January 5, 2009

Tuesday we taught Fidel again. He's really coming along! He definitely recognizes a difference between when we are there and when we aren't! I'm pretty sure he will be baptized. That would make me so very happy! Wednesday was New Years Eve and also the day we had district meeting. Elder Larson, the district leader, had us think of something we want to accomplish before the next general conference. Then he had us go seperate into rooms by ourselves and make that promise to the Lord. I went into the chapel by myself and sat in the front row. What I want to accomplish is reaching a new spiritual peak. So I'm going to work on giving my whole self to the Lord, and hold nothing back. The next day the Lord didn't spare any time to start helping me towards that goal. On Wednesday we got December's Ensign (obviously late because we got January's the week before) well, when we came home with it on Wednesday it was just tossed on the floor in the middle of our front room for some reason. I didn't pay much attention to it because it was now an old edition. So that's where it was Thursday morning- the only thing on the floor. So anyway, every morning I kinda have my own routine. 7:00 I get in the shower then get out, get ready, then make my breakfast. Every morning I have the same thing, Malt-O-Meal. Always while I eat that at my desk I read from the old testament (I'm to Jeremiah ch. 49 F.Y.I) but just as I sat down Thursday morning with my bible open, I got a distinct prompting that I shouldn't be reading the old testament then, but should be reading that Ensign over there on the floor. Well, my first thought brushed it aside because I always read the old testament while I eat breakfast and I don't like varying fro my routine. Right after that the same prompting came again and I still battled with it. Then a reminder came of the promise I had made the day before (by the way, I had asked for reminders in that prayer. haha!) and a rebuking thought that I wasn't being humble to the will of the Lord. So then I gave up my will and got the Ensign. As I was flipping through the pages I had no idea what I was going to read, then I turned to a page and then I got a "Yup, that's the one" impression. Page 26: a talk by Neal A. Maxwell entitled "Consecrate Thy Performance" Haha! The whole talk is about turning our wills over to God's will and giving our all to him! Haha! I thought iw as pretty ironic and funny that I was trying to resist and do my own will right before he made me read that talk. I was definitely humbled at that point and I knew I needed that talk. Haha! I definitely learned a lesson from that experience!

Friday I went on exchanges in Warrensburg with one of the Zone leaders, Elder Bingham. He's from Idaho so he's a little odd, but he's still pretty cool. Their apartment is on Gay Street in Warrensburg. Haha! That's pretty funny! We had an awesome lesson that night with a part-member family. The husband is not a member but the wife is an active member. They taught him about the restoration the week before and out of nowhere, the day before we taught him, he and his wife went on an unexpected day trip to Nauvoo! He loved it and he was so excited to learn when we got there. We taught him about the plan of salvation. He was talking about how he wanted to get sealed to his wife and serve a mission in Nauvoo! It was awesome. Apparently, 2 weeks before that he didn't want to take any of the lessons. He's made a huge change! It's great to see the gospel in action!

Saturday, Elder Bartlett and I taught an investigator, Amber about the restoration. She really liked it and is excited to read the book of mormon! As we were leaving that appointment and about to get in the car a lady across the street said "hi" to us so we went and talked to her. Her name is Lucy and she wants to return to being close to God. So now we're going to teach her, too! That was definitely a blessing and a miracle! We have been trying to find more people to teach! The church is true!

Sunday I was able to bless the sacrament with one of the priests, which I love doing! I love blessing the sacrament because it means so much to me! And I know it means so much to many people there! I also bore my testimony during fast and testimony meeting. After church the branch presidents wife, who is also the primary president came up to me and we were talking. She thanked me for how I said the sacrament prayer and said that while I was bearing my testimony she decided that I was going to make a great father and husband. That made me smile! I sure hope I become a good father and husband! I worry about that sometimes.

Anyway, we didn't really do anything for new years eve. We went to bed at the regular 10:30 and woke up at the regular 6:30. Haha! So... I don't remember if I told you that I have been studying the usage of the word "remember" in the book of mormon. How ironic that I don't remember! Haha! But that has been really great to study! I'm learning a lot! One of our weaknesses as mortals is that we fail to remember too easily. I've noticed that remembering is a big purpose for the book of mormon. I'm reading through the Book of Mormon looking for that word and how it is used. I'm in 3 Nephi 21 and the word "remember"or words like it such as "remembrance" are quoted 206 times. A large portion of these is when a father is talking to his children. For example: Helaman 5:5-12... 14 times in those verses! I'm also going through the BOM and highlighting and tallying all the references to Jesus Christ or God. Even when it says thing like "He" or "Him" talking about either of the two. I just finished Words of Mormon pg 145. Just try and guess how many times! I'm sure you are way below the actual number! This is amazing... 3,009! Supposing I haven't missed any! That's So many times! Who says we don't believe in Jesus Christ? One page had 63 references! That has been cool!