These last three weeks have been really interesting. Not a lot of regular missionary work done this week, due to numerous factors. This week Elder Wada (someone high up in the church, he's one of the seventy) went on a tour of our mission, and he gave devotionals for missionaires om Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. So we basically had three zone conferences back to back to back, and boy let me tell you, there was some good stuff in there, but I was passing in and out of consciousness. Anyway, we also got transfer news, and I'm staying in Seattlw YSA with Elder Durrant. Yay! Too bad the work is gonna suck during December, because nobody is on campus and the ward basically cut in half. Ach well, it's not like this transfer is seven weeks or anything.
Not much happened today. We played basketball, I landed a mean half court shot, we played chair football and it was great. I might need to go back to the mighty Sauchie Amatuers, cos I'm really rusty. I still enjoyed it though.
THE TRAGEDY OF MIGUEL
This guy was incredibly promising the first time we met him. He understood and agreed with most of what we taught him. Then, he started doing his research into the church history, and that consumed his questions, which as missionaires we aren't specifically trained to answer. We've had numerous talks about how people, even prophets, can use agency the wrong way, and at the end of the day, we are all human, and can make mistakes. He is interested in baptism, but he's just too skeptical. He asks a lot of great questions about missionary work and our church, but we've spoken four times about controversial topics in church history. I wish we'd gone over that stuff in the MTC, so that more missionaires know how to properly address people's concerns.
(Pro tip: Gospel Library > Topics and Questions > Categories > Church and Gospel Questions. It has it all in there)
ELDER WADA COMES TO TOWN
Not much happened these days, becuase we had the zone conferences in the morning, and usually more meetings and planning in the afternoon. I played another musical item with the ASL sisters, and it went really well. We did O Holy Night, and had sheet music, but it was in a bad key for them, and the accompaniment kinda sucked, so we scrapped it, changed the key and I just winged it. I probably shouldn't be too proud, but I managed to sneak in some Radiohead, House of the Rising Sun and REM into the song.
The zone conferences were really good, and Elder wada is very funny. He has some great insights about how to use what little time you have street contacting effectively, and to leave people with a good impression of the church.
ELDER MEANS TEACHER
We had some good lessons this week. On Thursday I had six lessons across two different companionships. Two were over the phone, and I'd only planned on three. We had just finished our fourth of the day, when one of the mandarin elders grabbed me and took me to a lesson with one of their friends. That was probably one of the best lessons I've been in. We really felt the spirit, and spoke by it as well. We used christian history, testimonies, scriptures and all. As we headed back to reexchange, the other elders were talking to someone, so as to not be awkward, we ducked into the nearby shop, and i got a kinder Bueno. I later realised that I'd paid about $2.39 for it. I could get one at the shops back home for about 75p. My aberdonian ancestors are gonna jump me when I get to the afterlife for making such a ridiculous purchase.
Anyway, we made a friend whilst they made another contact, and we finally reexchanged and headed back.
THEN, we saw another one of our friends, and had a lesson on the street with him. That was nice, and it led to a really nice miracle hour (the last hour of the day)
LAKE FOREST PARK EXCHANGE
This was probably one of the best days I had on the mission, mostly becuase i just needed a day out of my current area. It was a nice change of pace. We did a lot of walking, and I'm glad i walked to school pretty much every day for about 14 years, becuase we spent pretty much the entire second half of the day walking. We had a lot of good conversations, and was able to apply the teachings of Elder Wada in our missionary work. We visited a members house and he gave us some jolly ranchers. I only took a few, then he looked at me like I'd offended his dog (which was really cute by the way). He said I should take more, so I, being one not to shy away from free food, stuffed my pockets with blue jolly ranchers. And, before my mum and dad come breaking down the door like SWAT, I'm gonna share them with my flatmates. Becuase I'm a nice person.
SUNDAY
Not much happened today. We had some people come to church, then we had the stake Christmas devotional, with music and Christmas messages. It was really nice. I could've swore that Barry White himself came and performed, because he had the look and the voice. Epic.
I also realised that I accidentally wrote "Mary did you know?" about a year ago. Oops
SPIRITUAL THOUGHT
One of the first things we teach as missionaires is the Book of Mormon, but the first teaching point in the first lesson is God is our Loving Heavenly Father. There's a reason why it's the first, becuase everyone should know it. It's a fact that will never be changed, and he loves everyone equally. People say, "Oh God's never done anything for me" but he has. You've just not noticed it. This is Mosiah 21:14-15, and the people in these verses aren't being the most righteous, but they are still praying. It says,
"And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions.
And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage."
So maybe God won't give us exactly what we want if we aren't righteous, but he still provides for his children. Never forget that you are a child of God, sent to earth to do a marvellous work
Elder Black
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