Week 17

This has been a very fulfilling week, a light has metaphorically turned on in my mission and I'm much more focused and aware of how to go about this work better, I absolutely love it.

In two days two Christian investigators dropped us, I knew it was coming, but it just showed so strongly the principle that we need to go through members to teach and establish the truth of the Gospel.

"For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it" D&C 123:12

They simply were not willing to act on our message and read the Book of Mormon with our testimonies alone. If only they would look, they would see the truth of our cause!

Michael just recently made bail with a miracle, that a different judge came in right before the bond hearing and reduced his bail to $5000, making it affordable. I wrote him a letter while he was there, and related the effects of sin to the confinement he was experiencing, "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and call things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:25) It was really fulfilling to hear him thank me and tell me how meaningful it was to him, he shared it with one of the inmates there who found great meaning in it. It was an incredible lesson that we should do many good things of our own free will,

"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward." (D&C 58:26-28)

It reminds me of Our Search for Happiness, Elder Ballard wrote that he would respond to anyone's letters and gave his home address. We ran into a guy who wrote many times with Elder Ballard and that was the reason why he was active after going through the military. I've learned to look for things that need to be done and then do it.

We had an incredible miracle yesterday. A mom married to a Catholic ran out of sacrament meeting with a panic attack, she's been so stressed. We used to do family home evenings with their family every Sunday until 6 weeks ago she and her husband became very busy with work. We had planned to come check in on her family yesterday, and a few minutes after they decided to do family home evening we knocked on their door. It was a very good family home evening, and at the end we asked if there was anything we could do for their family. She asked for a priesthood blessing. It was given, and a deeply spiritual experience followed. We both felt like we weren't alone that during that blessing.

Our one investigator, Thomas is doing well, I think he felt pressured to be baptized earlier and it just wasn't right for him. We're teaching him and his family now. His father has already read half of the Book of Mormon. The mother went through a very difficult loss of a one year old baby and has not been able to be reconciled with God since. We're not quite sure what she needs to hear yet, but the fact that she gathered her husband and children for the lesson and then attended it was quite a miracle.

I'll leave you with this, "The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." I've felt the Spirit so incredibly strongly while pondering this, it's true and will be fulfilled. I love you all, this work is true and is hastening.

Stay true!
Elder Szendre