Week 30

"Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!" Doctrine and Covenants 128:22

Last week started off great.  It began with knocking doors and teaching lessons to our ward members.  Elder Greene and I have been practicing our teaching a lot, and we set a goal to teach 28 lessons a week, including members.  We've seen a definite increase in our ability and opportunities, and we've seen more teaching appointments then before.  Tuesday we taught a bunch, in the morning, after district council, and before dinner.  Wednesday morning we drove to Fresno for our part two of trainer/trainee, we got a training from the assistants and the President.  It was a long drive back, but we didn't mind.  I missed driving and it's cool taking mini road trips to Fresno every so often.  We came home, taught some members and went out finding.  We talked to this family from Abu Dhabi, and set an appointment to come back and teach their family!  The next day, we talked to some of our friends, taught some lessons, and then visited that family to teach them the Restoration.  They said they only had 20 ish minutes, so we hopped right into it, we shared scriptures and testified of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the first vision.  Then, when I tried to quote Joseph Smiths account of it, I totally messed it up!  I hadn't been practicing and hadnt taught the first vision in so long it just slipped, but the spirit was still there and they didn't realize I messed up, so I really gave them the abridged Elder Gneiting's account of the first vision.  We committed them to read the book of Mormon and set a return appointment in a couple weeks, it was still a success!  We then had a day full of weekly planning, lessons, a lunch appointment with an older lady in her retirement home, that was pretty wack!  We ate old person food, she gave us a jar of peanut butter, and she told the same story a few times over.  But it was good, we told her we would love to have lunch with her once a month, and to reteach her the lessons, we could both use it!  We taught our long term friend Robert again, and we testified again if the book of Mormon.  We're working on getting him to keep commitments and to test out the gospel lifestyle.  Saturday, we went to a couple service projects, we set up chairs for stake conference, and helped a lady replace her pool cover.  We tried to meet with some friends and then took our friend Gabriel to the adult session of stake conference, and again the next morning.  Elder Marc Davis spoke, and it was awesome.  He talked a lot about how life can be hard, and how when we understand Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, their divine mission and our divine potential, we realize that our imperfections are balanced by Christ's sacrifice, and is dependent on our willingness to change.  Ability to change can be limited, but willingness is entirely our choice.  When we become more willing, our ability will increase.  As we continue to align our will the Lord and trust in Heavenly Father's plan, it'll all end well.  It doesn't matter who you are or what trials you've seen, Christ is here to heal, to restore, and to lift up.  I know Christ lives, I know the Holy Ghost is his messenger.  Since being out, I've seen my sensitivity to the Spirit increase exponentially.  I hear his voice, I feel his presence.  I know the same is for any who seek the gifts of the Spirit, if they place carnality and humanity on the altar of sacrifice.  These are they who will be divine.  This is Christ's true church.  Joseph Smith opened the gate for this dispensation.  We have a living prophet today.  Love y'all.

Let me know how y'all are doing! 

Elder Gneiting