That is great that you have been able to go and meet President and Sister Glazier! And Elder Holmstead too, that is awesome. He is probably the companion that has most influenced the person that I am now, and the type of missionary that I want to emulate. (Of course, I don't think I will be as awesome of a Zone Leader, OR Assistant to the President as he was, but that is only considering if I even get to that point. For now, I am just fine being a trainer. :) ) He is great! The van is still having problems huh, suprised that it has even lived as long as it has!
Wow, has this been a week of opposition. Normally we are able to have much higher numbers than we got this week, but for some reason we just could not find any of our investigators in their homes, but we were able to spend a little more time contacting on the street so we increased our reference numbers. So it wasn't too bad, but it was pretty demotivating at some points. We have had a lot of people asking us about the Eternal Family, by using the parable that is used in Mark 12:18-27. They always asked us which of the 7 husbands would be the husband of the widow, to to be honest before this week I had NEVER heard of this story, neither did my companion. So we had NO IDEA of how to answer that, and it was pretty difficult because not one, not two, but THREE of our investigators asked us the same question. In addition to focusing on the subject for my personal study, I asked my District Leader, Elder Zabaleta for help and we did companionship exchanges for a day. We were able to talk about it, and he helped me to be able to overcome that question, because it is a pretty confusing one. Anyway, we got that taken out of the way.
So we changed our focus to helping strenghen the branch more. As good as things have been, we have got to help them recognize their missionary duties because as much as we can do, we cant do this work alone. We need more help, and to do that we are starting to do visits with the members to help them strengthen their testimony and help them feel the love of God. Elder Kevin R. Duncan told us back in January that with or without the members we are going to baptize. The only difference is that we will baptize more WITH the members. One of my topics of study has been how to help build a branch/ward that the Lord can trust. If the Lord doesn't have trust with the members OR the missionaries, then there is NO WAY that he can put someone in our path that really needs the gospel, because who knows if we will even recognize the opportunity. Trust in the Lord has always been key in the Gospel, but if we want success the Lord needs to have trust in us and we need to be worthy in order to receive his blessings. D&C 82:10 "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."
Anyway, despite the challenges we had a fun week! We have been giving service to the members and in addition to helping other people, it has been a great stress reliever. Anything with a machete is fun. :) A lot of people have been trying to contend with us lately, but if there is anything I have learned is that you cant deny the gospel. Personal Study has been my best friend since the start of my mission, and I can truly say that preparation is KEY to be a successful missionary, and to have success is the reason that we are called! D&C 71:3-6 "Verily this is a mission for a season, which I give unto you. Wherefore, labor ye in my vineyard. Call upon the inhabitants of the earth, and bear record, and prepare the way for the commandments and revelations which are to come. Now, behold this is wisdom; whoso readeth, let him understand and receive also; For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly, even power." When we study, we edify ourselves with the good word of God, and when we do this we are made missionaries that have even more powerful. The same sections continues on,"For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly, even power. Wherefore, confound your enemies; call upon them to meet you both in public and in private; and inasmuch as ye are faithful their shame shall be made manifest. Wherefore, let them bring forth their strong reasons against the Lord. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you—there is no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; And if any man lift his voice against you he shall be confounded in mine own due time. Wherefore, keep my commandments; they are true and faithful. Even so. Amen." It is pretty awesome if you ask me. :)
God continues to bless us, just as he has blessed His Children of old. He will ALWAYS be the same, and is a God of miracles! If we are faithful to him, we are entitled to receive his blessings. D&C 68:6 "Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come." We are in the Lord's Work, the Obra de Salvacion and the job isn't finished until it is finished. 2 Nephi 29:9: "And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever." I KNOW THE LORD LIVES! We will always have opposition, but the winner has already been decided. It is always good to be on the winning side. In fact, there is nothing better than to be on the winning side. HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!
Elder Daniel B.Haynie
El Salvador San Salvador East Mission
"I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and I will be until the day that I die"
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