Well, the weeks are flying by! Elder Fowles and I can't believe we've been together for 5 weeks! Looking back through my planner, I see a lot of cross-outs, plan-changes, and check-marks that signify lessons taught. Each mark inside shows to me the will of the Lord, and how it was found. My mind often reflects to the experience that Elder Seth Bangerter, and Elder Austin Fullmer had, and which cause them to say, "Sometimes our plan B (or C) is God's plan A." Now, to show you.
Sunday Night arrived and we had a set plan. We hit the road, to walk 20 minutes north to a members house, to grab them to have them help with a lesson, and head to the investigators. However, 15 minutes through the walk we called them and they cancelled, the member that is, and we now had to basically make a hair-pin turn and head to the investigators house. Yes, we could've been discouraged, for now we had to walk another 20 minutes to a new location, however it didn't cross our minds. We pressed forward, knowing that this was the way to go. (Actually, I didn't let E. Fowles know that it was going to be that far :) On the way, we were able to talk to a lady we'd visited earlier. Then as we were continuing down the road, a man was knocking on a gate on our right, we passed him, but then I felt, "lets go back." So, we turned around and went to the man knocking on the door. Well, it turns out that the door was the door of one of our recent converts that we don't get to see often. We'd been to his house before, but had kinda forgotten exactly which one it was. We were able to make simple daily contact with him and continue on our way.
Ok, well maybe you were expecting some amazing new story about finding a lost sheep who'd never been contacted, or the golden investigator. However, this was one of those tender mercies. IF we'd gone straight to our investigators house, we wouldn't have passed this house when we did and would have missed this one-on-one contact. One-on-one contact is the key to missionary work. Just like daily scripture study builds a testimony (and pretty soon you've made it through the book of mormon), simple ''Si jeni"s and ''çfare bëni!"s (hi, how are you) build relationships between people. The power of the word from your mouth to the ears of another is pretty strong. Just like Nephi said,
... for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men. (2 Nephi 33:1)
Think about the last ''thing'' that has effected your life. A conversation? A talk? a movie? Notice that listening was required in all the above. Notice.,when we read outloud we understand much more and become edified. The spoken word has power. What is the purpose of correlation meetings? bishopric counsels? family home evenings? All are attempting to increase the one-on-one communication between people. member-investigator, parent-child, high priests-hometeaching families. As missionaries working with the ward, all we ask is that someone talk to our investigator, thats it! That little communication can bring great things to pass. Sometimes we don't know if we are being led by God's hand, or we think that we are going through the motions. Next time you have this thought think, "Ok, WHO did I talk to today? Did I uplift them?" (You may also ask the contrary) If you don't think you've been ''doing much'', I'll sound like a telemarketer and tell you to pick up the phone and call right now! Wish a happy birthday.Compliment someone. Aunt Dianne and Aunt Annette are good at this. They always give you a thank you card. I'll let them know that I keep those, for they are a representation of someone thinking of me. There are so many things we can do! I pray that we may all say our prayers out loud, and create a one-on-one communication with our Heavenly Father. I pray that we will experience the Spirit of Elijah and create one-on-one connections (of eternal importance) for our ancestors and children. Why do you think the Lord said, "inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the LEAST of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."? He doesn't expect us to always invite to baptisms or to church, or to change a life. We are to serve the LEAST of those we know and in the SMALLEST ways. That's missionary work. That's what it boils down to, and that broth warms your soul.
Thank you dad for sharing with me the wonderful story of a man who'd been to the other side, returned, and stated, "You know the one thing I learned while I was there? The only thing that matters in this life is how you treat people."
Albania, Germany, Portugal and Romania may all sound like exotic places. But those of us who have been there know that the people are just like us, have our same needs, the need of a friend, the need of God. Thankfully the Church supplies both! I'm not saying be a missionary, but be a friend.
Well, I do need to say that by the end of that night we had gotten a new investigator and new baptismal date! So, the Lord will bless you! FTF!
Sounds like life is so EXCITING! I am so glad to be part of a family with great traditions (I can't wait till we can all have a family reunion again in maine!) I'm grateful for all you siblings and your amazing examples to me. I'm proud to tell everyone here, "There are seven in my family, and I'M THE SIXTH!" meaning, I love 1,2,3,4,5 and all their examples and I hope #7 knows I love him more that he knows. I know that God lives, and that the Atonement of Christ can change our lives. It is the most important one-on-one connection we can have. I know that this church is the only true church on the earth, because we have the authority that allows us to meet, collaborate, receive revelation, and act, so as to create more one-on-one connections.
Me Dashuri,
Elder Linkoln Xhej Elia Bejngëdër e Vlorës
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