A week of Patience

This week has been pretty good overall I would say! It was a different kind of week from the last but I learned from it regardless. We had a lot more time to find this week because a lot of our investigators are busy with school and have had difficulty making/keeping appointments. So we did a lot of finding but there to, we encountered challenge. It seemed that we found exactly all of the wrong people a lot of the time haha. That is an exaggeration but that was a test of patience this week for me. We did however really have a change of mindset. I feel like the Lord added some good coals to our fire recently and especially this week. I have definitely had some solid lessons learned:)

Like these:

• When Elder Erickson and Preece returned to Århus, they told us all about the training and especially about the training on declaring repentance and change through the atonement of the Savior. That really made Elder Lee and I think, so we added a whole new aspect to how we approach inviting people to Christ. You know... its funny that all of the things that make you go "Woah no way.... thats how you do it?" were already in preach my gospel and the scriptures all over the place. But they finally clicked for us and we put them to use and it made a huge difference. Instead of just saying "hey we have a message about God and how he loves us " or something of that nature, we have really focused on talking about how we have a message about Jesus Christ and what he did for us so that we can change our lives. Essentially, we really truly invite people to change their lives anywhere we go now. Of course the other things that we have done to fulfill our purpose before are still important pieces in conversion so I am not downplaying that at all. But rather, we are catching the vision of a better angle to go off of. Declaring Repentance and baptizing the converts of that message on the Lords time is a poignant message Heavenly Father wants me to learn this week and I think that is what made this week great. It has really made a difference.

• I had a way killer personal study on like 4 things at once haha but the main take away was in the Bible in John chapter 4:

35) behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36) And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37)And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38)I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

I does not matter whether we are "reapers" or "sowers!" What really matters most to the Lord is that we do his will on his timing and that is why it is so important to have Christlike attributes! Patience, diligence, faith.... all of them:) So no matter what you do, success is measured by our commitment to find, teach, and baptize; essentially, if we love the Lord and put our trust in Him as we strive to do our best, the Lord will take care of the rest and all things will work out to our good, and the good of others. One day we will all rejoice together for the efforts we gave and how they collaborated with the Lord's will in order to bring to pass his purpose.

Incredible.

• My goal this week is to work on the "stepping stones of positivity". I had a cool inspiration that because it is 10% of what really happens in the day and 90% of what we make of it that defines our days, that upon the stones of positive experiences will we we be able to successfully and happily cross over the disheartening currents of negativity. (that is as shortly said as I can describe it ) The Lord knows I think in quotes sometimes haha.

Other than that I will share one quick cool snippet from the week cuz I gotta hurry:)

We got to be "investigators" for the youth of the stake. There was a stake youth activity where they had an MTC day where they did some way cool mission prep stuff and it really gave the youth a taste of what a mission will be like if they so choose to serve. We had two groups of four each. The first was 13-15 year old girls and the second was 16-18 year year old boys. I was blown away!! It is incredible how well they taught and how much they knew! The coolest part was that a 13 year old girl named Celeste bore really powerful testimony of a neat experience she had had. My group was a little over time so when they called stop I asked for two more minutes so she could finish and it turned out that everyone went quiet so they could listen to her finish. It was super neat to see her continue and just nail the "appointment," even under the eyes of 30 other youth in the room.

I am thankful that testimonies come from personal conversions to the gospel.:)

MISC:

Elder Amos came back to visit.... or should i say Jared the member haha. So weird.

Happiness came in the form of notes, American candy and new socks.... thanks family:) That really was something I didn't know I needed (not that candy is good for you... but I needed it :D )

Well I send my best. Have a great week!

Video Clip :) https://youtu.be/hm-8rJ-TN_E

Ældste J