Just so everyone who reads my blog knows that my girlfriend still puts me in my place, this is a part of our email conversation today:
Me: I know, but it is so discouraging having to do the baptismal interviews for the people that I found and taught, and then watch another elder get to baptize them. Honestly, nobody remembers the elders who started teaching them, it's just the two that were at the baptism. They are the ones they have the pictures with.
Melissa: Colton James. You know I'm not one to get mad at you when you vent, and I want you to vent to me, but the only person who matters that remembers anything about those baptisms is God.
Me: Ouch! That hurt a bit, but you are completely right! I have been very selfish the last couple of days. I promise I will be better!
Okay, so now I want to share with you guys a little something I learned from my personal study this week. I studied about HOPE in Preach My Gospel and in the scriptures and it was great! Hope you guys enjoy and can apply some of it. So I read a quote from James E. Faust talking about how hope is the anchor for our souls. Then, while I was reading Ether 12:4, it talked about hope being the anchor to our souls again. I thought there must be something to it, so I started thinking about it. It is true! The hope we have in anything is what anchors us to making the right choices. But, like a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean, if we only have a little bit of hope (like putting an anchor 5 ft into the water), our hope is not going to help much. The hope of the Atonement is what anchors us to making the right decisions and not veering off our course. Then I read another quote that said, "Hope is trust in God that, through faith if we act now, the desired blessings will be fulfilled in the future." How awesome is that? Anyways, that was my breakthrough study of the week!
Another funny story--I was doing a baptismal interview for a little girl yesterday and I asked her what she understood about the law of chastity. She knew all the right stuff, but then she finished with, "kag, bawal para isa ka Filipino kag isa ka Americano nga magkasal indi sila pwede." Translated, that means "it is forbidden for a Filipino and an American to get married. They can't do it." I told her that wasn't true, but I was laughing the rest of the day! She was about 10 years old, so it was way cute!
We were able to have a baptism upon my arrival here, which was nice. We also have two upcoming baptisms next week. After that, however, things may start to slow down for a couple of weeks as we look for more investigators. The teaching pool here is a little bit more shallow than it was in EB. We did have a good experience visiting a less active lady for the first time. She has a son who isn't baptized and she hasn't been to church in about 15 years. She said she felt shy and that Heavenly Father was disappointed in her. We reassured her that He is never disappointed, but He is always inviting her to come back to Him. She was bawling during the lesson and it was one of those strong lessons that makes you glad to be a missionary. Yesterday she came to church with her son!
Anyways, that was my week! I sure do love you guys!
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| Apron that Melissa sent me in my 1-year package |
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| Gotta love the blue walls! |
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| Goodbye Elder Stagg |
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