So my mail box has been generally empty the last few weeks....... And instead of just leaving room for inference, I WOULD LOVE SOME LETTERS AND SUCH. But besides the lack of mail, my week has been a great and marvelous struggle! God is forging me into something, Im not sure what yet, but Im feeling the heat and lovin the pressure!
Monday: So last Monday I experienced quite a few great things! The day before I fasted for humility for both myself, and an Elder in my district who has been struggling! It was a very spiritual experience and forgot about it for awhile. Well, until I went mountain biking. So a bunch of people in my Zone decided to go do a trail in the Cheyenne's, the mountain range where NORAD is found! This particular trail is named Captain Jack, as for the why, I know not. This is the second time in my entire life that I've been mountain biking. Until my mission it had been a solid year since I had ridden a bike. Then I got stuck behind a sister who was worse than me. So as Im cruising along this trail, which happened to be between the cliff face and the mountainside, I start to get a little nervous. More accurately I was scared out of my mind. All I could think about was losing control and falling off the mountain. Well, Im happy to say I didn't. Unfortunately I didn't escape unscathed.
I started to pick up a significant amount of speed, probably upwards and around 20 miles an hour, when lo and behold, a turn! and a Sister missionary in the way! How wonderful! So, I hit my back brakes, just a tap, just a little bit. Well, my brakes work, maybe a little too well, because my back tire locked up. This event inspired me to attempt to kick the tree that had teleported in front of me down. Tree 1 Mason 0. After painfully deflecting off of the tree and landing quite spectacularly on my back, what I fasted for came back to mind. God sure does work fast haha. The rest of trail consisted of me walking the bike because of the gaping mental wound my crash inflicted upon me. All bike confidence I once possessed is now decimated. Completely. But somehow I came away virtually unharmed. In all honesty I should have broken my leg. God had other plans, and boy am I grateful. I some how had the strength to finish the trail, and I thank God that He was willing to teach me to rely on Him more. That night we had a lesson with a potential investigator. Just to put the icing on the cake, I had forgotten to grab my scriptures that morning. I just said a prayer and asked God to make up for my huge shortcomings, and the Spirit was so strong. Because that experience I received a greater witness that this is God's work and His work alone. I'm just here to grow and be along for the ride!
Tuesday:
We picked up a new investigator on a stop by, and had a great lesson with our progressing investigator sister Kless, who will be baptised this Saturday!
Wednesday: We weekly planned. 'Nuff said.
Thursday!: Ok, so Thursday was pretty great, because Elder Zundel was at Temple Jubilee, And I got be in charge of the area! At 8 Weeks! it was scary! So we only had one set appointment, but we were able to pull off 4 extra appointments, making it one of the most productive days of the week. I know it was all the Lord, and I literally could not have done a minute of it without Him!
Friday: So sister Kless gave up her cigarettes today! It is so awesome to see the Lord change the very nature of people as they choose to believe. It makes the difference. We taught a ton of people, and we were able to help a lot of others! How grateful I am that I get to be a missionary!
Saturday: So Saturday went pretty swell except for a really really really awkward lesson with a part member family. We have been teaching the Less active member and we felt that she needed to come to church. So we asked her if she would. She said no. We asked why. She said personal reasons. We then noticed the extreme tension in the room, eminating from her husband. So my companion decided to ask if HE went to church. He said no, and that its "frankly none of our buisness"......Awkward silence. We then closed with a prayer and left. But the whole time this guy was getting offended, all I wanted to say to him was get over yourself. So often we let ourselves get in the way of learning, of growing, and of coming closer to God. So, my simple counsel this week is this: GET OVER YOURSELF. Pretty simple right?
Sunday was good, Elder Zundel and I went on splits so we could cover both the Fort Carson branch and 17th ward. I had to teach Elders Quorum, which went better then I thought it would. I had completely forgotten that I had to teach that day. The Lord helped me out a ton.
I leave you with my testimony. Jesus is the Christ and this is His church. It will never bend to match the world, and I am so grateful for that. Just as the Sanhedrin sought to persecute the saints for not conforming to their standards, We as latter day saints are persecuted because we won't bend either. I know that the Atonement works. It is the enabling power by which we change, repent,and become better. If you are trying to change by yourself, you may have noticed that it is nigh impossible. The Atonement is necessary. I am so grateful for the Sacrament (D&C 84:19-21). It gives me such peace in my heart. I know that Prayers are heard and answered. The only thing stopping us is ourselves. I know that its by choice that faith is grown. There is no compromise for that. Nephi said that he knew that God loved all His children, but he didn't know the meaning of all things. (1 Nephi 11:17) Its ok not to know. We walk in a world of falsehoods and lies, and the ONLY light is that of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. We were sent to this world to be tested and to grow. We WILL have doubts and we WILL have hard times. BUT all trials and afflictions are for our good. Just like how I will be forever grateful for crashing my mountain bike, when we look back on our trials, after trusting in the Lord, we will see just how much the Lord was and is with us. I testify that God loves us. That Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. That the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. It is the truth. This work that Im involved with is not about me. I have to get over myself everyday, and I am so grateful for my weakness, for my lacking, for my shortcomings. Because I get to see the miracles of the Lord every single day, despite being there to potentially mess it up. Doubt not, only believe.
I love you all and you are in my prayers. Turn to the Lord, let Him know how you feel, ask for help, and He will provide.
Love,
Elder Rogers
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