04/14/14

This week has made me remember a lesson my dad taught me in relation to sports. After I had played a horrible game and given a poor effot, he taught that you will only be at your best about 1 out of every 6 or 7 games. Coaches know that that you will give your full effort on those days, but what defines you as an athlete is the effort you give those other 6 games. I have noticed that missionary work is a lot like that. These last few weeks, there have been quite a few times where I simply did not want to do missionary work. For what ever reason my heart was not in it. Every time I had these feelings, I immediately thought of what my dad taught me that day. I would always get on my knees and ask God for the strength to keep going and to have a positive attitude about it. Every time without fail I would get up a new person. The Lord doesn't want missionaries who only work hard when they feel like it. He needs missionaries who will work hard when they don't, and he will always give them the strength to do it.

For some reason the Lord is still blessing me haha I am beginning to think that he must really love me! haha 

We taught Carenda for the first time this week, and before we had even gotten there, she had already gotten to 1 Nephi 12! She said she had a doctrinal question, but then she cross referenced, studied and prayed about it and got an answer to her question.... I was like, "dang." We had an awesome Restoration lesson with her and she felt good about all that was said. She came to Church this week and seemed to really like it! She just finished 1 Nephi. She is so Golden!

Sister Freelove in our ward is one of the most missionary minded people I have ever met. Unfortunately, her two sons Johnny and Taylor (17 and 19) don't come. Two weeks ago, she basically forced Johnny to come out with us. He hadn't said two words to me the whole time I've been here, but lately he has been volunteering to come out with us. He has been sitting in on our lessons in the Freelove home as well. This last week he said that the only thing keeping him from coming to church now is that he doesn't have clothes, but he asked his mom and they quickly took care of that. HE CAME TO CHURCH THIS WEEK! We were so excited! He has basically made a 180 these last 2 weeks! It has been so awesome!! 

We went to teach Simone this week, and her mom Gwen happened to be there, so we taught them both the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They both soaked it all in and Gwen was like, "Dang! That sounds a lot like what I believe!" We invited them both to come to church this Sunday and they came! We are meeting with both of them again this week! It turns out, Simone works with like 5 members in the ward! She loved church and told the Sisters that she wants to come back!! She is so awesome!!! 

We had a really cool experience door knocking this week too! We felt prompted to go back and knock the rest of a street we had knocked earlier that day. We knocked about 10 houses and no one answered. We were beginning to question if the Lord needed us somewhere else, but nothing came to mind, so we kept knocking. I saw a house with 2 cars in front and I was ready to turn back if that house didn't answer. We knocked and we met a super awesome and open guy named Jakotis. He is 29 and owns his own paiting company. He was in a meeting but told us to come back the next day. We finished knocking the street, and as we walked back he called out to us and invited us in! We taught him a little bit and he was super open to it and wanted us to come back! He is a super cool dude! 

We did a lot of service this week, and I have probably been to the hospital about 5 times to give blessings. The ward is going through some pretty tough times, but they are trying there best! I Got to speak this week in Sacrament on testimony, and I had a really cool prompting in my studies in preparation. I was pondering why people don't share there testimonies with others, and I figured it was because of fear, or feeling uncomfortable about it, and this thought came to mind: It must have been hard for the Savior to suffer so much that he bled from every pore. It must have been scary to have been whipped, beaten, and forsaken. It must have been uncomfortable for him to have had nails driven in his hands and feet. But he did that which was scary, hard, and uncomfortable because your happiness and your salvation was more important to him. If he can do all that, then we can do that which is uncomfortable and scary for the happiness and salvation of others. 

Being a missionary is the craziest, hardest, most frustrating thing I have ever done, but there is nothing I would rather be doing. The Lord is in this work. He has been with me every step of the way.

Elder Wheat