So, as district leader, I have to conduct a tradeoff every so often with each of the Elders in my district. "Normally at least once every transfer cycle, a district leader works with each elder in his district and zone leaders work with district leaders in their zone." As it says in the Missionary Handbook. Anyways, I conducted one on Tuesday. I went with E. Jubitz, the senior companion in Huntly, and E. Peni went with E. Brown. It was an okay tradeoff. I say okay because really not too much happened. They are having a really big problem with having people to teach. They are great in the fact that they are teaching heaps of lessons. However, they have very few progressing investigators, and no one that wants to be baptized. Not their fault, just it is "their lot to have fallen into the hands of a more hardened and a more stiff-necked people; therefore they would not hearken unto their words," as it says in Alma 20:30.
So, it's a little bit hard for them, but they are doing the best that they can. They are doing a good job. Anywho, on the tradeoff, we went to a place in their area called Te Kauwhata, which is about 20 kilometers north of where they have most of their work. Also, they are on bikes, so there is no way that they are getting up there, so I thought that it might be a good idea to work up there. Well, it wasn't. Nobody wanted to listen to us, which was a little bit sad. Or, the people we wanted to see were gone. Well, oh well. I hope that there was some learning that took place there. :-)
So, we found a new investigator today. His name is Cameron. He was being taught a while ago, and for a long time. He is good friends with many of the members of strong LDS families. The only reason that he said he didn't want to be baptized was that he is pretty sure that his family will not be terribly supportive. We will have to use the guidance of the spirit to figure out what we can do for him. He is keen as, and I really think that he will be baptized. He was what you would call a former investigator. Someone that was taught in the past. So, lets use this as a lesson for everyone. People that may reject the gospel very well might accept it at a later date. So don't give up hope on any of these people. You can very well plant seeds, and they will finally bloom.
Matthew 13
18 ¶aHear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, andaunderstandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and bcatchethaway that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into astony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when atribulation or bpersecution ariseth because of the word, by and by che is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this aworld, and the bdeceitfulness ofcriches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he thataheareth the word, and bunderstandeth it; which also bearethcfruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
So, some people you may come in contact will be the latter kind. The kind that absolutely blossom and share the gospel with everyone else. But, if you remember in the parable of the popcorn that I emailed in December, some people will not pop, no matter what. But, it's not ours to choose who gets to hear the gospel. Remember, all of us chose God's plan. Nobody that you will come in contact with chose Satan's plan. Everyone wanted to return to live with God. These people just don't remember that they made that decision. So, it's our job to remind them of something that they already knew, but have since forgotten. :-)
Cooking! Yay! I have finally decided to start cooking, because I am really getting sick and tired of the noodles that we have to eat quite often. :-) So, I am being more healthy. Kinda... I'm going to bake some cookies. :-) Really healthy, I know. :-) My Mum will be so proud of me. ;-) This cookbook that I bought a few weeks ago is really helpful. It gives me all kinds of cooking advice about everything. :-) It's pretty exciting. :-) ;-) :-D
So, I just wanted to mention something that I heard that I thought was really interesting. If you remember in the Book of Mormon, it talks about the people that dissent. For example, Alma 31: the Zoramites. These types of people are what we missionaries would call Less-Actives. That sounded super weird to me at first, but it's true. All of these people once had the truth that you and I have, but they chose to forsake it and go some other way. It becomes everyone's duty to help those people around you. "when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22:32. This applies to everyone. When we are more converted than someone around us, it is our job to lift them up. It was said to me that, "You can't lift someone else up unless you are standing on higher ground." So, since we are all, hopefully, on higher ground, it's our job to lift those people that otherwise will not make it to where we are. There are less active members everywhere. Our borthers and sisters. Who will you go and bring back? Who will you help?
Concerning priesthood
Missionary work is hard. I'm very aware of that. In an address to missionaries at the MTC, Elder so-and-so (I forget his name) told a story about how a bishop was talking to a destitute widow trying to support her family, and really struggling to pay tithing. He said, when she asked if she had to pay tithing, Sister, if this was my church, then I wouldn't make you pay tithing. But this isn't my church, it's the Lord's church. He said a similar thing to missionaries. To missionaries saying, why do we have to do that? It's too hard. Well, this is the Lord's church, not ours. E. Holland made the comment, speaking to mission presidents: Many of your missionaries will come to you and ask, Why is this so hard President? Why can’t our success be more rapid President? Why aren't there more people joining the Church president? Why isn't the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font? He went on to say that it is his opinion that missionary work is not easy because Salvation is not a cheap experience! How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?
Well, I know that even though it's not an easy experience, it is very worth it in the end.
Well, I leave my love with you, and I wish you all the best!
Arohanui,
E. Staheli
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