Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody! This past year is great, and this upcoming year will be perfect with the whole thing in dedication to the Lord.
 

The more you are trying to represent the Lord, the more you realize what needs to happen. I came out here different than I am now. The Christlike attributes in Preach My gospel are excellent because those areas of your life can use such improvement and that chapter shows you how. I have seen such growth and I see so much growth yet to be done.
 

Pride is such an interesting thing because it is just so tricky. No wonder pride is the core for sins. The cool thing about my mission so far is to see how much I need to be more humble, more submissive, more patient, loving, faithful, etc. The mission truly is the opportunity of a lifetime.
 

This past Sunday was excellent with an investigator, Eustina, coming to church. She loved it and we'll be expecting her next Sunday as well. We even had a former investigator come to church, who we've invited many times. We were excited to see her. She wants a church that focuses on Christ. My companion gave her our General Conference Ensign to read,  and by that she'll come to know that we have a true prophet this day named Thomas S. Monson. She also enjoyed church. Gwen was having pain with her back so unfortunately she wasn't able to come.
 

The mission has been good so far. I am still with the same companion I started with. We are tight, though it is interesting how different two people can be. There are those imperfect times, but what a great opportunity to humble myself and prioritize, sacrificing, and serving more.
 

I had the privilege of skyping my family this past week. What great joy; what great tears. That time was sanctified to me. Families are so sacred--pity not all know such or act when they know. It was a time of homesickness, but also a time to see those things you treasure most upheld by God and His truths that reign. I am ever far from home, but I am home in the service of God, and seeing my family again, coming home proud that I gave it my all; that is my reward.
 

I testify that we must treasure that which is in heaven, which can be forever ours. Heaven has sealed the family, so may we treat our families as treasures in heaven, for they are sealed in such.

Pretty cool eh? And I am thankful for it. These things I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Dear whomsoevers,

This was a good week. My companion and I have gotten our best key indicator actual for other lessons, and that was good. Key indicators really help you focus for the week. Goals, goals, goals--by what other way is there better achievement?

This week has been great as we have been able to make visits with potential investigators and turn them into investigators. A man named Puteho, found in our former investigators, was called by me. Now I am not good at calling people on the phone, but through prayer, I called, was still not so great, but he still wanted to have us come over. What a miracle there.

Gwen is doing good. Boy can she talk; she has the history to talk about. She's just so well rounded even with the unfortunate happenings in her past. She is golden, and I am looking forward to seeing her get baptized. Unfortunately, Jessie, another golden investigator, is up north with family for a few weeks, so we won't be visiting with her for longer than desired.

Maria is still doing great. She's a little bit shaky about the idea of being baptized, but we talked about it more, discussing its purpose and why she would want it, and she is looking at it far better than before. She loves to read the scriptures; she does it at work even. She'll be a great member. Bummer is that she won't go to my ward, but another one due to circumstances.

Thanks for all your prayers. Prayer works so much. My prayers are answered. I see my fellow missionaries receiving answers. He listens to us. It is so humbling to think that he would take consideration of me to listen and answer. How precious I must be, which means, how precious others must be to Him. No wonder we are to love one another. What greatness lies ahead.  May we keep that in mind.

The work is going forward. What a privilege to be here, for forever shall I remember it, and forever are the blessings from it. Keep in mind the eternities that lie ahead, for they will come and yield the blessings by our action of each day. However worth it is this work. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 

The gospel is Love

This past week was great. I can't remember much about it, and I don't have my old planner which contains this past week but there is some that I can relate and was ever worth writing down.

 

I was able to give a blessing to the mother of a lady in our ward. That required faith, and I could have been perhaps fearful like in the past, but when that fear was cast out with faith, I accomplished it and I have grown from it.

 

I was also able to see the hand of God in this week with an other elder who is with Elder Howse and I in our flat. At first, I did not like this elder, and so I turned to the Lord, praying for love towards him. I sought opportunities to serve him, that I may come to love him, like the scriptures say. I was able to do splits with that elder this past Friday, and now I do love him. He's great. We are ever so different, but now I am so happy to have gotten to know him. Now I need to focus on those whom I teach. It is easier to love some more than others, but may we always pray to love them all, for all should be loved, even as we are loved.

 

The work is centered on love, and without that, what is the point? Is not the gospel love? Is not the greatest commandment about love? Our sure foundation that shall withstand all things must be centered on love--a godly attribute. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have seen the Lord bless me with love towards those I have needed to love more, and I know that by him I can continually grow in love. That is my testimony, and these things I testify of in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.