I always forget what I write, so I am sorry if it is ever
repetitive. I just sit down and say whatever I have been learning
lately. Sometime it is the same thing over and over again. Ha ha maybe I
should remember that. Today I have been thinking about yesterday, which
was Easter Sunday. It is amazing how you forget about the holiday and
remember the true message behind the celebration. For example, Christmas
in the MTC truly was about the birth of Jesus Christ. New Year's, a
fresh new start and for me, looking forward to a WHOLE YEAR of
missionary work! Valentine's was remembering those I love and
remembering how great it is to be wearing the name of Jesus Christ over
my heart. It has been amazing me to feel an instant love for people I
just met. It happened again on Saturday night. An Elder that served in
our area about a year ago came up to us and asked what had happened to
an investigator he had taught while serving here. We checked the Area
book and found his name but for some reason he had been dropped. I
decided to go back through the area book and look at other people who
had been taught at one point but then stopped for some reason or
another. I was mainly looking at the families that this Elder had found
so I could go back and get more information. I found a person that had
come to church several times but then never was baptized. It said she
had needed time but to try again later. It also had the words "PLEASE
don't forget about this one". I am not sure if anyone had ever gone to
visit this lady but I thought we would go try anyway. It was a shot in
the dark because the lady had been taught in 2006 and 2007. We tried
anyway but didn't find her. Instead we found this awesome couple who
just moved here from the east. The woman was raised Lutheran and the man
wasn't very religious. The sad part was they speak English so we will
have to hand them over to the English missionaries. The sadness came as
we walked away. We had spent a good 20 minutes talking to them and now I
will probably never see or talk to them again and never know what
happened. I voiced my sadness to my companion and she reminded me that I
can keep tabs on them through the missionaries so I might do that. On
your mission that is what love is. It is loving people who you barely know
immediately. I think it comes from two parts. First I love people. I
love stories. I wish I could just sit down for hours and hear every
one's stories. Not just the facts but the deep heart to heart,
conversations about who this person is and how they got to the very
moment that I met them. The second comes from being a missionary and
having the opportunity to feel the love that Christ has for the people I
meet. Anyway that is Valentine's day for me as a missionary. I guess
Saint Patrick's day is Greenie day now significant meaning that I have
come up with yet. I did remember to wear green though. haha
Yesterday! YESTERDAY! Yesterday as a missionary was the most amazing. I
think part of the reason I have the opportunity to really appreciate the
holiday for what it is and represents is because we as missionaries are
not bombarded with all the television ad's. It is easy to forget about
Easter bunnies and candy when we don't watch television, grocery shop on
Monday's, and don't listen to the radio. We can get down to the meaning
of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Friday at district meeting our
Zone leaders read a message that our Mission President had received. I
am not sure if it came your way but this last weekend the website mormon.org had a special mormon.org/easter.
We were encouraged to take 10-15 minutes to answer the question "Why is
Jesus Christ important to you?" I didn't get the chance to write what I
wanted to say because I had forgotten a password but I wanted to share what
I would have said in a longer form today. So here is my answer and also
what I don't remember if I have said to you or not so I apologize if it
is repetitive.
Recently I went to a Zone Conference. Elder H shared with us
something he had been studying. He pointed out that every ordinance in
the church is one by one. Think about it. When we get blessings it is
one person at a time, when we are baptized it is one by one, when we do
temple work (baptisms, sealings, etc) it is one by one. Elder H
had been studying the Atonement. He said that if Christ's suffering was
similar to all the things we do in the church one by one, why would the
Atonement be done as a group effort? Elder H said that he thinks
this means that when Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane he
believes it was done one by one. Which means there was a point that he
thought about me individually, there was a point he thought about you
individually. That means as I go through my life and I encounter a pain
or trial of some kind Jesus Christ knows I exactly how I feel.
With Easter here, I thought more about the Resurrection. I studied
this in the scriptures this week. I really came to understand what it
means for him to have resurrected. It means that some day I will be to.
Jesus Christ is living proof that someday I can live again. Never to
have my body and spirit separated. Isn't that cool? I am just learning
so much. So many things that I have taught all my life but now I have
the opportunity to really know what it means. It has been a blessing to
forget the holidays as the world celebrates them and remember them for
what they are. If you have a chance to re-read on the resurrection of
Christ please do. It is amazing all that we can learn.
Also I am not sure how long the mormon.org/easter thing is going but if you have an opportunity to share it on your facebook page or something please do.
I love you all! I hope you have a great week!
Oh on a side note. On April 4th, my companion got a package. It was
filled with tons of baseball food in honor of opening day. It made me
wonder how my Giants are doing. If you ever feel like you want to send
me a little information on them this season i would never reject the
news.. (wink, wink) Just saying. haha
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