O.K., as usual I don't have too much time to write, with all the crazy things that happen during transfer week. There are loads of miracles that I have to share and I will do my best to do them justice in the short time I have to tell them.
I have prepared a package with some goodies for ya, and I have a letter for loads of others, I just got to find the time to get to the post office!!
First off, I am STAYING... woooooot! Second off, Elder Wood is moving. Boooooooo! I will now have my tenth companion.....yes tenth and not even quite half way done with my mission. I keep getting told that it is because I have been teaching a lot to my companions and that they need to spread me around. I say it is because the president's don't like me. Only kidding, but it is still a little poopy.
SO, the best thing that happened this week was our rendezvous with Andrias, the Spanish young man from Ecuador. We played basketball with him and a young man his age in our ward (who is, well... church hasn't really been his favorite). However, after we played for a little bit, we went into the church and taught a lesson together. We started by sharing our testimonies on how we found out for ourselves if this church was true and why we chose to serve a mission. I talked a lot about how reading together with my family and going to church together gave me incomprehensible strength, even during my mothers cancer and later, episodes of my own sicknesses. However, even with all of that,( all of those wonderful things of my family), nothing gave me more strength than when I gave a simple, but honest prayer to know for myself that this church is true, that there is a God who loves and cares for us, and that there is a way for us to be happy, even in this life. God provided a plan for us. The commandments are not just a list of things I can and cannot do, but much much much more. They are the very qualities we are to learn to become like our Heavenly Father! We even got this member, Max, involved. He bore his testimony about his families conversion story. He was very touched about the principle of gaining our own testimonies and he has decided that that is what he wants to do!
It was a super powerful rendez-vous! We committed Andrias to find out the truthfulness of these things for himself. He accepted full heartedly. Later, we had the opportunity to teach him again in church, with Barbara (a recently returned missionary from the Quebec Canada mission). She is pretty much the most amazing sister ever! We taught Andrias about the plan of salvation and again, the spirit was palpable! We asked him if he would be baptized if he found out for himself that these things are true, and he said yes. A soft invite, but next rendez-vous we will be fixing a solid goal with Him!
Everyone, God lives and He loves us very much. He has provided a way for us to be happy on this earth and in the life to come! His plan is perfect, and simple. He has called prophets to guide us along the way and still does. God is a God of miracles. This church is His and He is at the head of it! Search and you shall find, Ask and you shall receive, Knock and it shall be opened unto you! Meaning, look for God, study about him, then ask him in prayer if what you studied was true. Then knock, meaning act, on the answer you receive and God will open the windows of heaven and pour His blessings upon you.
I love all of you and hope all the stuff I send makes it out to y'all . Always remember how grateful I am for you. How much you all have touched my life and helped to mold me into the man that I am! I hope this week is just fabulous and I promise the next e-mail will be better!
Love
Elder Lyons
PS I'm working on a letter for Gary and G parents!
No comments:
Post a Comment