This week was different. I don't really know how to explain it. It turned from a really hectic week with lots of new investigators, potentials, and things to do, into a calm silence , a cleansing or rebirth as one could say. And then a Spark of new life as God led us to this incredible family who has been searching for lasting happiness and truth. We will meet with them on Saturday and they are coming to church on Sunday, so I will mention them next week
We did meet with Jaroslaw every day this week. He is a rock! Funny story how we met...We were on the mainstreet crossroad about a month ago with our table of book of mormons and brochures and all that good stuff contacting people as they walked by. He ran into us and we started talking to him, as we explained who we were and what we did, his eyes lit up and he pulled out his phone. He showed us a picture that he had taken about a year ago of a chalk drawing that some past missionaries had sketched about prophets, dispensations and the restoration. He said that had really intrigued him and he took a picture of it and he looked us up online and read some stuff. He said it makes a lot of sense and he wanted to meet. Since then he has recieved all the lessons, kept every single commitment and his countenance has even changed as he has progressed in his knowledge of his Savior and the Plan of his Heavenly Father. He watched all 3 sessions of conference with us that we watched this weekend and we are going to watch the rest throughout the week with him. He really desires to be baptized, recieve the Holy Ghost and get the Priesthood, so we might be changing his baptism from the 29th to the 22nd or 15th!
Conference was great of course. If you didn't have a chance to watch it. Watch it! This men are men of God, they speak for him, they recieve divine counsel and guidance from His mouth for all the inhabitants of the Earth and if a person abides by the precepts that they teach, HE/SHE WILL BE HAPPY. I testify. God and Jesus Christ live and they speak directly to us through these prophets and apostles just like in old times, it is nothing new, it is obvious because God promises us over and over that he is the same yesterday today and forever. right!? He works in the same way. We are all priveleged to here the word of our Loving, Perfect God whether we are Mormon or not. We did meet with Jaroslaw every day this week. He is a rock! Funny story how we met...We were on the mainstreet crossroad about a month ago with our table of book of mormons and brochures and all that good stuff contacting people as they walked by. He ran into us and we started talking to him, as we explained who we were and what we did, his eyes lit up and he pulled out his phone. He showed us a picture that he had taken about a year ago of a chalk drawing that some past missionaries had sketched about prophets, dispensations and the restoration. He said that had really intrigued him and he took a picture of it and he looked us up online and read some stuff. He said it makes a lot of sense and he wanted to meet. Since then he has recieved all the lessons, kept every single commitment and his countenance has even changed as he has progressed in his knowledge of his Savior and the Plan of his Heavenly Father. He watched all 3 sessions of conference with us that we watched this weekend and we are going to watch the rest throughout the week with him. He really desires to be baptized, recieve the Holy Ghost and get the Priesthood, so we might be changing his baptism from the 29th to the 22nd or 15th!
because
" therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the APOSTLES and PROPHETS, JESUS CHRIST himself being the chief corner stone;"...Ephesians 2:19-20
But why does he build this foundation? But why do we need prophets and apostles recieving direct guidance from Christ?...
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Ephesians 4:12-15I don't need to tell you. You have the free will to watch, listen and experiment to know and feel for yourselves, that these are the words of Christ himself.
We watched a session Saturday night with two of our investigators and Prezydent Najberg. Being able to hear the word of God and recieve guidance and inspiration how to become men like Christ and eventually have safe and happy families, it uplifted us all and filled us with the Love and Light of Christ. It hadn't even finished when I recieved a call from one of our investigators explaing that he had just found out that his wife has been cheating on him. He was crushed, at a loss of feelings and words of what he was to do, totally wrecked emotionally. Distraught, puzzled and fearing what was going to happen to his children of 9 and 3. Then, not even 10 minutes later, we arrived at the bus stop to behold a fight break out between these two young drunk men, which Elder Mulder and I had to immediately run over, jump in and pull one off of the other. It ended with him spitting blood on our white shirts and faces. Instead of being furious, which I normally would have been and then attacked him, I was instantly filled with mercy, compassion, love and a sense of incredible sadness for this man as he backed up cussing us out with blood filling his mouth and tears coming from his eyes...
I was puzzled why immediatly concluding a spiritual enlightenment, I had just witnessed such carnal behavior and darkness where mens hearts had failed them. But, I found it a blessing to be able to see this DRASTIC, very real contrast of the Light of Christ and the Darkness of the Devil. It is real. The fight between Light and Darkness, Good and Evil. As real as God is, the adversary is also there fighting against him to destroy the family and happiness of man.
The more I am out on my mission, the more I truly realize the difference between Light and Dark in this ever changing World. Things such as crime, addiction, pride, immoral values and sin illustrate a black mist wiping accross the Earth, causing broken trust, broken hearts, broken homes and families, sadness, suffering and misery. While Christ our Savior and his pure Gospel, dispels and beams brightly, penetrating this darkness, illuminating the path to which one may come out from this darkness and find this pure, lasting, infinite joy and happiness as familes and Eternal Life living together, forever, in the world to come. For the gift is to us all...we are free to choose this light or darkness, I echo the words of Father Lehi "And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life"
That is the purpose of why I decided to come here on a mission is "to bring to pass the immortatlity and eternal life" and happiness of my felow Brothers and Sisters, because I love them. My prayer is the same for you. I love you. Choose wisely...
Elder Wood
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