Week 18

Ayyyyye

My testimony has grown significantly.  The Lord's timing still manages to surprise me over and over again.  Last Sunday, a man on a religious quest arrived at our chapel on a whim, the sister missionaries brought him to us, and he attended all of church.  He had some questions, wrote more questions down during sacrament meeting, and afterward we had a long lesson on the restoration, the plan of happiness, and his questions.  He's a very cool guy, and he's missionary age, but he recently moved to the central valley from the bay area.  He's getting used to adult life and finding himself spiritually.  It was a great opportunity to see another perspective and to have an enlightening spiritual conversation.

On Tuesday, we did service for our local Seventh Day Adventist church, which we do most Tuesday mornings.  We help unload and organize donated food for people in the community.  It's a good opportunity to meet people in town, make connections, and build trust with people, and also to get our name out there so "Mormon" stigma among local Christians will go away.  Maybe we'll find a teaching opportunity out of it.  We also had a lot of recent success contacting former friends. 

We taught one of our recent converts again this week.  Sometimes he tells us what his coworkers say concerning his conversion into our church.  One of his friends said,

"You know all Mormons have trampolines, right?"

That has got to be the funniest thing I have ever heard about members of the church.  Our friend responded that he had a trampoline growing up, so he didn't think it would be a hard transition.

Since meeting, my companion has been helping me to have spiritual experiences to make me more sensitive to the Holy Ghost.  For example, he woke me up in the middle of the night to cast out a devil from the apartment.  Then, he read the account of the angel condemning Laman and Lemuel for beating Nephi and Sam, and claimed to be that very angel, premortally.  I decided to take his word for it.  The other night, he wondered out loud, 

"I wonder where I can find some sage"

I replied, "what for?"

He jeered, "I'm part Cherokee, and I give blessings"

I'm still waiting for my blessing.

I've also discovered his fear of spiders, and other creeping things.  Whenever he senses a bug in our midst, he makes it a point to grab me and then stand a ways back as I defend the apartment from the arachnid intruders, rolled Ensign magazine in hand.  Overall, it's been a fun week

Saturday I had the privilege of attending the baptism of a friend I taught in my last area.  Even though I felt kicked out and robbed at the first of this new transfer, I'm now happy to see progress whenever it comes.  I know the Lord prepares people, friends and missionaries, to meet.  Even though I wanted to be there to convert him, it was never me, and never will be.  The Spirit converts, and the progress of our friends is according to God's timing, not mine. 

The Lord is awesome.  I don't get him a lot, or a lot of stuff for that matter, but I know that living the gospel of Jesus Christ brings happiness that can't be found anywhere else.  I'm grateful for his atonement and the privilege I have to repent and try again everyday and every minute to be a better person.  The blessings of the Temple and the Priesthood are phenomenal, I know that God loves his children and this gospel is meant only to bless them.  Recently, my Mama pointed out how in Alma 30 during the exchange of Korihor and Alma the younger, he describes the mental state of those following the commandments as "frenzied", and honestly, sometimes it can feel that way.  I know what he means.  However, I want to promise you all that I've never found more ataraxy then in the times I've chosen obey, and to kneel and thank my Creator for all the blessings I've seen in my life.  I invite you all, whatever your spiritual tendency, to reach out to the higher power and supplicate in appreciation for the life you have the privilege to live today.

Ya boi

Elder Gneiting