Thursday, December 19, 2013

Week 22--December 16, 2013

Sorry this is late...I just finished my semester of online school and I've been avoiding the computer this week.  Sharon

Well it has been another really hard week in MoVal, but this week has strengthened my testimony so much that Miracles happen. When the Lord gives us trials and a hard work, he ALWAYS places Miracles in our path. I have seen SO many Miracles this past week.
The week started off really slow but we did have a really good lesson on Monday that led to a miracle down the road. The lesson was with a young lady named Abby, so we had a lesson with her at the Garcia's house when we went over for dinner on Monday. Abby is very connected to the church but she isn't a member yet, All of her extended family on her mom's side of the family is LDS except her mom, and those that weren't are joining the church. On top of that a lot of her friends are LDS, so she has a lot of support. She had told the Garcia girls a few weeks ago that she wanted to be baptized, so going into the lesson we were Pretty excited. We taught her the Restoration and committed her to read 3 Nephi 11. We didn't hear back about her until Saturday, and Miranda Garcia showed us the text message that Abby had sent to her the night after our lesson with her. Abby had read the chapter and prayed and said that she definitely got her answer, and she knew without a doubt that it was true! Now we just have to work with her and pray that her parent's hearts will be softened toward the church. Sister Garcia is definitely helping with it too and talking to Abby's parents. It has been a crazy miracle that came out of nowhere and it is an excellent example of how missionary should be done, and that is Member missionary work. The Young Women in this ward are great, and they are being awesome missionaries. 

We then experienced a miracle on Thursday, my birthday, we had a lesson with the Holmes family, and Peter the Dad has told us that he was going to be baptized but he wasn't ready to give up his smokes and his drink yet. Well when we saw him on Thursday, he had been sober and off of smoking for a week! He is getting ready to be baptized most likely in January, and it was a much needed miracle, because when he gets baptized the whole family will follow!

Well in closing I will put in part of an email that I sent Sami, Brother Christiansen asked them to ask a missionary they know, What makes a good missionary?

What makes a good missionary? Anyone can be a good missionary. A good missionary isn't defined by how many people they baptize, a good missionary is a good missionary because they know why they are serving and who they are serving. Remember what King Benjamin said in his glorious sermon "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17) A good missionary isn't serving his or her mission, a good missionary is serving the Lord's mission in the area which he or she is called. It is my personal belief that the best missionaries serve the Lord because they love the Lord. Not because they want the blessings of serving a mission however great they might be, the blessings of serving a mission are great, but they are greater for those who serve because they love the Lord. A Good missionary gives everything that they've got to the work. Good missionaries will have lots of trials, but they rely on God to get through any trial. A good missionary NEVER gives up just like Ammon in the Book of Mormon says "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." Missionary work is hard but it is the work of the Lord and Every good missionary knows that and lets the lord support him.
So... a good missionary Works Hard, Never Gives Up, is Completely Obedient to every commandment and standard of the lord, is Patient, tries to be as Christlike as possible, and most importantly Loves the Lord!

I hope everyone has a good week,

Elder Bangerter

No comments:

Post a Comment