zone: Kingwood
companion: Elder Noall
This week has been fantastic once again. We've seen so many miracles and blessings come as we've gone out and worked. My exchange with Elder Henrie was a real learning experience, I always look forward to exchanges with the leaders I have. They have such good insights and so much experience it really helps me understand what more I can do. We've been teaching a scripture study class on Thursday nights going through the Bible Videos, it hasn't been a good finding tool yet but it really helps our recent converts understand the gospel. We taught about the Last Supper this week and I didn't think we would be able to get enough information to talk about for the 45 minute class from the scriptures about this one meal, but we had awesome class participation and it worked out awesome. The Swanks always attend and really help us with their input.
One miracle from this week was we taught our investigator, Jonathan, but forgot to invite him to church at the lesson, but on Saturday we were up in that area finding potentials and he saw us outside and invited us in for lunch. We were then able to invite him to church and we had no idea how we were going to do it because he doesn't have a phone and we were supposed to be crammed busy that day with service projects but one got cancelled and he happened to see us outside. He came to church and loved the testimony meeting. I love being a missionary!
It has been such a blessing to get to know the people here and serve with the wonderful leaders this ward has. I have learned a lot here and will miss it, but I know that transfers are inspired and that where I go now will be where the Lord wants me.
I bore my testimony yesterday in church and the Spirit taught me something very profound. Brother Baer (2nd counselor in the Bishopric) said sometimes his boys try to take the easy way out of things. Brother Crofts (just an awesome member, I think he teaches a primary class) talked about having a perspective of the future, like "if I knew something bad would happen in 3 months, how would I change how I live now to be more ready?" And I was pondering those two things and got up and bore my testimony something along the lines of "What is the easy way out now, is near never the easy way out for the future. In the morning the easy way out is to sleep for an extra hour, but the easy way out for the rest of the day is to read your scriptures because it makes your day so much easier. The easy way out of peer pressure, like come party and drink with us, is to follow your friends, but the easy way out for tomorrow, or next week is to hold to your standards. The easy way out after high school graduation is to follow your friends to college, or even easier sit at home playing video games and living off of your parents, but the easy way out in 2 years, or 10 years, or your lifetime is to serve a mission. The Gospel of Jesus Christ may not be easy right now, but it makes tomorrow, and next week, and next year, and a lifetime easier.
I love being a missionary and I love the Holy Ghost.
I love all of you. But I love the Lord more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.