This week was a very crazy and exhausting, but all weeks are good weeks when you are a missionary :) Some miracles happened in the work that I wanted to tell you all about! We have an investigator named Katie who is very devout in her Christian faith, but when we asked her where she goes to church, she said a non denominational church... "for now." She has given her life to God, and is eager to find truth. However, something has been holding her back. She reads, she prays, but something has been keeping her from coming to church and giving her whole heart to this search. At first, she said it was because she is comfortable where she is, and is afraid to step out in faith, but something else still seemed to bother her. We have been praying that what ever it is would be made known, or resolved, but we have been making very slow progression with her. We taught her about a modern day prophet this week, and were able to resolve that concern, but there was still something more. That night we received a text from her, which said, "I have been praying a lot about this, and the reason I am not giving my whole heart is..." and she told us what has been holding her back. It was such a joyous experience to finally know how we can help her. It is interesting to see how the spirit softens hearts. Her never comes in with a sledge hammer, but gradually chips away at the stony mass, until a beautiful work of art is made. He is very careful and very good at what he does. He really is a master artist. I am thankful he hasn't given up on me.
We had a lot of appointments show us up this week, but that's the nature of the work sometimes. We just keep trying, and keep improving, and God makes things happen. It amazes me that all of this works. Just think of that for a second... Jeffery R. Holland said in a conference to us, "What other church, what other business, what other institution, would turn its future over to 19 year olds?! It sounds insane! I don't think anyone would do it... except the Lord." He is so right. Whenever a question of whether or not this is real comes to my mind, I read in my journal of all the miracles that have been performed in my life and in the lives of those I've known, and I am reminded that there is no way a punk 19 kid from California could do this on his own. There has to be a greater force and being driving and moving this work forward. One of my favorite lines in conference was from Elder Anderson as he relayed a candid quote from President Monson. He said, "In the first presidency, we do everything we can to move this work forward, but this is the Lords work, he directs it, he is at the helm... We marvel as we watch him open doors we cannot open, and perform miracles we can scarcely imagine" This is how missionary work is. I am in awe at all the Lord has done, is doing, and is continuing to do through my mission. I do not intend to put myself down by saying this, but I am in deep gratitude and amazement that the Lord is willing to work with such an unprofitable servant as I. I don't fully know how, or even why, he does it, but I rejoice that he does, because I am forever changed because of it.
Halelujah. I am filled with love for you all, and above all for my Savior. I can even begin to understand the magnitude of what he has done, the spirit makes me in awe who he is, and that he lives.
Elder Wheat
Elder Wheat
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| I love this guy! He has helped me grow and progress in remarkable ways! I will be forever thankful to his love and companionship these last three months |
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| "I'm knoooocking in the rain, just knocking in the rain! What a glooooorius feeling I'm happy again!" |
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