond measure to leave this
park and to go somewhere else. If I'm having those feelings then, I need
to continue knocking because the adversary does not want me here." I led
the way and began knocking.
A couple of people were somewhat
nice but not extremely receptive. Once again those thoughts from before
came, but I was persistent and hopeful that the Lord would provide and if not,
that I knew I was doing what the Lord wanted. We knocked a door and a
woman answered. We introduced ourselves and began to talk with her.
We spoke about our message how God loves us and wants to bless our
families. She then mentioned how she had been praying that day asking God for a
spiritual guide and guidance, then we knocked her door, she feels it was an
answer to her prayers. It was amazing Mom, I then told her about my experience
that happened just maybe 5 mins before, and I testified to her that God heard
her prayer and sent us to her. We shared more and we told her
of Joseph Smiths first vision, she paused after I told her about it
and said, "There were two young men like you that came to my home about a
year and a half ago, they prayed with me because I was going through a really
hard time. When they prayed I felt something really strong. Peace, and I felt
as though I could fly. I knew they were praying sincerely, I felt it. They told
me about a Book that they wanted to give me and told me about Jose Smith. I
wanted the Book but we moved a week later and I never saw them again." I
took out a Book of Mormon and asked her,"Was this the Book?" She
smiled and said,"That's the Book!"
It
was an amazing spiritual experience for me..I know that as we put our trust in
the Lord. He will support us. He did it with me. I know He lives. I know He
answers prayers. I know that He loves each and everyone of us.
