T Minus 59 Days!
Hello Everybody!
Sorry for being a little more dormant than usual on my weekly emails. I don't think I could ever have a better update for you all than these past two weeks!
Since we had our Mission Leadership council, both Christmas zone conferences, and Christmas all in the same week, things have been slower from the administrative side of things. Which is always a blessing, and leaves us with so much more time to work in our area!
Wednesday night last week we went out with a kid in our area preparing to serve a mission. His name is Aidan and he has his call to serve in the Texas Mcallen mission. He just got back from playing college football as a QB in Washington state. We went out with him all night and had some amazing experiences. Our big focus in this area has been visiting and setting up lessons with people who were taught in the past, had baptismal dates that didn't pan out, or attended church multiple times. I think we set up about 7 nonmember lessons that night with Aiden, and found 2 people to teach. One of them was someone I actually taught over 18 months ago in a previous area, and they just moved here. Suprinsignly enough they recognized me!
With new years we found our afternoons were pretty slow. One afternoon Elder Black and I had the idea to email every missionary serving between the two stakes we have. Which ended up being 66 emails. We may have bitten off more than we could chew, at least initially. But on our LDS tools we can see all the missionaries serving, and where they are serving. So we sent them pretty customized emails about how their mission is, and what it has been like, and then shared a quick message asking who they knew in the area that we could visit. It honestly has been so cool to see how many people replied, and with referrals and people to visit. That is definitely a perk of being in Utah. Although anyone could do that, and I would highly recommend it!
On top of that this area has got to have been my favorite ever! We have been having so much success working through members, and people who have been coming to church. Oddly enough we have noticed everyone we are trying to teach, or are teaching, is attending church! Every member we meet with has like 2-3 friends they have been fellowshipping for years and taking to church. The problem is balancing trying to get a hold of them all, and teach them all. I have definitely never seen it before on my mission, but I wouldn't want it to be any other way!
Happy new year as well. I hope this year is great for everyone. Love you all, talk to you next week!
Elder Glenn
Spiritual Thought
Mark 9:28-29
And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
After the Saviors experience with Peter, James, and John on the mount of transfiguration, and their receiving of the priesthood keys, they come down to find a dispute between the remaining disciples, the scribes and Pharisees, and the father of a crippled boy. The matter was why the disciples could not cast the evil spirit from the crippled boy. The Savior mentions that it was on account of their lack of faith (V.19), and later elaborates by "this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer, and fasting." (V.29) Teaching that through prayer and fasting we can all have the increase of faith necessary to seek and expect miracles. We all experience spiritual highs in life, much like the disciples did during the Savior's transfiguration. Yet, we also face challenges, like the disciples' struggle to cast out evil spirits. As the Savior taught, we can strengthen our faith and overcome difficulties through the powerful combination of fasting and prayer.
