Being A Kid, Knocking Doors And Rejection

I Hope They Call Me On A Mission

Tortillas for the week: 35 and lamb intestine (pretty good, but chewy)

Riding The Elevator In The Church

Ok so I want start with things that I miss:

1) Simply Minute Maid lemonade (there is zero of that here)

2) Root Beer

4) Donuts

5) My Mom’s desserts...I miss all of them.

6) Safe food, the way they prepare things is scary as death but you have to eat it and the Lord blesses you.

7) THE COLD it’s too hot here, we should be allowed to teach in nice shorts here

8) Carpet…aaaahhhh I can’t wait for my feet touch carpet.

9) My car, it would be so much nicer to drive myself rather than getting rides on the back of vans, on the roof of cars and chicken buses.

10) AC, oh how I miss AC, having your house at a nice cold or fresh temp is amazing.

I have to say all of those things are worth giving up for being able to be in the Lord’s service. President Ezra Taft Benson said we love what we sacrifice for and we sacrifice for what we love. By the way I do miss my family but it has been a tender mercy that I don’t miss my family to much because I honestly lose myself in the work and bring God’s work to pass among the Lamanites. Yes I do “miss things” but I don’t truly miss things. It is very interesting how the Lord blesses people; He blesses the obedient and lets the disobedient suffer so they will remember him. The obedient will experience trials and afflictions but through your obedience you will be guided by the Holy Ghost how to come out on top because you cannot fail on the Lord’s errand.

Tag!!

So this week I got to be a kid again, just to laugh, smile and not have a care about a thing in the world. We played tag with some of the youth in the branch, boy was it fun! I just forgot about everything and just savored being a kid and the hour of tag. I cannot put it in words how I truly felt but I can now see why Christ said we must become like little children. Just to let you know I still to speed...the fastest one..hahaha.

Just Happy To Serve In Anyway

Also this week we knocked on a good of amount of doors and I’m pretty sure we knocked on more abandon houses than houses that had people living in them. We knocked this one house and this little kid answered the door and I asked is your Mom or your Dad home and the kid said yeah. He then went to get his Mom and then I heard clear as day, who is it, and the kid said it’s the Mormons and the Mom said tell them I am not here. As soon as I heard her say that I almost said, “Hermana se que ud esta, como esta?” (Sister I know your home, how are you?); but I kept my mouth shut which was probably a good idea. We did find some good people who can come to know the truth by having your own sacred grove experience by asking God to know that this is the true church. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Like Joseph I believe we will experience trials, sorrows and afflictions to come to know the truth and to become true Disciples of Christ. Knocking doors can cause much sorrow and many of the doors we knocked we were flat out rejected. Some of the responses are so funny, my favorite is when they tell us they investigators being taught by Mormon Missionaries. Anyway as we were getting rejected these words came to my mind by Elder Holland, “When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived.” I will say rejection made the people that wanted to listen even sweeter. We met two families and will be meeting with them. It is interesting because we ran into one of men before we found the house and we talked to him for like 30 seconds because he was going somewhere. As I remembered that quick 30 second exchange I saw something in his eyes, I saw blackness, sadness, a plea for help and I know we can help him and his brother.

Don't Go Into The Long Grass

So we met with Joel again this week and shared with him 3 Nephi 11. I shared with him when Christ says, “Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world” I then said to Joel, “Christ is always calling us to come unto Him.” Joel said right and He is also always calling to Israel. We then talked about Israel and the twelve tribes. And I told him I have been called to bring to pass God’s work. I am called to bring others back to Israel.  I am called to bring you back. It just hit me I am truly called of God to bring the Lamanites to Come unto Christ. These people are truly a chosen people. Anyway it was an amazing lesson.

More Missionaries Riding The Elevator

I gave the message in district meeting this week and I talked about testimony. I’m so grateful to guide in preparation for this message. I told them that we have to have a testimony to bring other people unto this truth because how could we testify of things we don’t know about. I promised them if we work with obedience, diligence and use the Book of Mormon the Lord will soften their hearts to accept our message and Come unto Christ.  He will manifest the truth of this book to all of our investigators. The one thing that I love about being a missionary is the priesthood authority that we have, that the twelve or the prophet has, but they have keys that we don’t have. We have the keys to preach the gospel in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are obedient the Lord will magnify our priesthood power and we will be able to bless and promise the people through His name. I will miss that when I am not a missionary, it is a privilege I rejoice in, I give praise all the day long to my Lord for that privilege. The one thing I can say that has changed about me is that I think about the priesthood every day, I think how can I exercise the priesthood power to bless my brother Elder Iapanaque, the members and the less actives, the investigators and the people that we talk to on the street. Elder Hallstrom said, “If we seldom even think about the priesthood, we need to change.” I have changed because I think about the priesthood a lot more and I too stand with Elder Holland with these words, I testify that the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth and you are members of His true and living Church, trying to share it. I bear witness of the gospel and that Church, with a particular witness of restored priesthood keys which unlock the power and efficacy of saving ordinances. I am more certain that those keys have been restored and that those ordinances are once again available through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than I am certain I write this email to you. I give my witness that God lives and Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son that lives and today and directs His church through his living prophet Thomas S. Monson. I give you my witness of the power of the atonement and that we can change through the atonement with a humble heart.

The Lord's Army Of Missionaries

What I love about Mom is that she still races to this day and what I love about Dad is that he still is my Mom’s mechanic to this day and that he is the support car to, sorry I can’t help with all the food and the support but I give you my support from here Mom and Dad.

con much amor, ducks forever,

Elder Mcilmoil

July 28, 2014

Scriptures of the week: Alma 22:18 and 2 Nephi 33:10

“Unseen eyes are watching” Ezra Taft Benson

“It seems to me that everyone has to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary. But I believe that everyone, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.” Elder Jeffery R. Holland

Remember when we ask why things are so hard remember we are not the first one to ask. 

The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Give God your best and He will give you His best.