The Brethren have said "No More Transfer Meetings!" Which is a big meeting where missionaries get their new companions and go to their new ares. It almost always took up half the day so now we will have more time to do missionary work. Which means the whole system has changed, again. Originally the Assistants to the President would call all the companionships in the mission and tell them stay or go. That would happen Sunday night and then we would have 4 days to pack up and then we would get transferred on Thursday. I assume that was way too much work for the poor AP's so they switched it up. They then sent an email with all transfer information at 5:00 pm on Tuesday the week of transfers. Then you knew everything that was happening and you had two days to pack for the transfer on Thursday. Now we get a call from the zone leaders Monday morning telling us where we are going and our new companion and where we need to be in order to exchange. Then you pack during p-day and are transferred Tuesday morning. I think the new way will be the best way and of course it will be, this is the Lord's way of doing it revealed through His servants.
So I will be staying in Vista Ridge/Walsh Ranch pedaling as much as possible for the next 6 weeks. Elder McNeil is being transferred to my hometown, East Zone! That will be so much fun for him. I love San Antonio. I will be getting my new companion on Wednesday. Hopefully someone offers to take a picture of us and then sends it to my mommy so you will know who my new companion is!
This week was awesome! So much good stuff has been happening and we are continuing to be blessed. Why? I don't know, but we are. Missionary work is so interesting. You work hard and try to talk to everyone and the Lord will always lead you to those that are ready to be taught. We rarely talk to someone and they say yes come on in. We are always led to them in some divine way. Such was the case this past week!
We started to teach a couple with 4 kids, Jason and Pang. They feel ready to learn more about God and strive to follow Him and live good lives. They really want their kids to have faith and belief in something as well. But since neither of them know anything about Christianity, they didn't know where to start, but they liked how their neighbor lived her life and the good things her family had. Their neighbor is a member of the VR ward! Pang asked if she could have a Bible and the member gave Pang a Bible and a BoM and then told us. We went and stopped by and we didn't even have to ask if we could come over and teach her, she asked us if we went around teaching people and if we could come by. It was too easy! So we set up an appointment. We didn't see a man of the house anywhere so we didn't know if there was one of if he would be interested. Normally the lady will be interested but the guy will hide in some room. We went back for our appointment and Jason was just as excited to see us as Pang was. We had an awesome lesson on the Restoration and they had so many questions. It was great! Then they wanted us to come back the day after the next and teach them again. Very cool. I often just want to tell people to keep the commandments and your life will be so much better; live the gospel and you will be happy, have direction and purpose. Just try it! I guess that's all we can do right? Invite people to act on the message of the Restoration.
We were also led to another family by a member this past week. A RM invited his aunt and her family to church, and they came. The daughter, Chelsea, 16, is half way through the BoM. We had a lesson with Megan and the dad, Sheldon, and we are going to meet again this week. Coming to know that the gospel is true is the best journey you could make. Then acting on that knowledge will bring so much joy.
The car lot continues to get more and more cool cars. They have a few more Ferraris and a Lambo. Haven't gotten pictures yet, but I will.
Friday was madness. We biked all over Ceder Park and Round Rock, from appointment to appointment. It was a fun day. We are teaching a less-active girl named Mia. The first time we met with her she didn't have much light in her eyes, but it was better this time. Its neat to see that happen. The gospel brings light! They have this cute little beagle puppy that trips on its floppy ears and this massive black, skittish dog that barks at everything. Its a funny, good home.
We also had a lesson with a guy named John that moved into our area. The lady that was with him could TALK. I haven't ran into that since SA. But her topic was why there shouldn't be any technology in sacrament meeting. She ranted about this for at least an hour.We just kind of thought she was nuts and poked fun but then at church on Sunday, the Bishop got up and encouraged us not to use technology during sacrament meeting. Ironic. John though, the investigator, has been coming to church for two years and has read the BoM twice, and hasn't felt like the spirit has prompted him or told him that he needs to be baptized. That is craziness. So we will try and find out what is going on there. He is coming to church and doing all that good stuff but he is missing out on blessings he could have if he was a baptized member.
Then on Saturday, we had the H family baptism! It was an awesome baptism and the spirit was strong. There was at least 50+ people there to support them. Then we had a fiesta afterwards. The dad has a friend that makes cake from scratch. The lady made 3 big cakes for the baptism and they were amazingly delicious. Rivaled any cake I have ever tasted. We didn't get any pictures with them because it felt weird; we didn't do anything. All we did was knock on their door a few times and teach a lesson. It was all them! Hopefully they will stay active. Now they can work on being sealed in the temple.
6 hours of church is getting harder and harder. It's too long just sitting there and learning about the gospel. You got to get out and live the gospel too or else it won't work. Oh well, our presence is appreciated. We go to the Priest Quorum for the 3rd hour and because of it we have gotten some youth to come with us to lessons and what not. Try inviting the missionaries to your priest quorum meeting on Sunday sometime, it might help!
Oh can't remember if I told you, but, Andie, the girl with cerebral palsy is good to go! she will be baptized this Saturday. Apparently she has more agency than the normal kid with that problem, so she can make mistakes and sin. She is a sweet girl, if she could talk she would be teaching us. She is better than all of us.
Our theme in one of our sacrament meetings yesterday was keep the commandments. A lot of scriptures were used from Mosiah chapter 2. I read that this morning and couple verses in particular stuck out to me, Mosiah 2:22-24. "And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?" The question, "of what have ye to boast?" is poignant. Really, what have we to boast? Nothing. What a great perspective given to us by King Benjamin; what great chastisement and comfort comes from this as well. We are all the same, God loves us all and wants us all to return. It's through His gift that that is possible anyways. So keep the commandments and give thanks to God.
Not much happened fun wise this week that's worth telling, just lots of work. But here is a picture of a delicious peach!
Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Christensen
No comments:
Post a Comment