Transfers are tomorrow and me and Elder Brimley are staying together here in Longmont! The VALLEY BOIZ continue to reign.
Had a super good week here in Longmont. Last Wednesday we met together as a zone and that meeting was super good. The stake president of Longmont stake came and taught us a lot and gave us a good vision for the stake and how we can help the members. Something missionaries and members often get wrong is the idea of who is helping who. Most people think the members help the missionaries when they find people to teach, go to lessons, etc. That's completely wrong, the missionaries are there to help THEM. They made the covenant to stand as witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places, we're full time set apart teachers here to help them fulfill their covenant and teach their friends. He also explained a lot about Priesthood keys and how that all works, really interesting thing to be working under the keys of a mission president and a stake president. We left that and went out to work, then that evening ended up at a different church building for another meeting.
Thursday morning we drove up to Lyons for a lesson. We didn't have much planned, thought about teaching the plan of salvation but weren't quite sure. We both don't really know what happened, but it was one of those lessons where we went in and talked and ended up opening up scripture after scripture with him and teaching him exactly what he needed. Super cool experience to have the spirit working so closely with us and with what this man really needed to hear. Definitely felt like we carried a message from God to him that day.
Friday morning we helped some members set up Christmas trees! It only took an hour or so, they just needed help carrying their trees from their garage to their house. Yes they had multiple trees, and yes carrying the trees from the garage to the house were big tasks because their storage garage was on a different part of their property. Probably one of the nicest houses I've been in on my mission, and they had a huge view of Longmont then of the mountains to the west of us. Super fun to do that, also crazy helping someone set up Christmas so early. Had a successful day the rest of the day and we're able to visit tons of people and get lots of return appointments.
Saturdays evening we had a cool miracle. We were pretty free that day and we had done a lot that morning. We walked, street contacted, just contacted people. We had a lot of time left before our next appointment with nothing else to do so we decided to knock half of an apartment complex. It was separated by a road so we started on one half and kept going and going. Lots of interesting people. But 10 minutes before out appointment, the 3 to last door we knocked, the lady answered and she was interested! It was also cool, we had put in our schedule to contact this guy we've never met, later in the day, and as we were walking around that complex we met this dude walking his dogs. Talked a little bit then asked his name before saying bye and turned out he was the guy we were going to contact.
Sunday evening we decided to walk to our dinner appointment and knock a few doors near dinner. Didn't meet too many people along the way and didn't have crazy miracles knocking doors. Although we guy that lived dirrectley behind our dinner appointment was super nice and we were able to invite him to read the Book of mormon. Then walking home it was dark and cold and nobody was out. Didn't quite know why we made that decision. BUT we stopped by this guy on the way back named Jose and he let us share a message with him! He actually seems super solid, he's knew to the area and looking for a church for him and especially for his family. That made the rest of the walk less miserable.
Yesterday we woke up early and went to the Fort Collins temple to help clean! I love that temple so much, I've been able to clean it multiple times now and it really is one of my favorite places to be. Had a lot of time to feel the spirit and think. There's this one person we are teaching that I'm especially worrying about and was thinking/praying about in the temple. Later in the day we went to an appointment and nobody answered. So we went for a walk down a trail and it was FREEZING but usually there's a reason you're in an area when appointments cancel, just peacing the scene would be missing out on miracles. Didn't see much, so we came back and contacted this lady and she didn't answer. Walking back to our car this guy, who was bundled up because it was cold and we could really recognize him, turned around and said "is that the Elders?" Turns out this is the guy I was thinking about all day and we just ran into him (no coincidence) and he walked up and talked to us for a bit. Told us about all that he's been studying in the scriptures, what he's been praying about, and some other good news. It was an answer to fervent prayer.
Fun stuff:
-there was a stake Relief society meeting and they had breakfast before the meeting. There were left overs so they texted us and said they're leaving breakfast casseroles in the fridge for missionaries to come pick up. We went by first and there was more than just casseroles, there were 4 containers of orange juice. We decided that if we just take all 4 containers, the other missionaries won't even know what they are mission out on. So we left with a casserole and 4 jugs of orange juice...
-we also grabbed a can of whipped cream
-we found a giant framed picture of Wrigley field near a dumpster and now it's hanging up above our fireplace.
Spiritual thought: I've been thinking a lot about trials, tribulation, affliction, persecution. Why do the most righteous seem to go through so much? Tribulation seems to be something necessary for us to grow and become more like Christ. Truly the more we suffer tribulation and especially persecution for Christ sake, we grow closer to Him and understand Him more. In Revelation its talks about those being exalted and how they "came out of great tribulation". In Mosiah 3:19 it even says that the Lord "inflicts" us, the definition of inflict usually refers to one causing pain. Trials and hard times are a part of life because this is mortality, and if you are on the strait and narrow path back towards Heavenly Father, expect more along the way. The promise is that through Christ all will be made right eventually, there is and always will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Weeping may endure for the night but joy cometh in the morning (Psalms 30:5) There is tons of joy promised that we can't even imagine, in come follow me this week I read Hebrews 12:2. It says in there that Christ endured the corse because of the "joy that was set before him". We can make it through the hard times trusting in that promise of joy in the end. But the Atonement of Jesus Christ doesn't only promise an ending to pain and sorrow, but it gives us peace, hope, understanding, and even joy through the hard times. I promise that there is always joy always hope always peace no matter what is happening. And that is because of Christ, truly there is peace in Christ. I wish I could completely put my thriughts and feelings into this email but I can't, so here's some of the scriptures I read.
D&C 29:39, 2 Nephi 2:11, 1 Peter 4:12-13, Abraham 3:25, Psalms 30:5, Alma 57:25, D&C 101:4-5, D&C 132:51, D&C 122:7, Revelation 7:14-17, D&C 101:35, D&C 58:3-5, John 16:20, John 16:33, and many more.
Pictures:
-AZ BOIZ
-VALLEY BOIZ/NEDS KRAZY SUB
-OTHER RANDOM PICTURES
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