Happy New Year!! It's 2022!! How wild is that! Last year seemed to have gone so fast! I'm grateful for my mission! I had so much time to reflect on literally everything this past year!
I'm grateful for the many blessings and miracles that were wrought and for the hard times and the great times! I definitely have a strong testimony in diligence and in the Strength of the Lord! We all have challenges, troubles, and tribulations but we can overcome those with the strength of the Lord! As we put forth our own effort and put things on the altar of sacrifice we can overcome anything!
Let me share a couple experiences from this last week!
Lindsay and Jalen*:
-The Spirit more abundantly poured out upon us and the Spirit taught us all things and brings all things to our remembrance. The Spirit has been everything to me! As I covenant with my Heavenly Father every morning to promise Him that He can trust me with inspiration, I promise Him I will act and follow His guidance and will. WOW let me tell you the power of revelation and inspiration! It is INCREDIBLE!
* we went to visit these people in a government housing area or "the projects" and we got shut down by one person then by another and so while we were leaving in our car, a kid was playing basketball by himself and I thought hey we should go play real fast. So we jumped out and him and I played horse and I asked him about Jesus Christ (he's about 10) and he told me what he knew and I said what family do you know here that could benefit from a message? He told me about his friends. All of a sudden literally like 10 kids came out of nowhere and started balling with us haha.
After we talked for awhile we gave them all passalong cards with our number on it and the address for church and asked hey can we talk to y’all’s parents about Christ. Obviously they all said YES. So we went to each of their parents house and set up a time to come back! It was truly a miracle and such a remarkable experience. Lindsay and Jalen called us later that day and Lindsay (Jalen's mom) said I feel like there's a reason we met you guys today!
We invited them to church and they said this week she couldn't but she 100 percent will next week. We have a lesson on Saturday then they will come Sunday!
Zachary: Zach is a unbaptized 11 year old! Zach also has special needs. The Elders here have been working with him and his whole member family for months. Brothers and Sisters I know 100 percent that I was sent to Winder for Zachary Lemons! His mom and I really connected because of my 2 special needs siblings.
I had such a unique and spiritual experience with the parents and Zachary. He had an interview with the bishop and during the interview the bishop said he doesn't need to be interviewed because of his disabilities (he can't really answer alot of questions) he does know a decent amount but the bishop said if y’all want him to be baptized he can. And so the Lemons were like we want him to receive blessings and be like his brothers.
At this moment I felt impressed to bear my testimony. I bore my testimony about my siblings! Ryan and Allie and about how they were baptized and about how Ryan holds the same priesthood that Christ did! And also about how Allie recieved her endowment and testified about how Zach is an angel here for all of us and that he can be just like his brothers even though he might not fully understand, he can receive the same blessings and same joys.
Sister Lemons and I started crying together and she bore her testimony of her sister who has special needs and got her endowment and how special and powerful that was! We then set a date for him to be baptized in 2 weeks!
I'm so grateful for the Spirit and for the power it brings to my testimony. And for the guidance and direction it gives to my leaders and for the plan God had for me to come to this part of His vineyard.
I bear witness that our Heavenly Father knows us and loves us! Christ loves us and can strengthen us! He gives us experiences, opportunities, challenges so that we can change, so that we can bless and love others, and so that we can become the sons and daughters that our Heavenly Father need us to be!
Another amazing miracle:
☆ Peronica! I absolutely love Peronica! She is such a light! We have taught her in the past once. We taught her The Restoration of the Church and Gospel. As we spoke we talked about Baptism and she wanted to pray and find out for herself.
So on this particular night we had one more lesson and when we got to this lesson this family we were teaching all tested Positive for Covid. So we were about to head home and get some dinner but instead I had this thought. Someone needs you. In my head I'm thinking but I'm tired and I want food haha I've done so many great things today. Then this thought comes again, somebody needs you so that they can get to me. I was like alright we need to visit someone but I don't know who.
So we look on our map and we're checking different dots and we say no no no no. Then finally Peronicas dot comes up. Instantly I feel this feeling come over me, YES! so we go, we show up and she is waiting for us. We come in and talk and we start with a prayer and we share some scriptures and then we bring up her experience with pondering and praying about Baptism. She says she thought about it and she's ready to be baptized.
Haha In my head I thinking oh goodie. Then this thought comes. She needs you! So in a loving and bold way I explain to her the priesthood and I use an analogy of the stained glass window and then an analogy of the police officer and then I break it down more and testify. She stops me and says "you are the first person that has taught me where it makes sense" she said "thank you!" We teach her that it's by the Spirit and that we are called to preach Christ’s Everlasting Gospel!
She stops us again and says "so when's your next Baptismal service"
AHHHH FRIENDS WHAT A MIRACLE THIS WAS! We set her up for January 15th! She is such a special and spiritual giant! We had invited her family in the lesson as well so her grandson who's 10 joined as well as her friend that's 67! It was so tender!
It felt good to know that I truly am an instrument in the Lord's hands! The Spirit was poured upon us to teach her and that's because we were PREPARED! We prepare ourselves everyday to serve our Savior and Father in Heaven! If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail! But I know if you put in effort you will never fail! You cannot if you’re built upon the Rock of our Redeemer!!
I want to close with one of the best scriptures that I relate the most with!
Alma 26:12
" Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."
I know that I am nothing and I am weak but when I have Christ as the focus of my life, I'm joyous, strong, loving, thoughtful, powerful, and christlike! He is the way, the truth, and the light! He can strengthen us through our faith in him!
I invite each of you this year to work on personal conversion! I want you to yearn for it! Think of the young rich ruler. What lack I yet? What do you lack?
Ponder on a spiritual gift you'd like to work on based off what you lack! I promise you, you will be personally converted, you will feel joy, you will be strengthened, you will hunger and Thirst for the words of Christ and for Righteousness! YOU WILL have a deeper love for God and for your neighbor to the point where you WILL serve him and your neighbor and bring them to TRUTH! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!!
I testify these things with all my heart! I love y’all and I'm grateful for this time and for the rest of my Eternal existence to be an extension of my Savior, Jesus Christ! I know He lives and loves and I know he strenghtens and heals! Turn to him, follow him! In the name of Jesus Christ amen.
Love,
Elder Wold
Pictures, videos and a story:
1. us and the training leaders (Sister Thomas and Sister Hancock)
2. We some good burgers
3. Jalen and his friends
4. Member dinner (found a mirror haha)
5. More pics with the kids
6. New years dinner
7. Best story ever that motivates me to be better and to find the one like Christ does "A testimony of a missionary"
8.With the kids in the street haha
9. Videos of Windmill on the mission
10.Got to talk to my cousin at my brothers wedding & pictures of my cardboard cutout
No comments:
Post a Comment