Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Hey Y'all

This week was amazing! I love my District. It has changed my perspective completely. I feel this Love for the Missionaries. That love alone drives me to be a better example. The thing that I've realized the most, is that it's not me that is showing the love, it's not my Nature to love people, in fact most missionaries from time to time tend to annoy me, it's something I have struggled with dearly. However, I feel the companionship of the Lord as I council with the district, I see them as Brothers and Sisters, I feel his love for them, sometimes I even seen them as the Lord sees them, i feel sad when they are discouraged and I automatically want to help them not be discouraged. I love them, the lord has helped me love them. And not just them It is transferring over to my investigators too. For the first time ever Friday night, we were working with an investigator that has been struggling for a while. We were talking about change, and that relying on the lord is key. I got an impression that the man was saying within himself "don't stop coming, please, I need your help, I'm trapped" I heard it within me. the look on his face was a look of want. I said to him aloud. "We will never stop coming, because we love you, the Lord loves you, and he wants you to join his church, he won't give up on you, and neither will we". The man began to cry, he knew that I knew what his heart was feeling, without the Holy Ghost I know that I wouldn't have had that impression. The Atonement is changing my heart as I continue to understand it, and internalize. 

We were able to put a family on date for baptism this week (August 1st) the lesson was sweet. There lives had been flipped upside down, they weren't sure where to turn for guidance. A member in our ward who was the families lawyer referred them to the church. They came a few Sunday's ago, and we set up an appointment for the following week. We arrived at their house, but to our surprise they weren't home. We tried the next day, same thing, no answer. We figured they were avoiding us so we just moved on. But to our amazement, they came to church the next Sunday! Apparently the two times we tried them was just bad luck on our part. They scheduled with us again! This time they were home! We taught them the restoration and invited them to be baptized, but they were afraid to commit. They had a hard time trusting not only themselves, but other people. We were able to reassure them that the Lord wouldn't want them to join the church if they didn't know it was true. They said they would pray about it. We visited them again, and at the end of the lesson we extended the invitation once more. We had a date set, but they were shaky about it. Still had a road block on committing. We visited them again, we taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as we talked about Baptism and Faith, and The Holy Ghost testified of the Atonement, the cleansing power of Jesus Christ. They assurance of the Holy Ghost, and it's guidance and protection in our lives as we exercise faith. The spirit was sweet, it almost felt as if we were all sitting in the Celestial Room together (that's where you want to imagine the people you teach) we again, extended the Baptismal invitation, the Mother was concerned that some of her kids that refused to sit in on the lessons would be separate from them. I testified with all my heart about eternal families, that if they did get baptized, it wouldn't be very long before they were baptized. 3rd time is the charm, they accepted the date with faith, and they are solid, and committed. I love this family, I have never wanted so badly in my life to share the peace and comfort of the Lord with someone else in my entire life.

Another sweet thing that happened was when we were visiting with an investigator that has eaten missionaries alive. They have been investigating for a long time, the visits from the missionaries has changed their lives, they were heavy meth users and drug dealers, been in and out of prison, almost committed murder once, before they met the missionaries. Needless to say they have had a rough life. They are clean of all of that, haven't used or dealt for years. Their journey has been long, and hard but they are hung up on one last thing. The only reason they haven't gotten baptized is because they aren't married, and they are living with each other. Even their kids are members! The hang up is that if they get married they will lose their disability income. And they do make enough from their jobs to support their family. We have told them several times about jobs that are available, we set them up with the LDS employment services, they wouldn't take any thing. It's been frustrating. Well, we were at their house, and we pulled the family together for a Book of Mormon study. Something classic, amazing, and inspired happened. The little girl in the family says "I WANT TO PICK THE CHAPTER!" I go alright, cool she wants to read. Good deal. So I told her to pick the chapter. She picks Alma 39. Waiting for everyone to turn their I start some small talk. Not paying attention to what the chapter was even about at all. After everyone was ready I said "ill read the chapter head and the first verse and we'll go around the room" I began to read. "Sexual sin is an abomination" was the first sentence. I read aloud "Se-HEY WHO CHOSE THIS CHAPTER!" But something told me we were supposed to read it. We got to the part where it talks about denying the Holy Ghost. The boyfriend said "wait so, me not getting married and living with her is almost as bad as denying God?" I sat there in silence for a second, my initial thought was to sugar coat the phrase. But I didn't. I said yes. It is. He went white as a sheet, and turned to his girlfriend and said "we need to get married, this is not good". The spirit bore testimony of the truthfulness of this passage, and it helped me guide the discussion to where it needed to go. I have never seen someone be so taken back by truth in my entire life. I love that family, and I hope they can figure out their situation. 


I bare testimony that Jesus is the Christ. He is our captain, he called us, he goes before us, he chose us to follow him. His Atonement is real, it is enough, and heeding to him will change our natures. I love this gospel and the change its made in me, but also in the change it is making in others. This is his kingdom on earth, this I do testify. 


I love you all 

Sincerely.

Elder Greenburg 



Colossal Berry Crunch! Breakfast of Champions!



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