Hey everyone,
It has been another great week, but there were some really
difficult aspects. It was hard to have both of our baptismal candidates
just not show up for about 6 planned programs in total. Despite the
hardships, there were miracles.
Thursday was one of the harder days of the week. We had 5
programs scheduled and it seemed set and ready to go, but then one by one, the
programs started falling through. This isn't just programs set up on the
street, but also investigators on baptismal date. We just started finding
between our planned programs, but one by one they fell through until they were
all gone. We ended up finding for 7 hours straight, not having any
success for the first 6 1/2 hours. In those 6 1/2 hours we also happened
to talk to 2 people who just began trying to "Bible bash" with us;
including a super strange man who just "happened" to have a Bible in
his pocket and a scar of an "X" carved into his forehead.
 |
| Jake's angry face on the day the investigators didn't show up for their programs |
Although it was a hard day, we kept pushing forward. In
that last half hour we found two great people. That night as we returned
for dinner, we received a call from a local member telling us about a wonderful
family that just wandered into our branch house. The member did some
great missionary work and gave our number and a "Book of Mormon" to
the small family and invited them to our English class. They are coming
this week to meet us so we can begin teaching them about the gospel.
Although our Thursday and our week didn't turn out as planned,
we worked hard. Our success may not have been what we were expecting or
hoping for, the Lord provided for us and reached out in help.
It may not have been the greatest week for the work, but I think
that it really helped me to turn to the Lord. Prayer is SO much help.
I can't even imagine life without it. We were able to meet with
many new investigators this week and I just love teaching prayer and the
importance thereof. I love to see the smile on people's faces when they
learn of this amazing help. It is so simple, the prayer hamburger!
The buns that start and end the hamburger always have to stay, but the
middle is like Burger King, have it your way!
Conference was so great! It is always EXACTLY what I need.
I was really touched by one thing in particular from conference. In
the Saturday night session, a 70 spoke of expectations, how we either rise or
fall to them. I really took a close look at my missionary work and my
personal expectations for my investigators. I think that is the key to our
missionary work, expectations for investigators, companions, friends and
ourselves. If we raise our own personal expectations, we will raise our
effectiveness, we will change more lives. With God, he has nothing but
perfection set as His expectation. Although it is a high bar and we will
not reach said expectation in this life, He never lowers it because He knows
the importance of expecting nothing but the best. If we apply the same
principal to our lives and our personal happiness, there wouldn't be a place big
enough to hold our joy!
I love Elder Brown. He is such a good missionary and he
has such good insights, I just can't wait to see what this next week has in
store for us.
 |
| Elder Brown in front of his graffiti name, Tony |
Make this week wonderful and one to remember!
Sok szeretettel,
Elder Jake Nelson
No comments:
Post a Comment