Expectations of Greatness

I just reread my last post and now I have to apoligize for making it sound so bad here.  It wasn't as bad as I made it sound and I am sorry to anyone I may have upset with my negative post. 

As expected there was a change in elders here, the unexpected part was that transfers came to our home a week early.  Elder L. is now in a different area of the mission and Elder B has a new companion, Elder U. who is fresh off serving as a zone leader.  Elder U. jokingly said that he was getting demoted from zone leader, I told him that I thought that getting Elder B. as a companion is anything but a demotion!  I told him that he better get ready to work hard, because Elder B. is used to getting baptisms, there were 4 baptisms in 5 weeks, a week off and then 3 more baptisms.  Then I said that he would have big shoes to fill here (Elder B. said "yeah, size twelve" - what a goofball). 

Elder U. is making a great impression; yesterday as they were on their way out my mom was on the back deck reading. She stopped them and asked where they were headed,  He said "we're going out to preach the gospel valiantly!"  Now that's what I call expectations of greatness. 

I am more than a little afraid of this companionship.  So now we have two Polish elders serving together.  The similarities don't end there, they are both oldest sons each with one older sister.  And they are both from the South.  What was the mission president thinking???  (okay, just kidding about being worried.  I am totally excited to see how well the work will progress with this "super-power companionship").  I only hope they can stay together for a long time.

I can already tell there is a difference in the spirit in my home.  I don't know how to explain it, except to try to describe it like there is a kind of missionary work "hunger" in their eyes.  On the day I met Elder U. he was already asking me for referrals and Elder B. is there writing their information down, they are serious about this work.

As I told you on Tuesday, I have been reading about trying to learn better how to pray with the spirit.  Well, I can tell you with total confidence that the Lord does hear prayers and He answers them too.  Thank you to all for your prayers for my missionaries.  The Lord guides His work, and nothing can stop the gospel  work from progressing, not even a discouraged blogger.

Oh, by way of tying up loose ends:  The heavy bag never came to be.  The story of the birds is even more tragic.  There were some pretty heavy wind gusts the other evening and the bike and helmet with the nest in it went down. Two casualties immediately occurred and despite our attempts (my sister and her kids rescued the nest and the baby chicks) the mother robin had trouble finding the nest after it got moved out of the wind, so the next day the other chicks died too.  We are all very sad about that, but that's nature.  Next year I will put up some baskets (or bike helmets) in a better location so that it doesn't happen again.

Thanks for reading my blog. 
As always, keep praying for our missionaries wherever they might be serving.  May the Lord bless you and strengthen your testimony.  What these missionaries do is of great worth, help keep them busy wherever you are.  Do something good for your missionaries, give them a referral (that's a recommendation you give to them for someone they can teach), now that's spoiling the missionaries.