It's hard to believe that this transfer is almost over. I'm pretty
confident that I'll be spending another one in Rio Rancho but I guess that you
never know for sure. It's also weird to think that today is my 6 month mark. Can
you believe that I've already been at this for half a year? I can't! Ha, it's
making me think very worldly today. Like what did I do back in regular life?
Although I'm sure I'll get over that soon. This week we got three new
investigators which is fantastic for us! One of them is a guy named Greg, who
we first though was named Gred. Along with mastering the skill of eating green
chili I am also learning to master the skill of talking to people without
calling them by name. Because it seems like we always hear that people have
strange names, like Gred. And sometimes it's true and sometimes it's not.
This week we did service
at a ranch called Loving Thunder. We groomed horses, and shoveled stalls. It
really wasn't too bad, but I just am not that big of a fan of horses. I'm sorry
but they're just not that cool. This week we also spent a lot of time focusing
on contacting referrals and potentials and making sure that we know who
everyone is on our ward list. It's a slow process but it will be super
beneficial in the long run. We also went to a baptism this week for one of our
previously less active member's sons. It's just so cool when people come back
to church. Everybody go to church! It's awesome!
Yesterday was a bit of
an interesting day. We had planned to visit a man who the Elder's had told us
about but when we got to the house it was empty. Apparently no one had lived
there for years (according to the neighbor). So we thought that was pretty
interesting, getting a fake address was a first for me. But it turns out that
we had just written his address down wrong, which was good, because he was actually
a pretty cool guy. Yesterday we also ran into a old man who let us in and then
proceeded to tell the three of us (we had a member with us who is 19) about how
beautiful we were and how attracted to us he was and how he can't understand
how one church can have so many beautiful women. Sadly, he was not
interested in learning more but we are more than welcome back any time...
Honestly, that's really
about all that I can think of that we did this week, sorry it wasn't very
exciting.
This week I have been
reading the conference issue of the Ensign and I recently read President
Uchtdof's talk on being genuine. It is really good, and is a really good
reminder I though. It reminds me a lot of his talk last Priesthood session
"Lord is it I." which is just amazing as well. Sometimes it's hard to
know why we do things, and sometimes, once we do know, it's hard to change. I
know that is something that I've seen in different circumstances in my life.
Ok, so I know that I am doing this because I have to and not because I want to,
but how do I change how I feel? I want to do it out of love, but I don't know
how. It's a question that I'm still trying to find a complete answer to, but I
think that a big part of it comes from that desire Even though we don't love doing
it, we want to. When Alma talks about desire in Alma 32, we often only compare
that to the Gospel as a whole. But he says to exercise a particle of faith,
even if we can do no more than desire, let that desire work within us. I think
the same principle applies to individual aspects of the Gospel as well. I don't
like to serve but do it because I should or because God wants me to, or I don't
like to do home teaching but know that it's a good thing, or whatever it is. As
long as we let the desire work within us, we can transition, from duty to want.
It'll be slow, at least it is for me, it will take a lot of time and a lot of
transition, and it will sometimes be duty, sometimes be love, sometimes be half
and half, but eventually, as we continue to work, and to try and to have and
strengthen that desire, then we eventually get to Alma 32:42-43. "And
because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in
nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the
fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet,
and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is
pure, and ye shall feast upon this fruit, even until ye are filled, that ye
hunger not, neither shall ye thirst. Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the
reward s of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long suffering,
waiting or the tree to bring forth fruit unto you." We will be more like
Christ, we will act out of love. Even if it's just that one aspect, service, or
church, or visiting teaching or whatever, we are more Christlike than we were
before, and part by part, task by task, doctrine by doctrine we will become all
that we know we can be.
Hope you all have an
amazing week!
Love,
April
No comments:
Post a Comment