Last Friday the elders got a call telling them that Elder M now has a visa and would be leaving first thing Monday morning and that he had to go get a vaccination before he left. Mom called me at work to see if I would be able to take Elder M to the state health department to get his shot. I told her that I would have to make arrangements to leave a half hour early, but I could do it. Well before I could even make arrangements, they already had one of the ward mission leaders volunteer to take them and so I didn't get to take them. I guess everyone wants to help out the elders where ever they can. More on that topic later. Anyway I did end up taking Elder M to the mission home Sunday night around 9:00 pm. because he couldn't go alone and the Elder T and Elder W would need a ride home because they don't drive yet. It was kind of fun to hear the district leaders call to check in on the missionaries and find that they were on the road at 9:30 at night and they had a valid excuse - um, sorry, we are just leaving the mission president's home. Yes, I am a trouble maker whenever I can :).
So now here we are with two elders in a pretty big area in the middle of winter without a car. It's sad to see them walking home all bundled up against the cold, but there is usually someone more than willing to give them rides wherever they go. Members just love missionaries. Two or three months ago the elders called and asked me to pick them up at the apartments in our area. I was glad to do it, but when I got there they said that next time they might just try standing on the corner because while they were waiting for me people would stop and offer them a ride. A while back one of the elders was at a store and found a suit that was on sale, so he decided to buy it, well once he got to the register someone paid for his suit. How cool is that.
About a year ago we had a brand new elder who had just arrived here from the MTC and his trainer told him about how the members treat the missionaries and he said that missionaries are not supposed to get all puffed up about it. Even before he got to his new area his trainer said ignore that talk and enjoy it all as much as you can. - okay, so maybe I am telling this story wrong, but you get the idea. Anyway those two were two of my favorite elders... (no, I love them all, so I can't say they were my favorite, but we did have fun!)
The work here continues, but is being challenged. It seems that there is always something (or someone) trying to block the work from progressing here. There were a couple baptisms planned for this month and they have been postponed until February. I am reminded of a quote from Joseph Smith
"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."I kind of like that quote. It tells me that even these 19 year old "kids" are going to succeed where college educated divinity professors will fail. The gospel is true and no matter how hard Satan tries to block its success, the Lord will come out on top and so will we if we follow the gospel plan.
Share your testimony with someone this week. You might not be a full-time missionary right now, but you still have that same spirit that missionaries have and you should be sharing it with people you know.
Make your week awesome.
Pray for your missionaries (I still pray for my missionaries here and at home).
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